Sony is pulling the kill switch on the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3, PS Vita and PSP storefronts. Planned for a July quietus, Sony will be permanently closing down the stores for PS3 and PSP gamers.
PlayStation Vita gamers will have longer to get the games they want before the store's closure, but only by a bit. After that, the PlayStation Store will only be available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Reported by The Gamer, this closure will severely affect all three systems.
When will the PlayStation Store shut down?
Sony is axing the store on PS3 and PSP on July 2nd. The PlayStation Vita will be holding on just a little bit longer. Sony's portable handheld will have access to the store until August 22nd, more than a month longer than the other systems.
The closure of the PlayStation Vita store in particular comes as a shock. The portable console wasn't the most successful system, but it will not even reach its tenth anniversary before the store closure. However, it’s not like poor support for this system from Sony is a surprise.
What will happen when the PS Store closes?
When the PlayStation Store closes, players will no longer be able to purchase digital games or DLC for any of these systems. Any digital content purchased on any of the console's must also be downloaded before the closure of the digital storefronts or else they may not be able to be downloaded.
Sony has released a lot of games exclusively through digital means on these devices. Re-releases of PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2 and even PlayStation Portable games were only available to buy through the online store. Unless they're downloaded on the console, they'll be lost forever. Hopefully, some users are backing up the digital releases for the sake of preservation.
Read More: Why the world NEEDS a PlayStation Vita 2.
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