It's the end of an era for the PlayStation brand. Sony recently confirmed the digital stores for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita would be closing, ending the ability to digitally purchase new content for those devices.
Starting on July 2, for the PS3 and PSP, Sony will begin shutting down online services for their legacy consoles. On August 27, the Vita store will go offline. While this means players cannot make new purchases, it doesn't quite mean you'll be locked out of your existing library.
While physical copies of games on the consoles will obviously still exist, the secondary market prices will go up once the digital stores are closed. However, you'll still be able to download previously purchased content via the system's Download List, even after the stores are closed. As long as you buy anything you might have had your eye on before the cut-off date, you can still download it after they're gone.
Owners will also retain access to the games they received as part of PlayStation Plus before Sony discontinued these consoles' offerings in 2019. The only string attached there is the one that always comes with PS Plus; you have to remain an active member to retain access to your "free" games. This could include everything from multiple Uncharted games to the HD remaster of Shadow of the Colossus for longtime Plus members. It also played host to a Vita game collection that was as essential to Sony's handheld as the PlayStation Plus Collection is to PlayStation 5 owners. Vita diehards can rest easy knowing they still have access to classic games like Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions and Jet Set Radio HD when its store shuts down.
Anyone who purchased TV episodes or movies on their PS3 can still stream it via the My Videos app. You'll also be able to use the PlayStation Video App on mobile devices. Owners of cross-buy bundles will need to make sure they've redeemed both the PS3 and Vita versions of the games before the stores close if they want access to both copies. Cross-buy bundles purchased on the PS4 or PS5 will still receive access to all the game versions included in the bundle.
Game codes and PS Plus vouchers can still be redeemed after the stores shut down; however, gift cards will no longer be redeemable for these systems. Any funds remaining in your PSN wallet from the legacy systems will remain part of your account and can be used on other systems.
Gaming continues to move toward a digital-only future, and the closure of the PlayStation stores illustrates the end of a significant era. The digital stores going offline cuts off the ability to purchase older games; in the Vita and PS3's case, that includes a library of games dating back to the original PlayStation.
While it's understandable that Sony wants to focus on the future, it's sad to see access to the system's libraries go, especially given Sony's track record with backwards compatibility for older games. It might be worth picking up digital copies of any games that don't have remakes or remasters now while they're still available.