Hack Makes PS Vita TV Compatible With More PS Vita Games

The PlayStation TV, or PS Vita TV in some markets, may not be one of Sony's most loved gaming hardware. Although it bears the name and some of the traits of the PS Vita, it is a set-top box more than a handheld. Even more, despite being compatible with a number of PS Vita games, the mini console doesn't support more, even those that perhaps make sense on the device. Fortunately, thanks to a simple hack posted on HackInformer, some of those games and apps might not be available for the PS TV.

The hack is simple enough that anyone can do it without modifying their PS TV. It simply involves trying to send a specially crafted e-mail from the console's app which in turn can modify the PS Vita's whitelist of games that it will display. Long story short, the PS TV will list PS Vita games previously marked as not compatible with the console.

Not all games listed, however, might work. Some that have been confirmed include Assassin's Creed III Liberation, Call of Duty Black Ops Declassified, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA f, Silent Hill: Book of Memories, Gravity Rush, Metal Gear Solid HD, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss, just to name a few.

Interestingly, Netflix also becomes compatible with this hack. Netflix is a curious case for the PS TV, as the app, which worked for the Vita, remains broken for the mini console. A tragedy for a set-top box device.

That said, the simplicity of the hack might also be its own Achilles' heel. For one, the changes are immediately undone whenever the console connects to PSN. It could also mean that the bug in the e-mail app might be just as easily fixed in a small update. Not that playing Vita games on the PS TV is ideal anyway. Some functionality of these games rely heavily on hardware (like cameras) or controls found on the gaming handheld that are absent on the console, which is probably Sony put is QA foot down on the matter.

VIA: Ars Technica