A gamer had a disturbing discovery as their PS Vita apparently had an ant colony living in it. Their post garnered horrified reactions from netizens, mostly asking how the insects got into the console.
Launched in 2012, the PS Vita was the successor to the PlayStation Portable (PSP). While the handheld console had a decent following, it was regarded as a commercial failure, and Sony stopped its production in 2019. Players can still download PS Vita, but seem to be experiencing problems with the PlayStation Store recently.
With the PS Vita discontinued, it might be difficult to find a brand new one in stores. Gamer mutdualeo probably knew the struggle, and was asking Reddit users for help in getting rid of the ant colony living in their PS Vita. Their 20-second video showed the console opened up, showing several ants scurrying in its interiors and crawling out from the speakers and charging ports. The user also said they were worried that the insects might damage some components in the PS Vita.
In the comments, many gamers tried to give him tips on how to carefully remove the ants without damaging the device. A day later, mutdualeo updated everyone that they managed to clean out the ants, and that their PS Vita was still working properly. Meanwhile, several other comments were understandably creeped out by the sight of the ant colony.
Unfortunately, this problem isn't uncommon at all as other consoles, like the PlayStation and Xbox, can also house ants. This can happen either after food or drink is spilled on the device, or because ants just generally gravitate toward warm environments to shelter themselves, like the inside of a PS Vita. While it's relatively easy to clean them out or have tech support do it, ants could still damage electronic devices, especially when they get electrocuted inside or eat the thermal compound. In mutdualeo's case, they were lucky their PS Vita didn't malfunction, and they could still enjoy their favorite games.
Since the release of the PS Vita, Sony hasn't come out with a new handheld device. Although there have been speculations that it's working on a PS Vita 2 or a completely new handheld device. If the rumors are true, then the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck might have another worthy competitor. Other reports indicate the new Sony handheld will not be a true handheld, but instead be used for PS5 remote play. Regardless, gamers will just have to wait and see what Sony has up its sleeve in the future.