Sony decided to kick off the Summer of 2026 with two rather disappointing announcements. The first of which was that physical game discs will be gone by 2028, with the latter being the closure of the PS3 and PS Vita digital stores.
The closures are slated to start in August, with other regions to follow, before the stores are closed globally by this time next year. Here’s the timeline provided by Sony:
- Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting August 2026.
- Additional Latin American and Middle Eastern countries – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting late 2026.
- In all other countries, PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita will close in July 2027.
Curiously, Sony blames the decision on “modern commerce systems, including updated payment processing standards,” which just sounds like a bunch of malarkey. But hey, Sony also says that “players will still be able to download previously purchased content after the closing date for the foreseeable future.”
That’s also a rather curious statement to make, given that Sony also recently announced that more than 500 movies and shows would no longer be available in the U.K, as of September 1. We’re not just talking about the inability to buy or rent the affected titles, but even if you’ve already purchased them, they will no longer be accessible.
It’s just the latest blow in the onslaught of companies removing access to digital content, regardless of whether you’ve already purchased it or not. As noted by Ars Technica, a similar even occurred in 2023, when Sony announced it “would have to pull 1,318 seasons of Discovery shows.” However, the issue was avoided after Sony “updated its licensing arrangements with Discovery.”
In a world that’s becoming increasingly more digital, moves like these make us wonder if we actually own anything anymore. All of the signs definitely point to the answer being a resounding “NO.”
