PlayStation Store for PSP closing down in Japan next year

It was recently announced that the PlayStation Portable (PSP) would no longer have access to the PlayStation Store sometime next year. Fans don’t have to worry too much, as Sony revealed an alternative way to download games for the handheld, however it is clear that the platform is finally being fazed out and it will be interesting to see if the West follows the same.

According to the Japanese PlayStation website, PSP users only have till March 31 to use the platform’s PlayStation Store app to get games. Afterwards the store will no longer be accessible and owners will have to get PSP games in a different way.

Gematsu stated that fans should still be able to get PSP games via the web store, along with the online stores for PS3 and PS Vita. Fans might also be able to find physical copies of PSP games in retail or second hand stores if they’re lucky.

Vita owners should also take note of March 31 as it marks the end of the USMD passport service. The service allowed Vita owners to register the physical copies of PSP games and get digital versions of them that will be playable on Vita, though a small fee would still have to be paid.

Things look a bit grim for these Sony handhelds. It was recently announced that Sony only has a few PS Vita games in development and would let third-party developers reinvigorate the platform. Most developers have stopped making PSP games, though the occasional title would pop up now and then. It seems like the handheld will officially be fazed out soon, though the real surprise is that it continued getting games after the PS Vita came out.

The PSP debuted along with the DS more than a decade ago, way back in 2004. While it didn’t have as many games as its Nintendo-developed rival, it was a home for quality titles like “Dissidia Final Fantasy,” “God of War: Ghost of Sparta” and “Daxter” to name a few.

Only time will tell if the West will follow the same and the PSP officially becomes obsolete. In the mean time fans of the handheld should buy as many games as they can, while its still handy and convenient.