It's taken 15 years to get a brand-new Skate game, but Full Circle is finally releasing its fresh entry into the series. It's out right now, if you didn't know, launching in early access on platforms such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A mobile version is coming down the road, but last-gen consoles like the PS4 are also in the mix. However, I guarantee you that you haven't considered using your PlayStation Vita to shred around San Vansterdam.
Yes, believe it or not, you can get your Skate fix using Sony's brilliant and yet vastly underrated PS Vita. It isn't running how you think it is, though. No, this isn't a native port of the game from Full Circle, meaning it's not the first new PS Vita game in a decade. With a sturdy internet connection and hope that your PlayStation 4 doesn't implode from booting up the game, anyone with the handheld can use Remote Play to get started.
I can't say Remote Play is a feature that appeals to me that much. I don't use it with my PlayStation 5, but I have friends who swear by the PlayStation Portal and claim it's worth buying over any portable gaming console. Yes, they believe it's worth picking up over the Steam Deck or the Lenovo Legion Go S. While I'll respectfully disagree there, YouTuber 'Dan Gamering' shows off Skate's potential as a title to add to your handheld gaming sessions.
Honestly, I didn't initially believe what I was seeing at first. Is it just some good old-fashioned trickery, mimicking the inputs while a video plays on the PS Vita? Luckily, that isn't the case, as multiple instances in the video show him fiddling with the camera in real-time and dismounting his board. There seems to be an ever-so-light case of input delay, but nothing too severe. Pretty neat, though, isn't it?
You can't use Remote Play on your PS Vita with a PlayStation 5, just in case you're considering that idea. But if you happen to have this console lying around, now you know it works through the PlayStation 4's streaming capabilities. I have around 50 hours of total time spent in Skate right now, exceeding the 44 hours you can read about in my Skate preview.
While I still have my issues with the game's aesthetic and purpose, I can't deny that it feels sensational, whether I'm booting up on my PS5, my Asus ROG Ally, or dusting off my PS Vita. The ROG Ally is an ace way to play Skate, as I curl up on the couch, doing Christ Air grabs while my girlfriend watches another grizzly Netflix documentary in the background. I'm keen to see how the free mobile game version stacks up, but it's going to be a while before that happens.