Last week we reported on information that Sony was planning on closing down the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita later this year. That report stated that if this were to occur, Sony would make an official statement before the end of the month. Well, only one week later and the company has made it official. The company has confirmed that they are going to shut down the store for the aforementioned systems, with the PlayStation 3 and PSP ending on July 2, and the PS Vita’s going out a couple of months later on August 27.
While this announcement is both sad and expected, Sony did clarify one major factor. For those who own any titles on any of the respective systems, you’ll still be able to re-download any title you’ve purchased through the PlayStation store. This also includes any additional content, as well as unused vouchers for titles that have yet to be redeemed. This feature also extends to games that have cross-buy functionality, specifically through the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. Sony also clarified that this will not affect anyone’s PlayStation Now subscription service or any titles that have been claimed for free via the PlayStation Plus.
All titles and content will be made available to download through a Download List which will remain active after the store is shut down. This is excellent news as the speculation was running rampant about owners being able to gain access to their online product when the store’s closure. Unfortunately, for those who don’t own any digital titles, this is more than likely your first of many warnings that you don’t have much time left to purchase digital titles for the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita.
As we mentioned already, this is an unfortunate but expected outcome. Sony has more than moved on with the PlayStation 4 and released the PlayStation 5 just a few months ago. Production for all three systems has also been done for a long time, with the most recent one, the PS Vita, ending in 2019.