Sony will reportedly close PlayStation Store on PS3, PSVita, and PSP this summer

It’s not your vault

Sony Interactive Entertainment is planning on pulling down the shutters on its PlayStation Store for PS3, PS Vita, and PSP this summer, according to a recent report by TheGamer.

Speaking with “sources familiar with the situation”, TheGamer reports that Sony intends to close the PS3 and PSP versions of PlayStation Store in early-July, before shuttering PS Vita’s online store in late-August. The move would prevent the future purchase of hundreds of games and DLC on these platforms, an action that can currently be completed directly through the PSN web edition of each store. It isn’t clear at the time of writing whether owners will still have the option to delete/re-download their previously purchased titles at will once the supposed closure takes place.

Sony’s current gaming hardware, PlayStation 5, is not currently compatible with re-released and downloadable PS3, PS2, or original PlayStation titles. As such, this report has led to understandable concern from PlayStation users that Sony will, in essence, be removing hundreds of titles from the platform’s back catalogue from ready availability.

There are already testimonials of players “buying up” bagfuls of older titles from the PS3 store, lest they vanish completely. This is all well and good for Sony’s bank balance, but is pretty shitty on the players themselves, who are now opening their wallets in fear that Sony’s motion will fail to see generations of games accessible outside of their original, physical releases – which will no doubt see their after-market prices skyrocket.

While multiple news outlets have reached out to Sony for clarification on this situation, the corporation remains tight-lipped on the facts, with TheGamer suggesting an official announcement should be coming from Sony within the next week. Either way, we’ll know the score about PlayStation Store’s future soon enough.