For as long as video games have been around, many gamers have found ways to bond over their shared experiences while playing memorable titles. With the PlayStation 4 Communities App, Sony added a new forum for PS4 players to share their opinions and meet like-minded people.
Recently, there was news that an update would remove the PlayStation Communities feature from the console and be entirely reworked through the patch notes in the 8.5 beta update. Many did not know what that would entail, but now the news has been confirmed by Sony in an email to users yesterday that was also posted on the company website.
In the statement from PlayStation, it explains that the company is thankful for the support from fans for this feature throughout the years. Still, it is, discontinuing the community feature starting at the beginning of April 2021. Luckily, many fans will still be able to keep in touch through messaging options and other methods through the PlayStation App.
This shouldn't come as a surprise to most gamers. The PlayStation Communities Mobile App, which could be used to create private parties, was also removed last year, so it makes sense that this would follow. The communities app had been around on the console since the 3.00 update back in 2015, and using it many gamers were able to bond over favorite games and genres in different public forums. Many were also able to share screenshots taken on the PlayStation 4 and create parties for games.
This was not the only recent feature to be removed from the PlayStation 4. Earlier this month, Sony announced the removal of the option to rent or purchase movies and TV shows off of the PlayStation Store starting on August 31, 2021. This is reportedly due to the rising usage of subscription-based streaming services on the consoles. However, fans will still be able to access the content they have already purchased with on-demand playback.
Sony has not currently given out a reason as to why the Communities feature will be removed. Many could speculate that it would be to slowly phase out non-essential functions on the PS4 to put more focus on the PlayStation 5. There isn't any news of the Communities feature coming to the PS5 yet, or any other similar function. Hopefully, Sony will keep finding new ways to bring gamers together on the PlayStation 5 and foster a network of support for its fanbase.
Source: PlayStation