PS Vita won't let you use web browser while gaming

[Nitey]

Sony’s PlayStation Vita won’t let you browse the Internet while running a game in the background, it has emerged.

According to members of the handheld’s development staff, hitting the PS button will bring up a menu screen similar to PlayStation 3, allowing you to gain access to features including your friends list, music and Twitter.

The web browser, however, won’t be able available while running software, so you’ll have to exit your game in order to boot it up.

Elsewhere, it has also been confirmed that Mac users will have to sit tight and wait for the necessary software allowing them to communicate with Vita.

In case you didn’t know, Sony’s new handheld will of course be accessible as a storage device when hooked up to a PS3 or PC.

PlayStation Vita is due out in the west on February 22. Japan gets it on December 17.

via CVG

http://www.psu.com/PS-Vita-wont-let-you-use-web-browser-while-gaming--a013806-p0.php

Damn, kinda sucks if you wanted to check out some tips or a guide if youre stuck at a particular point in-game. Suppose they wont be able to patch this feature in either, somewhere down the line

 

[R3D D3V!L]

I'm not surprised really. I'm fine with it. I managed without on my PSP and PS3.

 

[Thez]

I'm having trouble thinking of a device that allows you to do this in general. Usually I have my phone or laptop to hand to check GameFAQs for anything anyway.

It is something I suppose they could technically patch in - but they probably won't for memory management reasons. The games will be optimised to use all of the Vitas memory, and creating space for a browser at whim would cause lots of horrible problems

 

[Thorzilla]

Damn it. PSVita was almost the definitive portable console. Almost!

 

[Vulgotha]

I think people were kind of kidding themselves if they thought that a resouce intensive process like using a web browser would be accessible. Arguably this would be bad for gaming as it would mean that developers would have to alot less resources for their games to use just so people could access the browser.

This simply means that there is more of the hardware geared towards what he system was meant for: Gaming.

 

[MjW]

I couldn't care less. Even microwave ovens have web browsers nowadays.

 

[AsuraOkami]

Not a big deal i just use my laptop for everything anyway.

 

[Wasib]

It would have been nice to have a Game FAQ open whilst playing the game just in case you got stuck...

On the other hand maybe it would have been too easy a solution i.e. you should persevere with difficult moments in games rather than turn to a FAQ in the first instance.

So I have mixed feelings over this.

 

[dc89]

[QUOTE="Thez, post: 5724117]I'm having trouble thinking of a device that allows you to do this in general. Usually I have my phone or laptop to hand to check GameFAQs for anything anyway.

It is something I suppose they could technically patch in - but they probably won't for memory management reasons. The games will be optimised to use all of the Vitas memory, and creating space for a browser at whim would cause lots of horrible problems[/QUOTE]

Nintendo 3DS, iOS devices allow you to do this.

 

[Inzane2050]

Allowing the browser to be open means that Sony will have to put strict limitations on how much of the NGP's power they will be allowed to use. Makes sense if you think about it.

 

[F34R]

[QUOTE="Inzane2050, post: 5726396]Allowing the browser to be open means that Sony will have to put strict limitations on how much of the NGP's power they will be allowed to use. Makes sense if you think about it.[/QUOTE]

Meh... if homebrew devs can get it working perfectly on the PSP, surely, this can be something that is incorporated into the Vita without much fuss.

 

[syciprider]

Somehow, looking walkthroughs up in a relatively slower browser using a tiny virtual keyboard seems a lot more work than just firing up Chrome on the laptop.

 

[Alpha2]

The questions isnt whether it's capable of doing it, it's whether it's at all necessary, and the answer is generally no. I dont need it to browse the web WHILE I play games, it's excessive. All I need is XMB and what ever features are available there. This just seems like they're trying to find things to dislike about the machine.

"Oh no! it doesnt chop onions while mixing margaritas!? This machine fails!"

 

[Gaddes]

Doesn't bother me at all. I have a laptop for stuff like that. I plan on getting a Vita for playing some great handheld games.

 

[Inzane2050]

I use my phone for quick lookups

 

[BBK..]

[QUOTE="Alpha2, post: 5728687]The questions isnt whether it's capable of doing it, it's whether it's at all necessary, and the answer is generally no. I dont need it to browse the web WHILE I play games, it's excessive. All I need is XMB and what ever features are available there. This just seems like they're trying to find things to dislike about the machine.

"Oh no! it doesnt chop onions while mixing margaritas!? This machine fails!"[/QUOTE]

Notice all the 'I'? Just because you don't dosn't mean others don't. I'm playing MW3 right now but i still use an ingame browser to check up on the internet. I'm sure if given the choice and ability many people would use an in-game browser even if it's just to look at something random or help with the game.

You (and myself) =/= Everyone else.

I cancled my Vita pre-order (not because i dislike the machine, it's going to be a fantastic bit of kit i just cant justify buying one when i'm going to be buying a gaming laptop a little bit before it's release) but i will be buying one as soon as more games come out and maybe a cheaper (than it already is) price point.

 

[Nitey]

It's gonna have like 100 games by the time it releases here. But fair play, I need a new laptop too actually o.o

 

[BBK..]

I was originally only be going to getting it to play F1:2011 on for the first few months but i'll just end up playing it on my laptop so me buying a vita at the moment is solely for the "I got the Vita on day one" factor. I am certainly going to be getting one as soon as a game comes out on it (Something like Loco Roco) that i can't get anywhere else or if i see it as a must have but until then i'll just hold tight. if i buy one after spending almost £1400 on a laptop it'll seem a little counter productive.

Of course when it is close to launch i'll probably get sucked into the hype machine and end up ordering one regardless :lol:

 

[Inzane2050]

[QUOTE="F34R, post: 5726399]Meh... if homebrew devs can get it working perfectly on the PSP, surely, this can be something that is incorporated into the Vita without much fuss.[/QUOTE]

There is a difference tho between homebrew and Sony. If a developer has already developed a game to take full advantage of the CPU power and memory available, then the game could possibly crash given that Sony decides to add the web browser feature. And that would mean developers would have to go thru the hassle of toning down their game's demand on resources so tgat it can release problem-free. When trying to release a console or handled, the last thing you want to do is add last minute features that force the developers to rework their game and possibly miss the console's release date. You'll be left with a very small selection of launch titles and some really annoyed devs.

It's along the lines of the same reason Sony can't add cross-game voice chat to the PS3. It cannot be done as it will possibly affect compatibility/playability of games developed with the old standard in mind and not the new one for which includes web browsing/cross-game chat, etc.