10. Hotline Miami (PS Vita)

Hotline Miami’s dance of death was a huge hit for Swedish studio Dennaton Games. The game had built-up buzz at various consumer conventions as an indie PC game with a scorching soundtrack and an 80s aesthetic, but the release exploded in popularity on PS Vita due to its short-form gameplay sessions and ridiculously responsive controls. With puzzle-like combat encounters, this masochistic murder-‘em-up was darkly addictive, forcing you to approach each gauntlet with bloodthirsty precision, and it’s still just as absorbing today as it was when it first released.

9. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PS Vita)

At the time, Uncharted: Golden Abyss was a mind-boggling technical achievement. By scaling the buccaneering antics of protagonist Nathan Drake down to the PS Vita’s vibrant OLED screen, developer Sony Bend dropped its fair share of jaws. While the title wasn’t able to live up to the scorching highs of Naughty Dog’s console counterparts, this was a serviceable spin-off that plundered every single one of the portable’s flagship features, for better or worse. While we’ve blocked out its abysmal touchscreen boss battle, we were particularly fond of its gyro aiming, which felt great in the palm of your hands.

8. Rayman Origins (PS Vita)

Rayman Origins revived Ubisoft's platformer mascot with incredible grace and style, and that's no different for the PS Vita version. Although it loses the home console version's four-player co-op, this remains a stellar side-scrolling platformer in single player. Running and jumping through these luscious-looking levels is a treat from beginning to end, delighting with imaginative enemies, fun level themes, and some pretty challenging sequences. A real treat bursting with personality.

7. Guacamelee! (PS Vita)

In Guacamelee!, Drinkbox Studios’ deliciously distinctive artstyle popped on the PS Vita, and heralded an entire era of indie titles feeling at home on the handheld. While this Mexican-themed Metroidvania was also originally playable on the PS3, many preferred the versatility that Sony’s portable provided. Of course, this was a spectacular title to boot, marrying a magical South American sandbox with a Luchador-inspired that felt sublime from start-to-finish. The punny portmanteau that makes up the game’s name is also pretty great!

6. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PS Vita)

Somehow, Danganronpa 2 is even more insane than the first game. The characters grow increasingly ridiculous with each story revelation, and the newly introduced minigames are as absurd as they are weirdly enjoyable. This is a gripping tale of survival, betrayal, and incredibly evil teddy bears — but we'd recommend running through the original Danganronpa before delving even deeper into the madness.

5. WipEout 2048 (PS Vita)

The final game from Studio Liverpool was one of PS Vita's strongest launch titles. WipEout 2048 is a prequel to the original game in the sci-fi combat racing series, offering lots of original ships and tracks to master. If you can grin and bear the loading times, this is otherwise a fantastic game, with typically gorgeous presentation, a great licensed soundtrack, and lots of events to partake in — both online and offline. 2048 lives on in WipEout Omega Collection, but it gave the Vita a slick, fast, and brilliant racer to kick things off.

4. Rayman Legends (PS Vita)

Quietly one of the best platformers of modern times. Rayman Legends was originally intended to be a Nintendo Wii U exclusive, but once the fortunes of that particular format came into focus, Ubisoft decided to port it everywhere. And what a treat it was, particularly for fans of the PS Vita, where its UbiArt Engine shined particularly brightly on the handheld format’s OLED screen. The touchscreen controls meant the game lost none of its intended functionality during the transition either, so this remains one of the better versions of a highly recommended game.

3. Gravity Rush (PS Vita)

As an open world game released early into the PS Vita’s lifespan, Gravity Rush was noteworthy for that alone. Perhaps more importantly, this was an incredibly inventive superhero game, where protagonist Kat has control over gravity – effectively allowing her to fly. The game cleverly implemented gyroscope controls to make both traversal and combat feel supremely satisfying on Sony’s handheld, and with exquisite artwork that truly popped on the portable’s OLED screen, this is a cult classic with good reason.

2. Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (PS Vita)

Imagine for a second you can take two of the greatest PlayStation games of all time on the go with you, and play them practically wherever you want. The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection on PS Vita makes that a reality. With unique, exclusive touch controls found only on the Sony handheld, this is an excellent way to experience two of Hideo Kojima's best. You won't find 30 hours of gaming much better than what these two titles combined have to offer.

1. Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita)

Considered by many to be one of the most memorable Japanese RPGs of all time, Persona 4 Golden is a joyous video game. Set in the sleepy town of Inaba, you strive to solve a series of strange murders, all while exploring an abstract world that exists inside of TVs. Excellent turn based combat and a brilliant cast of characters mean that your Vita might as well be glued to your hands. The sheer style of Persona 4, along with its outstanding soundtrack, are just the icing on this deliciously golden cake.

And just like that, our list of best PS Vita games has come to a conclusion! Do remember that you can still rate your favourites and have an influence on the rankings above, so we expect this list to grow and evolve over time as more fans of Sony’s handheld have their say. Furthermore, if you think there’s a particular game missing from our PS Vita Game Database that deserves a place on this list, then let us know in the comments section and we’ll be happy to add it.

With all that said, thanks for reading our list of best PS Vita games, and be sure to share some of your favourite memories of the format below.

Best PlayStation Games by Platform