Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) have officially announced the shut down dates of the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PS Vita console stores.

In October 2020, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced the PlayStation Store on browser and mobile would no longer sell PlayStation 3, Portable, or Vita games; after the new browser store launched.

Earlier today, the old browser PlayStation Store was now effectively shut down; while users had got around the late October 2020 cut-off via region-specific URLs, the website began to redirect to the new store on March 27th.

Now, SIE have officially confirmed even the stores accessed via the consoles themselves will be discontinued. In line with prior rumors and anonymous sources, the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable console stores will close July 2nd, followed by PlayStation Vita on August 27th.

Users will still be able to re-download previously purchased games and DLC, access their content, and redeem vouchers (but not gift cards). Money in a user’s PlayStation account can be used to purchase PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games. Cross-buy titles will still continue.

This is not the only recent story where PlayStation users may feel time is against them. Yet more allegations claim the PlayStation 4 will be unable to play games, should its internal clock battery die after the console’s servers are taken offline.

The fate of these classic games now relies on emulation (legally dubious to many corporations), if SIE brings these games back onto modern digital stores (assuming they have the licencing to do so for each title, or desire to), and physical media. While the latter sounds the most secure, there are only a finite number of physical copies of any game produced.

With the impending dissolution of many classic games, what have been some of your fond memories of the PlayStation 3, PSP, and Vita? Let us know in the comments below.