Sony has announced that they are closing the PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita starting in 2027. The move effectively kills off both platforms, as players will no longer be able to purchase games on them. Here is when the PlayStation Store shuts down in every region.
PlayStation Store PS3 and PS Vita Shutdown Explained
It’s a rough week for Sony fans, as PlayStation keeps delivering bad news. After revealing that PS6 and PS5 will no longer support physical discs in 2028, Sony also announced it’s ending support for its older consoles as well. In a separate blog post, Sony explained that it was closing the PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita in 2027.
“After nearly two decades of supporting the PS3 console generation, we wanted to let you know we will be closing the PlayStation Store on PS3, as well as on PS Vita. PlayStation Store on PS3 will close in select markets starting this year, followed by global closures in 2027. That means new content purchases will no longer be possible once the PlayStation Store closes on these devices.”
However, Sony confirmed that players will still be able to download any games they’ve purchased on PS3 or PS Vita even after the store is shut down. That means players will only have around a year to purchase any digital titles they want to keep before they are cut off permanently.
When the PlayStation Store Closes on PS3 and PS Vita
Interestingly, Sony is choosing to close the PS3 PlayStation Store on different dates depending on the territory. Regions such as Mexico, for example, will actually close down this year in 2026. For your convenience, here is when the PlayStation Store closes on PS3 and PS Vita in every region:
Note: Sony is staggering the shutdown by region, with some Latin American and Middle Eastern countries losing access months before the global PlayStation Store closure in July 2027.
As for why PlayStation is pulling the plug on PS3 and PS Vita now, Sony claims it’s due to being unable to provide proper support for the consoles. The publisher specifically cites “modern payment processing” as a key reason for the decision. Although what that means exactly is a bit unclear.
Regardless, this is pretty much the end of PS3 and PS Vita as we know it. Sony’s decision effectively kills off both consoles, and players will no longer be able to purchase new games on them. With Sony also announcing the end of PS5 physical disc support in 2028, this is certainly a catastrophic time for retro game collectors. I, for one, can’t help but feel we have now entered the darkest timeline as we continue to get horrible news every week, so it seems.
The post PlayStation Stores for PS3 and PS Vita Will Close in 2027 appeared first on VICE.
