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PS4 owners lament the shutdown of beloved “Communities” social network

Press F to pay respects —

Built-in message boards were a way to find and connect with like-minded players.

Kyle Orland
— Apr 21, 2021 4:50 pm UTC

Enlarge / Don’t cry for me, I’m already dead…

In the world of social media, new networks are constantly popping into existence and then fading away when they fail to become the next Facebook (or Twitter, or TikTok, etc.). Still, last week’s shutdown of the PS4’s Communities features (and the lack of a suitable replacement on the PS5) has left many PlayStation fans bitter about the death of a vibrant space they used to connect with fellow gamers.

For those who never had a chance to join a PS4 Community, the groups served as a kind of player-created and moderated message board system, accessible directly via the PS4’s system menu (and through the PlayStation Mobile app, before that connection was shut off last year). Members could share text messages, screenshots, wallpapers, and more on a shared «Community Wall» or form parties to chat and play multiplayer titles together with other online members.

Specific PS4 Communities could form around a single game or series, a geographic area, a cultural grouping, or just shared general interests («Smoke&Play» and «Vaping Gamers» were popular Communities at one point).

«My reaction to the Communities going away at first was quite a shock if I’m honest,» said Alex Richards, who said he belonged to 15 different PS4 Communities, some with tens of thousands of users focused on PS4 trophy hunting. «Overall, I felt like it was like having to say goodbye to a virtual family of sorts, as I had met some fantastic people through being a part of the Communities, and knowing that the platform we all shared as people and gamers [would] suddenly disappear was a real shame.»

Richards was so upset by the shutdown that he put together a «RIP PSN Communities» video on YouTube, complete with maudlin music and sad gray raindrops casting a pall over the proceeding. «Thank you for the memories and the good times we shared,» he wrote in a video chyron.

Enlarge / A few examples of PS4 Communities that were available before their shutdown last week.

YouTube / Splitz

Welcome to your PS4

Richards is not alone in mourning the PS4’s Community features and the unique ways they let players connect with others. «It was an extraordinarily convenient setup,» Australian PS4 owner Ian Mackinder told Ars. «If you wanted to send a picture or make a comment or whatever during play, it was just a few seconds’ work to flip from the game, do [a] post on whichever Community you chose, then return to play.»

That simplicity led to PS4 Communities forming around some interesting and unexpected shared interests. «The best example I can think of is one guy who set up a Community specifically for pictures from all PS4 games,» Mackinder said. «There was even a regular weekly competition where a theme would be specified (e. g. «emotion,» «black and white,» «heights,» etc.). Entries would come in from all games imaginable. No prizes, just… positive feedback and seeing who’d get first, second, third, etc.»

For others, the appeal of PS4 Communities was more utilitarian. «For games like Destiny 2, some [high-level] activities don’t have matchmaking, so it was the only way to squad up for endgame content,» PS4 Communities user Lesvix told Ars. «On the big Community, you had posts every minute so it was very convenient to find people.»

«Also, as an adult, I don’t like to play with children, so the community helped find people of the same age,» Lesvix continued. «When searching for people, you can mention 18+ in the post [and get] no children.»

«A tribute to a fallen hero»

For many, PS4 Communities were a welcoming way to get acclimated to a new title in the same place you were playing it. «Picture yourself a new gamer with a new game. Where do you turn for info?» PS4 Communities fan Blackdwag07 (who asked to go by his PSN handle) asked rhetorically. «YouTube is great, but it’s a video, maybe years old. With Communities, you could go to them [and easily find] info, news, wallpapers, and groups and friends to play with. I could ask any questions and get answers faster than searching Google, and better answers also.»

«The Communities were a valuable means of meeting fellow players, for new arrivals seeking guidance, and for both seeking and providing general advice/assistance,» Mackinder added. He cited the PS4 Communities for No Man’s Sky in particular as «very positive places. Any newbie who fronted up asking for advice could be sure of getting a response.»

Not every PS4 Community was so welcoming, of course. Many languished from a lack of activity or quickly got filled with spam or toxic harassment. But the players I talked to suggested that the PS4 Communities they stuck with were much less prone to abuse than other online spaces.

«There were many communities where the ‘owner’ had, for some reason or another, basically abandoned the community and left it completely unmoderated, meaning that pretty much any troll or griefer with the energy would have free rein for as long as they chose,» Mackinder said. «Communities that were properly looked after had no such problem.» Mackinder suggested that a basic check-in from Sony to see if Community owners and moderators were still engaged could have prevented a lot of the worst abuses in unmoderated spaces.

«I also owned a couple of communities myself, including one called PlayStation Network Addicts, which was more of a variety community,» Richards said. «It was a safe and inclusive space for all kinds of gamers and for the time in which it existed, I feel like it served its purpose well.»

Where to now?

When Sony announced the pending PS4 Communities shutdown last month, users were left scrambling to maintain their connections to the friends they had found through the network. «We thankfully have PSN Messages, including group chats and parties, but… a group chat allows up to 100 people, whereas PSN Communities allowed up to 100,000 people,» Richards said.

Aside from personal group chats, Discord seems to be the main beneficiary of the shutdown, with many PS4 Community users telling me they had moved their social groups to the gaming-focused social service. But Mackinder lamented that these replacements are «not nearly as convenient as what we had. But there you go. Thank you, Sony.»

Enlarge / Many former PS4 Communities users have moved on to Discord, though some find it less convenient.

«Since I do have [other] social media, [Communities] being deleted didn’t affect me that much,» PS4 Community user Scourge HH told Ars. «But I have to imagine, people who are more wary or shy regarding social media are probably feeling it much more, since they lost a huge social interaction feature, connected to the very games they play. I used to see a lot of people posting gaming compliments or finds on the different Communities. «

In the end, many PS4 players (and new PS5 owners) may never even realize that PS4 Communities are gone—Sony’s removal of the feature certainly suggests it wasn’t popular with a critical mass of the user base. Still, among the PS4 Communities users I talked to, Sony’s decision to shutter the feature has generally left them with a more negative view of the PlayStation as a whole.

«If there is no social space on PSN, I am thinking of switching to PC, and I have been using Sony since the PS1,» Lesvix said. «It’s funny how PlayStation gave free games as part of ‘Play at Home,’ but without Communities, it is more like ‘Play alone!'»

«I’d also add that there is a lot of bitterness about Sony’s actions,» Mackinder said. «No one expected much basic consideration from them, but a very common sentiment now is ‘My next console will be Xbox.'»

«In short, Sony has removed a huge quality-of-life feature from its services and has made sure that I at least will not purchase a PS5,» Blackdawg03 said. «Honestly, [Communities] made Sony games so much better because there was this huge group you could turn to. Other players would give their time, game materials and currency, help, and friendship to help you master your ‘lifelong game.'»

«I’m sorry for being emotional, but we lost our place to belong.»

Sony Confirms It Is Shutting Down the PS4 Communities Feature

By
Preston Fusci

Published Mar 15, 2021

The PlayStation Communities Feature will be part of a list of removed features on PS4 by Sony in the upcoming 8.5 console update this April.

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.

RELATED: What to Expect From PlayStation’s Play at Home Initiative in April

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.

MORE: PS Plus Free Games for March 2021 Set the Perfect Stage for April

Source: PlayStation

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Sony announces imminent closure of PS4 Communities despite thousands of active users

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Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially announced the imminent closure of « Communities» on the PlayStation 4 console.

As per email notification sent to PlayStation Network users, PS4 Communities will end next month .

The platformer did not explain his decision to say goodbye to PlayStation Communities , but this may be due to the fact that this feature attracted fewer and fewer players. However, the Assassin’s Creed franchise community on PlayStation has tens of thousands of users who actively share messages and content.

«Thank you for using the Communities feature on your PlayStation 4 console. As of April 2021, this feature will no longer be supported and will not be available on PS4. However, you will still be able to stay connected and use the messaging feature and more on PS4 and via the PlayStation App.»

The «Communities» section still allows players to create their own groups or join existing ones, where they can share personal experiences, team up to play together online, and upload screenshots and videos of the best moments of their adventures.

Read also : Techland: Dying Light 2 has not been canceled, but a release date has yet to be announced .

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how to leave the ps4 community?

Home » PS4

By Milena Anderson Reading 4 min. Views 2 Posted by 16.08.2022

Short answer

There is no specific way to leave the PS4 community, but you can usually do so by sending a message to the moderators and asking them to remove you from the group. .

How to leave community on PS4

How to leave community on Ps4

Why does PS4 delete communities?

There are several reasons why the PlayStation 4 removed the Communities feature. The first reason is that they were difficult to manage and maintain. Communities were created for players to share tips, tricks, and experiences, but it became increasingly difficult to keep track of all the activity going on in them. In addition, Sony believes that communities are becoming too noisy and divisive.

How do you visit communities on PS4?

There are several ways to join communities on PlayStation 4. You can use the Community tab in the main menu, or go to the Friends section of your PS4 dashboard and search for specific communities. You can also check out the Community Events section of PlayStation Network to see what’s happening in your area.

Are the PS4 communities closed?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as PS4 communities and community activity levels will vary by game, platform, and community members. However, some users are reporting that the popularity and activity of PS4 communities is starting to decline. This may be due to a number of reasons, including the growing popularity of other gaming platforms and the growth of online gaming communities.

Is Sony killing the PS4?

There is no clear answer, but there are some indications that Sony may be planning to discontinue the PS4. For example, Sony hasn’t released a new PS4 model for over two years, and there have been reports that the company is looking into other gaming platforms. In addition, the company has been slow to release new games for the platform, and its sales have declined in recent months.

Will PS5 have communities?

No official announcements or details about PS5 communities yet, but the team is looking into it for the next generation console.

What happened to the PSN community?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the PSN community depends on the individual.

How do PlayStation Communities work?

Communities are groups of users with common interests. When you join a community, you become part of a group of people who can help support and guide each other in the game. You can also find friends to team up with and compete with in your favorite games.

Why have private parties been removed from PS4?

PS4 has removed private parties because they don’t fit with the company’s vision. The company believes that games should be accessible to everyone and that they should be available to as many people as possible.

How long will the PS4 last?

The PS4 is expected to last about 10 years.

Will they release PS4 games after PS5?

Sony has not announced plans to stop producing PS4 games. However, they have also not announced plans to release new PS4 games in the future.

Can you join a discord challenge on PS4?

Yes, you can join a discord challenge on PS4. To do this, open the main screen of the PlayStation 4 and select «Settings». Then select «Communication Settings» and click the «Discord» icon.

Will the PS4 turn off?

Unknown how to turn off PS4.

On 3 марта, 2023 By alexxlab

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