Transfer Your PSP UMD Games To Vita... For A Fee

Sony has been saying for some time now that they are working on a plan to allow current PSP owners to transfer their UMD games to the PlayStation Vita when the system launches. We now have official word from the company how that will work (at least how it will work in Japan) and not surprisingly it will cost you [about $10 per title].

[TacoTaru]

Lovely - they will reward their best customers with large psp umd libraries by charging them hundreds of dollars to use an automated system to download the digital version of a game they already own. sigh... I guess greed dominates everywhere.

[Mario007]

hundreds of dollars? its like 5 dollars based on those japanese figures and in japan the games always more expensive than in the west so you can expect that it'll be 5 dollars per game at most

[ABizzel1]

Why wasn't this ready for the PSP Go?

Nonetheless it's worth going out to buy all those cheap UMD's, now that I can transfer them over to my Vita.

The Vita has hit every single note right with me, and I expect to be a happy buyer come February. I might even pick up the early pre-order copy.

[TacoTaru]

"Pricing may vary for each game, but the average price is around $10." ( I'm assuming that is 10 US dollars.) That's $200 for my 20 or so UMDs. So you download a bit of software that recognizes a UMD title and gives you license to download it from PSN. I'm not sure that was much of a costly development effort for Sony.

[Mario007]

@taco taru: those prices are only converts from yen, since sony hasnt even announced this plan outside of japan yet

[CynicalVision]

Nobody is making them do anything, if people are so fond of their UMDs then stick with the device that can play them. Sony aren't forcing people to buy the Vita.

[Arksine]

If they didn't people would abuse the hell out of this. They would buy the physical version, download the digital version, then trade in the physical version.

[dgonza40]

well said, i didnt even think of this until you pointed it out.

[killerhog]

I don't blame Sony for this move. Let's be real, you know damn well people are going to abuse the transfer method/system by renting games/lending games to friends, so this is Sony's way of catching in on GREEDY consumers.

Rent a $30 PsP game for $2 and transfer it for free to the Vita which you now own for a life-time? Don't blame sony blame greedy slimey consumers.

[princejb134]

you do know that they had to spend time and resources to make this program possible
so they need to get paid for it, is a business and there trying to please their customer for what they asked for
they could have left it alone

[Ddouble]

People sure do love to exaggerate. Hundreds of dollars really.

I'm assuming everyone has played all the UMD's they bought so is there a need to transfer everything to the Vita when you have a PSP which was built for it in the first place?

When you bought your PS3/360 did you play through your entire PS2/Xbox library on your new console?

Also you go on like it's only Sony's decision. It's a joint decision with the publishers and Sony.

[FragGen]

FWIW, I have about 50 to 60 UMD games (and four PSPs, huge PSP fan). And if it comes out to ~$5 in the US after conversion rates, I'll be a happy camper. I won't transfer everything but GoW, Syphon Filter, Resistance, Socom, GTA, and Dante's Inferno would all be lovely to have on my new toy come Vita time. For titles that aren't worth it, I'll just pass.

Plus, I'm sure I'll have at least one of those 4 PSPs functional if I get an itch for a UMD classic.

[Knushwood Butt]

Who is 'they'.

A big chunk of this cash will go to the publishers.

Anyway, I think it's a good compromise for all. The prices are not high.

I have been using a PSP Go since launch though, and haven't used a UMD for a long time. Still have a couple that I might transfer over.

[cpayne93]

Well, I'll be keeping my psp around for when I want to play psp games.

[GraveLord]

You'd be better off just playing those PSP games on PSP.
Its just not worth it.
Buy Vita for Vita games.
/rant

[GirlyGamer]

Why did so many people want this for free. I don't have many UMD games and the ones i do have i borrowed from friends and forgot to returned them ( shame on me) . It would have been very easy to rent or burrow a game and put it on the new system if this service was free.