Like it or not, the PlayStation 3 and Vita are nearing the end of their lives. That's not to say that either system is irrelevant – this author's been playing the addictive Steamworld Heist on the latter lately – but they're not in their heyday anymore. Sony knows this: it's ceased talking about the PS3 almost entirely, and while it continues to cultivate a small but enthusiastic niche on the Vita, it recognises that the PlayStation 4 is the way forward for its business.

Why, then, does it persist on serving up scraps for both systems with PlayStation Plus while the PlayStation 4 fanbase grows increasingly disgruntled? The subscription service has surged to 20 million members, and that's down to it being borderline mandatory on the manufacturer's new-gen console. It's not like the old days anymore, where the Instant Game Collection was the only attraction – no one is signed up solely for the PS3 and Vita. And if you are, then you should cancel, because you're getting a bad deal.

A look back at some of the freebies on the aforementioned platforms reveals just how badly Sony is phoning things in. Sure, the addition of Yakuza 5 in August is a standout, but Super Stardust HD and The Last Guy – two great but ancient games – didn't exactly get pulses racing in March, did they? Nor should they – the former first deployed all the way back in 2007. As for LocoRoco Cocoreccho! in May – well, how many people realise that that's essentially a screensaver?

It's barely been better on the Vita either, with PlayStation Portable games becoming commonplace now that the company's exhausted all of the native Vita releases. And who even bothered to download the likes of Shutshimi and A Virus Named Tom in April – we genuinely couldn't even tell you what type of game the latter is. The fact of the matter is that the quality of the goodies on these consoles has nosedived hard, the odd exception aside.

Meanwhile, there are millions upon millions of subscribers who only care about the PS4 – and you don't need to be a genius to see that most people are unhappy. Of course pleasing everyone will always be impossible, and there's no guarantee that ditching PS3 and Vita support will free up the necessary resources to improve the new-gen offerings – but it's an idea worth exploring. After all, there is time and money spent fulfilling the quota on old consoles which would surely be better invested elsewhere.

We've heard it mooted that Sony could redirect those resources towards PlayStation VR, but we're not convinced that that would be a popular choice either. What's apparent, though, is that the existing model needs to change. PlayStation Plus has, in many ways, been a victim of its own success – the bloat in members has clearly made it increasingly difficult for the platform holder to convince big publishers to get on board – but the Japanese giant pioneered this innovative initiative, and it now needs to forge a new direction for the service.

It could start, perhaps, by leaving the old behind.

Do you think that Sony should consider dropping PlayStation Plus support on PS3 and Vita? Are you still subscribed specifically for those systems? What could the platform holder possibly do to improve the perception of its subscription service these days? Be kind in the comments section below.

Should Sony drop PlayStation Plus support on PS3, Vita? (143 votes)

  1. Yes, it’s definitely time to move on now43%
  2. Meh, who gives a crap?14%
  3. No, it should support the legacy systems43%

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