Searching for some PlayStation Vita tips and tricks? Then read on. PlayStation Vita or PS Vita is one of the most popular handheld video game consoles from Sony.
When it was released back in 2011, it was a huge hit. However, over time, Sony couldn’t make a substantial amount of profit from the Vita.
As a result, they have terminated the production of this portable console. However, if you are lucky enough to have a PS Vita on your collection, you can learn a tip or two from use today.
Here, we will share 25 PlayStation Vita tips and tricks so that you can make the most of your PS Vita.
So, let’s get started…
25 PlayStation Vita Tips and Tricks
#1 The Calendar Application
PS Vita has a built-in calendar application. And, you can use it to sync any other calendar services. Interestingly, you can also add multiple calendars in the app.
Overall, this can be a great feature to help you keep up to date with current and future events.
Simply, open the ‘Calendar’ app on your PS Vita, then go to ‘Start>Initial Setup’ and create a new calendar by following the on-screen instructions.
After creating new calendars, you can add more calendar, delete old calendars, or even select a particular calendar as the default calendar to show on.
You can delete all the calendars by navigating to ‘3 horizontal dots button>Options>Settings>Format Calendar Application Database’.
#2 Access the Quick Settings Menu
The ‘Quick Settings’ menu in the PS Vita is a great way to take control of the important and frequently used settings.
Simply, press and hold the ‘PS Home’ button on your PS Vita for a few seconds to access it.
From the ‘Quick Settings’ menu, you will be able to tweak many settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, music, network, brightness, and more.
#3 Take Screenshots on Your PS Vita
Like any other modern gadgets, PS Vita also has a quick shortcut to take screenshots.
Simply, press both the ‘PlayStation Home’ and the ‘Start’ button at the same time, and a screenshot of the current screen will be saved on your ‘Photos’ app.
Keep in mind that not all the PS Vita games support screenshots, though.
#4 Remote Play with PlayStation 4
If you have upgraded your PS Vita to the 2.0 version, then you can enjoy this feature. With the PS4 link app, you can access your PS4 content remotely.
For this, the PS4 has to be on the standby mode and a Wi-Fi connection is all you need. To set up Remote Play:
- Go the Settings menu on your PS Vita
- Next, navigate to ‘PS4>PS Vita Connection Settings>Add Device option’
- Now, you will find a number on your PS4, and you have to enter that number on your PS Vita to pair them
After you have paired the two devices, you can access your PS4 remotely on your PS Vita. And, you can enjoy playing PS4 games on your PS Vita portable console.
#5 Reorganize the Folders and Apps
If you have many apps on the home screen of your PS Vita, you can actually declutter the situation with ease. Here’s how:
- Tap and hold on the icon of any app until an overlay menu appear on the screen
- Now, tap on the ‘Create Folder’ option and create a new folder
- Next, you can drag and drop any other application icons to the new folder
- In this way, you can create multiple folders for each category of applications to organize the home screen of your PlayStation Vita
#6 PlayStation Plus & PlayStation Vita
Do you want free 1 GB cloud storage space? Or how about some free games regularly, and attractive discounts on many other game titles?
If you like what you are reading, then you can get PS Plus subscription for your PS Vita. It is also compatible with PS3 and PS4.
#7 Browse the Internet
Yes, you can browse the Internet from your PS Vita. Every PS Vita comes with a preinstalled web browser application. However, to browse the web, you will need to have a working connection first.
So, head over to ‘Settings>Mobile Network Settings>Wi-Fi Settings’ option to connect your PS Vita to the internet. And, then you can browse using the ‘Browser’ application.
#8 Change the Background of Your PS Vita
Your PS Vita comes with a default background. Interestingly, you set a new one if you want to. Here’s how:
- Press and hold for a few seconds on the ‘LiveArea’ until the app and folder icons start to wiggle
- Next, tap on the rectangular-shaped option button from the bottom right corner of the screen
- In doing so, you will be given many background options to choose from
- You can also use any of your screenshots from the ‘Photos’ app
- Also, you can customize the color of every background page using this settings menu
#9 PlayStation Now & PlayStation Vita
Do you want to play some legendary PS3 games on your PS Vita? If so, you can install the ‘PlayStation Now’ app on your PS Vita from the PlayStation Store.
This is a great way to enjoy the legacy titles in your portable gaming console from Sony.
#10 Enter into the Safe Mode in PlayStation Vita
Did you know that your PS Vita has a ‘Safe Mode’? You can access some of the advanced yet hidden options via the ‘Safe Mode’. Let’s find out how to access the ‘Safe Mode’ on your PS Vita.
- Turn off your PS Vita completely. To do that, tap and hold the ‘Power’ button from the top for two seconds. Then press the ‘Power Off’ button just after that. This will turn off your PS Vita completely
- Now, you will have to press a combination of few buttons at the same time. So, let’s tap and hold the ‘PS Home’ button, the ‘R’ button, and lastly, the ‘Power’ button simultaneously for five seconds
- In doing so, you will be on the Safe Mode
#11 Benefits of Safe Mode
So, you have entered the ‘Safe Mode’ on your PlayStation. But what can you do with this advanced menu? Here is a list of options you will find in ‘Safe Mode’.
- You can restart the PS Vita
- Rebuild Database
- You can format the memory card on your PS Vita
- Restoring the PS Vita System is also possible
- And you can also Update System Software of your PS Vita
Remember, you will need to use the physical buttons of your PS Vita to navigate while in the safe mode. The touchscreen will not work here.
#12 Mute the Menu Music
The PS Vita menu music is great. But sometimes, you might want to turn it off. Here’s how you can do that…
- Navigate to the ‘Settings’ menu on your PS Vita
- Next, go to ‘Sound & Display>System Music’ option
- From there you can turn off the menu music
#13 Mute Your PS Vita Fast
You can control the volume of your PlayStation Vita using the volume up and down button. But, it takes more than a few seconds to turn the volume down completely.
And, if you are in a situation where you would need to mute the PS Vita fast, this method is not efficient at all.
But there is a shortcut way to mute your PlayStation Vita quickly. And, that is to press and hold the ‘Volume +’ and ‘Volume -’ button at the same time.
#14 Unlock Your PS Vita Faster
To unlock your PS Vita, you need to swipe your finger from one corner to another corner of the screen. And, it is a great process but it is not that fast enough, to be honest.
But, you can actually unlock your PS Vita without swiping across the screen every time.
From the next time, try this—simply, tap and hold on one corner of the screen, while doing that, tap on the opposite corner of the screen. And, that’s it, your PS Vita will be unlocked without any need of swiping across the screen.
#15 Improve the Graphics Quality of Legacy Games
You can play PSP (PlayStation Portable) games on your PS Vita. However, those old games might not have good looking graphics.
But there is a new option in the PS Vita with which you can enhance the graphics quality of old PSP games. Here’s how:
- Launch any PSP games on your PS Vita
- Now, access the ‘Quick Settings’ menu by pressing and holding the ‘PS Home’ button
- Look at the top of the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. settings, you will find a new setting there. So, tap on it to access this setting
- Now, put a checkmark next to the ‘Color Space’ and ‘Bilinear Filtering’ option in this menu
- Of course, you can customize the graphics settings according to your liking as well from this menu
#16 Use Bluetooth Headphone or Earphone with PS Vita
As the PS Vita comes with the Bluetooth connectivity feature, you can actually use Bluetooth enabled audio accessories like headphones or earphones to enjoy the games better than ever.
Simply, pair the Bluetooth audio devices with your PS Vita, and you are set. For the record, in most cases, the Bluetooth pair code on PS Vita is ‘0000’.
#17 Use Your PS Vita as a Controller for Your PS4
There is a simple way to use your PS Vita as a secondary controller for your PS4. Here’s how to do that:
- Sign in to the ‘Remote Play’ option and launch a Co-Op game that is for 2 players
- Next, take your DualShock 4 controller and log in as a guest or 2nd user using the DS4
- As of right now, the DS4 will be used as the controller for ‘Player 2’, and the PS Vita would be recognized as the controller of ‘Player 1’. Great isn’t it?
- In this case, the rear touchpad on the PS Vita would be used as the R2, R3, L3, and L2 buttons
#18 Multitask in PS Vita
Just like any smartphones or devices, the PS Vita can also run more than one apps at the same time.
However, keep in mind that, it cannot run 2 games at the same time. But with the multi-task feature, you can keep playing a game while keeping other apps active in the background.
While you are gaming, simply press the ‘PS Home’ button and you will be taken to the ‘Launch Screen’.
There you will find all the apps running in the background. So, select your preferred app by swiping on the screen.
This multi-task feature can come in handy when you need to find information from the web about a game that you are playing currently. With this, you can access the browser while gaming in a snap.
#19 Access the Notifications Quickly
You will find a bubble icon on the upper right corner of the screen of your PS Vita.
This is actually the ‘Notification’ button. So, if you want to access the notifications or the number of trophies you have acquired, then you can tap on the ‘Bubble’ icon.
#20 Customize Your PSN Profile in PS Vita
You can actually customize the look of your PSN profile via the settings in PS Vita. Here are the steps you can try to do that.
- Go to the ‘Settings’ menu on your PS Vita
- Next, navigate to the ‘PlayStation Network>Account Information’ option
- Now, you will be prompted to enter your password
- In the next page, you will find all the customization options including Avatar, Panel, Online ID, About Me, and Languages
- After you have done tweaking with the PSN settings, you can save the changes by tapping on the ‘Confirm’ button
#21 Save Battery on Your PlayStation Vita
PlayStation Vita has a bad reputation for its poor quality battery life. But, there are a few tips you can follow to conserve your PS Vita’s battery life. So, let’s see what those are:
- Adjust the screen brightness according to the environment you are. Remember that the higher the brightness is the faster the battery drains
- Turn off the Bluetooth connectivity when not in use
- Whenever possible, try to turn off the Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity
- Even the ‘Standby Mode’ drains the battery power of your PS Vita. So, if possible, turn off the console completely from time to time
#22 Download New Backgrounds from the Internet Fast
We have already told you how to change the backfired on your PS Vita. But what if you are not satisfied with the stock photos you have on your PS Vita.
In such a case, you can transfer a few photos from your PC to the PS Vita. However, there is another faster and hassle-free way to do that. And, that is by downloading any images directly from the internet.
#23 Access the Secret Menu in Your PS Vita
Did you know that there is a hidden menu in your PS Vita? If you are not aware of that secret menu, you can learn from here how to access this.
- Navigate to the ‘Settings’ menu on your PS Vita
- Then go to ‘System>System Information’ option
- While you are on that page, you have to press the ‘R’ button, ‘L’ button, D-Pad Left button, and the ‘Square’ button at the same time for a few seconds
- After a few seconds, release the buttons and press the ‘Start’ button immediately after releasing the above buttons
- Right away, you will be taken to the secret additional information menu
#24 Change the Lock Screen Background on Your PS Vita
We have already told you how to change the default background screen of your PS Vita. However, you would not be able to change the lock screen background following that method.
Here’s how to change the screen lock background on the PlayStation Vita.
- Launch the ‘Photos’ app
- And, find and open the picture you want to set as your lock screen image
- Next, tap on the ‘bubble/3 dots’ icon from the lower right corner of the screen to bring out additional options
- Finally, tap on the ‘Set as Start Screen Image’ option to set it as a lock screen background image
#25 Download & Listen to Music on Your PS Vita
PlayStation Vita can play music. However, transferring music to your PS Vita can be a chore sometimes.
If you don’t want to go through all these hassles, you can directly download any MP3 music files from the internet to your PS Vita. For this, you can use the default browser on your PS Vita.
Final Words on PlayStation Vita Tips and Tricks
Sony has already stopped making any new batch of PS Vita a long time ago. And, they have also announced that they don’t have any plans of releasing any new portable gaming console in the near future as well.
So, right now, the PS Vita is the only portable gaming console from Sony that is still available to many gamers around the world thus making this list of tips and tricks on PlayStation Vita more valuable.
We hope these 25 PlayStation Vita tips and tricks would be helpful to you to experience your PS Vita the best way possible.
If you have liked the post, you can share it with your friends. And, you can also read our post on 25 facts about Sony.
Nonetheless, if you have any tips and tricks about the PS Vita that we have missed out on, you can share those with us in the comments below!
