Report: PlayStation 3 patches are vanishing for some users ahead of store closure

The patches for a number of PlayStation 3 titles have seemingly vanished for some users ahead of the closure of the PlayStation 3 digital marketplace.

Back in March, Sony confirmed it would be shutting down the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PSP stores on web and consoles, leaving many fans worried about how the company would look to preserve titles on those platforms. 

Now, as spotted by VGC, some members of the PSN Profiles forum claim that over 30 titles including Journey, Gran Turismo 5, and Twisted Metal can no longer be patched on PlayStation 3. 

That means new players looking to acquire those titles before the PlayStation 3 marketplace closes in July won't be getting the most up-to-date version, potentially restricting access to features like PlayStation Trophies and online play. 

It seems like players in different regions are getting varying results, however, with some forum members suggesting that only the EU versions of certain titles are affected by the issue. Others have indicated that only the digital version of select games are affected, and that the problem has been around in some form since at least February.

"Many of my PlayStation 3 video games (in physical format) don't get a patch, and for some games the patch is essential to play online and earn Trophies," wrote one user. "Just had someone check Gran Turismo 5 EU disc version, and that's still not updating from 1.00," added another.

Given the variety of testimonies being shared online, it's unclear whether the apparent issue is related to the impending store closure or another problem. Either way, it's a frustrating turn of events for PlayStation 3 owners attempting to preserve their game collection before the clock runs down. 

We've reached out to Sony for comment.