PlayStation Vita Reportedly Limits Apps to 100

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

PlayStation Vita Reportedly Limits Apps to 100

Even with the largest available memory card, the Vita sets a limit on how many apps can be downloaded.

So you shelled out $250 for the PlayStation Vita, and another $100 for a 32GB memory card, the largest size Sony makes. Finally! You can have all the Vita and PSP games, PSOne Originals, apps, and minis you want. Wait, not so fast. According to a NeoGAF poster [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508709], the Vita has a set limit on how many apps can be on the system at once, regardless of how much space is on your memory card. As this owner reports it, even with 9GB of space free, an error message appears after downloading application number 101.

"There are 101 applications on your PS Vita system. The system can only display up to 100 applications. To display the missing applications, you must delete 1 applications and then restart the PS Vita system" was the message that NeoGAF user Shag_187 received; he says that he's downloaded "around 50 minis, 10 PSOne titles, 20 or so mandatory apps, and 20 Vita/PSP games/apps," but still has several gigs of free space on his 32GB memory card.

Sony hasn't provided an explanation for the app limit, or even confirmed it, but if it's true it's yet another memory card restriction [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119361-Vita-Update-Ties-Memory-Cards-to-PSN-Accounts] sure to frustrate Vita owners. We'll update when we know more.

Source: Joystiq [www.joystiq.com/2013/01/17/report-ps-vita-32gb-memory-card-can-display-100-apps-no-more/]

Permalink

 

[jehk]

/shrug

I can barely find 3 games I want to put on my PS VITA. Maybe If I got into minis. Dunno.

 

[Coach Morrison]

Well until they get more games on it and make the memory card cheaper, it really won't bother me. I'll just stick with Wipeout, Lumines, and Persona 4.

Though I really have to wonder why the guy needs 50 different minis installed at once, I normally delete ones after I've finished it.

 

[l3o2828]

Who in their sanity has over 100 aps at the same time?

 

[Costia]

I have more than 100 games on my steam account.(though I don think i have more than 50 installed)
I am kinda surprised it took almost a year for someone to hit this limit.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

God I hope nobody comes in here to tout "It's the principle of the thing!"

This is an issue that *might* affect 10's of people. You can't please everyone all of the time after all. Though if you're not pleased with a choice of 70+ games to choose from on your mobile device, your displeasure runs deeper than the Vita's limited apps.

 

[redknightalex]

I'm guessing from the comments that "apps" also include games that are either downloaded through the store or "installed" from a stand-alone card? If so, that really is BS. There are enough games, apps, and other features that could be included in this magic 100 limit that more than a few people may run into. I know on my PS3 I already have 100 items on my HD, including videos (is that part of the 100 limit on the Vita?), and that's with refusing a few Plus freebies so reaching a 100 apps on my Vita isn't completely out of view.

From the picture, it appears that its only a firmware issue, seeing as the number of panels looks to be full. Easy change? I hope so.

God I hope nobody comes in here to tout "It's the principle of the thing!"

I wasn't going to, seeing as I have legitimate concerns over the limit, but why not? You bought the device, you bought the memory card, have access to many different items through the PSN store and normal chain stores, that placing a limit on a number not related to the amount of space left on your card is about principle. Apple doesn't pull this on me and, frankly, I like having all my apps/games sorted, categorized, and ready to play the instant I want to. Needing to download a game again, due to limit issues, is wasted time that I'd rather use.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Who in their sanity has over 100 aps at the same time?

I know, most of my memory is taken up by videos, music, and games that take up more than a gig.

But seriously Sony, get yo shit together. This sounds like one of those bizarre nonsensical problems the Wii U has

Edit: and seriously? When are you gonna fix the damn photo viewer!?

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

I'm guessing from the comments that "apps" also include games that are either downloaded through the store or "installed" from a stand-alone card? If so, that really is BS. There are enough games, apps, and other features that could be included in this magic 100 limit that more than a few people may run into. I know on my PS3 I already have 100 items on my HD, including videos (is that part of the 100 limit on the Vita?),

No, from the error message it looks like the dude has too many home screens filled with apps so I assume the error is only related to things with an app icon. Of course, if they added some kind of app drawer instead of making everything a home screen shortcut this wouldn't be a problem

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

God I hope nobody comes in here to tout "It's the principle of the thing!"

I wasn't going to, seeing as I have legitimate concerns over the limit, but why not? You bought the device, you bought the memory card, have access to many different items through the PSN store and normal chain stores, that placing a limit on a number not related to the amount of space left on your card is about principle. Apple doesn't pull this on me and, frankly, I like having all my apps/games sorted, categorized, and ready to play the instant I want to. Needing to download a game again, due to limit issues, is wasted time that I'd rather use.

I suppose you're right when you bring up consumer rights, which gets really complicated when it comes to hardware and software. See, I don't like people complaining that their product doesn't have this or that feature when the product never claimed to. Honestly, I'd just be happy I could get 100 things on the system with a 32 GB memory card.

My 250GB PS3 doesn't have very much on it, but it's still on the brink of being full because the PS3 firmware seems to take up about a quarter of the available space. I'm honestly flabbergasted this guy got 100 things on a 32GB memory card, even if a good chunk of them are mini's. And complaining about not being able to put more on seems like a definitive "first world problem."

 

[GenGenners]

50 Minis? You serious?

 

[Cecilthedarkknight_234]

so tell me is there a reason I need to get a vita with these b.s. limitations?? I swear to god sony is shooting themselves every chance they can get with this blunder.

 

[RicoADF]

so tell me is there a reason I need to get a vita with these b.s. limitations?? I swear to god sony is shooting themselves every chance they can get with this blunder.

I've got every playstion except the PSPgo, at this rate the vita will join it (yet to pick one up for obvious reasons)

 

[VanQ]

It's not like it's something that'll be hard to fix. The fact is that Sony hasn't so much limited it to 100 apps as they just made 10 pages with 10 apps per the current limit. I doubt it'll be difficult for them to add a few pages. Hell, until then you can back up an app or game to your PC and use that spot in the meantime. It's not like anyone will be playing 100 games at any one given time.

What is it with the insane knee-jerk reactions to anything Vita? The memory card prices I can understand but this is just ridiculous.

 

[Strazdas]

God I hope nobody comes in here to tout "It's the principle of the thing!"

This is an issue that *might* affect 10's of people. You can't please everyone all of the time after all. Though if you're not pleased with a choice of 70+ games to choose from on your mobile device, your displeasure runs deeper than the Vita's limited apps.

in this day an age. no wait, scrap that. even 10 years ago, such limits as amount of programs installed became obsolete, and yet the silly SONY clings onto it. same thing with the PSN network friends limit. why do such limits is unthinkable. surely the technology can handle it. it could handle it 10 years ago and unless we are somehow mysteriously regressing there is no reason that stupidity for this.

 

[Chris Boers]

Why is this news now? This is known since day 1 of the Vita release. Anyone who has PS Plus from the start has over 70 minis ans PS one games, 15 default 'apps' (including the Store, Trophies, Chat etc), 10+ free games, and 10 PS Plus games. This applies to all of those people. Problem is that Vita only has 10 screens, with each screen 10 'bubbles' (apps). So, there is simply not more room to visualize your game bubbles, until they expand those screens/allow folders.

But this is absolutely not news, it has been known for ages.

 

[Gennadios]

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a 'mini'?

I'll bet 10 internets that the limit is there as some kind of piracy countermeasure. I have a hard time imagining how anyone would want or need that many items installed when they can simply purge and reinstall as needed unless they get a pre-packed memory card.

 

[Ross Goldberg]

Unfortunately, even if you group applications in folders for less than 10 screens, the 100 app limit remains. What's particularly painful is that the default apps that cannot be removed count toward this limit (again, even if grouped into a pair of folders).

I had purchased a 64 GB Vita memory card from overseas after I was repeatedly up against the 32 GB card limit, and eventually ran into the app limit. I have since adopted the policy of not purchasing any "small" games or minis (including small PSP games). Of course, now I'm back against the memory limit, but I'm essentially at 95 - 99 apps.

Of course, this also limits spending, because it's a pain to find apps to delete just so another can be installed, particularly since I play in very infrequent bursts. Also, I like to have the variety of apps...for example, my 32 GB iPhone is always full with 700 small to medium apps, and my 128 GB iPad mini is usually 90% full with more than 1000 apps of greatly varying sizes.

Suffice to say, an app limit is exceedingly painful...I can understand a screen limit (even if I don't like it), but if stacking apps in folders on the screen's icon slots, it should provide some benefit beyond limited organization.

At least in the Vita's case, additional cards for memory expansion can be utilized, but that's also why I moved away from the individual cartridges...for convenience. I have only one game now which is solely on cartridge (in terms of not buying or getting free via PSN), so I'm not sure if those count toward the 100 limit, but I'd presume so, unfortunately.

 

[BQE]

so tell me is there a reason I need to get a vita with these b.s. limitations?? I swear to god sony is shooting themselves every chance they can get with this blunder.

I've got every playstion except the PSPgo, at this rate the vita will join it (yet to pick one up for obvious reasons)

Is this a problem you actually foresee yourselves running into? Is it necessary to constantly have over a hundred applications/games installed on the machine? Mind you, any game you've ever purchased from the PS Store (Including free games downloaded during a PSplus month) can be reinstalled with no issue.

I just want to understand your line of reasoning, I'm very curious to hear how you think this is a major concern, or if the possibility exists that you're just looking for something to bothered about when it comes to the Vita?