Can PS Vita memory cards be switched between consoles?

If I had a PS Vita and a memory card with games/saves on it tied to a PSN account, is it possible to put that memory card into a different PS Vita and still access the same content without any additional steps? This is assuming I would be signed into the same PSN account on both consoles.

The use case here is upgrading/replacing the Vita itself: can I simply put the same memory card into a new Vita if the current Vita breaks and carry on as if nothing had happened?


Solution 1:

Yes. Memory cards (and maybe their data) are tied to Sony Entertainment Network accounts.

If both Vita are signed up with the same SEN account (tied to the same PSN ID), then you can use the memory card without having to do anything.

If either Vita is not signed up with an SEN account, then you can't earn trophies on it, etc.

If the second Vita is signed up with a different SEN than the first, then the memory card usage will be restricted. And to use the memory card, you'd have to format the card.

While not clearly outlined in this source, I suspect PC/PS3 transfer would have similar restrictions although I didn't look into it.

Source: Playstation