It has been about a month since Sony’s new portable, the PlayStation Vita, launched in the West. Considering the dramatic changes which have taken place within the handheld landscape as of late – most importantly, the smartphone/tablet revolution lead by Apple’s iOS platforms – there’s been a lot of talk amongst gaming enthusiasts about the fate of Vita and Nintendo’s 3DS. With that in mind, the initial commercial and critical reception to Vita will be very important in shaping this industry-wide discussion going forward.

How has the Vita done up until this point? While the handheld’s story is just beginning to be written, we’re going to take stock of the best and worst of its software, sales and a few thoughts on the future.

In terms of software, Vita’s software lineup to date is a bit tricky to praise or write-off entirely. On the one hand, Sony impressively managed to string together 25 titles at launch, comprising a wide variety of genres, established franchises and original properties. That in and of itself is an accomplishment worth cheering, as most hardware debuts cannot claim to have done the same. However, Vita likely suffered from the lack of a standout, ‘killer-app’ title for early-adopters to rally around and generate positive word-of-mouth. Uncharted: Golden Abyss, arguably the closest to triple-A status, simply can’t carry a hardware launch on its own.