Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
PlayStation has made a u-turn on its previously announced plans to shutter the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita devices this summer, although it will still be ending support on the PSP.
In an announcement on the PlayStation Blog yesterday evening, Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan said: “Upon further reflection, however, it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here. So today I’m happy to say that we will be keeping the PlayStation Store operational for PS3 and PS Vita devices. PSP commerce functionality will retire on July 2, 2021 as planned.”
Ryan then elaborated on their reasoning for the u-turn: “When we initially came to the decision to end purchasing support for PS3 and PS Vita, it was born out of a number of factors, including commerce support challenges for older devices and the ability for us to focus more of our resources on newer devices where a majority of our gamers are playing on. 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.”
The decision to close the PlayStation Store on the PS3, PS Vita and PSP platforms first came to light just under a month ago, and were subsequently confirmed just over a week later, seemingly sounding the death knell for hundreds of digital-only PS3 and PS Vita exclusives that were not backwards compatbile with the PlayStation 5. For now, at least, it seems you’ll be able to enjoy buying your retro classics on at least two of the three platforms that were under threat for a little while longer yet.
