Sony may have officially re-launched its web-based PlayStation Store last year, but savvy users were still able to access the old one through a legacy hyperlink. Amid rumours that the company is about to outright close its PS3, PS Vita, and PSP storefronts, the platform holder has now locked up its classic web store.
Many preferred the old web-based PS Store for its interface and also the fact that it included the aforementioned consoles. While the new online storefront does feature a more modern design, it’s extremely slow and only includes PS5 and PS4 software. The fact that so many are lamenting the closure of the classic version illustrates just how bad the new page is.
The platform holder’s yet to announce exactly what it intends to do with its PS3, PS Vita, and PSP storefronts, but many are taking the closure of the classic web-based store as confirmation of an impending announcement. Personally, we’re surprised Sony allowed fans to access the old page for so long, and as such we’re not convinced it’s necessarily an indication of anything.
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The fact that users have continued to use the old PS Store through a legacy link is testament to just how terrible the new one is. Because the old one was absolute ass as well!
Mind boggling to think they seem incapable of creating a clean, easy-to-use PS Store website — especially when it's literally the thing people use to give them money!
So if I was to purchase a vita of ebay (something I've been planning to do) I have no way of purchasing games?
They don't even have previews of the games on the new site. Who thought that was a good idea? Imagine going in to a car showroom wanting to buy a car and all you see is car silhouettes drawn on paper with the prices underneath and a "no refund" warning
I really think Sony is making a mistake here, ppl have a lot of games there and not being to access them will a bummer.
I really wished they would allow ppl to transfer them to the ps4.
You can only do for some but not all.
The old store was cluttered,but it at least featured some functional filters,trailers & pictures. We're several months into the "new" store & virtually none of these things have been implemented back in!🙄
Much like the promises that they were "listening" on the ps blog to feedback on things like a new releases/sales posts,there's been zero updates on blog features,new releases & sales posts are "there's stuff on our virtual store shelf,go look so we can go back to twitter,or our switches etc.!"
I had no idea this was still running. Wish I had known. I always despised it, bit the new one is so horrific I kind of miss the broken one.
@rub3nmv @UltimateOtaku91 you can use that store on the console until they take that down, and then yeah, it's Ed bay and gamestop for those few physical releases.
Sony’s online component has never been great, and only seems to get worse over time. There’s tons of stuff they need to address. Just tried downloading all Persona Dancing DLC for the impending closure and boy was it a task. You can only have so much queued for downloading (and then installing) that anything else failed, and keeping track of what actually downloaded and what got skipped, I had to make a spreadsheet. Plus needing to remove content because of full memory cards. This took all day.
I always hated the design of the old version but at least it was functional, unlike the new version.
The original PS3 store, before the relaunch several years later, was both very speedy and easy to find stuff.
Now, Sony has no clue how to design a store or a decent interface.
Sony is starting to dig it's own hole. I think the biggest problem is, it moved their offices away from japan and some self called "visionary" had a great idea how to make a store... these people should be sterilized...
Yeah, this new store is an utter disaster. So many amateurish decisions gone into it.
Why wasn't the kid pirate allowed in the movie? Because it was rated Argghhhh...
At least the older store was actually functional and somewhat well organized unlike the new store which looks like a second rate mobile app
@UltimateOtaku91 modding the vita is pretty straightforward at this point in time. soon enough, "illegally" downloading iso's will be the only way to obtain various psn exclusive vita games.
Yeah, I also used the legacy link a few times. The old design wasn't perfect, but it's about a hundred times better than... whatever the redesigned one is trying to be.
So to be clear here..are we talking about the store accessed via console or by the tinternet via mobile device,laptop and pc? I have only ever used the psn store via ps3,ps4 and now ps5 as i never really gave any thought as to whether an actual web based store existed..i guess it just never occured to me there would be a need at all as everything appears to be just conveniant on the console..
@Northern_munkey One of the major convenience's of the web store at the moment is as a non ps5 owner I can add the ps5 ps+ games to my account.
This makes the rumour of PS3/PSP/PS Vita stores being shut down even more believable (the situation regarding the last PS Vita game made me lean towards it being true to begin with).
@get2sammyb
I get frustrated every time I use the new store.
Its homepage in itself slow to load and the search functionality sometimes just gives up and times out. Its pathetic. At least they added wishlist back.
I found this out this weekend! So I started filling up my cart on PS3, only 10 games allowed!
I think the shortlist is fine, wonder if I'll ever play them.
I had been using that old store link. It was easier to find what I'm looking for on it, and had a wishlist system (though they've very recently added wishlists to the new store).
The new store on PS5 is absolutely pathetic. It looks like an amateur designed it. There are no categories, no filters between genre or platform, and the search function is far worse than the PS4.
I'm just glad I still stick to mainly buying physical. If that store was my only option I'd be annoyed.
Sony have been making some very bad decisions lately and I'm worried they're growing arrogant again after their previous gen victory.
It's making the Xbox look more appealing to me now. If Microsoft allowed me to move my earned trophies to the Xbox as achievements so I don't have to do it all over again I'd honestly switch back to Xbox. I've got 97 platinums during the PS4 era and don't want it to be for nothing.
@VicerExciser I wonder how this move will affect sites like PlatPrices and PSprices... I guess they get their info for the PS3 and Vita game from the webstore, but if it is unaivailable, will that limit their access to that info?
We'll see I guess, for now, Vita and PS3 games are still on PSprices, I hope it won't change (maybe they are getting the games' info directly from the consoles native store app, but I really doubt that)
@GADG3Tx87 you know what’s funny is I think the one thing locking a lot of people into a system is actually their Achivements/Trophies. I started on achievements in Jan 2006 so it was always the one for me - so if a game comes out on both I will always get the Xbox version. I’m sure others have the same legacy with Playstation. I actually think it’s something both Microsoft and Sony have overlooked. Now just need Nintendo to introduce a system; though it’s extremely late in the day now.
@get2sammyb Sony is being criticised a lot these days, even from their biggest fans and supporters. I hope they follow social media and they are aware of the turn they are making. Reputation is their most important asset, I hope they won't destroy it this generation.
@Playstation It's important to note that the last batch of backwards compatibility titles added (OG Xbox and 360) was in June 2019, almost 2 years ago. I'd much rather have more backwards compatibility titles added than FPS boost and Series X upgrades for XB1 games.
@K1LLEGAL
Yeah exactly. I've put a lot of effort into my trophies in this last generation. I moved from the Xbox360 to PS4 after that disaster in 2013. I had just over 50,000 gamerscore.
I don't mind buying my favourites again on Xbox but earning all those achievements again will be very time consuming. Especially when I can play games I missed out on from the Xbox one.
Nintendo did file a patent years ago for a system called "Nintendo Medals" but it never came to fruition.
I’ve never once used either web store. Always use the app, or the console if it’s on. But not being able to get a basic web store working is, for a company the size of Sony, incomprehensible. Basics like filters and previews are a must of course, beyond that not allowing us to gift easily to other people is just leaving money on the table. As is the app, and I presume website, not having a wishlist and sale notifications.
@rub3nmv for you to so casually suggest the PS Vita store tells me you haven’t used it, cause that storefront is a completely nightmare too
hmm...so that's why my PS2Classics bookmark no longer works...oh well...seems the progress can't be stopped.
I'm still hoping that sony has something up their sleeve regarding back compat, it still boggles my mind why they don't allow you to play digital games you already bought for ps3 through ps now somehow. I bought catherine digitaly for ps3 years ago, why make me pay again just to stream it to ps4/5? Another thing they could do but just won't
the arrogant days of the ps3 era are back with a vengeance. they expect people too buy their digital only ps5 with a high chance in the years to come you cant get your games.
Talk about hyperbole in the comment section. The ps3/vita are two generations old. They are dead! As long as sony give access to your library, it is expected. As for the store, i have no problems purchasing games on mobile or ps5 and I'm pretty sure that is the main purpose of an online store, what? Let's move on and figure out why Jim hates his own country so much, he'd charge us £70 a game.
@Loftimus
but its seems very likely you will not be able accesses old games and if thats true people shouldn't be upset.
the lack of communication is very worrying on sonys part, seesm like they are taking all that godwill from the ps4 and are flushing it down the toilet.
@suikoden true. If you can't, then it is a problem that deserves outrage.
@Slippship I'm inclined to agree with your sentiment - What's the use in keeping something around when the majority of people had moved on to the next thing. The legacy stores were clearly not getting enough use.
But the issue here is access to legacy content and titles. Right now it's not clear what options people will have with regards to accessing those old games.
I'm sure Sony will have some kind of plan. I find it hard to believe that they would just cut this stuff off completely without at least having an announcement to make afterwards, especially when the competition has been doing a fairly good job staying in the game by more or less making it easy to access older titles.
The one thing last gen thought me about Sony is that they announce things in their own sweet time.
Or they really are just fumbling this, which case I'll eat my socks.
@Netbean I always though that too, there should really be a way to stream individual PS3 games you own on PS4 (or PS5) without paying for PS Now.
The best last version of the store...
@Loftimus There's an issue with the "access to your library" line though.
Namely, my 1TB HDD doesn't hold my entire library. And on both the 360 and PS3, trying to download a previously purchased game through your downloads is horrendous. Having to go through every game and piece of DLC (potentially thousands of pieces of content) to find a game just isn't feasible.
Sometimes, the content doesn't show up if it's been removed. I can no longer find my 360 Destiny download because the original one has been replaced by the legendary edition. Going through the store is the fastest way of finding and downloading old content.
If I didn't keep every piece of DLC downloaded, I'd lose access to half of it. So where as I could plug in my PS and play any of my PSOne and PS2 games no problem. I would struggle to do the same with my PS3. Taking down a digital store to a digital console is a death blow to the console.
And really, what this could do is put a shorter shelf life on your consoles. You only need to look at Xbox and Steam to see how digital futures are suppose to look. Believing in generations has no place in a digital future.
(The other option would be to allow actually buying and playing from physical media and less reliance on DLC and micros, but we all know that ain't gonna happen)
@Slippship I get you. Everything in my library that I still want is downloaded and safe. But I'd love to see the library expanded, and I'd like to be able to go back and add more legacy titles to my collection if the fancy takes me.
And I do agree with you - Closing these stores is not the worst thing, But, there should be a new alternative.
Hell I'd take a physical "Legacy Collection" if it was possible.
For those worried about redownloading your Ps3 games please watch the first few minutes of this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSK8K27X2c0&t
@Richnj if you've lost content from your library, go into your Settings -> Account Management and select the Restore Licences option (should be the last option)
Let that run and your available games should all now be listed.
That's how to do it on the PS4 - no idea if or where a similar thing exists on the 5?
@TrueAssassin86x he has no more idea that the download list, or any psn, will be available than we do. We all hope so but no saying it will.
@sanderson72 Does this option exist on PS3?
@Playstation When you start downloading content (depending on the content) it should give you an option for background downloading. You have to click X on it. It still does a progress bar to put it in to your background downloads, but it should take a fraction of the time.
@Playstation
I just broke out my old Ps3 over the weekend and the background download was still there for me. Its should be under the download status bar then click on it.
@Playstation That is really odd. I'll test it out when I get home.
@Playstation what did u try to Download i'll plug in my Ps3 and Test for u full games or DLC ?
@Playstation
I pulled a random game from my download list and i still see the Download in background thing on my Ps3 odd
@get2sammyb FB did same thing
Oh you guys want to use a trick or two to access the original layout that runs better and has stuff located better? Haha NO SORRY!
The site is mindbogglingly counterintuitive, they've had to have seen a dip in sales since its launch. Not having screenshots or trailers completely kills interest in a game that forces people to go to other platforms to learn about them. Not having DLC or advertising related games also diminishes discoverability and harms sales. These are the bare minimum basics of visual merchandising and for a multi billion dollar company it's baffling that they've missed that.
When you all say old store as in the one that is on PS3 like PS4 or the old old one where it was nice anfld fast and everything was in small square windows and you could easily find the very first one
@Nakatomi_Uk the web store
That's terrible. For the PS5 games I would get, I still used the old one because it was so much better. It wasn't that great, but it feels pretty good after the new turned out so bad. It's just horrible. They should have left it there. Sony needs to stop making terrible PS Store decisions. Sony absolute disrespect for legacy and bad new designs are both a big problem. Xbox has much better legacy support and Sony needs to look at that.
What exactly is the point in this? Is it really that much more expensive to keep PS3 games listed on the same store as PS4 and PS5 games?
"While the new online storefront does feature a more modern design"
And modern designs are dogcrap in every way.
Xbox may have been seen as "boring" for sticking to the same front-end/back-end but it makes life a lot easier. Sony is all front and no back at the moment.
@ThroughTheIris56 No, it would cost them nothing, or near as make no odds. They don't acknowledge anything the prior to the current money makers, so anything pre-PS4.
Sad but true.
@sanderson72 That's weird, I don't get why they'd do it then. My only guess is to get people to panic buy as much as possible.
OK I get the outrage if you can't access games you own but that's not what it's about is it?
At this point why would you want to buy digital old games for ps3? I never bought digital for that console, always discs.
As for Vita I'm sorry but all I've seen for years was people constantly shouting The Vita is dead in childish trolling even from this site regularly posting 'the last nail in Vita s coffin' articles 5+ years ago instead of promoting the awesome library. So now yes its dead
🤷♂️
On the plus side though - they've reimplemented Wish list on PS4 store!
I literally could not buy a Vita game from the store for over a month. Various errors with no solutions. The only thing that worked was the link to the old store. Why are they making this so difficult?
I hate the new Store. Everytime I want to buy something on it 9 times out of 10 it has difficulties loading the page and I get presented with a stupid error message. i hate it, like REALLY hate it.
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