Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) may soon be removing PlayStation 3, Portable, and Vita games from the browser and mobile PlayStation Stores, leaving them only on each system’s store.
The Rumor
Reported by French outlet Planete Vita (and other English websites citing their image such as Final Weapon), an allegedly leaked press release in an email to PlayStation partners confirms an update coming to the PlayStation Store. This update is coming October 19th on desktop, and the 28th on mobile.
The supposed email states “SIE will no longer offer the ability for consumer to purchase” the following.
- “PlayStation®3 games and add-ons
- PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable) games and add-ons
- PlayStation®Vita games and add-ons
- Apps
- Themes
- Avatars
- The Wishlist feature will be discontinued and any items currently on consumer’s ‘Your Wishlist’ will be removed.”
The alleged email continues, explaining that those features will no longer be purchasable through the PS Store on desktop or mobile. However, they will be purchasable directly on the relevant console; PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita.
Those who had previously bought content on those platforms will still be able to access them.
Is it True?
The screenshots of the emails show no email address, though this may be in fear of leaking sensitive information. I.e. an email address SIE does not want the general public to know.
Likewise, referring to the date in a European order (day, month, year) as opposed to US date order (month, day, year) does not invalidate the email either; simply being an email to a European English-speaking partner.
The fact the email is not consistent in its use of ordinal indicators (“19th October” and “28 October”) is suspicious, though this may be a simple error. Though it is not the only one in the email.
The “SIE will no longer offer” and wishlist sentences are also in bullet points above and below a bullet pointed list; when they are clearly their own sentences separate from the list. Another possible example of human error?
However, the email also changes font mid-way through the email. While formatting can be kept when copy-pasting, the dubious nature begins to mount. It is almost like two documents have been pasted into an email. Not impossible, but the question begs why this would not be a single document?
This is further enforced with how the email initially says “SIE will no longer offer the ability for consumer to purchase” certain items, then later saying users can buy them via other methods (the console’s store rather than the desktop or mobile one). There’s also no attempt to differentiate Apps, Themes, and Avatars for those consoles from the more modern PlayStation 4 and 5.
As for whether SIE would do such a thing, it is inevitable. The PlayStation 5 will only be compatible with PlayStation 4 games. As such there’d be little need to list games in browser or on mobile that SIE’s next console cannot play.
However, the decision is rather quick. As many games are under licences and deals between publishers and developers, we would expect such an email to go out a little earlier (such as a month in advance) to prevent any confusion or false alarm bells that SIE would take the brunt of. Then again, the email may very well have been sent out earlier, and only leaked now.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and subsequent quarantine orders making many work remotely from the office may also explain a few things. An inconsistent email stitched between two different sources, sent out later than usual due to schedules slipping.
While our gut instinct says the email is likely to be fake, we can certainly see a scenario where it is real. SIE will also certainly “hide away” older games in the future; if not on the 19th and 28th of October, then soon before the PlayStation 5’s launch.
Image: PlayStation Store
