PlayStation Devices Say Goodbye To Facebook
A couple of PlayStation devices are gearing up to bid Facebook farewell as Sony announces its termination of support of Facebook features and applications in PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation TV.
PlayStation announced this bold move to discontinue Facebook apps and features at the PlayStation Support website, September 15.
“Termination of support for the Facebook features on PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®Vita, and Facebook applications for PlayStation®Vita and PlayStation® TV.
In January 2016* Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will terminate support for the Facebook features integrated within the PlayStation®3 and PlayStation®Vita systems, as well as the Facebook applications for PlayStation®Vita and PlayStation®TV. In anticipation of this change, the Facebook applications will no longer be available for download from PlayStation®Store as of 15 September, 2015.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate your understanding.
*The schedule may change depending on circumstances.”
So to clarify, Facebook apps are already gone from the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV store. By January, 2016, Facebook features available in PS3 and PlayStation Vita will also be cut off.
Sony and Facebook haven’t released statements as to why this is happening in PlayStation devices across the globe, leaving people in the dark. Is there some kind of feud happening between the two companies that we haven’t heard about? Some kind of cold war happening between two of the biggest brands in the tech industry today? Well, we do know Facebook and Microsoft are very friendly towards each other, what with the partnership between Microsoft’s Xbox One and Facebook’s VR gear Oculus Rift confirmed this year. So, is this a bold move by PlayStation to declare its superiority over the Xbox consoles?
Looking back, actually, this is not the first time PlayStation is ditching some essential apps and app features in its consoles and devices. Last January, Sony announced that it is letting go of support for a pair of huge apps in the PlayStation Vita.
Support for YouTube and Maps apps on PS Vita is ending. More info below. Maps: https://t.co/G0Ornijx7y YouTube: https://t.co/rmb2nBm1Un
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 28, 2015
Last January 28, the PlayStation Vita just lost the YouTube app in its PlayStation store, and support for the YouTube app, after enjoying a short three years in the PlayStation Vita’s support list. Not only did PlayStation kick out the YouTube app, they also decided to drop the Maps functionality. All features of the Maps app and some features of the PS Vita’s Near app were disabled in a software update for PS Vita in March. And just like the dropping of the Facebook app, these two changes did not come with explanation from Sony.
Is PlayStation doing all of these on a whim? Some speculate that this Sony’s way of urging people to migrate to the newer PlayStation 4. As of writing, the Facebook app is still healthy and kicking in PlayStation 4 consoles, and no talk of dropping it on the PS4 is arising.
[Images courtesy of Juergen Schwarz / Getty Images and Wikipedia]
