Sony Discontinuing PS3 Production In Japan This Month, Retailer Leaks

Sony just announced that it is discontinuing the production of the PlayStation 3 in its home country, Japan. As the third installment in the company’s series of game consoles, the PS3 managed to establish a strong fanbase since its release in November 2006.

Just this Thursday, Gematsu learned from the official Japanese PlayStation website that Sony has decided to terminate PS3 production after 11 years. The Japanese site still offers the Charcoal Black 500GB model of the gaming machine, which was released on August 28, 2014. This is said to be the only remaining model of the PS3 that is still up for grabs. Once it runs out, the company will no longer replenish stocks. Also, Sony Japan indicated that shipments for this console “are scheduled to end soon.”

Although Sony did not give a specific date on when production is scheduled to end, a retailer located in Kuruke, Fukuoka has leaked that production is ending this March. The game shop claims it got this information from a notification it received earlier. Sony has yet to confirm the leaked info.

The PS3 was obviously Sony’s response to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 that was released in late 2005. While the two did go head-to-head for a couple of years, the PS3 was deemed the better gaming device between the two. Forbes even published a story about the advantages of purchasing a PS3 over an Xbox 360 in 2012. Nonetheless, both devices did achieve great success in the gaming scene.

When Sony launched the PS3’s successor, the PlayStation 4, many jumped the bandwagon of purchasing the newer console due to its more advanced and more developed features. Therefore, it is understandable why Sony is ending production of the PS3 soon. Besides, it has been around for a decade and a year. Ubergizmo says it’s obvious that Sony is making this move to focus on its newer-generation consoles.

Last month, we learned that Sony is discontinuing its PlayStation Now service for various supported platforms save for the PS4 and Windows PC. “After thoughtful consideration, we decided to shift our focus and resources to PS4 and Windows PC to further develop and improve the user experience on these two devices,” PlayStation Now senior marketing manager Brian Dunn said at the time. The implementation of this decision will start on Aug. 15 this year, and affected devices include the PS3, PS Vita, PlayStation TV and select TV models made by Sony and Samsung.