Sony is discontinuing the PlayStation Communities feature, according to an email that Sony sent to PlayStation 4 owners. PlayStation Communities will close in April 2021.
PlayStation Communities is a service that allows PlayStation 4 users to create groups on various games and topics. Group members can use communities to find people with common interests, post messages, form groups and recruit for gaming sessions. In March 2020, Sony closed a PlayStation Communities mobile app that facilitated the social aspects of the service.
This is not the first time that we have heard of removal from service. Patch notes that accompany the beta 8.5 update in progress mention the removal from the PlayStation Communities service. This may mean that the 8.5 update will be released in April 2021, but it is important to note that Sony may discontinue the service before an update rolls over to remove the PlayStation 4 user interface feature.
Sony has not announced a replacement for the service on PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 5 does, however, offer a selection of social features that address some of the same functions as the PlayStation Communities service. These features include multiplayer group launching, game hubs with community content, multi-tasking screen sharing, and the Game Base meeting space.
Since Sony did not announce a specific date in April, it is probably a smart idea to go ahead and dismantle all the communities you are a part of.