Sony has confirmed that this summer, it will be shutting down the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PSP stores on web and consoles for good.
The news comes somewhat unceremoniously from an update to Sony’s support page. A drop-down menu for discontinued services now says that the console and web stores for the three listed platforms will stop functioning this summer.
The PS3 and PSP stores will go down on July 2nd, 2021, the PS Vita store will shut down on August 27th, 2021.
After those dates, it will not be possible to purchase digital titles or DLC on those respective platforms. Sony said customers will still be able to re-download and play titles that they previously purchased or access via PlayStation Plus.
Sony also said players will be able to purchase and download PS3, Vita, and PSP cross-buy games that are available on PS4 and PS5.
Shutting down those stores begins the rollout of a huge struggle for game archivists, or even just game developers interested in studying older games to examine their design, art, or other features.
Games like the PSP’s Metal Gear Acid weren’t ever formally ported to other platforms, meaning it can only be experienced using a physical copy on a PSP (or on an emulator).
PS3 cult hit Tokyo Jungle is playable on PS Now, Sony’s game-streaming service that lets you play PS3 titles, but that means the single-player game isn’t playable without an internet connection, or purchasable as a standalone game. (You can import a Japanese copy or track down Best of PlayStation Network vol.1, if you want to own a physical version of that particular title.)