The PlayStation Vita wasn’t the most popular console to come from Sony, but it’s managed to carve a decent niche for itself in the time since it launched. Home to plenty of JRPGs, small exclusives, and cult titles, the Vita’s appeal is understandable. However, the end of its lifecycle is approaching, and Sony is now disabling the PS Vita’s messaging functionality.
As reported by Push Square, Sony is pulling PlayStation Vita messaging support starting today, June 28. PlayStation Vita owners will no longer be able to send or receive messages through the console, and any stored messages on consoles will no longer be accessible through the device. However, PlayStation fans can still use the PS4, PS5, or thePlayStation appto check their messages, so they aren’t gone forever.
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The move is part of a wider shutdown of Vita services, though it’s not as doom and gloom as it could have been. Earlier this year, Sony announced that it would be shutting down thePS3, PSP, and PS Vita stores, which was met with harsh criticism from fans of the consoles, many citing how important it was for games that are only available on those platforms to be preserved.
Sony has walked back the shutdown, though there are still going to be some changes to how thePS Vita PlayStation Storeoperates on those platforms. Specifically, while the store will remain live for the time being, but Sony will stop accepting new submissions for games on the platform. Essentially, the current list of games on the PS Vita store is essentially what fans will be left with, even though that’s a healthy roster.
The future of the PS Vita isn’t certain, though it’s doubtful that the console will ever truly have a successor. Sony seems to be all-in on providing blockbuster home console experiences with exclusives likeThe Last of Usfranchise. And while the PS Vita did dip its toes into exclusive games,Uncharted: Golden Abyssbeing a prime example, it isn’t clear if there’s room for another device in the company’s current lineup.
On the bright side, the PS Vita itself isn’t going anywhere, and with the PlayStation Store still working on the device, fans will have access to a large library of games for the foreseeable future, even if they aren’t able to message their friends directly through the device. The future of that functionality on the PS3 is also uncertain.
