During Tokyo Game Show we announced that PlayStation Plus would be coming to PlayStation Vita in November. We are excited to reveal that PS Plus will be available on November 19th as part of the next PS Vita System Software Update (v2.00).
I teamed up with Ray Bautista, Product Manager of Digital Platforms Strategic Planning to give you a sneak peek at the Instant Game Collection for PS Vita and all of the benefits and features that PS Plus has to offer. Today I’ll walk you through some of the other new features you can look forward to with the system software update, including an email app, the ability to transfer content wirelessly between your PS Vita and PC, and enhancements to the web browser.
With the addition of PS Plus, and such a great lineup of exclusive games launching by this holiday, now is the perfect time to purchase a PS Vita.
As Ray mentioned, PS Plus will offer exclusive discounts and bonus features for both PS Vita and PlayStation 3 members. In addition to online storage for game saves, automatic updates and Trophy synching, PS Plus members will get access to the Instant Game Collection, a constantly updated library selection of games, starting when the PlayStation Store updates on Tuesday, November 20th.
Once you update your PS Vita to v2.00 and PS Store publishes next Tuesday, PS Plus members will be able to download the Instant Game Collection, which includes PS Vita games Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Jet Set Radio HD, WipEout 2048, Gravity Rush and Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack!, as well as (PSP) PlayStation Portable hit Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.
Don’t forget that PS3 users with an existing PS Plus membership will be able to enjoy PS Plus features and services on both PS3 and PS Vita systems at no additional cost. You will be able to choose between the two subscription options — a three month plan for $17.99 and a one year plan for $49.99.
For more information on System Software Updates, please visit this page, which will provide additional details on v2.00 when the update goes live.
I’ll list them some of them off anyway…Top things that I would like to see addressed and some suggestions in the future firmware updates:
1) Folder Functionality.
2) Near app revamped… it should be seamless and really be simplified/more accessible. Just look at streetpass people still use that because it just is so convenient and easy to use since it is always running in the background.
3) Update section on PSN to see and set to download all patches for owned game/apps much like the App Store.
4) Combine the Group Messaging and Friends apps into one and let it run in the background at all times as well.
5) HD Download options for Videos on PS Store for PS Vita
6) Increase the Trophy card size inside the trophy app… PSN names get cut off.
7) Make auto dimming optional or don’t dim while a game is running option.
8) Instant trophy sync with PS Plus, instead of set to a specific time of the day
9) Highlight the current game inside the PS Vita at all times
10) Get rid of the blue sign in screen or loading game screen native to PS Vita… games like Soundshapes already have their own signing in/loading screen why add another?
Illumina, I think the Vita, like the PSP, is locked. 0ne acct per card? I had to do the activate/deactivate thing on my PSP & in the end, not worth it but just buy on your PS3 & then transfer to Vita. That should work.
QUESTION
So my Plus account expired last month and I checked my Download History today and I realized everything I downloaded for free during my 15 months of subscription is now gone. I wanted to resubscribe to Plus but that I know that everything is gone….I’m not sure about it now. If I resubscribe, will I get everything back? All the games I got as freebie from my first day of subscription.
11) Full PSP PSN line up support and PSP DLC support
12) Games downloaded from PS Store should include the latest patch so you don’t have to wait again after the game has been downloaded and installed .
13) Background firmware update
14) Background patch installs
15) Ability to buy Premium Avatars from the PS Store on PS Vita
16) Add music from the game when in the Live Area of said game
17) Full HTML 5 Support for the Web Browser and allow us to be able to run the browser and a game at the same time.
18) Add how long has your friend been offline for in the Friends app
19) iTunes Videos and Podcast support would be great
20) Option to take out the flash sound while taking a picture or screenshot
We are getting dungeon defenders next week? SWEET!
Oh and if there will be a new PS Store for PS Vita please make sure that while browsing content it is clear which content has been purchased. I find it frustrating that while browsing content on the PS Vita, I cant tell what I have and haven’t purchased and also please bring more trailers to the store it has been barren for quite a while and unorganized as well.
@302 and Illumina – I didn’t read all of the conversation so I know this might be wrong but at a quick glance it sounds like Illumina wants to buy something on one ID and transfer it to the Vita on another. If that is the case then that won’t work, it has to be bought on the same ID as the Vita in order to transfer it to the Vita.
If that’s not what you’re trying to do then just ignore me lol.
Oh and how can I forget, would be great if you could record video with the PS Vita also.
along with Copy and Paste functionality as well. There I am done for now :)
A little late to the party but great news! Awesome awesome news!
I predicted Gravity Rush but I did not see Uncharted and Wipeout coming my way. Great collection!
Definitely a happy camper though I have 2 suggestions for Sony.
1) Introduce a bigger memory card. I am thinking 128 GB.
2) Reduce the price for the memory card.
As an after-thought, this feature would be ultra cool: game streaming (like OnLive).
@303 SalamanderKnight – Yes you’ll get everything you downloaded while you had an active PS+ membership back. When my PS+ sub ended I didn’t decide to renew it for 2 months after. So there was a 2 month gap where I didn’t have PS+. Once I was a PS+ member again, all the games I downloaded while I was a PS+ member were available to me again.
Oh yea, one thing that the post did not mention.
What’s the strategy for the game rotation? How many games are we expecting to be replaced every month (if any)? What I gathered from the video is that ONE game will be replaced every month.
Question, can I download the Vita IGC stuff from the PS3 store, and then download it once I get my Vita?
Also just noticed the new store is lacking a Discount page
Awesome! So stoked about Wipeout 2048, I would have purchased it much earlier, but the load times are horrendous! As a free title, I’ll be able to forgive the load times, but probably won’t play it until spring time after I’ve completed Persona 4 Golden :) I really hope this new PS Plus initiative for the Vita is incentive enough for people who’ve been on the fence about the Vita. I own Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush, and Tales from Space: About a Blob, all of which are stellar titles, and there are many more great options, plus some killer stuff in the pipeline. It’s wonderful being able to play near console quality games on my lunch hour at work, and it does a lot to relieve stress. I don’t even play games on my phone since I got my Vita, there’s simply no comparison. Just get used to wearing cargo pants, and ditch the silly skinny jean fad, we’re gamers after all, so utility should be paramount.
@312 Well, given that the library of Vita games is still relatively small, I would imagine that there will just be 1 game alternated per month for a bit until the library gets built up a bit more.
@313 A discount section is there still, Games > PlayStation Plus > Discounts.
@297.. The dev on psn + get paid . these games aren”t actually free we paying for them with psn + subscribtions.. everything that comes on psn regardless of psn + deals, the devs get paid. thats a fact.
I havent heard these claims from any source but you. Now Im saying they are false, but I know for a said fact the devs who put games on psn plus get paid a share profit when a person download it for free .
If want to tlk about not being paid go talk gamestop about dlc deals.. and encintives for the devs. Psn is give the devs alot more than gamstop is and else where. It sad you rant down on psn+, who else is doing these type of discounts.?? This was hard work by the sony faithfuls of the brand as well as sony..” excuse im upset” ill leave my post there
Mcbuttz78
vp – psn legionairre group
Well Sony, you just sold yourself another Vita. I wasn’t planning on buying one, but as a current PS Plus subscriber, it just doesn’t make sense to let these free Vita games go to waste. A very good starting collection as well. All well-reviewed titles (was afraid Little Deviants was going to be one of the games). Also, the volume of games offered (6 is perfect…afraid it would be 3) makes it impossible to turn down. 18 games for $50 a year…unreal!
Same question as @303
Also, i have asked multiple times, why some content i already got with PLUS doesn’t appear as purchased ( my PLUS subscription is active), can’t be accessed directly from the store (says the content is not available at this time) and is only accessible with the download list.
Wow, been waitig for this, ps+ Vita for a while. Finally. Great choices. Also nice firmware updates. And many voices here have more excellent firmware update suggestions, please listen and consider Sony. thanks.
too bad this concept of pay-as-you-go for free content only appeals to people that didnt pay the full price for the physical copies of the games and 90% of these titles are now what in the $9.99-$29.99 range
i dont see myself returning to plus any time soon .. its all half the games i already own and half games i dont care to own because their just flat out lame
Welp, I’m only looking forward to 4 games for the PS Vita. Gravity Rush, Wipeout 2048, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Jet Set Radio.
@316
No idea what you’re on about man. I didn’t say once that they’re not getting paid (other than mentioning the drama from the Dead Nation developers saying their sales were being impacted by the PSN free game giveaway, another user clarified this was not part of PS+ and I acknowledged that and my misspeak). In fact I clearly stated that I have no idea what the agreement would entail. Reread the conversations, I think you’re misunderstanding my point.
Holy cow! I’ve already got two of the “retail” titles, but doesn’t matter! Still way more than I was expecting. Very awesome. You will continue to get my annual $50. :P
@318 You will regain access to it as #311 stated. Regarding having to go to your download list, that’s not really a surprise or anything, you didn’t actually buy the game so it’s not going to flip the switch to indicate it was bought. If the switch was flipped to show that you bought it and then you were to cancel your PS Plus then you would be able to download it when not a member of PS Plus even though you shouldn’t be able to.
Since being able to get it free is only good for a limited time before the rotation is changed, as well as having to be a PS Plus member still in order to use any free games downloaded then that is why you have to go to your download list.
I would imagine the sections that stores what your actual purchases are and what you downloaded with PS Plus are 2 different areas and so your list of downloaded items is used to combine the lists, similar to say Google listing multiple sites when you search for something.
@324 hmm, but it’s different to the old store. In the old store, while the PLUS subscription was active, i could access to any content obtained with plus in the past, directly trough the store interface, and download from there.
Now it appears with the price on, and if i try to download it says the content is not available.
To make it more confusing, it only happens at random, certain content has this issue, and other content works as expected in the old store.
Having to use the download list to access my old plus content is very inconvenient, i hope this is a bug in the new store.
Wut? Dungeon Defenders for PS3? When? D:
@325 Might very well be, I should have known that my initial thought was too logical to actually be the case lol. I hardly ever download any of the free games so I can’t say that I’ve ever noticed it being inconsistent like that but I can’t say I’m really surprised given the issues I’ve noticed with the store, as far as games not showing up or being in the wrong categories, etc., none of which have been fixed yet. I know it takes time but hopefully they get the issues like what you’re having and I’m sure others are having too straightened out soon, or at least tell us they’re working on it.
Seven pages of comments (and going!). If that’s not a tribute to how awesome this announcement is, then I don’t know what is.
@327 it’s not biggie, won’t jump for a bridge lol, i’m sure it’s a bug of some kind and will be solved in the near future. I just would like Morgan to acknowledge it so i’m sure the proper people is aware of this. In the meanwhile PLUS is giving me a LOT of value in exchange of little money, love this service.
Wow! This gonna be awesome! I’ll put the hands on my PS Vita next monday, and then…
Free in addition to my PS3’s collection you say?
…yeah this is the best thing I’ve seen in forever and you guys have officially sold me on a Vita now. Not needing to pay a dime for the games I wanted on it the most and getting some sick extras along with it makes it an insta-buy in my book.
Amazing line up for the VITA PS+ launch! Now I need to get a bigger memory card! I was just about to buy Gravity Rush!
WOW the instant game collection for PSVita is awesome!!!
Nice to see you can redeem the free Vita games now, even though you don’t own the console yet :)
Playstation Pus is absolutely amazing, i recently bought a Vita so all I have is AC Liberation which came with the VIta, this couldn’t have come at a better time (well except for today). Anyone with a ps3 that doesn’t have Plus is crazy, this is an absolutely amazing deal and especially if you have both a ps3 and a Vita. You guys don’t put up lame games either, you guys put up a lot of awesome games which is so awesome. I love you guys :’ D
<3 <3
So glad I waited on Gravity Rush.
<3 <3
Have I told you lately that I love you?
Oh and one more thing, I would love if you guys lowered the prices on the Vita memory cards, I only have the 4gb that came with my Vita, but I just about filled it up already and I have only had my vita for about 2 weeks. I would like a 32 gb, but at 80-100$ that is way too much. Around 50$ seems reasonable.
I am so happy with all the content you guys have been bringing out, i until a few months ago was a hardcore xbox fan, but soon found that all the games i played where on ps3 too, except halo and gears of war….which neither i played much anyways….but there where all the psn exclusives i grew up with on ps3 and the whole play station plus thing was awesome too! so First i got a vita….and i loved it! using my summer job as a senior in high school i decided to also pickup the ps3 while im at it! I got ps+ and a couple games! Ever since i have been playing ps3 strong and i check the blog everyday for updates! I love my vita even though i do need to get more games for it(next week is perfect for me). Anyways i ended up selling my long standing xbox and 45games after it literally sat there untouched for weeks and literally had a layer of dust on it. I just want to THANK you play station for giving me more bang for my buck then your competitor ever could after the halo3 years! Im glad to be back in the PlayStation family as i grew up playing PS1 and PS2….i still have my ps1 and original packaging to this day and now it sits proudly next to my ps3.
Nice. Time to get a Vita.
Is there a way to know how long of PS+ I have left? I bought a PS+ card but I’m not sure how long I have left. If I just add another one right now, will it reset my current subscription or will it just add the months onto it at the end of my current subscription?
@340 I think there’s something about services in account management that shows how much time you have left, as well as any other services you’ve got activated on your PS3.
To the person asking about recording on the vuta. Yes you can. In the vita camera option you have to press the green camera symbol on the rigt, the the vita will go into video recording mode. Also refering to the blue start up screen on the vita. You can add any picture or snap shot you have onto the start up screen.
Dangit! Why don’t I get paid until three days after this!? Now I have to buy PlayStation All-Stars AND a Vita both in the same day! Bye, paycheck, it was nice knowing you!
btw the email option is really awesome. There’s too much to love!! damn once my 32 bg card arrives my vita will be getting some heavy usage. Goodbye productivity hello vita-fun
@340 and 341 – You can see your PS Plus subscription status under Account Management > Transaction Management > Services List > PlayStation Plus > and then select the one with “Subscription” beside it. If it’s anything like mine then you’ll have 2 listed and both will give you the dates but the one with “Subscription” beside it will allow you to cancel auto renewal if it’s on, or turn auto renewal on if it’s off.
I don’t yet own a Vita, but I’m still happy with this Plus update!
As a Plus member I’m one step closer to buying a Vita now. Thanks.
Can you please answer this question. I haven’t been able to get a straight answer and I just want to be sure of something.
**If you are a Plus member and there is a lapse in your payment do you lose access to all of the free content when you do renew?
I have it on Auto Renew, but if for some reason my CC payment didn’t go through I would be devastated to lose to 75+ games I downloaded while being a Plus member since the start.
I called PlayStation customer support and they told me this IS the case, but in an email they told me NO… when you sign back up EVERYTHING will still be there. Please clarify once and for all.
Thank You!
@346 – SpooNManX
It’s a yes and a no. You do lose access to them, as in you cannot play them. BUT they are not removed from your system, I believe most Ive downloaded turn back to a trial/demo version if not owned.
As soon as you re-subscribe to PS + all games will be unlocked once more for you to continue where you left off.
I take 3 month memberships, and have been late like now to re-subscribe, so I know this information is true.
Just bought Playstation plus membership. Can’t believe Dungeon Defender will be going “free”! Can’t say I regretted for joining too late…
I missed a bunch of good “free” games because I joined late :(
I wish Fat Princess could be free~
I wish more co-op games could be free~~~!
You guys at Sony are great. You maybe a little show on updates and stuff but when you bring them they are epic. I’m glad you’re bring the mail app especially with notifications this will help greatly for those who use their email for Text messaging via Google voice. The browser update is really been needed and I’m glad you guys are adding a ton of HTML features. I hope those HTML features include video and sound so that we can see YouTube videos directly from the browser. I’m also happy about the twitter feature in the browser I love twitter and this is a big help.
Now about the 1080p video. I find this very cool but weird since you only have a resolution of 544p. Could this mean future video out support of video out to the PS3 via wifi? I find this very baffling and interesting.
@OneMoreVillain:
Thanks for letting me know.
I’m not sure why the guy at PlayStation Customer Service was so positive about me losing everything.
He said “If your service lapses by even 1 minute and then signed up up to Plus, the free stuff would be removed from your download list. He sounded quite sure of himself too.