Using the PS Vita system's buttons

Find out how to control the home screen and some features in applications using the buttons on your PS Vita system.

You can control the following features using the PS Vita system's buttons.

• Home screen
• LiveArea™ screens
• Index screen
• Notification list
• Menus in PSP Game software - games for the PSP system and original PlayStation format software*
• Music*
• Video*
• Settings*
• Help

* Only some features can be operated.

You can control the following applications.

• Party
• PS Store
• Friends
• Group Messaging
• Trophies
• Photos
• Maps

Go to [Settings] > [Start] > [System] > [Control with Buttons on PS Vita System] to select whether you want to allow control with the buttons or not on the PS Vita system.

After the control is enabled, when you press a button on the PS Vita system on a screen that supports button control, a cursor will appear on the screen. The cursor will disappear after a few seconds. Press any button to display the cursor again.

Button control examples

Note that controllable features vary by application and the type of screen that is displayed.

• Directional buttons / Left stick: Select an application or an item.
• X button: Confirm the selected item.
• Circle button: Cancel operation.
• Triangle button: Display the options menu or the control panel.
• L button / R button: When the LiveArea™ screen is open, switch between the home screen and the LiveArea™ screen.

Switching to touch operation

Tap the screen. If you want to use the buttons on your PS Vita system again, press any button. A cursor will appear on the screen and button control is enabled.