Sony is discontinuing the PlayStation Communities feature, according to an email Sony sent PlayStation 4 owners. PlayStation Communities will shut down in April 2021.
PlayStation Communities is a service that allows PlayStation 4 users to create groups about various games and topics. Group members can use the communities to find people with shared interests, post messages, form parties, and recruit for gaming sessions. In March 2020, Sony terminated a PlayStation Communities mobile app that facilitated the social aspects of the service.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard of the service’s removal. Patch notes accompanying the ongoing 8.5 update beta mention the removal of the PlayStation Communities service. This could mean that the 8.5 update will release in April 2021, but it’s worth noting that Sony can discontinue the service before an update rolls around to remove the feature from the PlayStation 4 UI.
Sony did not announce a replacement for the service on the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 5 does, however, provide a selection of social features that serve some of the same functions as the PlayStation Communities service. These features include group multiplayer launch, game hubs with community content, screen share with multitasking, and the Game Base gathering space.
As Sony hasn’t announced a specific date in April, it’s probably a smart idea to go on ahead and disassemble any communities you are a part of.
