Report: PlayStation Vita Browser Supports HTML5, But Not Flash

Sony's upcoming PlayStation Vita will not support Adobe's Flash platform in its web browser...at least, not at launch. According to an article published in this week's issue of Weekly Famitsu in Japan, the Vita's web browser will support cookies, JavaScript 1.7, and part of the HTML5 standard when it launches in Japan next month. While Flash will not be a part of the launch, the magazine's editors imply that there's a chance support will come in future firmware updates, according to a translation. Sony's previous portable, the PSP, also launched without Flash support. A firmware update nearly a year-and-a-half post-launch added basic support: however, implementation was based on version 6 of the platform, initially released in 2002, making the PSP version five generations behind the desktop client. As a result, some Flash content can not be utilized on the system. Support for Adobe's now 15-year-old platform has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Most famously, Apple's iOS-compatible devices do not run Flash content in their native browsers, with late former CEO Steve Jobs blaming its occlusion on "technology issues." Additionally, Microsoft announced that a future version of its Internet Explorer browser will drop support for all plug-ins, including Flash. Flash continues to be the dominant platform for games on Facebook. However, the company recently launched its first round of HTML5-based games.