For the longest time, the PlayStation Store's design served its purpose: games were easy to find and users rarely had to wade through a multitude of menus. However, as more content started to pour in, it became clear the current layout was just inefficient, as endless menus and slow-to-load tiles permeated the marketplace.

Sony will (hopefully) fix these issues next week, as the PlayStation Store will be receiving a major visual overhaul. The new look will make its way to Europe on October 17th, with a North American debut set for October 23rd. In between those dates, the new store format will be rolled out to other countries in which the PlayStation Store is available.

Images of the new Store update have been released, showcasing a UI that has more in common with Microsoft's Metro interface than Sony's current design. The new PlayStation Store puts quite a bit of emphasis on eye catching images, and every game now has it's own "hub," meaning that all content for a specific game can now be found in one place. Pages will scroll from left to right, and the Vita and PSP will have their own separate sections, much like the current divide between the Movie and Game stores.

Check out the first images:

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The Store won't just be getting a visual overhaul, but some significant changes as well. The search feature has been totally revamped, taking into account acronyms or misspellings.  The recommendations menu has also been moved underneath the thumbnail image, rather than the far right of the store page.

I've always found the PlayStation Store to be the most intuitive of the three console marketplaces, though over the past year it has become quite cluttered. This new design should provide a much smoother experience for users, in addition to its eye catching quality. There is question about whether or not the Store will also be faster, which goes in tandem with the oft levied complaint that PlayStation Store is quite laggy. Sony has yet to announce any details, though we will be sure to update this post when more is revealed.

Look for the PlayStation Store update on October 17th in Europe, October 23rd in North America. The PlayStation Vita will not be receiving a Store update as of this writing.

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Source: VG24/7