PS Vita: It Only Does Some Things PS3 Can’t

If you happen to own multiple consoles or even just a Playstation 3, you may have noticed that, in spite of all the features and updates the PS3 has received since its launch in 2006, the console is still missing one particularly useful function – cross-game chat. It’s a feature Xbox 360 and PC users have enjoyed pretty much since the beginning, so why can’t the system that “only does everything” perform this one, seemingly simple task? According to Sony Worldwide Studios president, Shuhei Yoshida, the answer is memory, and its an issue the upcoming PS Vita won’t share with its console big brother.

Apparently, the PS3’s 256MB of system RAM and 256MB of video RAM is entirely used up by the game that’s running. In a short interview with Eurogamer, Yoshida explained that “Once a game gets RAM we never give it back. It’s not possible to retrofit something like that after the fact.” The PS Vita, however, has 512MB of system RAM, which is enough to enable features like cross-game chat to continue running in the background while you’re playing a game.

It’s a notable improvement to be sure and ought to make prospective Vita buyers happy, but still leaves little consolation for PS3 gamers who have been hoping for cross-game chat.