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The PlayStation Vita, usually just called the PS Vita or Vita, is a handheld console from Sony, and it is the latest in a long line of gaming platforms from the company. Although its commercial success was relatively short-lived, it still maintains a dedicated community of gamers to this day.
In fact, the various titles released for the PS Vita were extended beyond what many players thought possible, and this was all thanks to passionate investors and small studios who wanted to see the console succeed further. In fact, the device is home to several fairly popular titles, and the support from many Japanese companies helped to expand interest in the JRPG genre of gaming in other parts of the world.
Because of its limited success in the past, some current owners or PS Vitas wonder if they can still download games to their consoles. We will take a look at this topic in our article below. This will include looking at the PS Vita store itself, its history, and where else a player might be able to get some titles that can run on the Vita.
Furthermore, we will also discuss how PS Vita games are saved or deleted as needed, and how gamers might be able to back up their saves for posterity and redundancy.
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Table of Contents
Can I Still Download Games on the PS Vita?
Yes, you can still download games to your PS Vita console. Because of moving on to newer and more successful platforms, it is true that Sony is trying to wind down support for devices like the Vita. A vocal and dedicated base of fans has appealed to the company to keep downloads on the store.
After some consideration, Sony decided to keep the ability to download content from your own downloads list available to get it again.
Furthermore, you might be able to purchase new titles directly on the Vita from its store link. However, due to dwindling support and interest, no new titles or content will be added to what already exists in the store.
All of this can get rather complicated for newcomers who picked up a Vita on the secondary market recently. Sony originally had plans to discontinue all support for the store. This would have made it impossible to go to the store directly for any downloads.
Although the company later reversed course on this decision, it still implemented some measures that can make it more difficult to get games for the Vita. For example, you can’t simply go to the PlayStation store website to get games.
Although you could also get games on the PS3 and make transfers between it and the Vita, Sony has made this function obsolete. You can still get games on the store, but you need to access it via the Vita itself in order to do so.
This can help some new players with the availability of some games, but it does not solve the problem entirely. For one thing, not all PlayStation Vita titles are available for purchase or download via its own store.
In the past, players could go to the networked store on their PS3 and get some of those games that way. With transfers no longer possible, it is much harder to get the full range of PS Vita games that a player may want.
Where Can I Purchase PS Vita Games Now That the PS Vita Store Is Closed?
The PS Vita store is in something like limbo, and it still exists for some downloads. With no new content being added, and with support tapering off as time goes by, it is hard for some gamers to trust that their access to the store will continue indefinitely.
Both old and new PS Vita players are looking for different ways to get and keep titles for this console. One of the best ways to get some of these games may be to purchase physical copies instead of digital downloads. This is particularly true for situations where you might not have a digital title on the Vita store available for download at all.
For games that you may need to find on the PS3, you can also still transfer content using your computer, but it requires some extra steps to get those games onto your Vita console.
You can find physical cartridges for PS Vita games at various stores, often in used but good condition from resellers.
Some sites that operate on a marketplace or auction basis can even put you in touch with gamers just like you who are trying to sell some of their old but still working PS Vita cartridges.
Furthermore, many online retailers such as eBay and Amazon are a good place to look for physical copies. For digital copies, Steam is a good option to check out.
Although this isn’t the only way to get games, it may be one of the safest. With the functionality of the PS Vita store seeming to shrink over time, there is no guarantee that Sony will continue support for it in such a way that players will always be able to get games there.
However, your existing library should be tied to your PlayStation Network ID. As long as that holds true, you should be able to keep access to digital content you’ve purchased in the past.
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Are PS Vita Games Saved to the Cartridge?
Yes and no. Some of the earliest titles to come out for the Vita would save some of that data to the game cartridge itself. Most of the later titles save game data to the memory card within the PS Vita console.
Which save method you have at your disposal depends on which title you are playing, although there should be ways to make sure all game data is on your memory card in some form.
You can also have membership privileges that allow you to upload memory card save data to a cloud saving system. In this way, you can preserve it for download later.
The Vita also has system memory to store operating files. Without a memory card, it is possible that some game data could be stored in the system memory itself. This could be because of the available save methods the Vita has, or it could have to do with the settings of a particular game.
For more detailed saving options, it is a good idea to check the manual for a particular game. If you do not have it, you can look through online communities to see if it is a game that goes to the memory card, the cartridge, or elsewhere.
If you want to read more about it, we have written an article about using multiple memory cards on the PS Vita.
Does Deleting a Vita Game Delete Saves?
Typically, deleting a game will delete the saves associated with it. Because saves are tied to the memory card or cartridge, they exist in the same space along with the title. If you get rid of a game, it deletes everything associated with it. This would include your save files.
How Do I Backup My PS Vita Saves?
However, there are a couple of ways you can get around this, and it can be helpful for players who want to retain their progress in case they ever want to come back to an old game later.
First, you can transfer the save files to your computer. If you would like to do this, you can follow these basic guidelines:
- Download the Content Manager app to your computer.
- Connect your PlayStation Vita to your PC using a cable connection.
- Once everything is loaded, you can use the program to transfer save data.
- The program handles data as a whole, so you will need to copy game files along with save files.
- By storing these files, you can put them back on the PS Vita in reverse order whenever you would like to do so.
If you would rather not deal with this process, you can also put your save data on the cloud. In most cases, doing so requires you to have access to Sony’s PlayStation Plus service.
This one comes with some cloud storage to use specifically for making game save backups or keeping other important data safe. For this kind of backup, you will also use the Content Manager.
You can select the PS Vita, choose online storage, and make a backup. While other methods require you to copy the whole game, online cloud storage allows for just backups of game saves themselves.
Conclusion
Some of the functions for the PlayStation Vita appear to be dwindling a bit, but there is still an active community of gamers surrounding the console.
As such, there are still ways to download many of your favorite titles. For the games that are no longer easily obtainable digitally, you can look for physical cartridges.
Finally, there are ways to preserve both game files and saves on your computer or in the cloud. Doing so can help you make sure you keep your progress and games you enjoy, particularly if we see support for the Vita continue to shrink in the coming months.