Sony ends Android support for PlayStation Mobile

Sony has apparently ended support for its PlayStation Mobile app for Android smartphones, meaning indie games and PSOne titles will no longer be playable on newer handsets. Instead, customers will have to upgrade to a dedicated gaming handheld like the PS Vita or Vita Slim if they want to continue playing new releases.

In a statement posted to the official Japanese PlayStation website, Sony confirmed it had abandoned support for the programme. Although there was still a possibility the app would install on newer handsets running Android 4.4.3 or later, it was not guaranteed to work and any phones upgraded to the upcoming Android L won’t have access to the store at all. The company also said it had no plans to label any more devices as “PlayStation Certified”, although anyone with older devices running Android 4.2 or below will still have access for now. 

PlayStation Mobile started as an effort to support more cross-platform publishing of smaller titles on both the company’s handhelds and Android devices, as well as open up a small selection of original PlayStation games to a new generation of players. Several games earned a high enough profile to justify a full release on the PlayStation store, but many of its most popular titles were already available on other platforms, including the iOS-compatible Super Crate Box.

With PlayStation Mobile still having a presence on the PlayStation Store, it’s possible indie game developers could still use it as a way to get their games into the hands of a wider audience, but considering Sony has already started pushing the PS Vita as a way to play indie games it’s possible PlayStation Mobile could soon be closed altogether. For the time being, the app is still available direct from Sony, assuming your handset is compatible.