New PLAYSTATION Store interface coming in mid-April

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This morning, SCEA announced that the PLAYSTATION Store will be revamped with a new look in mid-April. We’ve heard your calls for a more fluid Store interface, and we think you’ll be pleased with the results.

As some of the most passionate and knowledgeable PLAYSTATION 3 fans out there, here’s some additional information on the revamped PLAYSTATION Store.

The New PlayStation Store

As you can see in the above screenshot, the new interface allows customers to browse through eight primary categories, rather than four, making it easier to locate games, demos, game add-ons and other content. It also enables us to put up to twice as many items per page, significantly cutting down the time it takes to browse through content.

Customers will be able to access, browse, shop and download content as usual prior to the store’s re-opening. However, no additional downloadable content will be posted prior to then, including this Thursday, April 3rd, and next Thursday, April 10th. Regularly scheduled content updates will resume with the Store’s re-opening, at which time additional games and game-related items will be added, including the downloadable version of the highly-anticipated exclusive PS3 title Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

When the PLAYSTATION Store is set to re-open with the new interface, PS3 users will be prompted to download a firmware update which will enable entry to the new store.

We’ll continue to update readers of the PlayStation.Blog on the status of the PLAYSTATION Store upgrade – including a video walkthrough – in the coming days.

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358 Comments

  • @ Someone from PLAYSTATION:

    Will we be able to play our music while browsing the new store??

  • I’m actually really looking forward to this. Since I bought my PS3, I had wondered why the Store used HTML (since HTML is made for a computer mouse, not a Sixaxis) instead of something more… dynamic?
    However, I won’t be wondering that anymore, as I am really looking forward to the new store!

    Out of curiosity, if I remember correctly (which I might not), a couple games linked to the Store either to upgrade to full versions from demos or to buy expansions. Will such links still work?

  • Nice, I read on some site (Joystiq?) that the store will update more than just thursdays. Is this true?

    And also are Playstation Cards actually coming out? They were promised for early 08, and there hasn’t been anything mentioned since. I even went to the official playstation store in SF and they had no idea when they were coming out. I really want to buy stuff off the store, as do alot of other people, but we can’t until you release the cards. Thanks

  • Please,

    Don’t forget to add search to the store. While we have 500 items, it’s ok to browse… but I hope we get to 1000, 10000 items soon, and being able to search is a must because it is scalable!!

    Thanks and Congratulations for the update!

  • Well this new store still allow PS3 owners to download PSP games from the store and transfer them over to the PSP??

    I lack Windows XP (2000 still works fine for me) so I can’t use the PC Store.

    • You betcha!
      PSP Games and Demos will still be available for purchase and / or download through the new PlayStation Store.
      You should be able to find them under the \”Games\” tab or \”Demos\” tab, similar to how you can now.

  • @106

    Yes you can do that right now even. Download PSP games from the PS3 PS Store and transfer them to your PSP :)

  • I like the new slick design, but my question is…
    Is that view on a widescreen TV? Is it going to look different on a full screen (not HD) TV?
    How does it affect the loading time of the page?

  • I like the new slick design, but my question is…
    Is that view on a wide screen TV? Is it going to look different on a standard (non HD) TV?

    How does it affect the loading speed of the page?

  • Hopefully this can be answered. I’m glad to see the store is moving far away from a web-based design.

    Is this the final design or will the redesign look even more similar to the Singstore available in Singstar?

  • Yes I’d have to ask the same question as commenter number 92 asked. Is a Video/Music store planned in this “Revamping” of the Playstation Store? I’m incline to believe so, as a “Revamping” of the Store doesn’t do much, if we gonna get the same content as before, really the only point to that would to make the Store look “Nice”, which I hope is not the Underline objective, as while the Store would look nice, if the content on the Store is not solid and packing a punch, the revamping is all the more useless.

    There is definitely a demand for High Quality shows and videos, instead of going out to the store to buy such content, you’ll have a reliable store right in the comfort of your Home. All that is needed is to connect to the Playstation Store.

    Lastly, please oh please, have more content that appeals to more than a select few. Especially on April 17th, considering that we have to wait for 2 weeks for content (Which I don’t mind waiting as I have other games to play, however it would be much more worth the wait if excellent content was available).

    Off Topic, I have to say thanks to you guys, who’ve responsed to this thread. It really does make a difference when you get to speak/listen to those who deal with the aspects of the given topic. Hopefully we’ll see more of this from the blog

  • @ 107

    I know it does it now, I’m about to go buy Go! Puzzle, but I just wanted to make sure that the new store would

  • so if no updates for 2 weeks or 3, how are we going to download the mgo beta?
    through a web page?

  • Will there be a search function for the new store? All the revamping is nice, but it seems like a search ability would make the store easier to use than any interface upgrade.

  • So we’re not getting any new updates until the 17th?

  • I’m just curious: Will I still be able to access the Hong Kong, UK and Japanese PlayStation Stores after the update?

  • Oh Ooops! Sorry about the double posting there, I couldn’t locate my posted message for some reason at first.

    Sorry!

  • Hi

    I was just wondering if we’ll be able to play our music in the background, while being able to view the store because we currently cannot.

    Thanks.

  • Awesome job guys! The PS Store is one of my few complaints. ( I jsut dont like the interface and mouse cursor, and it can look better. ) This one looks great. No content to 2 weeks? Fine with me, im still having a blast with Warhawk and Vegas 2!

  • @ robmv

    No, I’m not really having any online problems that I know of. It still acts just like a my old NAT Type 2 connection. As far as I know people can hear me when I talk but I’m going to check again. I know I have a NAT Type 2 connection going to my PS3 its just reading it wrong. I have my PS3 hooked by wire directly to my modem so its not router issues because I don’t use one. Like I said I had my connection tested and its NAT Type 2 so I now know the problem is related to the 2.20 firmware. So far I don’t know of any problems playing games but I would still feel better if my PS3 would read my NAT right.
    Anyway maybe they’ll fix it. Thanks for asking though I appreciate your concern.

  • When psn to mexico or accept credit cards Mexican please need content and what we want to buy

  • Awesome!

    I hope it will be as fluent, as it looks!

    Looking forward to it!

  • Any chance this “revamp” will bring back PS1 games? There’s a severe lack of them incase anyone hasn’t noticed.

  • So how is the store running? Is it an interface, or on a browser? BTW, when will the store be hit by movie downloads?

  • One more thing will the PSN cards be coming out to coincide with the release of the new store?

  • Sony Computer Entertainment is doing a great job by changing some of the stuff of the PS3, but they should not take too much time to do it. In another hand they should add the XMB and HOME beta on that firware update.

    • Different teams in the Sony family work on different projects.
      Fear not – the re-design of the Store has not taken away from the development of Home!

  • This is exactly what I wanted. Thank you! From the screens it looks likes it no longer web based. Great Move!

  • Will I be able to listen to the music on my HDD now while I browse the store? Or that’s still not possible??

  • Is this seamlined into the interface, or is this still a browser? AS LONG AS YOU GET RID OF THE MOUSE CURSOR, im fine with it being a browser lol

  • I remember reading about this a few weeks / months ago! I heard Sony was showing it off to a large number of retailers; naturally they were impressed! I am so glad to see the PlayStation Store move away from web page form. I cannot wait to use this new GUI, even friends that own the rival console will surely be stunned to see such a beautiful interface on such a beautiful console!

    Thank you for this letting us know about this much needed update in advance! Keep em’ comin’!

  • Great store redesign! I honestly believe the store now looks even than XBL’s interface.

    One question remains in my head and hopefully Sony can clarify this. With the new store no longer being Web HTML based, does that mean the process to get new content is no longer a download and then install process, or is it still going to be like that?

  • The new store design look nice, but the really good about it is that the interface no longer will be web based.

  • Umm….ok….Anyway….How about HOME already!

  • Thanks for letting us know about this! I like the new look for the PlayStation Store! IMHO the way it is now would of been fine if there were half as many items to browse through, but now with the store getting more content, and more content per store update this is a vary needed, and welcomed change!

    BTW: Any chance we could get to see a PSN Card launch date soon? I mean with the new store to re-launch so soon down the road it would be great if you did a fallow up and announced a US, and UK release date for the PSN cards so people like me and many others can buy stuff without the need for a credit card!

  • Nice! Can’t wait for this and the Warhawk Updates. Keep it up SONY!!! :-)

  • Hopefully that same firmware will allow for 1080i in all games.

  • I smell in-game XMB access on the new firmware :)

  • looks good

    but will it be for both SD and HD users as currently the stores are very different

    • Both HD and SD Stores will be getting a complete overhaul.
      We wouldn\’t leave SD users out in the dust now, would we? ;)

  • Nice, very simple and neat interface. Hopefully now navigating through items will be easier and faster. Also I hope there is a search function to quickly look up any item. If not, it should be the next thing you should add.

    Anyway, good job. Even though it’s been due a long time. However, there are millions of PS3 and PSP owners still waiting for that VOD service. C’mon Sony, you have your own movie and music studio. You need to get your act together fast and start capitalising on this huge opportunity.

  • Any news on the pre-paid PSN Store Cards? Please release them in tandem with the redesign.

  • I am highly impressed. It is absolutely AMAZING how far PSN has come, and we haven’t even hit year two yet! What took XBL 5 years, it looks like you folks are wrapping up in less than half that time. And all for free.

    I just want to say that your gaming community appreciates it. A lot.

  • that is awsome

  • Thanks, Susan. The new layout looks great!

    I’m glad to see the ‘View all by Title’ is now accessible on the home page.

  • Quick question. When we go on the store, can we access the XMB to play music or check messages with out it exiting like the old store did?

  • One thing I hope they add is the ability to adjust what the user sees. For instance, I’d like to have a tickbox for “I own a Playstation Eye” to show/hide games that use that. Also, it’d be nice to be able to hide titles that I already own (like PS1 games I have the disc for).

    Other than that, looks slick.

  • it looks very nice

  • Well, this is definitely a step in the right direction, although, when it does reopen, we need to have much more content added each week! Bring on the PSone classics, please!

  • Thanks for the update. Look forward to the new Store in the next 2 weeks :)

  • That is freakin’ awesome guys, the OS based store will be huge improvement over the web-based one. I have immense gratitude for your willingness to listen to your customer base! This means a lot to your (already) huge fan base. Bring it on, but tell me one thing:

    There’s gotta be other stuff coming out in April, right? Like is it going to be a huge oncoming pile of content for the month? I think I smell a true test of a good revamp coming…

  • That’s hot.

    Where is the “Movie” tab, or “Music” tab?

    I thought PS Store will also be getting a new upgrade along with the new look. I want to download “Spider-Man 3” from PS Store!

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