Sony will close the PlayStation Store of PS3, PSP and PS Vita from summer 2021. It is already official and it cannot be said that it has caught us by surprise: beyond a notorious leak, over the last few months we have seen as the digital presence of these systems has been cut in favor of PS4, PS Now and, paradoxically, a PS5 that is not capable of meeting its own demand.
In fairness, both Sony’s third desktop and its laptops have been in slow decline for years . First, being excluded from the monthly PS Plus incentives. Later, with a comprehensive reform of the web and mobile store that made both its contents and the increasingly notable absences invisible. And that not long ago PS3 was updated and new games continue to be released on PS Vita.
In fact, it is no coincidence that the same day that the decision to close the PlayStation Store in three systems was announced, it was also impossible to access the old website that still allowed walking through its digital libraries and buying games and DLCs from them. If today you want to release the game before the Store closes, turn on the console . And at this point in the game, quite possibly plug it back in.
It is clear that these are not technical reasons : Sony is following a timetable. In other words, we are witnessing a generational changeover process in PlayStation that contrasts seriously with the added legacy of games that is still alive on Xbox. And that makes the question ask itself, now what?
This is the outlook for PS3, PS Vita and PSP users
First things first: you can continue playing and downloading what you already have associated with your account . Be it games, DLCs, movies or any content. If you do not have it installed on a console, you can continue downloading it from PSN even when the PlayStation Store of PS3, PSP and PS Vita have disappeared.
What happens to the games you got as PS Plus incentives ? In essence, things do not change: you will continue to have access to them as long as you are an active member of the subscription. Of course, as of summer you will no longer be able to acquire them to own them.
With that ahead, the dates to follow closely are as follows:
- The PS3 PlayStation Store will close on July 2, 2021
- Purchase functionality on PSP will be retired on July 2, 2021.
- PS Vita PlayStation Store to close on August 27, 2021
As of those dates, it will no longer be possible to purchase new games, software or content for the respective systems. And, by extension, the same applies to games that offered the option of internal payments.
That said, there is a curious nuance to take into account: we can expand our library of PS3, PSP and PS Vita with those games that include the option of cross-buy on PS4 . That is, they include free copies of the same title for other PlayStation systems.
With all of the above ahead, this announcement is a final call for anyone who wishes to purchase any game, item or digital content. A final opportunity to get hold of the great jewels of three consoles that have received very powerful games.
And, for sample, here is our recent selection of must-haves.
That said, many of the console’s essential games are no longer available from the store. We refer to games of the caliber of Dark Souls (although it can be played remotely on PS4) or Fallout 3, but also Sony’s own titles such as Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6.
Needless to say, this move is the final phase of a series of adjustments , restructures and changes that affect the entire network of PlayStation Network. As we mentioned, in the second half of 2020 it was no longer possible to acquire content from the mobile phone and through the current web (although it was possible through the old version). What’s more, in June of that same year it was impossible to send messages between PS3 and the rest of the PlayStation desktops.
The PS3 was put on sale from November 2006, reaching the shelves of the old continent in March of the following year. Acclaimed sagas were born in it, ranging from Uncharted to the first installments of the Batman: Arkham series, through historical titles such as Grand Theft Auto V that will continue to be played on PS5. It is beyond doubt that the PS3 has already completed its cycle.
And yet, Sony’s new maneuver with respect to previous PS4 systems ugly the brand itself against Microsoft’s current philosophy.
The inevitable generational handover of PlayStation vs. the added legacy of Xbox
It is easy to understand that Sony closes the PlayStation Store of consoles that, despite its success and its legacy, stopped being produced years ago . The top priority of the company is on PS5. Not even on a Playstation 4 that, thanks to the third parties, continues to receive jewels and joys.
It is also appreciated that, unlike Nintendo with the Wii Store and WiiWare, it is possible for us to continue accessing the content associated with our account . Those that we download as gifts and, especially, those purchased at full price or on sale.
And yet, with the disappearance of the PlayStation Store on three systems, Sony makes Microsoft’s strategy with Xbox and its legacy shine even more: if you have a copy of KOTOR, Fuzion Frenzy or The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind on disk or digitally. Not only can you play it on Xbox Series X, but it will look even better than it did in its day.
Part of the great claim of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S is access to the catalog of previous Xbox desktops . Not only is it fully compatible with Xbox One, but it has inherited hundreds of games from Xbox 360 and the first Xbox. And the best thing is not that all backwards compatible are present in the digital store, but that you do not have to pay twice for them.
And the thing does not end there: thanks to Smart Delivery the games are adapted to the capacities of the system in which they are played. Which already encompasses PCs and cloud gaming. As a result of the above, Microsoft has given unusual support to those who bet on digital purchases on Xbox consoles. Something that, paradoxically, is more typical of PC.
Thus, we have two opposing positions:
- Before the year of the PS5 launch, Sony advises that it will put the last nail in the coffin of three of its consoles to fully focus on their future. And, logically, it is your right. However, this makes us consider buying PS4 digital content in the long run.
- Meanwhile, the true value of Xbox has shifted from its 12 Teraflops hardware to its massive four-generation game portfolio. A legacy, by the way, very accessible thanks to the Game Pass and the integration of jewels of the original Xbox and Xbox 360 own and by EA Play and Bethesda.
It is clear that Xbox One will fulfill its cycle sooner or later. But, as Microsoft’s Phil Spencer told us, the plan is that their titles should keep playing. On the next Xbox and also on PC.
There is the third way, of course. Despite the fact that PS5 is not compatible with PS2, PS3, and the original PlayStation, and that it has a patent for it, the Playstation Now service brings together a selection of jewels from all generations of PlayStation and is imposed as an alternative for the future. But is it the best alternative?
The perfect time to give PS4 users that bet on digital now that extra confidence . Sony reconsidered its official stance on backward compatibility and cross-game play between consoles, and now is the time to cement a philosophy that spans multiple generations of systems.
Not for those who today buy classics for PS3 or PS Vita during this courtesy period, but for those who today browse the PS4 PlayStation Store, even during the PS5 stock problems, with a view to a distant and foreseeable PlayStation 6 .
