PS Vita introduces... a social gaming revolution

Stay constantly connected to your games and friends with amazing apps on PS Vita.

LiveArea Screens

Each game on PlayStation Vita will have its own LiveArea Screen, which is split into two zones. In the Info Zone you can find out about the latest downloadable content for the game you're playing, and see tournament events that are taking place. In the Communication Zone, see how your PlayStation Network friends are getting on through automatic status updates. You'll be able to see if they've earned a new trophy and leave comments for them, too. The LiveArea Screen is the best way to see what your friends are up to and let them know how well you're doing in your favourite PS Vita game.

near

Stay connected to all of your PlayStation Network friends and make new ones by sharing information about your location using near. Press the Update button and find new people based on where you are, challenge them to games or play cooperatively and enjoy a completely unique gaming experience on PS Vita. You can even send and receive new levels, unlocks and in-game items to enhance the way you play - everywhere you go will hold new surprises.

You can view your friends' game preferences, see how many trophies they've earned and compare your stats to see who the better player is. near will be pre-installed on your PS Vita.

Party

Fancy a chat while you're gaming? Speak with your friends anytime you like with Party. The voice and text chat application will also be pre-installed and allows you to talk to up to eight party members, no matter what you're doing. Tell them about the game you're playing, what you're looking at online or hatch plans in multiplayer matches.

Your friends can even invite their own friends to join in the fun, so you'll meet more new people who love PS Vita as much as you do. Join an existing Party and see what everyone else is up to, or create your own and see who fancies a chat. Make sure you save your favourite Parties so you can head back there at any time.

Friends List and Profile

In your profile you can share information about yourself. Choose an avatar that represents you best, add your friends and let the world see your gaming and trophy stats.

Your Friends List will allow you to search for and add new friends, and accept requests sent to you.

Click on a friend's profile to see what game they are playing on either PS Vita or PlayStation 3. You can join their game, take a look at what you've played together recently or compare your trophy collections. You can also see your friend's recent activity, check out if they've been to any Parties and view their near profile.

Trophies

PS Vita games will support trophies so you can show your friends what you've achieved in all of the great games on PS Vita and on PS3. Click on one of your friends' profiles to see how they've been getting on, and compare all of your trophies to see who the better player is. Has your friend got more trophies than you? Keep playing until you have the most.

PSN Message

Another great way to contact your PlayStation Network friends is through PSN Message. Send them an update or even a picture you've taken with your PS Vita to let them know what's going on.

Keep up to date with all of the latest PlayStation Vita info and sign up to the latest news via email with Inside PS Vita. Head over to au.playstation.com/psvita and become part of a gaming revolution.

PlayStation Australia has arrived on Facebook. Post comments and share all the latest PlayStation happenings along with the rest of the PlayStation community at the Official Australian Facebook Fan Page.