During the PlayStation Vita’s Japanese launch in December, Sony also revealed a program where PlayStation Portable owners could insert their UMD into their PSP, register the game with PSN, and re-download it for the PlayStation Vita for a small fee which usually ranged between $6-13. Not a bad way to bring games like Final Fantasy: Crisis Core and Metal Gear: Peace Walker to the PS Vita. With the PlayStation Vita releasing date nearly upon on us (February 22nd for those playing at home), Sony has slowly trickled out news for soon-to-be Stateside owners, and, this time, it isn’t good.

Unlike Japan, the US will not be gaining access to similar programs where you can technically re-buy an old PSP game for a small fee. Currently, the UMD Passport program will stay exclusive to Japan though the folks at Kotaku have reached out to Sony for further explanation. Though a bummer, we have to take into account that most people will probably want their PS Vita for new games and new experiences so I doubt this will be a big deal to the majority of would-be owners. However, it’s still a blow for those who were looking to ditch their PSP while being able to relive the old glory days. Expect the internet to be up in arms in 4..3..2..

Discuss:

Was the UMD Passport a program you were looking forward to or were you only interested in Vita games like Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, and WipEout?