Facebook (for PlayStation Vita)

Facebook, the world's most popular and valuable social network, comes to the Sony PlayStation Vita ($249, 4 stars)?in the form of a free app that lets you stay connected with friends, family, and acquaintances. It joins the PS Vita's burgeoning app marketplace where you can also find LiveTweet?(Free, 4 stars), Netflix?($7.99, 3 stars), Paint Park?(Free, 3 stars), and Skype?(Free, 3.5 Stars). Facebook for PlayStation Vita is certainly worth a download if you're Facebook fan, but a few limitations keep it from fully duplicating the functionality found on the main site.

Setup and Interface
You begin by logging in with your Facebook credentials. After doing so, Facebook for PlayStation Vita brings up a blue-and-white interface which is similar to the desktop version. It contains a few layout tweaks that make it more conducive for mobile use. Across the top of the interface, for example, you'll find a drop-down box (that lets you view Most Recent, Status Updates, Photos, Links), and Home, Notifications, and Account Settings icons.

Icons located on the right side of the screen let you quickly access media, messages, friends/friend requests, and the news feed. There's no Events icon, which is a huge loss for me as I mainly use Facebook to keep track of significant happenings within my circle of friends. I like that you can tap the Facebook icon to hide the other icons to free up some screen real estate. Unfortunately, you can't manage account settings from within the app. Instead, you must visit the Facebook's website (you're directed to the mobile version) to make changes, which isn't nearly as PS Vita-friendly as the app.

The Facebook for PlayStation Vita Experience
Facebook for PlayStation Vita lets you visit walls to see updates, likes, and comments, or check out a person's information page. The app, naturally, leverages the PlayStation's touchscreen, so you can swipe down to refresh feeds, or swipe through photo galleries. You can also upload photos stored on your memory card?a nice touch?but you can't tag others.

You cannot, however, upload video, which I consider an oversight considering that the PS Vita shoots video. Another gripe: You also can't view as many older messages as you can when visiting Facebook on a computer. I tried to find a message that a friend sent me a few weeks ago, but the app wouldn't pull messages from that far back. I was able to find it on my PC, however. You're also unable to share content that other people post, which is a limitation that the Facebook Android app also suffers (the iOS version, however, lets you share content).

Social Networking on the Go
Facebook for PlayStation Vita is solid for causal Facebook use, but devoted users may find it too limited in certain areas. If you need to message a friend, upload an image, or update your status while away from a computer it does the job well?just don't expect to do much else.

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