Sony will shut down the PlayStation Store for new purchases on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita consoles, beginning in July 2027 for most regions.
Prior to the universal closure, a staggered shutdown will occur in certain countries. In Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua, the PS3 store will close in August 2026. Additional Latin American and Middle Eastern countries will see their PS3 stores close by late 2026. The PS Vita store will also cease new purchases alongside the PS3 store in July 2027.
Sony stated that players will still be able to download previously purchased content "for the foreseeable future" after the respective closure dates. This move is intended to allow the company to "focus more resources on delivering the best gaming experiences on these platforms, such as PS5," according to PlayStation executive Sid Shuman. He acknowledged that the decision may be disappointing for players who cherish these consoles.
The PlayStation Vita, released in December 2011, was Sony's successor to the PSP and aimed to bring major PlayStation franchises to a handheld format. Despite its capabilities, it faced challenges including expensive memory card formats and struggled to gain significant market traction, with estimated sales around 10-15 million units. The PlayStation 3, launched in 2006, initially encountered sales hurdles due to its price and competition, ultimately selling an estimated 87.4 million units.
The announcement about the PS3 and Vita stores follows news that Sony will not ship new PlayStation 5 games on physical discs starting January 2028. From that point, all new PS5 titles will launch digitally, though some will still be available at retail with a digital download code included in the packaging.