With the arrival of Sony's PlayStation 4, we had a slight idea that the console would actually go on to support other Sony-based PS devices in the long run. However, we had no idea as to what that support could be like. But now it seems like all those speculations are coming to an end.
According to an official confirmation by Shuhei Yoshida, Sony Computer Entertainment President of Worldwide Studios, the PS Vita can act as a second PlayStation 4 controller, provided the specific game titles have that functionality built into them.
Yoshida's confirmation came by way of Twitter. When asked, "if the PS Vita 'The Ultimate companion' Can be used as a second controller on the PS4?" Yoshida wrote: "In a normal sense, no. Unless a game is specifically programmed to allow such use of PS Vita."
Basically, what this means is that unless game developing companies decide to reach out to gamers by programming the aforementioned functionality into their titles, players will have to purchase a second (or more) DualShock 4 controller to play co-op with friends.
The PS Vita has proved to be the nucleus of Sony's entire PS4 experience until now. It was also a key element of Sony's announcement regarding the Remote Play, meaning that all Sony-developed games would stream directly via the handheld.
Before the official confirmation by Yoshida, it was heavily rumored that the PS Vita would indeed act as an additional controller for the new console, but nothing had been confirmed or denied by the company. However, it still is a bit of a disappointment knowing that titles will actually need additional support from the devs to turn it into a second controller, and might not be expected for most of the titles the fans are hoping to play once the console releases.
Moreover, if fans will remember correctly, the current situation with the PS Vita and the PlayStation 4 is similar to what happened with Remote Play on the PS Vita via the PlayStation 3. While this was also an added functionality that got the entire industry and its fans excited, but because it required developers to punch in extra codes to support that functionality with pressure on the software's performance, the plan didn't materialize.
However, if the latest confirmation does fall in place with developers willing to go that extra mile in adding the necessary codes for the support, it could prove to be yet another blow for Sony's rival Microsoft and its $100 more costly Xbox One.
