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Adding to this concern, Sony too he announced today that it will close the PlayStation Store on the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, and the US will lose the opportunity in July 2027. Although the number of gamers who rely on those stores is decreasing, it is known that Sony has hidden its commitment to make the games already purchased for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita downloadable for life.
“To ease this change, players will be able to download content previously purchased on a future closing date,” Sony said.
Both of these blogs contain comments disparaging Sony’s announcements and the potential impact on their ownership and access to PlayStation games for a while.
One user going by Mosquito53, for example, said:
Another disappointing decision was made that day. No matter how many people still use these stores, they should stay open. Most of the digital-only releases, even on these platforms, the game will be lost to time.
Imagine what will happen in the future when the same decision is made for the PS4 or PS5 or the last PS6, which now seems to be digital and announces that there will be no more disc production.
We will have nothing, it’s sad.
Sony has repeatedly reminded PlayStation customers that digital libraries can be temporary. In September, users in the United Kingdom will losing access to previously purchased titles from the video industry and show and distribution StudioCanal. Sony has already released StudioCanal content from PlayStation customer libraries in Germany and Australia. And in 2024, Sony Deleted customers’ Funimation digital libraries though Funimation already says customers can get digital copies “in perpetuity but” with “some restrictions.”
Sony has also shown an unwavering commitment to its digital stores. In 2021, it stopped selling movies and shows for rent/purchase. Leaving the door closed for customers to lose access to the digital games they bought on the PlayStation 3 or PS Vita does not instill confidence in the digital future itself.
Also, the removal of storefronts would mean that beloved games released only digitally would be almost impossible to find. We’ve seen this happen with Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games. When the digital store closes in 2023, the number of Game Boy games released during the Game Boy’s lifetime dropped from 155 from 1,873 to 25, according to the 2023 report from the Video Game History Foundation.
“This is why TVs matter,” user Radgatt commented on Sony’s PS3 and PS Vita announcement. “More and more evidence that you are buying a license that can be revoked at any time the companies want.
