While this might deserve a separate thread one day, when do you all think certain digital storefronts will close?
We already know the ones that have.
DSi: 2017
Wii: 2019
PSP: 2021
3DS & Wii U: 2023
Xbox 360: Scheduled for July 29, 2024
Vita and PS3 will likely be first on the chopping block, since they were going to close around the time of the PSP closing. There's virtually no chance they survive into the 2030s. But the other question is will they close in the same year or be staggered? Vita's store is better than PS3's in terms of use, but the Vita is a much more niche product. On the other hand, many moderate to major Vita releases were digital-only globally or in certain regions. I'll lump them together and predict that they'll close in 2025, even if the two storefronts have different closing dates.
Xbox One will probably be fine for a while because I think the Xbox Series X/S store is built from it. It would be pretty scummy to shutter the storefront 5 or more years before the Series since they're so similar.
PS4 and PS5 have some clear differences in the storefronts, so I think PS4's storefront will close before PS5. PS4's storefront will probably close around 2030 (partway into the life of PS6). Despite the massive install base of PS4, over 99.9% of the games can purchased on PS5. And they're not going to keep the store open largely for people to buy things like avatars and themes.
Lifetime Sales Predictions
Switch: 161 million (was 73 million, then 96 million, then 113 million, then 125 million, then 144 million, then 151 million, then 156 million)
PS5: 122 million (was 105 million, then 115 million) Xbox Series X/S: 38 million (was 60 million, then 67 million, then 57 million. then 48 million. then 40 million)
Switch 2: 120 million (was 116 million)
PS4: 120 mil (was 100 then 130 million, then 122 million) Xbox One: 51 mil (was 50 then 55 mil)
3DS: 75.5 mil (was 73, then 77 million)
"Let go your earthly tether, enter the void, empty and become wind." - Guru Laghima
