The PlayStation Store offers access to games and add-ons for older generations of Sony's hardware, but it seems the ways in which you can purchase those aging digital items is set to be drastically reduced.
As Videogamer reports, French-language website Planete Vita has been passed an email sent to developers by Sony informing them a new version of the PlayStation Store is launching on Oct. 19. It's new for both desktop and mobile users, but importantly, it's expected to lack the ability to buy PS3, PS Vita, and PSP games, or any add-ons (DLC, apps, themes, avatars) associated with those games or otherwise.
The games and add-ons aren't being removed from sale, but in order to access them you'll have to load up the PlayStation Store using the actual hardware they run on. So for PS3 games, access the store from your PS3, and so on. If you like the ability to wishlist items, that's apparently disappearing as a feature, too, and any existing wishlisted items will no longer be accessible.
If true, clearly Sony is using the imminent introduction of a new generation of console hardware to streamline the store experience by removing old content. A more streamlined library focusing on PS5 and PS4 games (most of which are expected to run on PS5 hardware), does make a lot of sense. You also have to wonder just how popular older console and handheld game purchases are via the PlayStation Store anymore. Perhaps Sony looked at its sales data and realized most people purchase via their old hardware anyway. We'll find out for sure in 10 days when this new version of the store is expected to launch.