Sony provide a way to play your PSP games on the new Vita - but you may not like what it entails...
The PlayStation Vita, or PSV for short, is due to launch next year and brings with it an all-digital means of accessing content - whether that content be video, music, or games.
An obvious down-side of this decision is that gamers who currently own PlayStation Portable titles on UMD disc will be unable to play them on the PSV.
To get around this problem Sony have announced the UMD Passport Program, which involves downloading a small program to the PSP's memory, registering the UMD discs with a Playstation.net account, and then downloading them to the PSV.
It is also apparent that each PSP title downloaded to the PSV will have the option of smoothing textures (most likely harnessing the processing grunt of the PSV for antialiasing and filtering purposes), enabling the PSV's on-board camera for PSP titles that support it, and enabling the right-hand analogue stick (for purposes unknown).
While this system sounds fine it comes with a caveat; each title is said to cost between 500 and 1500 yen to download (between AU$6.30 and AU$19 with a direct conversion).
Considering that customers have already paid to access the content on their PSP UMD disc already we fail to see the logic in this UMD Passport Program. What are your thoughts?
Issue: 137 | June, 2012