When Did PS3 Servers Shut Down?

Let me be clear upfront fellow gamers – Sony has NOT fully shutdown PS3‘s online services as of February 2023. Core features like PSN multiplayer, store purchases, and connecting to entertainment apps still work. Many gamers, myself included, still actively play their dust-collecting PS3 consoles online today in 2024!

However, it‘s true that PS3 is in its twilight years. The shutdown process, while slow, is underway. Like that one headlight going out on your treasured but aging sedan, online services and support have diminished bit-by-bit since the PS4 launched back in 2013.

In this post, I‘ll give you the hardcore gamer‘s breakdown of exactly what PS3 servers, features, and support have shut down so far, what‘s ending when, and why Sony is slowly pulling the plug. Stick with me – I‘ve done some deep investigative work across Sony financial briefings, gaming forums, and by dusting off my own launch edition PS3!

Let‘s start by establishing the key shutdown dates so far…

Official PS3 Server and Service Shutdown Timeline

Here‘s a quick reference of the major shutdown events over the years and what‘s still due ahead:

Interestingly, Sony has NOT communicated any plan to fully shutdown the PS3‘s core online services like PSN multiplayer access, PlayStation Store purchases, or connectivity to entertainment apps like Netflix.

Those key pillars remain standing tall so far into 2023, which surprised many gamers who wrote off our fabled PS3s as offline paperweights following the brief 2021 PlayStation Store shutdown scare (more later).

Let‘s dig into the key shutdown events over the years to understand why they happened and what exactly gamers lost each time…

The Gradual Erosion of PS3‘s Online Pillars

Sony‘s strategy has been not to pull the plug suddenly, but erode smaller services first. This shrinks PS3‘s vast online foundation year-by-year until the console can hopefully slip quietly into the night without major backlash. Let‘s explore the most notable shutdowns:

Motorstorm Servers Retired (2012)

Sony‘s first-party racing series Motorstorm surprisingly had its servers retired only 5 years post-launch. This killed online multiplayer and leaderboards, leaving only singleplayer accessible on PS3 consoles thereafter.

Gamers speculated Sony diverted resources to prop up DriveClub servers on PS4. The rapid erosion of Motorstorm set the tone for Sony‘s willingness to abandon online PS3 games despite healthy player bases.

PlayStation Home Closure (2015)

The virtual world that was PlayStation Home provided a real-world preview of social networks like Metaverse decades later. But only 6 years post-launch, Sony deactivated Home‘s servers to redirect efforts to PS4 system software.

1.5 million monthly average users were exiled from their digital homes overnight, leaving only screenshots of better times. This early social experiment will forever remain a "what if?" of last-gen.

Attempted PS Store Shutdown & Reversal (2021)

When news emerged in 2021 that Sony planned to close the PS Store on PS3 and PS Vita consoles, it signaled the beginning of the feared full phase-out. Thankfully, vocal backlash from gamers led Sony to promptly reverse this decision.

But it was a stark reminder of PS3‘s mortality. While I don‘t expect Sony will attempt this again soon, it‘s clear PS3 store access hangs by a thread.

End of Hardware/Software Support (2022)

In March 2022, Sony made it officially official – no more hardware or software support would be provided after April 2022 for the legendary PS3. This included:

• No repairs, even paid, after April 30 2022
• No more system software updates
• Spare parts also no longer offered/sold by Sony

For enthusiasts like myself still soldiering on with decade-old launch console, this stung. But again, online access itself still remains unmodified with disks and digital purchases still playable.

Medal of Honor Multiplayer Services (2023)

In January 2023, EA announced it would shut down online services for Medal of Honor across PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 16, 2023. This affects:

• Medal of Honor (2010)
• Medal of Honor: Airborne
• Medal of Honor Warfighter

Multiplayer modes and online stat tracking / leaderboards will retire. But solo campaign access remains.

This seems to mark the start of game-specific shutdowns we‘ll likely see gather steam on PS3 through 2023/4 and beyond.

Observing this drip-by-drip erosion of services so far, Sony‘s ‘death by 1000 cuts‘ strategy is clear. But what about the pillars still left standing?

What Key PS3 Online Services Remain in 2024?

As I said up top, PS3 is still enduring its twilight years with most core features intact for now:

• PSN Access/Multiplayer Gaming: This backbone to online PS3 gaming stays active as of February 2023. You can still squad up and dive into matches across popular franchises like Call of Duty.

• PlayStation Store: This digital portal also remains open for PS3 owners to purchase and download games, DLC packs and other media. Just beware lag times to download large files are longer as server upgrades likely aren‘t coming!

• Entertainment Apps: Netflix, YouTube, CrunchyRoll and other streaming apps required for any modern console also still work on PS3. so you can binge between matches without a hitch.

When Does the Credits Roll?

If the shutdown timeline so far has taught us anything, it‘s hard to predict Sony‘s next move. Many gamers reasonably ask – when does PS3 finally log off for good?

Based on patterns seen with PlayStation 2‘s long sunset phase from 2013 through early 2022, we can likely expect at least 2-3 more years of core PS3 online services as we head toward the PS5/next-gen only era.

But forecasting is made tricky by Sony‘s silent strategy. Exact shutdown dates are only given 1-2 months before impact.

So those still clutching their Sixaxis preparing for that next big multiplayer meetup or downloading a hidden gem to their HDD shouldn‘t panic just yet.

But it‘s smart to prepare for your favorite franchises to abruptly start seeing multiplayer server or game-specific shops close month-to-month. Caching any unplayed DLC or coveted games now if your backlog allows is advisable.

For now, our PS3 community dances in the fire of a setting sun. Savor each match Ground War match, every perfect lap shaving your friend‘s drifting record. The scattered server closures so far foreshadow that the final act approaches.

Hope you enjoyed this deep-dive retrospective into the PS3‘s server shutdown story so far! If anyone from Sony is somehow reading this – all we ask is for proper notice to commemorate our favorite memories before support ends.

Let me know which PS3 shutdown stung you the worst so far fellow gamers – or what game you‘re still clinging onto playing online! Now back to finally grabbing that last trophy before Metal of Honor‘s lights go out…