It looks like gamers and fans will soon have to say goodbye to the Sony PlayStation 3 as the company set to end its production and shipment in Japan. Though no specific date was given, production of the console is likely to end this March.
Gematsu reported that the official Japanese website of PlayStation made the announcement regarding the end of PlayStation 3's production. The website mentioned that "shipments are scheduled to end soon."
The page where the statement is posted is on the PlayStation 3 500GB standard model, the only one remaining in production. This marks the end of an almost 11 year run for PlayStation 3, which was launched in November 2006.
According to a report from Engadget, this move is somewhat expected as Sony has been preparing to retire the PlayStation 3 since last year. The PlayStation 3 has already turned 10 last November and Sony has been known to keep a 10-year cycle with their consoles.
The report said that Sony actually "released the last first-party PS3 title last October" and by August this year, it won't be able to access PS Now any longer. There's no official mention on when Sony plans to stop production and shipment on the unit.
But Gematsu said a game shop in Kurume, Fukuoka seems to have hinted that the production will end in March. The game shop tweeted that they received notification about the end of the PlayStation 3's production.
Once the production stops, Sony is likely to stop providing updates and supporting titles on the PS store as well. Shipments will soon follow after all of the remaining units are gone as well. After this is all said and done, people looking to buy the unit will likely have to do so in the second-hand market. Check out the top 25 best PlayStation 3 games of all time:
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
