No UMD Import Program For Vita In US

At the start of any new hardware generation, backwards compatibility is an important feature in the eyes of most gamers.

And when we first heard about the PlayStation Vita, it seemed those with extensive PSP libraries wouldn't be left behind. In Japan, Sony is working on a PSP UMD import program, which will allow old PSP titles to function on the slick new handheld. And we had assumed Sony would implement a similar program in other regions.

But unfortunately, according to Kotaku, North American portable aficionados won't be able to transfer their physical PSP media to the Vita. The way it works in Japan is a little complex but we could've used it: basically, if you can prove ownership of a particular UMD for the PSP, you can download that same game in digital format for the Vita. You "prove ownership" by registering the product online with your PSP.

This isn't free; there's a fee for each transfer. Some can be around $10 but others can be as high $30 (based on the yen to the dollar conversion). However, price won't be an issue here in the US...'cuz we won't be getting any such program. Just don't forget that any PSP games purchased on the Store, including PS1 Classics and Minis, will play on the Vita.

Tags: vita, playstation vita, umd on vita, vita backwards compatibility

2/7/2012 8:26:07 PM Ben Dutka

Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter

Comments (41 posts)

Toggle Scrolling | Reload Comments

bebestorm
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 9:36:48 PM
Reply

Just as I expected no support for anyone but japan.

11 up, 0 down

gumbi
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 9:41:49 PM
Reply

I don't plan on getting rid of my psp so this really isn't a big deal for me. Besides, even if we did get it, I doubt I'd use it for more than 2 or 3 games in my library. It's okay Sony, we'll get over it.

1 up, 0 down

cLoudou
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 10:09:13 PM
Reply

What The Cuss!

1 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 10:09:24 PM
Reply

I thought Sony said PS1 classics wouldn't be playable on the Vita. Has this changed?

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 12:28:21 AM

No. PS1 classics and Minis downloaded from the PSN are playable on the Vita. This only affects UMD.

0 up, 0 down

LimitedVertigo
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 2:06:54 AM

What Jawk is referring to is the info from several months ago which said the Vita would not support PS1 games at launch.

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 2:55:34 AM

Woah!! Hang on...

When did this PS1 compatability for Vita come in?!?! Why haven't I heard of this?!?!

The only reason I was thinking of putting off buying a Vita was to wait for an update that allowed me to play Crash Bandicoot 3, FF VI-IX, Vagrant Story, Rayman, Metal Gear Solid and Driver on my Vita!!

So can the Vita definitely play PS1 classics downloaded from PSN now???

0 up, 0 down

SmokeyPSD
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 3:00:46 AM

Yeah, as far as I was aware, PS1 was still out. One of the many reasons why I was not paying for a gimped system.

Last edited by SmokeyPSD on 2/8/2012 3:01:40 AM

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 4:17:01 AM

No. PS1 compatibility was confirmed before but then there was some doubt about whether PS1 titles would be available right away. I think it had something to do with the way that the activations work. There's no doubt that a device that can emulate the PSP is more than capable of emulating PS1, so let's not jump to obviously unsupported conclusions.

I believe that PS1 games that play on the PSP will similarly play on the Vita, but you will have to re-download them so that they can be properly activated.

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 4:55:57 AM

Thanks Highlander. I'm gonna hold out until I hear an official announcement from Sony.

Doesn't make sense to have PSP compatability but not PS1 compatability since they can both run on the same older hardware.

I'd love to get a Vita, but I also love playing FF VII and MGS on the go. I'm sure it will eventually come, but I would be much more comforted in my Vita purchase knowing I can DEFINITELY play PS1 games on it.

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 5:11:31 AM

Checked out Wikipedia and found this link CONFIRMING PSone Classics being playable on the Vita (So long as they're downloaded from the PSN Store)

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/01/27/next-generation-portable-ngp-all-the-early-details/

With digital taking over, and now that I'm on 100GB limit per month for my net, I'm seeing less problems with going digital over physical for older games, PC games and handheld games.

I know it sucks guys, but if you do what I did and trade your PSP and UMD games, you can use the money to get a Vita and slowly build your library again from PSN. Vita can do everything but play PS3 games!!! The only catch is that the older games must be purchased through PSN, and they're as cheap as retail now!!

Seriously, Assassin's Creed 1 on PSN is only $15 AUD, which is dirt cheap here!!!

Now that I know Vita can play my copies of FF VII and MGS that I got from PSN, I am totally on board.

... but am going to wait my 1 standard year for updates, ironed out kinks and (hopefully) a small price drop. Nothing against Vita, just my usual philosophy of never buying the launch model of any tech. :)

0 up, 0 down

AcHiLLiA
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 10:26:16 PM
Reply

What can u do, it's a Japenese company.

Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 2/7/2012 10:26:29 PM

0 up, 6 down

Jawknee
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 10:47:26 PM

What does that even mean?

6 up, 0 down

AcHiLLiA
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 12:10:34 PM

What I mean by is, that there are in charge and will say what will go out in these devices and what not for other countries. hahaha, the thumbs down, s*** is getting old.

Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 2/8/2012 12:16:16 PM

0 up, 2 down

LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 10:44:13 PM
Reply

I don't have a problem with this since when I buy a new system I do it for the games made for that system. Having said that it does suck that it was implemented in Japan and not here.

1 up, 0 down

duomaxwell007
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 10:54:07 PM
Reply

lol sooo even if we COULD transfer our UMD psp titles to Vita wed have to pay a 10-30 dollar fee to do so? umm in that case WHY would i WANT that feature? I could just buy the digital version of said game of the PS store for the same or cheaper price lol

2 up, 1 down

Jawknee
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 @ 11:11:52 PM

They aren't the same price or cheaper. They are more.

2 up, 0 down

duomaxwell007
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 6:55:51 AM

they cost more if you buy? lol umm ok 10-30 bucks to transfer your UMD to the vita.... now Im looking at psp games on the ps store right now.... metal gear solid portable ops costs 10 bucks... metal gear solid peace walker costs 30 bucks... which would means buying a game in the store is 10-30 bucks... thus I wouldnt be saving any more money transferring my UMD version to the vita than I would just BUYING games from the store.. so unless you can prove otherwise my point still stands.

1 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 12:04:00 AM
Reply

Damn, it seems every time Sony's got something to say about the Vita, it's becoming more negative than their last.

Well that really sucks that I can't even transfer any of my 128 UMD's onto the Vita, but there's still no f*cking way in hell I would ever spent another $10 to $30 on each just to get transfered rights.

I love Sony, but they should've bucked up & allowed either free or no more than $5 transfers for the Vita, especially after promising it to us with the PS Go.
I would've thought Sony would've learned a valuable lesson from their prior PS Go fiasco.

Thanks Sony, you just turned a definite Vita G3 bundle buy into a wait for price drop buy.

3 up, 1 down

playaplus
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 12:11:16 AM
Reply

playing old games? on a vita? it's like buying a ps3 to play 360 games...

3 up, 5 down

Jawknee
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 1:16:51 AM

Not really.

2 up, 1 down

Qubex
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 12:12:52 AM
Reply

I have to say, this Sony has really done it again! Why do they do this... Why!

The whole point of wanting to stick with a manufacturer like Sony is because one appreciates their products and wants to support them. So why in turn do they make it so difficult with these types of decisions...

Many PSP owners may no not get the Vita and go straight to an iOS device.

I hope this decision does not hurt Sony's prospects too much?

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

6 up, 0 down

LimitedVertigo
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 2:08:01 AM

I wouldn't be surprised if they did some testing and saw that it wouldn't be a widely used feature, at least not enough to justify the costs of implementing the program. I for one would have never used it and I own 2 PSPs and close to 40 UMD games.

Last edited by LimitedVertigo on 2/8/2012 2:08:17 AM

2 up, 1 down

Highlander
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 4:19:17 AM

I think that is a rather extreme reaction to a minor concern at most. I've bought most of my games via PSN for PSP since they started selling there in anticipation of this. PSP Go was the first indication, and more should have taken note then. Sure it sucks that the UMD thing won't happen here, but considering the quite prolific piracy in this market, I'm not sure I blame them.

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 5:24:07 AM

Highlander has a great point Quebex.

The PSP Go, PSP and PS1 games placed on PSN AND the popularity of iOS and Android digital sales showed definitive signs of a digital future incoming for their next device.

Knowing this (sorry for repeating again) I traded my PSP and all my UMD games and movies in anticipation for the NGP announcement. Now I feel I am prepared for Vita's offerings via PSN.

Secondly, PSP was only truly popular in Japan, with sales in the US and Europe being eclipsed by the DS. I'm afraid you are in the minority of the few thousand people who want to play their UMD's on their Vita.

Unfortunately, digital is far easier, more accessible and, at times, cheaper than going physical and trying to adapt old physical media to a new hardware that has moved on.

My advice is to hold onto your PSP and UMD's if you have a lot and don't want to give them up. If you want a Vita and want to play PSP games on your Vita, trade it all in towards a Vita. You will have to buy back many of your games on PSN, but at least they won't be as expensive as they were at launch.

As LV said too, not enough people with UMD to warrent the cost of putting out a UMD to digital converter, or bring out a digital purchase program for PSP owners. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Q, but UMD is out, PSN is in. If you don't think trading your UMD's can justify the cost of buying them back on PSN, just hold onto your PSP and UMD's and buy a Vita for Vita games.

Good luck Q. :)

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 12:00:27 PM

Dancemachine

There may also be substantial publisher push back in the western markets where used games and piracy are a greater factor than in Japan. The used market in particular may make the proof of purchase required impractical, there may also be copyright and licensing laws that make such a process more difficult here.

0 up, 0 down

LimitedVertigo
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 2:09:44 AM
Reply

FYI for some reason any article regarding the Vita as well as any Review article never shows up on PSXExtreme mobile on my DroidX. Has anyone else had this issue?

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 2:46:56 AM

Yeah it's always been like that. Annoying!
Ben is aware of it too, I just don't think they know how to fix it?

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 10:02:26 AM

I am aware of it but it's not my department. I'll ask Dan about it.

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 2:53:09 AM
Reply

This is a real shame. My psp battery is broken and the price for a new battery were ridiculous (and practically impossible to find in stock anywhere) so if I were able to transfer my favorite PSP games to the Vita it would be a good push towards a buy.

They are not making it easy for themselves.

Last edited by Beamboom on 2/8/2012 2:53:34 AM

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 4:19:43 AM

Should have bought more games from PSN then...

1 up, 2 down

Beamboom
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 5:04:15 AM

There's a lot of things I would have done different in hindsight. Time travel ftw.

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 12:01:01 PM

Indeed, there are many turns in life that I would love to change my direction for.

1 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 4:49:19 PM

Beamboom,

FYI, for those PSP batteries at a much cheaper price, just check for HongKong sellers & exporters on eBay.

I've bought PSP replacement batteries for only $1.99(US), plus only a couple dollars to ship them.
And an extra bonus is you can get them with a much higher mAh(1800 & higher) than Sony's lower 1200 mAh are.

I've bought over 10 batteries to swap out into all of my PSPs, so I can vouch for them.

BTW, the only 1 drawback is that it's about a 3 to 4 week wait to receive anything through HongKong due to a super-slow China Postal & customs network.

0 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 5:26:31 PM

Beamboom,

Here ya go.....

A very high 3600 mAh PSP battery that fits ALL PSP's the 1000, 2000, & 3000,
For only $2.99(US) plus free shipping.

BTW, they ship to U S, Europe, Canada, & Mexico.

3600mAh Battery For PSP 1000 2000 3000 Series Battery

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3600mAh-Battery-PSP-1000-2000-3000-Series-Battery-/160671211306?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item2568c01f2a

0 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 2:59:35 AM
Reply

This is why I traded my PSP and all my UMD games and movies the moment they announced the NGP early last year. (Before they named it Vita)

I got $110 AUD trade value for my PSP, and about $140 AUD for about 12 games and 2 movies at EB Games.

I just knew this new handheld wouldn't support UMD's. So glad I was right. Managed to pay off about 5 Collectors Edition preorders with those trades. :)

1 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 3:25:36 AM

Well, now I might just as well do the same. How annoying. :(

1 up, 0 down

Dancemachine55
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 5:30:25 AM

Annoying, yes. But worth it in the long run? Definitely!!

The sooner you trade, the more you get. Or you could just sell it on ebay.

Either way, it looks like Sony's ticket to backwards compatiblity is via PSN, so I suggest we all hop on the PSN love train or get left at the station with old games and old hardware. Choo Choo!!

0 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 5:46:28 AM

I'll definitely trade them in now, since they've become next to worthless to me all of a sudden.
but I don't think I'll hop back on that train again. My travels will likely take me elsewhere! Where the grass is greener and the ladies sweeter.

Last edited by Beamboom on 2/8/2012 5:49:33 AM

0 up, 0 down

CrusaderForever
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 10:28:02 AM
Reply

That is unfortunate for all the PSP UMD owners. Maybe this will change in the future.

I played the Vita yesterday Gamestop while I was there picking up KoAR (Wanted the fate and destiny packs). I was very impressed with it. Uncharted Golden Abyss was amazing! My only gripe is the change in the twin sticks in relation to the face buttons. It's a minor gripe but I am so use to the PS3 controller that it threw me off big time. Like I said, a minor gripe. I bet after a few hours it would be a natural setup. I was surprised by how small the the twin sticks were. Never owned a PSP so it's a new experience. Anyone that buys a Vita is going to be in for a treat!! Call me ridiculous but I want to own one so I can download Ultimate Ghosts N' Goblins! And for all the other games too cough Uncharted cough!

0 up, 0 down

firesoul453
Wednesday, February 08, 2012 @ 8:18:37 PM

These analogue sticks are much better than the one on the psp

0 up, 0 down

Please login or register to leave a comment.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories cheats	PSP
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas cheats	PS2
The Sims 2: Pets cheats	PS2
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories cheats	PS2
God of War II cheats	PS2
Spider-Man Friend or Foe cheats	PSP
Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier cheats	PS2
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped cheats	PS1
Brutal Legend cheats	PS3
Rule of Rose cheats	PS2

Playstation 3

Playstation 4

PSP

Playstation Vita

Playstation 2

Playstation

Other

PSX Extreme

Site Stats

No UMD Import Program For Vita In US

Comments (41 posts)

Leave a Comment

Latest Updates

Popular Cheats

Recent Reviews

Recent Previews

Popular Sections

Extras

Grid 2 review	PS3
The Last Of Us review	PS3
Remember Me review	PS3
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger review	PS3
Fuse review	PS3
Resident Evil: Revelations review	PS3
Metro: Last Light review	PS3
Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge review	PS3
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review	PS3
Star Trek: The Video Game review	PS3

South Park: The Stick of Truth preview	PS3
Murdered: Soul Suspect preview	PS3
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified preview	PS3
Time and Eternity preview	PS3
Ride to Hell: Retribution preview	PS3
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger preview	PS3
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon preview	PS3
Spartacus Legends preview	PS3
Payday 2 preview	PS3
DUST 514 preview	PS3