Image via PlayStation

3 weeks after saying it would be taking downwardly the PS3, PS Vita, and PSP stores, Sony is walking back on that determination, at least partially. Online storefronts for the PS3 and PS Vita will remain online, while the PSP's store volition still exist shuttered on July ii.

In a postal service on the PlayStation Blog, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan walked dorsum on the decision to close the PS3 and PS Vita'south online stores. "Upon further reflection, however, it'south clear that we made the wrong decision here," Ryan said, referring to the pick to shut down online stores. "Then today I'thousand happy to say that we will be keeping the PlayStation Store operational forPS3 and PS Vita devices. PSP commerce functionality will retire on July 2, 2022 as planned."

Ryan likewise stated in the post that a "number of factors" led to the original decision to close down online stores for the PS3 and PS Vita. Co-ordinate to Ryan, "commerce support challenges for older devices and the ability for us to focus more of our resource on newer devices" led to that choice.

This is great news for any fans of PlayStation's older titles, such as the original Ratchet & Clank trilogy or the Sly Cooper games. And while it'southward fantastic that anyone with admission to the right hardware will be able to play these titles, we still don't have whatsoever word on whether backward compatibility is coming for the PlayStation five that would open up the PS2 library to a new generation of players.