Rumours that Sony might be shutting down the digital stores for the PS3, PSP and PS Vita have begun making rounds. As per a report by The Gamer, all the stores are due to close down by July and the development is likely to be announced by the end of this month.
To give you a more precise timeline, the PS3 and PSP stores will reportedly close by July 2nd and the PS Vita store will stay up till August 27. Post these currently tentative timelines, players will not be able to purchase any games or DLCs for the aforementioned consoles.
This news is sure to come as a disappointment to all those who were expecting wider backwards compatibility from Sony. The Japanese tech conglomerate did introduce backwards compatibility for the PS5 but so far, it’s only applicable to games of the previous generation i.e., the PS4. Unlike Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass which allows players to load Microsoft games from any console or PC irrespective of when they released, Sony has not yet rolled out any such feature for its latest consoles.
But all things considered, the PS3 and PSP have had a very good run. The PS3 released in November 2006 sold a total of 87 million units during its 11-year life cycle while the PSP sold over 81 million units since its release in March 2005. Even the PS Vita, while being a commercial flop with only 11 million units sold during its lifetime, saw a decent redemptive arc due its newfound capabilities as an emulator.
Presently, it seems like Sony won’t be expanding its capacity for backwards compatibility any more which means you must download your favourite games from these platforms before time runs out. But could this also mean a new store with all games under one banner and backwards compatible for the PS5? We can’t say for sure yet but it would definitely be a welcomed announcement.
About Sony
Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo. The company operates as one of the most comprehensive media companies on the planet and also holds the distinctions of being the largest video game console company and the second largest video game publisher in the world.
Its gaming and network services arm Sony Interactive Entertainment (formerly Sony Computer Entertainment) is best known for producing the popular line of PlayStation consoles.
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