Rumour: PS Vita Only Supports A Single PSN Account

nofi 57 Comments
[drop2]You might have heard a little earlier today that, from reports coming out of Osaka, the PlayStation Vita only supports a single PSN account.  If you’ve got relatives, mates or otherwise that have their own PSN accounts, it appears they’ll also need their own Vita.

“I just got back from the Vita event in Osaka,” writes a poster on NeoGAF, “and they gave us this little catalog with the launch line up of games and accessories. There also a FAQ section at the end, and that’s where I found this bad news.”

Here’s the apparent text from the FAQ, ad verbatim:

Q: PSNアカウントは、PSVita本体１つに対して何個まで設定できますか？
A: １つです。別のPSNアカウントで使用したい場合は、本体の初期化を行ってください。

The current translation appears to say that the machine only supports a single PSN account.  Worse still? “If you want to to use a different account, you need to format the system to factory settings.”

This also, natually, affects anyone that would normally make use of multiple PSN Stores across multiple regions, such as downloading games from the US Store and then running them on a European account.  And because we’re importing the console from Japan, this would mean that when the UK launch happens we’ll face a tricky decision.

So, whilst cart-based games will work across regions (and accounts) anything with an Online Pass won’t, and it’s probably save to assume DLC won’t either.  Basically, if you have just the one account on your PS3 you probably won’t mind – the rest of us might have a few issues…

Chalk this up as a rumour just now – albeit a fairly sound one – and we’ll know for sure in just two weeks.

Source: NeoGAF.

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57 Comments

  1. Ah yes more rumour to infuriate first day buyers.

  2. That’s a real shame :(

    I don’t buy the “the PSP was single user, so it makes sense for Vita” line either. This is a more sophisticated and expensive device, and I’d really have liked to have one for our household.

    We’ll still only have one, but it means it’s only likely to be me that uses it. So Sony probably loses out on some software sales.

    • * I meant “only” one for our household. Just to be clear :)

  3. Remember people its a ‘rumour’ also am sure there is a way to make you access japan/us store otherwise it wouldnt be region free..

    Personally its my vita-min no one is allowed a dose of it.

    • PSP is exactly the same as this, so I’d guess this rumour to be spot-on.
      PSP is region free too.

  4. Are there any portable devices that do allow you to have multiple accounts on them?

    Surely there’s a way around this, using the multiple accounts you can have on the PS3, and/or a 2nd memory card for the ‘alternate’ account. Then its just a case of removing the memory card and resetting back to factory settings to switch accounts, shoving the card back in and synching with the PS3 or using a second memory card.

    Of more concern to me is the fact that there possibly won’t be Mac support at launch, definitely not for Japan, although it is being worked on.

  5. i though the vita was nigerien free? so dlc and online codes won’t be a problem, or am i missing something?

    also since the vita is portable it makes sense that its only one account per system. although at the same time it does seem somewhat pointless.

    • i meant region free lol!

      • RACIST!!!

        Joking aside, DLC and Online codes don’t fall under region free banners.
        Even on PS3, you can’t buy a US copy of a game and download DLC off a European store.
        The BLES code (I think that’s the name) has to match.
        I’ve no idea why this barrier exists still (why do games have multiple codes?) but it does exist.
        This doesn’t just affect games bought in different regions either- I once bought an Uncharted 2 DLC off the Irish store only to find it didn’t work for me- even though every other Uncharted 2 DLC did! There were different BLES codes on the same store, which was taking the piss I thought.

    • Best typo ever!

  6. fine with that I’m the one who owns it.

  7. Sony are doing an excellent job of shooting themselves in the foot here. With every press release I want it less.

    I’m very happy with my 3DS and IPhone for portable gaming and given the launch date and price, I can’t see the vita selling all that quickly. I may pick one up after the price + reasonable sized memory card drops below £150.

  8. With the Vita, couldn’t you just buy two memory cards and log into a different account on each one? Or am I being thick?

  9. Perfectly fine and acceptable for me.

  10. Can’t believe people are perfectly happy with this. It’s going to be a massive faff for me.

    • Is that due to you reviewing or are you planning on sharing it with the Mrs?

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