The PS5 may be Sony's newest console, but it wouldn't have been possible without the three ambitious consoles that came before it: the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita (Remember, I said "ambitious," not necessarily "successful"

According to recent reports, Sony will be closing its online stores for the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita within the next few months So if you want to purchase digital games for these systems, now is the time to do so

This information comes from TheGamer, an established gaming news publication that has vetted this story through reliable sources and independent research Assuming the news is legitimate (and it is, although Sony may change its mind), Sony will close the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable on June 2 The PlayStation Vita store will close on August 27

If these dates are accurate, that means there are only a few more months left to download new games and DLC for PS3, PSP, and PS Vita

Fights

There is still one point of contention: will users be able to re-download games they have already purchased?

Generally speaking, after software leaves the digital storefront, the content remains on the company's servers and users are free to re-download it However, if all PS3, PSP, and PS Vita storefronts are closed, users may not be able to re-download content Therefore, if there is something you want to keep, you may consider downloading it and storing it on an external hard drive or alternative memory card

Alternatively, users may choose to sit tight and hold out until more information is available from Sony If Sony does officially announce the deprecation of the PS3/PSP/PS Vita, they will almost certainly blog specific instructions on how users can save their software purchases

Whether or not the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita stores will indeed be shut down later this year, it seems unlikely that the consoles will last forever Interestingly, the PS3 just received a firmware update last year that enhanced its security and Blu-ray capabilities In any case, Sony cannot permanently support every online system it has ever produced

For current PS3/PSP/PS Vita owners, three months or so should be enough time to figure out what they want and download it before it is removed The bigger problem is for tomorrow's retro gamers, who may find themselves trying to check out Sony's classic games in a few years and having no luck at all