In a previous blog, I explained that it is possible to get PlayStation Network content on the PlayStation TV without updating to the latest firmware. Using Vita Update Blocker and the Proxy Settings it provides, it is possible to trick your PSTV into thinking it is on the latest firmware, sync it to your PlayStation 3, and then transfer digital content from the PS3 to the PSTV. That previous article can be read here: https://www.change.org/p/sony-save-our-playstation-tv-and-vita-petition-for-100-vita-compatibility-on-pstv/u/16314473 This option is beneficial to those who use Mr.Gas's whitelist hack. Because the whitelist hack can only be installed on firmware below 3.55 and the PSN cannot be accessed directly on outdated firmware. However, if you've been using two PSTVs - one for blacklisted games and the other for digital content - it might be worth hanging onto that second console. You can imagine how overjoyed I was to finally get PSN games for my PSTV without updating beyond 3.52. So a few days ago I splurged a little on some digital-only Vita games and also some digital releases of various Vita games that I couldn't find in stores. You can imagine how crushed I was when I opened the first game and got the following message: "You must update the system software to version 3.55". I haven't yet tested all of the games because there was not enough space on my memory card. But three of the digital games that I purchased required 3.55 to load. Those games were "Super Star Wars", "Senran Kagura Estival Versus", and "Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space". Fortunately, the first two are also available on the PlayStation 4. In fact, if you buy Super Star Wars for the Vita, you are also eligible to download it to the PS4 at no extra cost. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Earth Defense Force 2. You can only get it for the Vita, unless you'd rather go with the original PS2 version. It is very the odd that the PAL and NTSC versions of Earth Defense Force 2 and Senran Kagura Estiva Versus should require 3.55. The former game was originally released in Japan in 2014 and the latter in March 2015, while Sony released firmware 3.55 on September 30th 2015. The Western releases of these games and also Super Star Wars were released for the Vita in the months that followed. It's also worth noting that all the digital games I downloaded that worked predate 3.55. I cannot say for sure if 3.55 will be a requirement for all future Vita games or if it will be a requirement for a select few.* I have not been able to find a complete list of all Vita games and their respective minimum required firmware. Though I have come across this online forum where various gamers have reported their findings, a few of them have reported that various new releases do indeed require 3.55: http://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=14537 If there's a new Vita game available in stores and you own a Vita handheld that is set to 3.52 or lower, it may be wise to take your handheld to the store and ask to test the game card in it to see if the infamous "You must update system software to 3.55" message pops up. As I said before, all games predating 3.55 obviously don't have this issue. If a game was released after September 30th 2015, be cautious. Wikipedia has a complete list of Vita games with a column denoting whether or not they are compatible with the PSTV. Interestingly, most of the post-September 2015 games seem be be on the whitelist. With that in mind, the best advice I can give would be to use two PlayStation TVs. One you keep no higher than 3.52 and with the whitelist hack installed, and the other up to date for any new releases that require 3.55 or higher. Obviously for DLC for the older blacklisted games and pre-3.55 digital games you can transfer them from your PS3 to the hacked PSTV as described above, while on the up to date console you can get your PSN content directly. Just remember that memory cards are not interchangeable between consoles with different firmwares. Unfortunately, the two consoles option doesn't help with the remaining minority of new releases that are blacklisted. There is a Japanese company Keity Co.,Ltd that runs a website, www.3dsvideocapture.com, offering a video out mod for Vita and Nintendo 3DS handhelds. Basically for Vitas they install a capture card that carries the video signal through a USB cable to the software KatsuKity. This might be a solution those who want to play the remaining minority of blacklisted games that require 3.55. However, the mod is not cheap - about $219US or some $300AU! And from a technical standpoint, it is a rather half-baked solution. Because you need a computer to run the KatsuKity software, to play it on TV means you'd need a HDMI out to display the computer screen on your HDTV. And even then, the USB cable only carries video. The only way to get audio is through the Vita's headphone plug, and some have reported lag in the video feed when they try to connect the Vita's headphones to the computer's microphone input. The simplest way of outputting video and sound to a TV using the KatsuKity option would require a PVR with HDMI+audio in, such as the Hauppauge HD PVR Rocket, or even a VGA+audio to HDMI adapter. Basically you'd output the computer via HDMI or VGA to the adapter and the Vita's headphones to the mic input on the adapter, then output through HDMI from the adapter to the television. Eitherway, you're looking at another $150 to $200AU! This clearly emphasizes why Sony NEEDS to take down the blacklist and give us the option of using the Vita handheld as a PSTV controller. We all know that Sony wants to make money, all huge companies want to make money. But Sony, do you really want your customers to pay some third party to install a half-baked video out mod in your handheld, when you can offer us so much more for only a fraction of the cost? The money a consumer would pay for the KatsuKity mod plus all the necessary AV equipment for TV display could easily buy at least four PlayStation TVs or even a PlayStation 4. With a simple firmware update, you could eliminate the need to mod the Vita console and give players the perfect and most convenient way to enjoy Vita games on the both the small touchscreen and the big HD screen. Mr.Gas's whitelist has proved that the vast majority of blacklisted games are perfectly playable with a PS3 or PS4 controller emulating the touch features. And for those games with compatibility issues, the KatsuKitty mod has proven that people are perfectly capable of using a touchscreen, rear touchpad and gyroscope while looking at that at a big screen displaying the exact same image. Meaning that there is no reason why players should not have the option of using the Vita as a PSTV controller. I'll leave readers to decide whether or not they think the KatsuKity mod is worth the investment. But for now, the most convenient option is to keep two PSTVs around. One on 3.52 with the whitelist hack installed, and the other set to the latest firmware for any new whitelisted game that requires that new firmware. If Sony ever does hear our cries, you can always use that second device for what Sony has heavily advertised the PSTV for - streaming PS4 games to another TV in the house. * UPDATE May 14th 2016: Fortunately, it seems that not all games released after 3.55 require it. Yesterday I purchased a copy of "Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal", which got a PAL release in October 2015. It booted up on my PlayStation TV running 3.52 without issue.