PlayStation systems losing support with time isn’t actually something new- the most famous example remains, to this day, Sony’s systematic trimming of features from the PS3, both hardware and software (including the reduction of the number of ports on the console, and, famously, the removal of OtherOS capability), and now it is happening again- with the upcoming March update, the PS Vita will be losing the Maps, Near, and YouTube apps.
I don’t know anyone who will actually mourn the passing of the first two- Maps needs either a Wifi connection to function properly, or 3G (which, really, no one actually uses on the Vita), meaning it is practically useless; Near, on the other hand, is absolutely baffling and useless, a pointless app that floods your system with meaningless notifications, and that no one has been able to figure out to this day, three years after the Vita’s launch.
On the other hand, the Vita YouTube app, while not the best, still had utility, and I, personally, will be sad to see it go.
But really, this is just another nail in the coffin that is the PS Vita, and just serves to reinforce the fact that Sony really doesn’t care about it anymore.