PlayStation 4 Store To Be Discontinued Next Following Sony Controversy

PlayStation recently announced plans to close the PlayStation 3 digital store, while also revealing plans to kill physical game media. Here’s what it means for the PlayStation 4.

The announcement that PlayStation’s first-party games will no longer be produced on discs from 2028 onwards basically confirmed the PlayStation 6’s launch window.

From what’s recently transpired, it’s clear that the PlayStation 6 will be a digital-only console. You likely won’t get an optional disc-drive add-on either.

This is alarming for a number of reasons, but the biggest problem was highlighted by PlayStation itself at the same time. The PlayStation 3’s store closure.

PlayStation 3 Will Be Beyond Saving By The End Of 2026, PlayStation 4 To Follow

By taking a look back at how long the PlayStation 3 was supported for, and knowing the PlayStation 6 will be digital-only, the next-gen console’s ‘death day’ can already be predicted.

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The PlayStation 3 has been supported for a total of 20 years, having been released in 2006 and is soon to be killed off in 2026.

In comparison, the PlayStation 4 launched in 2013, so if you follow the same logic as the PlayStation 3, you’re looking at another ‘death day’ of 2033.

Sony

That’s possibly being generous, as PlayStation could close the PlayStation 4 store at any time after the PlayStation 6 launches, in theory.

But why are store closures like this such a big deal? Any game you’ve already bought digitally will still be downloadable, so you’ll still get to play. Physical games for the PlayStation 3/4 also aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

What is going somewhere, though, are all of the digital-only games you’ll find on these storefronts. Some games even have exclusive DLC that you wouldn’t find on the disc versions.

It’s also a big deal for those who can’t or don’t want to upgrade. There are plenty of gamers who never bothered to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation 4, and those same gamers probably won’t want to upgrade to the PlayStation 6 if it costs as much as the rumours say.

Cutting support for this last-gen console sort of forces you to move on, and when you look at what the future actually holds for the game industry, it’s understandable that people are planting their feet and refusing to move.

The PlayStation 4 isn’t going to last forever. No console does. Even the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 6 will be obsolete at some point, which is crazy to think about when you look at how far gaming has come in terms of performance and graphical fidelity.

With those upgrades come higher prices, and with current global market trends, the next generation of gaming is going to be more expensive than it’s ever been.

For now, just enjoy whatever consoles you currently have and treasure, as you’ll inevitably be saying goodbye to them one way or another.