Nintendo 3DS vs PS Vita - Which handheld came out on top?

While both Nintendo and Sony continue to support their handheld consoles (one firm less enthusiastically than the other) there's no denying that the current generation of portables is getting a little long in the tooth.

?With both the 3DS and Vita arguably in decline, we may already seen the best of what each has to offer, save for any swan-songs waiting in the wings.

That's why now's the perfect time for that all important question: is the 3DS, with its clamshell design and glasses-free 3D, the king of this generation, or will the sadly neglected Vita prevail in the end?

We'll put forward the case for each system below, and you can choose your favourite in the comments.

The 3DS was always supposed to be about 3D. The recent arrival of the New 3DS, which features face-tracking tech, has reminded us why we cared about this feature in the first place.

The world of Xenoblade Chronicles reaches far into the distance. Characters in Super Smash Bros pop out of the screen. Luigi's Mansion 2 looks like a dollhouse diorama. And all that without those stupid black goggles.

The 3DS might not have the highest resolution or the best graphics, but does this nifty visual gimmick make up for it?

The Vita can't match the 3D on visuals on Nintendo's portable. Instead, it goes for sheer power: an approach that has produced truly gorgeous results in games like Wipeout and Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

Even though the revised Vita 2000 dropped the original's out-of-this-world OLED display in favor of a less-luminous LCD screen, the system still looks fantastic. Is it on the same level as the PS3? No, but it's pretty darn close.

You buy Nintendo consoles for Nintendo games, and the 3DS doesn't disappoint. Firm favourites like Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, and Fire Emblem are all well-represented on 3DS.

We even got new Nintendo franchises on the excellent eShop, like the innovate Pullblox series (Pushmo in the States) and Dillion's Rolling Western.

Plus, you get huge games from the likes of Capcom (Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate), and Konami (Castelvania: Mirror of Fate).

Two words: RPGs and indies.

Yeah, the Vita has a few lovely first-party efforts such as Gravity Rush, Tearaway and Uncharted, but the real meat of the lineup is in role-players out of Japan and tiny games out of bedrooms.

You can't go wrong with any of the RPGs on this list, along with Dragon's Crown and the Final Fantasy X remaster. And in terms of indies, Hotline Miami, Luftrausers, Spelunky, and Guacamelee! are superb choices - with many more on the way.

The most recent versions of these platforms have almost the exact same controls: a couple extra shoulder buttons on the 3DS, and an actual second analogue stick on the Vita instead of a weird rubber nub.

The Vita should lose some points, though, for that pointless back touch panel which was only used properly in a couple games and was a pain in the backside (literally) in many others.

The 3DS boasts a range of veritable classics from Nintendo's early days, like Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros. Plus, Game Boy classics like Link's Awakening.

And if you're into the arcade side of things, there's Out Run, Super Hang-On and Thunder Blade to rekindle the nostalgia.

NES games are all well and good. But you know what's more impressive? Being able to play the first 10 (or rather, first X) Final Fantasy games on one system.

Seriously, the Vita's catalogue of PS1 classics is super neat, ranging from 2.5D platformers such as Klonoa to story-driven masterpieces like Xenogears. Jumping Flash forever!

What's more, both the 3DS and the Vita let you play games from their precursors without paying twice for the privilege.

For the 3DS, all you have to do is pop in a DS cartridge. and for the Vita you can just redownload your digital PSP titles through PSN. Unfortunately, there's no way to play anything disc-based on Sony's second portable, but it's not that big of a problem since most PSP releases are available digitally anyway.

Ultimately, the two consoles compliment each other well. But we want to know which is the winner. Which one do we put on the pedestal as the winner of the great handheld wars of the 2010s? Shout your mouth off in the comments below.