PSA: Sony "updates" the Vita with less features

I thought I'd make this post as a PSA for everyone. Sony has officially decided to give the Vita the middle finger. They just sent out one email to me, and a second just arrived, too, so GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW MANY THEY WILL SEND.

Basically, they're disabling a bunch of Vita features, starting with Maps and Near, and they're dropping YouTube support via the app. Now, Near was far from perfect (let's be honest - it's no StreetPass, although even that is flawed. WHY IS THERE STILL A 12-GAME LIMIT NINTENDO? There's a reasonable reason) but they ripping out some core functionality. Next thing you know, they'll be telling me I can never use my 3G Vita's 3G ever again (which is hard enough to use to begin with, since it works completely differently to a regular SIM card on a plan or on prepay).

Anyway, I'll just let you all read the emails that I've pasted below and see what you think for yourselves:

Maps on PS Vita
We’ve got some important news to share about the Maps application on your PlayStation®Vita.

The system software update for PlayStation Vita scheduled for March 2015 will disable all features of the Maps application and some features of the near application.

Functionalities of the applications will be removed automatically once users update their PlayStation®Vita. The disablement of features will not affect gameplay.

We hope you’ll keep enjoying great games and entertainment with PlayStation Vita.
Learn more about this

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YouTube on PS Vita
We’ve got some important news to share about the YouTube application on your PlayStation®Vita.

From 20 April 2015 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will no longer support the YouTube app for PS Vita. The app is no longer available for download on PlayStation®Store.

You’ll still be able to enjoy YouTube via the Browser application. Your YouTube channels and playlists can be accessed by signing into your Google account via the Browser app.

We hope you’ll keep enjoying great games and entertainment with PlayStation Vita.
Learn more about this

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I guess that it's nice they're not dropping all support for these features completely, but it's a pretty half-assed approach. Then again, I guess no one wanted to bother updating the YouTube app any more (although why they don't just leave it as-is is beyond me).

If Sony decides to send out more depressing news about the Vita, I'll add it to this post.

I love the Vita, but it feels like Sony is just trying to murder it for good now. What do YOU think?

 

Sony always remove features from updated products or software. Their hardware is a clear example.

 

True, but to be fair, most of that was never a big deal (aside from 4 USB ports on the PS3). Okay, the Linux thing was, although we can thank that little douche Geohot for that.

It's just disappointing to me that they're continuing with this approach, especially since it'll be a vocal minority who care, unlike when they "downgraded" the PS3, or if they do such a thing to the PS4. I mean, there's no ADVANTAGE to it. The only thing I can think of regarding all of this is some bullcrap Google licensing, but that just doesn't seem likely to me.

 

Nintendo of America isn't any better in my opinion. And who can give me an argumented theory why Nintendo still supports region locking ?
Sony isn't making the best public relation decisions right now and that's just sad.

 

Perhaps they find that the userbase of these programs isn't big enough to warrant spending resources on maintaining them? :/

They've been known to remove parts, but those parts are usually either unused (PIO port of the PlayStation) or were just not used by the majority of the developers out there (e.g. i.Link of the PlayStation 2). Anyway, the features that are mentioned in your e-mail messages are software features, which can be added/removed anytime. On the other hand, 3G support is in the hardware and was already killed by SONY in their future development plans for the PSVita.

On the bright side, they've already made the PSVita a lot cheaper than it originally was.

 

The real reason for removing that was that it could be used to play pirated games.

 

Not saying it isn't Sony's fault, but it was Google's decision to not update the Youtube and Maps. PSTV, for instance, never had the Youtube app. Since Google are migrating to html5, they probably didn't want to update the apps for the Vita. And i bet Sony didn't tried to change that.

It's a shame, because i did use the Youtube app on the Vita. Even used it to watch some of Yakumo's Battle of the Ports. Still, the biggest problem for the Vita are the overpriced memory cards and lack of releases of PSP and PS1 classics.

Most people complain about AAA titles not being released on the Vita, but the ammount of lower budget and indie games is fantastic. Thanks to PlayStationPlus i managed to play lots of great games i would probably pass on other platforms.

As for downgrading, the whole electronic industry does this kinds of things.

 

Some of the features are pointless on the Vita (Email anyone?) others are sorta useful like Youtube. Also removing the 3G modem capability in the Vita is one of the worst things I've heard of. I mean 3G is slow as hell in 2015 but at least you can browse the internet when you're bored. I'm starting to feel sympathy to the Vita. Its a console thats trying to impress, but fails in some major aspects. I only have 2 games for it (both collections) and a PS1 game on it.

 

At least with the hardware there's usually a legitimate cost savings involved (like removing PS2 compatibility in the PS3 so it didn't cost $900 to make one). I don't see a reason at all to remove app features.

 

The Vita supports 14.4 Mbps connections, which is not exactly "slow as hell". Or maybe you're just too young to remember trying to use GPRS to browse the Internet.

 

wap.sitename.com

 

The removal of the Youtube app is hardly a deal breaker. Youtube has gone HTML5 now, byebye Flash so you don't need an app anymore. Maps and Near, I can't really comment but I've never really used them. Less apps more space AFAIAC

 

You're sorta right. But we're in a world with connections rivaling Ethernet and Wifi. My Note 3, for instance, can do 150 mbps in cat 4 LTE w/ the integrated SD800 modem. It's miles faster than the MDM6200 in the Vita.

 

What people forget is.. we still can play PSVita games. That all it matters.

 

Indeed!

 

lol I think I once had a 14.4 kbps modem in our old computer. Eventually we upgraded to "blazing fast" (that might have been written on the box) 56k.

Given that Sony keeps trying to position their handhelds as entertainment devices that play games, instead of a game device that can surf the web, it's kinda strange that they would remove the functionality from the largest video sharing conglomerate.

 

Still wasn't as fast as Ethernet

Thats how the PSP was marketed sorta. It was all "Walkman that can play games and movies" sorta thing iirc.

 

I know, and it kinda works. It does play music and videos, provided you're willing to put them on a memory stick.

It's just weird because with the overlap between the media players and smartphones (to the point where pretty much nobody carries around an iPod or Walkman anymore), if anything Sony is cutting into their potential market share for their phones.

 

The music player on the Vita/PSP itself is really good. Better than my phone actually (lets face it, Wolfson DACs are better than Qualcomm DACs). It sounds so crisp and detailed w/ my ATH-M40x. I was thinking of the PSP being my primary music player at one time.

 

I get your point, no app seems like a strange move. But in fact you're not losing any functionality, just the app. The app just encapsulate functionalities found in the Youtube web app. But users might not bother using the browser, me first.