Earlier this year, Sony nearly shut down the digital stores on the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita. Due to the overwhelming amount of demand by the gaming community for the digital platforms, Sony rescinded the decision and chose to only shut down the PSP store instead. While the stores on the PS Vita and PS3 are still operational, Sony is about to make the process of purchasing games on either platform rather difficult.
Back in April, Sony announced that the PS3 and PS Vita stores would remain online for the forseeable future, which came as a relief to many in the gaming community. There are a number of titles featured in those particular game libraries that can't be purchased on either PS4 or PS5. However, now it seems users on PS3 and PS Vita won't be able to purchase games via credit or debit cards anymore.
Sony announced today that as of October 27th, users will no longer be able to purchase games or any sort of in-game content using a PayPal account or credit and debit cards. This isn't to say that users can no longer purchase games on those platforms, but they will instead have to redeem PlayStation Store gift cards in order to purchase content on the PS3 and PS Vita's digital storefronts.
In addition to PS Store gift cards, users can also add funds to their digital wallet online or on PS4 or PS5 using their credit card, debit card, or PayPal account. Sony has yet to extrapolate on why these changes are being made, but what can be said for certain right now is that following October 27th, purchasing content via the in-game PS3 and PS Vita stores will be significantly less efficient.
It's natural for gaming hardware and software to gradually fade out of mainstream accessibility after a while. Take for example the discontinuation of the Nintendo 3DS that occurred late last year. Not to mention the attempt to shut down the PS Stores on the PS3 and PS Vita. None of this is meant to be malicious on the publisher's part, it just simply boils down to user inactivity on certain gaming platforms.
That said, it is rather odd that Sony would be removing something as seemingly simplistic as a direct credit or debit card payment option for purchasing games. It's possible that the decision to do so is meant to direct more traffic towards Sony's newer platforms like the PS4 and PS5. Whatever the reason, PS3 and PS Vita users will have to utilize the time they left have to purchase games the way they want to.
Source: PlayStation
