Today, June 28, Sony shut down the PlayStation Vita‘s messaging functionality and erased all previous messages. The hardware manufacturer originally announced plans to close the service in late March, around the time that news of the PSP, PS3, and PS Vita store closures went live.
Fortunately, Sony later reversed course on its store closure decision. While the PlayStation Portable’s storefront is still going offline on Friday, July 2, the PS3 and PS Vita marketplaces will remain operational for an unspecified length of time. Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President Jim Ryan said the group had a change of heart after seeing the passion that fans harbored for the two legacy systems. The closures originated from Sony’s desire to focus its resources on newer devices, Ryan noted in a mid-April statement. It stands to reason, then, that PS Vita’s messaging system has shuttered due to a similar line of thought.
The baked-in messaging service for PlayStation Vita has officially gone offline as of June 28. Consequently, sending and receiving messages through Sony’s handheld is no longer an option; similarly, inviting friends to join in on multiplayer-related fun isn’t possible. Push Square notes that all messages previously attached to the system have also been wiped, though they remain accessible through the PlayStation App, PS4, and PS5. And thus falls another feature that once seemed integral during PS Vita’s relatively short-lived heyday.
It’s doubtful that many players have put the PS Vita’s messaging functionality to good use of late. However, this still marks a sad day for owners of the too often unappreciated handheld, as it denotes yet another nail in the device’s coffin. And Sony has been hand-crafting the portable console’s resting place for quite some time.
The platform-holder ceased PlayStation Vita physical game production in 2018, then twisted the knife in early 2019 by discontinuing the Vita itself, effectively putting an end to hardware production. However, Sony’s support for the small platform, where it counted the most at least, came to an abrupt halt years prior. Indie developers have spent quite some time supplying Vita with its lifeblood – interesting games to play on the system. But that, too, will come to an end in the very near future since, despite reversing course on the store closure, Sony will stop accepting submissions for new PlayStation Vita software this summer.
