Sony is closing the PlayStation Store for PS3 and Vita… again

Having tried to kill off the PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita back in 2021, Sony is giving another try through 2026 and 2027, announcing that the PS Store will close on these decades old platforms in July 2027.

After the stores are shut down, you will still be able to download previously purchased games and content, but no new purchases will be possible.

“As the PlayStation Store continues to evolve to support modern commerce systems, including updated payment processing standards, PS3 and PS Vita are no longer able to support these updates at the level required,” Sony’s Sid Shuman writes.

The timeframe is sooner for some countries, but the final shutoff date will be in July 2027.

• Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting August 2026.
• Additional Latin American and Middle Eastern countries – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting late 2026.
• In all other countries, PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita will close in July 2027.

Shuman continues, “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming. PS3 and PS Vita represent an important era in our PlayStation history, so this was not an easy decision for us to make.

“As we continue to expand the PlayStation experience on newer devices that most of our users are playing on today, we need to focus more resources on delivering the best gaming experiences on these platforms as we look ahead towards the future.”

It’s sad to see this day come once again, though Sony did at least give gamers a further five years from their previous plan to close off these older platforms, back in 2021. The massive swell of negativity to this online saw them reverse course, but any kind of profits and earnings from the PS3 and Vita will have only slid further since then, while the technological debt to maintaining older servers will have only grown – Sony’s adjustment in 2021 was the removal of direct payment methods. Nintendo and Microsoft have also shutdown sales for older systems.

And as Sony has simultaneously announced that they will no longer be producing games on physical discs from 2028, we’re closing in on the point at which game ownership and access will be purely through the digital storefronts of platform holders. A timely reminder that you don’t “own” anything bought digitally and access can be revoked for various reasons.

For the PS3 and PS Vita, at least there’s tons of games that were released physically, but this will be a call to arms for game preservationists to ensure that this era of gaming is accessible and remembered.

Source: Sony

Tags: playstation 3, playstation store, PS Vita