Sony will discontinue credit card and PayPal transactions for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita on October 27.
The company made the announcement on the “Important Notices” section of the PlayStation support website. Discontinuing these methods of transaction makes it more difficult for players to purchase content for these systems.
While this change is massively disappointing and inconvenient, Sony explains the methods of payment people can still use. They state that to add funds to your wallet on these devices, one option is purchasing and redeeming a PlayStation Store gift card. They also state that you can use a a credit card or PayPal to add funds to your wallet on a computer, mobile device, PS4 or PS5.
As of now, the online stores for PS3 and Vita will remain open. However, even to purchase DLC from in-game stores, players cannot use credit cards or PayPal. These purchases still require players to use their wallet funds on the PlayStation Store.
This is the latest effort by Sony to make their older consoles obsolete. The PlayStation Store for PSP was already shut down in 2016. This year, Sony also removed the ability to perform searches and make in-game purchases. In addition, Sony discontinued purchases for content on PS3, PSP and PS Vita from their web and mobile stores last year.
The larger issue of game preservation
For fans of these consoles, the slow removal of content every year is disheartening. Sony appears so intent on getting players to purchase their newer consoles that they completely neglect the preservation of their older games. With the PlayStation 5 player base only growing, it likely won’t be long until the company targets the PS4 as well.
This problem will only grow as buying games digitally becomes more popular than purchasing copies on disc. In addition, DLC and microtransactions are here to stay. This means players are dependent on the functionality of online stores. This also gives console developers that much more power over their consumers. If Sony continues the path they’re on, the online stores for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita will be gone forever within the next few years. If there is any digital content you want to buy on these consoles, now is the time to do it, before it’s too late.
Via Kotaku
