PlayStation Store

History[edit]

Following feedback from many PlayStation Network users, a redesigned version of the PlayStation Store was launched on April 15, 2008, via a firmware update.^[2] The new design was OS based rather than the previous Store's web based design enabling the Store to process information more quickly.


A minor update to the store was released during Sony's E3 2009 press conference. This update makes the top page rotate pictures (including their links) regularly, and changes the navigation sounds.


A major redesign of the PlayStation Store was announced in September 2012, bringing with it a revised navigation structure and new search system. The new store has been developed to bring game and video content together and make it easier for users to find what they are looking for. Content will be integrated into each game's listing, rather than separate categories for items like add-ons, themes, and other downloadable content. The latest design is much less focused on text, and incorporates high-resolution artwork and smooth animations for featured content. The new redesign launched in Europe on October 22, 2012.^[3] Shortly after it was launched in the United Kingdom, the Store interface was reverted to the old design due to issues such as long load times and slow navigation, while other countries in Europe retained the new interface despite these issues. The redesign was released in North America on November 2, 2012.


In May 2020, the PlayStation Store has been indefinitely suspended in China due to security reasons.^[4] On March 2, 2021, Sony announced that it would discontinue offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals through the PlayStation Store on August 31, 2021.^[5]


Later that month, Sony also announced that it would be closing down the storefronts for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita games in July and August 2021. Sony's decision to make many of its older games inaccessible for purchase drew criticism from many, with concerns highlighting the publisher's approach towards game preservation, as well as the limitations of digital-only media, and its potential anti-consumer implications.^[6][7][8] Several small developers who had been producing titles for the PS Vita were not forewarned by Sony of the PlayStation Store's closure, requiring some to crunch to meet the deadline, while others whose games would not be ready made the decision to cancel them.^[9][10] As a result of the negative feedback, Sony announced on April 19, 2021, that they had reversed their decision to close the PS3 and Vita stores, leaving these available for the foreseeable future, though the PSP store will still close as originally planned on July 2, 2021.^[11][12] The day prior to the planned closure of the PSP store, Sony altered their plans again, and instead chose to simply disable the PlayStation Store app on the system, allowing PSP digital games to remain available for purchase on other systems.^[13]


On March 9, 2022, PlayStation announced that it suspended operations of the PlayStation Store in Russia in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[14]