Editor Note:
The title has been changed because of confusion. What has been confirmed here is that game developers are required to include Remote Play for games on the PS4. Remote play is not required to be used by the consumer, it is just an option for those that have Vitas.
Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation Vita’s remote play feature will be mandatory for all PS4 games, with a few exceptions.
Originally, the news came from Eurogamer, stating that a PS4 developer had told Digital Foundry that Vita remote play would be mandatory. The rumor has since been confirmed by Sony Computer Entertainment’s President of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida. A fan asked Yoshida on Twitter if Eurogamer’s article was true, to which Yoshida replied, “Yes, it’s true unless the game requires specific hardware like the camera. It will be great to play PS4 games on PS Vita.”
So there’s the exception. If a game is going to take advantage of the PS4 Eye, the lastest successor of the EyeToy, then that game won’t be required to include remote play. The two features would naturally conflict with one another. This means that if any other hardware, peripherals, or new features are announced for the PS4, games that take advantage of them may not require remote play either (One also has to wonder about games that make significant use of four shoulder buttons, since the Vita only has two.).
This is probably great news for any Vita owners out there. The Wii U’s off-tv play has proven useful for crowded homes, so it’s nice to see that the PS4 will have a similar feature, and this can only be good for Sony since they will likely sell a few more Vitas. The only people who might be getting the short end of the stick on this deal are future PS4 owners that don’t already own a Vita. That’s a hefty price tag just for remote play, but it’s still too soon to say what will happen. We’ll see how things play out within the next year.
