Video games for Sony PS Vita

Ridge Racer

Price: £16.99

Rating: ★★★★★

Best buy: Arcade classic offers realistic graphics and fun handling, and you earn boost by cornering sideways, which is great. Rivals are tough to beat, too, but career mode relies on an Internet connection, which you won’t always have in-car. Still, you can play the thrilling arcade mode without Wi-Fi. This £16.99 download is also cheaper than the full £19.99 game.

ModNation Racers

Price: £29.99

Rating: ★★★★

Recommended: Another fun karting game, even though the characters aren’t as recognisable as in the 3DS titles. You can customise your kart, driver and even the tracks. The graphics are as good as in Mario Kart and the handling just as much fun, but it’s not as challenging and won’t keep you hooked for as long as the other Vita games.

F1 2011

Price: £31.99

Rating: ★★★★

Sadly, the transition from PS3 to Vita has done F1 2011 no favours. It’s a great handheld racer, but the sound and graphics aren’t as good as on the PS3, plus you’ll have to wait until September for the 2012 version on both platforms. Still, the detail is great, it’s challenging and there’s a lot of offline racing. We just think Ridge Racer is more fun for nearly half the price.

Motorstorm RC

Price: £4.79

Rating: ★★

Racing remote control cars on screen is nowhere near as much fun as the real thing. This game has awkward controls and takes a while to get used to. The graphics are better than on the DS games, but we soon got bored. The handling is realistic, yet this is a dull game, and for 20p more you can download Real Racing 2 on to your smartphone or tablet.