PS1 Classics Suddenly Playable on US Vitas

Here in EU territories, we’ve had access to almost the entire PS1 classic range of titles on the Vita since the day Sony’s PlayStation Emulator became available almost two years ago. We’ve been playing Crash, Spyro, Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider like nobody’s business. Unlucky residents of the US haven’t been able to do that… until today.

The US PlayStation Store on Vita didn’t even show 25% of the available classics, and they were marked as unavailable on download lists. This seemingly arbitrary block was especially annoying when knowing that people around the world were able to do exactly what you’d hoped to. I mean, it’s awesome to be able to play old PS1 games on the move, but if you’re not going to include Crash and Spyro, you’ve done something wrong.

Well, without much fanfare, Sony have today unblocked many of the most popular titles, meaning US Vita owners can once again rescue dragons and collect apples. The set of releases has not yet been explained and some are concerned it might end up being a mistake, although given that EU territories have had these games available for most of the Vita’s lifespan, it seems unlikely that they’ll suddenly be re-blocked.

So, if you’re feeling nostalgic, pick yourself up a Vita. It (now) says what it does on the tin.