Sony announced last month that it would close its PS3, PSP, and PS Vita online stores this year, news that should be upsetting to PlayStation fans and game preservationists, but at least we know which titles could be lost forever.

VGC's analysis revealed that there are 138 PlayStation-exclusive digital titles that are not available on other platforms; once the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita stores are closed, these games will be virtually inaccessible.

Both the PS3 and PSP stores will close on July 2. PS Vita will close on August 27. Sony has taken no further steps to ensure that players will be able to purchase titles for these platforms.

Interestingly, some of the games that will soon be inaccessible include first-party PlayStation exclusives. Sony's titles include "Infamous: Festival of Blood," "Tokyo Jungle," and "MotorStorm RC."

Other titles include "Echochrome II," "Lumines Super Nova," "The Last Guy," "Rain," "Trash Panic," "Pixel Junk Racers," "Murasaki Baby," "Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Power Battlecar," " Super Stardust Delta"; some titles, such as the PS Vita version of "Soul Sacrifice Delta," were only available digitally in North America. However, in the Asian region, English-language physical cartridges are available and can be imported.

The good news is that users who have already purchased the games can still access them through the download list. However, once the store is officially closed, piracy will likely increase on the older PlayStation platforms. It's not something we condone, but it's hard to see an alternative.

Of course, even if these games disappear now, they could be resurrected at a later date. Developers and publishers can always re-release these titles on other platforms, such as the Nintendo Switch, mobile devices, or even the PS5 or Xbox Series X.

Sony's move is surprising, especially when compared to the preservationist strategy that Microsoft has adopted. Some games from the original Xbox are playable on the Xbox Series X, often with enhanced visuals; this is not the case with the PS5, which is a more "modern" version of the Xbox 360, with a more "modern" look and feel, and a more "modern" look and feel.

Sony's latest move may squander some of the goodwill built up during the PS4 era; finding restocks of the PS5 is still nearly impossible, and the latest store closures have done little to quell demand for the popular game.

The full list of affected games is as follows: