PS3 And PS Vita Stores Are Remaining Open After Sony Backtracks Plans
It's a big win for the little man, as Sony listens to outraged PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita fans to save their virtual storefronts. While we know nothing can last forever, loyal gamers were disheartened to learn that Sony planned on scaling back its operations by closing the PS3 and PS Vita Stores. Even though the PS3 officially ended its lifespan in 2017 and the Vita in 2019, some of us aren't ready to say goodbye to their stores yet.
It's been an eternity (in gaming years) since these two consoles first hit the market. The PS3 made waves in 2006 and is remembered for the likes of Grand Theft Auto IV and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, as well as being the first console to use Blu-Ray. Sony's console also connected to the PS Vita via remote connectivity. Speaking of the Vita, it was the company's answer to the Game Boy but failed to beat its biggest rival - the Nintendo 3DS. Despite the Vita being classed as a commercial failure, it's still earned a rightful place in the history books.
Why did Sony save the PS3 and PS Vita stores?
According to a blog from Sony, the PS3 and PS Vita stores will "continue operations". Sony boss Jim Ryan explained why the sudden U-turn as he wrote, "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. I’m glad that we can keep this piece of our history alive for gamers to enjoy, while we continue to create cutting-edge new game worlds for PS4, PS5, and the next generation of V".
Even though the PS3 and Vita stores have been saved from extinction, it's still bad news for PSP players. The post confirmed the PS3 and Vita stores will continue running for the "foreseeable future", while the PSP store will still close as planned on July 2.
What's next for the PS3 and Vita stores?
While it's great news for PS3 and Vita players, there's no escaping the fact Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony are pushing toward their next-gen systems. We've already seen the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S take over our newsfeeds, and let's not forget there are continued reports of a Nintendo Switch Pro. Even if the PS3 and Vita have been saved (for now), they're becoming increasingly retro systems. Plenty of older games are available on next-gen storefronts, but for many, they love playing these titles on the hardware they were originally released on.
The other big question is whether you'll still be able to download PSP games through the Vita storefront. At the time of writing, Sony hasn't confirmed if this will be the case. Ultimately, it's a rare win against these gaming goliaths. There's sure to be an uptick in downloads on the PS3 and Vita stores, however, you've got to ask how long it'll last. We're guessing it won't be long until the peak in sales dies down and Sony once again swings its scythe toward its legacy consoles.
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