PS Vita returns from the dead as hackers turn it into a portable Xbox

Consoles like the N64 will be forever remembered as triumphs, whereas others like the Dreamcast will go down in history as failures, and some like the PS Vita will be largely forgotten to the ages. Despite having gained something of a cult following since it was discontinued in 2019, the PS Vita simply landed at the wrong time.

As smartphones grew more advanced and mobile gaming took off, the 3DS also obliterated its Sony rival as it secured major franchises like Pokémon and Zelda.

The PS Vita has hung on, but as well as losing its 'best' feature in the form of PS1 and PSP games via its own store, the whole Vita storefront is due to close in July 2027.

Fear not, because the PS Vita is getting a new lease of life thanks to a bizarre evolution into becoming a portable Xbox.

How to turn your PS Vita into a portable Xbox

The PS Vita homebrew community has been hard at work on GreenVita, which is a native app that allows this plucky Sony handheld to stream Xbox Cloud Gaming titles via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It might feel a bit odd to boot up Gears of War: E-Day on your PS Vita in 2026, but with the likes of Starfield already coming to PS5, the days of Xbox exclusivity feel like a distant memory.

You can check out developer Day-OS' GreenVita over on GitHub, allowing you to stream directly from the Xbox Cloud Gaming catalogue.

Planète Vita pointed us toward GreenVita, which has been inspired by the Moonlight open-source streaming client that lets you experience PS5 remote-play on the Vita.

Using H.264 hardware video decoding and VitaSDK, the Vita's advanced capabilities mean modern titles like Halo Infinite can run on the portable PlayStation hardware.

A second-hand PS Vita costs between $110 and $160 in 2026, and as we'd argue, it beats trying to play your Game Pass titles on a phone or tablet. PS Vita owners, old and new, are sure to flock to this one to see how it works.

Best yet, GreenVita beats browser-based streaming options for Game Pass because it's an app built natively for the underrated console.

READ MORE: Animal Crossing Gets Surprise Free PlayStation Release

The drawbacks of GreenVita

Before you dash to dust off your PS Vita and boast about your new portable Xbox, there are a few caveats.

Firstly, you need a PS Vita with HENkaku enabled, VitaShell installed, and the Unsafe Homebrew setting activated. Also, remember that you'll still need an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to boot up Xbox Cloud Gaming. We'd also be amiss for not mentioning the fact that the Vita's built-in Wi-Fi module can only handle 2.4 GHz, which means streaming can be a little choppy.

Finally, the Vita is missing the full button layout of your standard Xbox controller, so some games might need remapping.

That's not to discourage you from the work that's already been made on GreenVita's formative stages. Already updated to GreenVita 0.1.8, there have been improvements to streaming stability and black screen issues, reduced frame drops and video stream corruption, as well as improved frame delivery speed and control responsiveness.

This homebrew isn't associated with Microsoft or Sony, and in terms of quality, we'd always advise sticking to official Xbox channels on PC, console, and mobile. Still, the idea that xCloud works on the now-defunct Vita is undeniably impressive.