PlayStation Confirms Closure of PS3, PSP, and PS Vita Stores This Summer

Sony has finally confirmed that it will be shutting down the PlayStation Store on some of its older pieces of hardware in the coming months. Specifically, the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable (PSP), and PlayStation Vita are all the systems that will be affected by this closure. That being said, it’s not all bad news as Sony has also confirmed that any games purchased in the past on these platforms will still be accessible in the future.

Outlined on the official PlayStation website, it was revealed that the PlayStation 3 and the PSP will be the first two platforms to be put to rest this summer. The PlayStation Store on each of these respective devices will be the first to shutter on July 2, 2021. The PS Vita, however, will get almost two months more of service before it then reaches its demise. The Vita storefront will then reach its end officially on August 27.

As mentioned, though, just because the PlayStation Store on these platforms will be officially closing doesn’t mean you’ll then lose access to all of your games. “You will still be able to re-download and play previously purchased game titles,” Sony said clearly on the PlayStation website. This goes for all other pieces of media that you may have bought on these platforms as well. So basically, as long as you make a purchase on any of these given devices prior to their official shutdown dates, you’ll have access to the games in perpetuity.

Sadly, the only way moving forward that you’ll be able to make these last-minute purchases will be via the native PlayStation Store application on PS3, PSP, and PS Vita. Sony seems to have ended a workaround earlier today that allowed users to still buy games for each of these platforms via a web broswer. So if you go to buy a game on the PS3 marketplace in the near future, may patience be with you in that endeavor.

Now that this news has become official, how do you feel about seeing functionality for the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita come to an end? Let me know either down in the comments or over on Twitter at @MooreMan12.