Confirmed: Sony to close PS3, PS Vita, and PSP online stores this summer
By now, everyone who owns a PSN account has received the official email from Sony confirming the rumor: the PS3, PS Vita, and PSP stores are closing. (Full notification below).
There’s a bit of a silver lining: even after the closure of the stores, you’ll still be able to download the content you purchased as well as your PlayStation Plus content (as long as you’re a PS+ member).
Nonetheless, this is mostly bad news for those of us who still play on these consoles. It turns out even some developers who were still officially working on upcoming Vita titles didn’t learn about this until today.
You are finding out at the same time we are, I was working on vita specific tasks this morning.
— Lillymo Games (@LillymoGames) March 29, 2021
Meanwhile on the hacking/emulation scene, folks are scrambling to find ways to grab copies of as much content as possible before the stores closure.
Sites such as NoPayStation and PSNDL are apparently still working for the time being. These sites allow to download official game install files directly from Sony’s servers. So, technically their links might go down at the same time Sony shut down their PS3/PSV/PSP servers (although that’s unclear since we’ll still be able to download purchased content?). The question remains whether some people will manage to download all of that content in time. Even if someone does, these crawlers don’t have a full index of Sony’s PlayStation games, so it seems reasonable to expect that some games could be lost forever with this closure.
Sony’s PS3 / PSP / PS Vita Store closure announcement
We are closing PlayStation™Store on PlayStation®3 on July 2nd, 2021 and on PlayStation®Vita devices on August 27th 2021. Additionally, the remaining purchase functionality for PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) will also retire on July 2nd, 2021. After thoughtful consideration, we decided to make these changes in an effort to focus our resources for PlayStation Store on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5, which will enable us to enhance the customer experience even further. We thank you for your support on these platforms throughout the years.
What does this mean for you?
You will no longer be able to purchase PS3, PS Vita and PSP digital content, including games and video content.You will also no longer be able to make in-game purchases through games on PS3, PS Vita and PSP.
While the PSP storefront was previously closed in 2016, the remaining PSP purchase functionality (e.g. in-game purchases) will now be fully retired.
What about content you already own?
• You will still be able to download your owned PS3, PS Vita, and PSP content, including games and video content.
• You can download your owned content onto your PS3, PS Vita, or PSP by accessing the Download List on the respective device.
• If you have purchased a PS3/PS Vita cross-buy bundle and have only downloaded either the PS3 or PS Vita version, you will need to download the other version prior to the closure of PlayStation™Store on the relevant device.
• Video content that you own can be streamed on PS3, PS4 or PS5 through the My Videos app, or on mobile devices through the PlayStation™Video app.
• You will still be able to re-download and play game titles you have claimed through PlayStation®Plus as long as you remain a member of the service.What about vouchers, wallet funds, and cross-buy content?
• You will still be able to redeem game and PlayStation®Plus vouchers on PS3, PS Vita, and PSP devices once PlayStation™Store and purchase functionality for these devices close.
• You will no longer be able to redeem PSN wallet fund vouchers (e.g. gift cards) on PS3, PS Vita, and PSP devices once PlayStation™Store and purchase functionality for these devices close.
• Your PSN wallet funds will remain in your PSN account, but you will only be able to use your wallet funds to purchase PS4 and PS5 products on PlayStation™Store on the web, PlayStation®App, or on PS4 and PS5 consoles.
• You will still be able to purchase cross-buy content through PlayStation™Store on the web, PlayStation®App, or on PS4 and PS5 consoles and access both the PS4 version and the PS3/PS Vita/PSP versions.Where can you find out more?
Read our FAQ for more information: https://www.playstation.com/support/important-notice/
First peich
> Sites such as NoPayStation and PSNDL are apparently still working for the time being. These sites allow to download official game install files directly from Sony’s servers.
Honestly, this is really spooking me. Logically NPS’d still work? But who knows, really… I don’t like risking it like that lol.
We need a concerted archival effort of these digital-only games, like the OUYA archival project, preferably starting as soon as possible. There’s no harm in starting early, but if we wait… then there’s risk of a lot of exclusive games pretty much disappearing.
Of coursse they still work! The stores havent closed yet lol. Try again at the end of August.
I meant logically NPS’d still work even after the store’s closure, but we don’t know for sure lol
unless it uses sony’s servers, i’d expect it still to be up. surprised they haven’t nuked either one of those tbh
Yea, that’s the problem― NPS downloads data from Sony’s servers. Those servers go out, that stuff’s just gone.
Why not just back them up with archive.org?
Welcome to the digital only world, the price of convenience is that providers can turn off content whenever they like.
Just in case, we need an NPS torrent edition
Toda la culpa de esto la tiene amlo porque él maneja los carteles asesinos
Well, hopefully things clear up for me so I can grabby a few PS1 classics that otherwise would be pricy as <> before they are gone. Things have been a little rough the last few months.
Jim Ryan is taking a lot of unpleasant decisions that are hurting not only the legacy userbase but the legacy of the brand.
I thought forcing Japanese users to start using X as an accept was just the only backstabbing he was going to commit. I was wrong.
If I was able to protest in front of SIE headquarters, I would not have any doubt to do so.
Sony has already said that people who have bought the games, can continue downloading them. They aren’t nuking the files from existence, they are shutting down the ability to “buy” them.
I can’t see Sony overhauling all the links to thousands of games for no reason, so, I’d guess NPS will continue to work just fine. These old systems still have to have access to download these files for everyone who already owns them, ofc.
After All of this is done is PKGj we’ll still be operational or will that be shut down soon?
Hi, anyway to be able to download retail PKG, seems the old store doesn’t work anymore. Have been trying to have a PKG backup of my retail games.
NPS will probably still work, since unlike the ticket system in 3ds freeshop, NPS cdn link itself is to the direct pkg link, which is a complete different infrastructure from the webstore