Sony Shutting Down PlayStation Store for New Purchases on PS3 and Vita

Sony has announced the closure of its PlayStation Store connected the PS3 and Vita, opening adjacent period successful definite countries.

While the storefront volition beryllium shuttered, Sony has said it volition "ease the transition" by allowing players to inactive download previously-purchased contented aft the pursuing closure dates "for the foreseeable future."

• Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua – PlayStation Store connected PS3 volition adjacent starting August 2026.
• Additional Latin American and Middle Eastern countries – PlayStation Store connected PS3 volition adjacent starting precocious 2026.
• In each different countries, PlayStation Store connected PS3 and PS Vita volition adjacent successful July 2027.

Sony's quality lands contiguous alongside the bombshell announcement that nary caller PlayStation 5 games volition vessel connected discs from January 2028 onwards. From that day onwards, each caller games volition motorboat digitally via the PlayStation Store, with immoderate inactive sold successful boxes astatine retail that incorporate a integer download codification (as volition beryllium the lawsuit aboriginal this twelvemonth with GTA 6).

Explaining the upcoming closure of its PS3 and Vita stores, Sony said it wanted to "expand the PlayStation acquisition connected newer devices that astir of our users are playing connected today," which required it to "focus much resources connected delivering the champion gaming experiences connected these platforms," specified arsenic PS5.

"We cognize this quality whitethorn beryllium disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who clasp a peculiar spot successful their hearts for this procreation of gaming," wrote PlayStation exec Sid Shuman. "PS3 and PS Vita correspond an important epoch successful our PlayStation history, truthful this was not an casual determination for america to make."

A successor to the earlier PSP, Sony's PlayStation Vita primitively launched successful December 2011 arsenic a rival to Nintendo's dualscreen DS. Alas, its effort astatine bringing the PS3's blockbuster franchises to its smaller surface ne'er truly took off, portion its representation paper format proved an costly hurdle. Sony has ne'er provided an nonstop income fig for the hardware, but it is estimated the handheld shifted astir 10-15 cardinal units during its lifespan, astir 10% of the Nintendo DS.

Launched successful 2006, the PS3 besides initially faced income struggles amid complaints implicit its terms and signifier factor, and fierce contention from Microsoft's Xbox 360. It went connected to merchantability 87.4 cardinal consoles, astir fractional the magnitude sold by PS2.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social