PlayStation 3 Production Ends in Japan, Sony Confirms

The PlayStation 3 console has had a long, successful–albeit occasionally bumpy–life, but that life is coming to an end, as Sony is ceasing production on the console in Japan.

Sony recently confirmed the news on the Japanese PlayStation website, noting that shipments of the 500GB PS3–the only one still in production–have ceased. Sony will be focusing its production efforts fully on the PS4 and PS4 Pro, though maybe this news foreshadows some type of hardware announcement at E3.

The PS3 has been on the market for over a decade now. It first launched in Japan and North America in November 2006 and released internationally in March 2007. It’s sold 85 million units in its 10 years of life, although it couldn’t match the success of its predecessor, the PS2.

Some of the most notable PlayStation-exclusive games that found a home on the PS3 include the first three entries in the Uncharted series, The Last of Us, Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of the Patriots, several Yakuza titles, and five Ratchet & Clank games. The PS3 saw some strange releases (remember that Lost game?), but overall it maintained an impressive lineup that keeps gamers entertained to this day.

Following the end of the PS3’s production, Sony will soon discontinue its cloud gaming service PlayStation Now on all platforms except the PS4 and PC. That means PS3’s, PS Vita’s, Sony Blu-ray players, and all supported TV’s will no longer be able to access PS Now starting August 15th of this year. Sony hopes to build a better experience of PS Now for PS4 and PC owners by dropping the other platforms.

While PS3’s have ceased production, I’m sure they’ll be available in the second-hand market for years to come. However, Sony will likely stop supporting the PS3 with game and system updates immediately.

What are your favorite PS3 games and memories? Let us know in the comments.