Digital games are supposed to be forever, right? According to a recent (unconfirmed) rumour, Sony will be shutting down the online stores for its legacy consoles.
There’s a rumour doing the rounds that Sony will be closing down its digital storefront for the PS3, PS Vita, and PSP systems this summer, meaning that any and all digital games and associated DLC will be shut away forever.
According to the rumour, Sony is planning to make the announcement at the end of this month. The PS3 and PSP stores will allegedly close on July 2nd, but the PS Vita will live a little longer until August 27th. So, if you want to buy anything on those platforms, now is the time to so.
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Mind you, there’s nothing in this rumour to say that previously owned games won’t be downloadable past these dates. There’s a good chance, then, that you’ll still be able to download any digital products you already own. If not, well, that’s a ballbag move, really.
Why the closure?
The PS3 and the PSP are well over a decade old at this point and very few people will be actively buying new games for those systems. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but it won’t be on the scale that it’s worth spending on the resources it takes to keep those services running.
The PS Vita is also creeping up to its tenth birthday (it’s ten in December!) and again, there won’t be that many new games being sold through the PS Vita’s online store, though the dinky console is still getting releases here in 2021.
It’s also worth noting that the writing has been on the wall for a while; Sony announced last year that it was removing PS3, PS Vita, and PSP games from the browser-based PlayStation Stores, though that came with the assurance that games would still be available via their native console’s store.
If you really want to play older games on those older systems, games for those platforms are really cheap and easy to come by. Just have a gander on eBay or Amazon and you’ll most likely find whatever it is you’re looking for. Failing that, bargain bins, flea markets, and charity shops are always good places to find a retro bargain. Blimey – PS3, PSP, and PS Vita are retro now, aren’t they?
Source: Thegamer
