Talking Point: How Will the PS3 and Vita Factor into This Week's PlayStation Meeting?

All eyes are on the PlayStation 4 this week. Sony’s widely publicised PlayStation Meeting is set to take place on 20th February, where we’ll almost certainly get our first glimpse at the platform holder’s next generation console. But while the emphasis has been very much on the future for the last couple of weeks, we can’t help but feel that the present has been somewhat overlooked. So, how will the manufacturer’s current consoles factor into its upcoming press conference?

Well, it’s not going to miss an opportunity to promote its impending wares that’s for sure. There are a wealth of PlayStation 3 titles in the pipeline, some of which are less than a month away. God of War: Ascension and The Last of Us are both certain to appear in some form, even if they are only part of a montage. Meanwhile, we wouldn’t rule out a release date for Quantic Dream’s tantalising Beyond: Two Souls, which has been on hiatus since last year’s E3.

Of course, the biggest PS3 announcement is likely to stem from its price. A number of industry analysts have already predicted that the console’s cost will be slashed in light of the looming PS4 news, and it certainly makes sense. Last year, when the company introduced the platform’s third hardware revision at the Tokyo Game Show, many of us predicted that it would launch alongside a significant price cut – but it didn’t. With the holiday season now over, it makes sense to make a change, especially with so many exclusive blockbusters on the horizon.

The same rings true for the PlayStation Vita, too. The company cut the price of the system in Japan last night, and we expect it to announce something similar for Western territories on Wednesday. The handheld may not have quite as many titles in the pipeline in Europe and North America as in its domestic region, but we expect the struggling system to play a big part in Sony’s next generation plans. For example, we wouldn’t be surprised if the company had found a way to make Remote Play function as standard across all PS4 releases. It would certainly be an enticing response to the Wii U.

And then, of course, there’s Gaikai. We’ve already speculated how the company’s technology could be used to stream content to the PS4 – but what if it was compatible with the Vita, too? Imagine being able to access PlayStation’s entire back catalogue on the handheld without any control compromises. That sounds like an enticing feature, and it would certainly add value to the system assuming that the price is right.

New game announcements seem less likely, however. We’re not expecting the press conference to be particularly long, and, as such, we doubt that there will be time for any new software reveals on either the PS3 or Vita. Besides, the venue doesn’t seem ideal – industry attention will predominantly be pointed at the PS4 coming out of the conference, and any new titles may get lost. With GDC right around the corner, there will be better destinations to discuss fresh content for the manufacturer’s existing machines.

But despite that, we still believe that the PS3 and Vita will play a big part in this week’s PlayStation Meeting. Sony has promised to show us a glimpse of the future, and its existing platforms will factor into that. All eyes may be on the next generation this week, but its current consoles will definitely be along for the ride.