PS3 and Vita players will no longer be able to buy games directly from Store

Sony will remove the ability to directly purchase PlayStation 3 and Vita games from the PlayStation Store with a credit card, debit card or other means of payment on October 27. Users will then no longer be able to add money to their accounts on the consoles.

It will still be possible to buy PS3 and Vita games for the time being, but from October 27 it will no longer be possible to pay from those systems themselves, PlayStation says. Users must then first transfer money to the PlayStation Store digital wallet via a PlayStation 4 or 5, PC or smartphone. Then they can buy the desired content on the console with the same account.

In addition to games, this also includes DLC for PlayStation 3 and Vita games. Gift cards can still be redeemed via the PS3 and Vita, according to PlayStation.

Earlier this year, PlayStation announced that it would close the digital stores of the two consoles altogether, but after much criticism, the company decided to keep them open for the time being. As a result, it has also remained possible to buy PSP games, as they are only available through the Vita store. The fact that it is no longer possible to pay via the PS3 and Vita seems to be another first step towards a complete closure.