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Sony (and to a lesser extent Valve) are releasing too many apps for different Playstation & Steam functionalities on mobile

Arthands

Arthands

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,039
I have no idea why are they not consolidating their apps into one. Why have 3 different Steam mobile apps each performing different functions, instead of having 1 unified app that can perform these different functions?

same goes for Sony Playstation. 6 different Playstation mobile apps.

Its probably great for people who only need one functionality as this means lesser storage space compared to one unified app. but swing the pendulum to the other side, for people who uses more than 1 functionality, having to download multiple apps seperately is likely to take up more spaces than 1 unified app. Having so many apps clutter the phone. its like your pocket filling up with a dumb phone, mp3 player, a video game handheld, a notebook etc instead of one smartphone.

Having a unified app also allow cross features for the functions, and streamlined log in.


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Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,280
Communities and Messages should be under the main app. I understand the need for separate Remote play/ Second screen apps.

Having said that, I guess in this way individual apps are updated faster, and honestly it shows since most of these apps are actually quite good.
 
Raboon

Raboon

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,094
But the PS app has all those features.

Edit: or did I download them all separately and the ps app opens them up for me? I dont remember.
 
Dan

Dan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,963
This is only an issue if you use all these distinct features imo.

If you don't, people will probably complain about the size of downloads for apps with features they dont use or want.
 
Anarki

Anarki

Member
Oct 27, 2017
320
Valve can't release both store app and streaming app as one as they already had troubles with Apple releasing them separately and even went as far as forbidding using store using Steam Link app
 
malnecesario

malnecesario

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
50
When sony launch the app, was all in one... but a bit slow and a lot user tell to fix it, sony split in all those app and start becoming faster as far i remember.
 
gofreak

gofreak

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,737
I guess it might help them iterate and release updates and stuff on each front faster, but yeah, a single app would be better, at least for console related functionality. For simplicity a future PSNow app might wanna be separate.
 
StallionDan

StallionDan

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,705
The PS messages app is bloat, I had someone send me loads of images, but you can't delete them ever, you can delete the conversation and free up loads of memory, but the moment one of you messages the other again, the entire conversation and images from before redownloads. From years back.

Seperating it seems smart.
 
kami_sama

kami_sama

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,008
I understand having the remote play apps separate, as they provide a completely different thing. But everything else should be merged into one.
 
RestEerie

RestEerie

Banned
Aug 20, 2018
13,618
the PS Apps used to be consolidated...but people complained (as some just wanted the messaging function and not others) and so they separated them.

And now OP's wanting them to consolidate them again....Guess they never win.
 
Tunesmith

Tunesmith

Fraud & Player Security
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
1,939
Arthands said:
I have no idea why are they not consolidating their apps into one. Why have 3 different Steam mobile apps each performing different functions, instead of having 1 unified app that can perform these different functions?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's likely there are different product teams managing each feature, with separate apps less dependencies on the others when pushing out new features or fixes.

Then there's the user choice, allowing people to download only the things they want.
 
Joni

Joni

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,508
Better to have small dedicated apps than bloated apps that try to do everything.
 
daegan

daegan

#REFANTAZIO SWEEP
Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,901
Joni said:
Better to have small dedicated apps than bloated apps that try to do everything.
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thing is, this doesn't prevent the app being bloated in the case of PS. the menu is obnoxious as hell and even doing something simple like redeeming a code usually requires me to log in twice! (i've never run the steam app so IDK about there)
 

Deleted member 442

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
2,431
I would love this. The amount of fragmentation and additional logins between the PlayStation apps is kinda ridiculous.

In truth I'd rather they just integrate messaging and social features with Discord. The messaging experience in general is awful.
 
'V'

'V'

Banned
May 19, 2018
772
Yeah it's kinda silly you have to download so many apps for things which could easily be integrated into one app like the messaging service for example.
 
Fisty

Fisty

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,235
It's easier and much faster to update smaller separate apps, I would assume. You can easily navigate to the different apps from within the main app with the shortcuts anyway, it's not like you need 6 PS icons on your home screen

Just stick everything except the main PS App in a random folder, open the main app, hit the PS button and all the shortcuts are right at the bottom

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LukasHeinzel

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
643
Sony really isn't the best with software, they don't have this in their DNA like Microsoft. So yeah, I agree
 
Chaserjoey

Chaserjoey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,635
I remember it all being in one app and it was slow as fuck. Technology has evolved so I imagine performance should be better now.
The only app I want out of the ps app itself is the store; the rest Sony could throw back into one and I wouldn't give a fuck because I don't use them.
 
ActWan

ActWan

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,334
Never downloaded the Steam Chat app yet I chat through the main app all the time.
 
C.Mongler

C.Mongler

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,881
Washington, DC
Do you need the Steam Chat app? The normal Steam app allows for chat functionality, but I don't know if maybe the Chat app has more features or something.

Link being separated is likely an intentional/necessary decision because access to the Steam storefront (which the regular app has) is allegedly what delayed the app for almost a year more on iOS over Android.

Not sure why Sony has 6 apps though.
 
BLASTEROID

BLASTEROID

Member
Oct 25, 2017
232
Generally speaking, having them as separate apps is better. Allows for cleaner app design for each vertical slice of functionality and allows for updates against the individual app rather than having to update some giant monolithic app. There is really zero limitations for integration across a handful of local applications that you are the developer of. Having all of this stuff jammed into one big package IS software bloat.

IDK what all those PS apps are, but the Steam apps in this example make perfect sense.

Chat is an entirely separate animal than a game store front and library, it just happens to use your contact list.

Steam link is an entirely separate animal as well, it just happens to use your game library.

If I don't want those features, it's better that I just dont even have to have them on my phone.
 
Ænima

Ænima

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,513
Portugal
This is the right way to do big apps with many feautures. You release the feautures as single apps that can all be acessed by the main app. It keeps things lighter. And if you only want to use one of the feautures u dont really need to be filling ur phone memory with useless data.

Same reason i use Facebook Messenger app only in my phone and not the Facebook app.
 
Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
8,466
I'm actually fine with Steam link being a separate app, since it has a very specific role and it's complete pointless (or redundant) for users that aren't planning to use the home streaming or have it set by other means.

I have no idea what Steam chat is exactly for, since you can use the chat with the main Steam app. I guess it's supposed to be some light version of it?
 
Ohri-Jin

Ohri-Jin

Banned
Jul 11, 2019
1,129
The Netherlands
Yeah I don't know.. doesn't bother me that much. I have all my PS Apps in One Folder on iphone.

I wish there was a ps partychat app though. 😅
 
Egida

Egida

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,385
And yet, the only one I want, remote play, is not available on Android (other than Sony devices).
 
OP
OP
Arthands

Arthands

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,039
C.Mongler said:
Do you need the Steam Chat app? The normal Steam app allows for chat functionality, but I don't know if maybe the Chat app has more features or something.

Link being separated is likely an intentional/necessary decision because access to the Steam storefront (which the regular app has) is allegedly what delayed the app for almost a year more on iOS over Android.

Not sure why Sony has 6 apps though.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The normal Steam app only offer a very basic chat functionality (it literally only allow pm text and emoji). The Steam Chat app offers more features (allow you to send tweets, videos, GIFs, Giphy, Steam emoticons etc), group chats, invite links etc

Now that you guys said it, the remote apps are justify-able to be a standalone app, but not so for the rest.

akilshohen said:
Funny enough, you forgot to Mendon the PS Video app
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This app isn't available on my app store, so wow, I didn't know an Playstation Video app exist until now.


Ohri-Jin said:
Yeah I don't know.. doesn't bother me that much. I have all my PS Apps in One Folder on iphone.

I wish there was a ps partychat app though. 😅
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I will prefer to use the folder on a higher level, with 1 app per platform (for example Playstation app, Nintendo app, Microsoft app, Steam app, Oculus app)
 
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Naga

Naga

Alt account
Banned
Aug 29, 2019
7,850
I agree OP. Especially when some of those apps included most of those things in a single app before.
It's stupid.
 
Jonnax

Jonnax

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,921
Making a single app with a lot of different functionalities is hard.

Especially if you need different teams to integrate their platform into it.

Having a single app will almost certainly result in fewer feature updates.

It's stupid to think that they can just click a button and integrate them all into one. Especially if they've been designed in different ways.

The integration will be a huge project on its own which again is time that could be spent on developing features.

This is like saying a developer's game is unoptimised because they forgot to click the optimise button.
 
defaltoption

defaltoption

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
11,491
Austin
Yea it's super annoying, I get that some people may only need certain parts or things but it's crazy to not have a one stop shop. Integrate the teams together it's not impossible and they have the money and could hire the knowhow to get it done if those are the issue though I doubt it.
 
OP
OP
Arthands

Arthands

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,039
Jonnax said:
Making a single app with a lot of different functionalities is hard.

Especially if you need different teams to integrate their platform into it.

Having a single app will almost certainly result in fewer feature updates.

It's stupid to think that they can just click a button and integrate them all into one. Especially if they've been designed in different ways.

The integration will be a huge project on its own which again is time that could be spent on developing features.

This is like saying a developer's game is unoptimised because they forgot to click the optimise button.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

There's no need to be defensive and put words into people's mouth. Its hard, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't do it. And nobody says there's an optimise button anywhere.
 
Oldmario

Oldmario

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,145
i think everytime this pops up on reddit someone points out that it's either apple or google filesize policies that force the apps to be split up which is why there's so many apps
 
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