Sony won’t shut down PS3 and PS Vita stores after all

In late March, Sony announced that three of its classic game systems would lose access to the PlayStation Store — effectively cutting PS3, PS Vita and PSP devices from buying new content, DLC or media. The decision was somewhat controversial in gaming spaces, sparking discussion about what shuttering online support for old consoles means for user purchases, retro gaming, collectors and game preservation in general. This week, Sony changed its mind, announcing on the PlayStation Blog that the PlayStation Store would remain open on the PS3 and PS Vita.

“It’s clear we made the wrong decision here,” Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan wrote on the PlayStation Blog, “We see now that many of you are incredibly passionate about being able to continue purchasing classic games on PS3 and PS Vita for the foreseeable future, so I’m glad we were able to find a solution to continue operations.”

Commerce functionality for the PlayStation Portable will still expire on July 2, 2021, meaning that the PSP will no longer be able to buy any content on the digital storefront. Users should, however, still be able to re-download any previously purchased games or media. We’ve reached out to Sony to clarify if PSP games will still be available to purchase for PS Vita owners or via the PSN website, but did not immediately receive a response.