Sony has announced that they will be closing the Playstation Store for legacy devices this summer. The closure will include stores for PSP, PS Vita, and PS3.
Sony confirmed a rumor reported early in March, noting the planned closure of legacy device stores. The Playstation Store will likely focus on its current-gen platforms, the PS4 and the PS5. Their PSP, Vita, and PS3 marketplaces will close July 2.
Purchases from old store will stay accessible
Sony is pushing towards the closure of their legacy stores mostly due to their age. The oldest of their three oldest devices, the PSP, came out in 2005. That puts it at 16 years old, with PS3 coming out in 2006.
Sony is closing its PlayStation Store for PS3 in July and Vita in August https://t.co/x43bxl6Cff pic.twitter.com/ZfzCuxFeXZ
— The Verge (@verge) March 29, 2021
While the PS Vita came out in 2011, the handheld console is a failure out West. It does not have the level of audience or amount of customers that warrant keeping the online marketplace open. Even then, this doesn’t mean Sony will stop support.
According to Sony, the PSP and PS3 marketplace will shut down on July 2. Furthermore, the PS Vita store will close on August 27. Players will still be able to re-download their purchased games and use PS Plus for their consoles.
Anything purchased before stores close will still be available for play. These include video and other media content, together with vouchers and redemptions.
PS Stores will also stop selling media starting August 31
As Sony closes their Playstation Store for PSP, PS3, and PS Vita, some functionality will go away. According to their announcement, players will have a few things they can’t access once the stores close.
First, players will no longer be able to purchase PS3, PS Vita, and PSP digital content, including games and video content. This is something that can be expected, at the very least.
Players will no longer be able to make in-game purchases through games on PS3, PS Vita, and PSP. If there are in-game purchases for the games, it’s best to buy those before the closure.
Players will also no longer be able to redeem PSN wallet fund vouchers on PS3, PS Vita or PSP devices. Even then, these vouchers will still be available for the current-gen consoles.
Sony closed the original web version of the PS Store for these legacy devices. At the moment, players can buy titles through the console itself. Sony will also stop selling TV, movie, and other media content on their PS Stores starting August 31.
The closure of the Playstation Stores for legacy devices comes with a perk for current-gen consoles. Sony recently gave away some free games to help its Play at Home initiative for gamers.
Featured image courtesy of Playstation/Youtube Screenshot