Minecraft's next update is the last for Wii U, Vita, PS3, Xbox 360

Update Aquatic, the next big content drop for Minecraft, will be the last to arrive on older console platforms.

After this, Microsoft will no longer update the game's Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, or those on PlayStation Vita or Wii U.

The update will not arrive at all for those still playing the specific Xbox One and Nintendo Switch edition of the game - you'll have to switch over to the Bedrock version of Minecraft for these platforms instead. (The Switch version of the Bedrock edition still lacks a release date.)

Microsoft said it was abandoning Minecraft's older console versions as they now comprised just a small version of the game's userbase. The company has been pushing its all-encompassing Bedrock edition of the game now for some time.

"Although we'd love to keep bringing new content to all our players forever, the older generation of consoles now make up less than five per cent of our active players," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a new blog post.

"We've made the difficult decision to focus our efforts to support players where they play Minecraft the most and where we plan to add new features: on Java, PlayStation 4 Edition and the versions of Minecraft made with the Bedrock Engine on other consoles, mobile, and Windows 10."

The Update Aquatic adds in new ocean biomes and structures, water-themed blocks and plants, a trident, turtles and dolphins.