BPX082: Ready Player One?

[Neon Ignition]

Today has suddenly emerged as a day the good ship Xbox springs a sea of leaks giving us a fairly clear road map through the rest of this generation. Specifically we know that 2028 is being targetted for the next generation of consoles. However, we find ourselves now looking at the impending arrival of 2024 and the stark realisation that we're about to thread through the eye of the storm - the halfway point in the current generation - still barely wrapping up the previous generation of consoles.

Cross generation this time has lasted for an incredibly long time. The list of games that are exclusive to the newer generation of machines is far from extensive and even from that list the number of games you could look at and genuinely believe either originated as current gen projects or really utilise the power of the systems beyond slapping some ray tracing in places is even less extensive.

Many franchises are yet to deliver their second game this gen. Many more are yet to deliver their first. A fair few are still waiting to deliver their first in more than one generation.

Putting yourself in the position of being late in the pre-release hype and having the Xbox Series S/X2 and PlayStation 6 launch in four years time...

Has the long arc of cross generation gaming diluted your interest in being a Day One owner of the next generation of consoles?

[Asura]

Cross gen has absolutely killed console gaming for me in terms of buying a console at launch. Armoured Core 6 is literally the first PS5 game I'm interested in.

[MartyG]

I can't make a decision on whether I'd buy a console when there is no information as to what that console consists of or what the specs it provides for the price are, or the software that will be available at launch.

So really, it's a pretty worthless hypothetical as there is no data on which to base that decision.

I don't buy things just because of brand.

[teddymeow]

As long as Sony make PlayStations or Nintendo make WiiSwitchCube then I will be there on launch day with a valid pre-order and 0% interest credit card!!

Xbox, not so much.

[importaku]

Next gen is a joke, even after all this time there has still yet to be a single game on either system thats made me want to jump in. Had multiple chances to pick up a console but there's no point till there's at least a small library of stuff i'd want. I like rhythm games & shmups 2 genres that pretty much only stick to switch & ps4.

I'm at the point where same ****, nicer graphics is not enough.

[Neon Ignition]

For me a tipping point has been reached in the value consoles represent, it's not to rule out owning them as there are conveniences and benefits to it, but the hassle of launch days as well as the near neglible difference they make in their first few years has become harder to be won over by.

You're looking at £450-£500 for the next systems, given the immovable RRP's of the current systems I suspect the upper end of that range and both tend to release close together. With Game Pass there's not much concern when it comes to additional costs with a new Xbox, with PS6 though you're looking at £70 per game - that's assuming Sony doesn't add next-gen tax to that which frankly I'm sure they will with £79.99 standard RRP's being exactly what I anticipate seeing.

In the three years the PS5 has been out to date - considering Sony isn't percieved to have software issues like MS - there are precisely 6 PlayStation 5 exclusives and that is including the upcoming Spider-Man 2 and their VR offerings. A fair chunk came to PS4 also, the number is watered down by the other key consideration I have. If the PS6 launched with an exclusive, that title is likely to hit PC a year later.

Buying both consoles + say just 2 games would mean an outlay circling somewhere in the region of £1,100 - That is an extraordinarily long way to just upgrading my GPU and blowing past both systems performance for the rest of the gen.

The price difference has become so narrow, even with the extortion NVidia has been pushing for, that a wait and see approach feels much easier to opt for considering that any big exclusive is likely to come to PS5 and SX also for the first 2 years minimum. It kind of goes back to that feeling that PS5's insane sales come more from that 5 on its box than from the system having really delivered anything that justifies the system itself yet.

So, the way console lives are evolving, I'm finding myself growing much more wary of Day One

[nonny]

It really depends... I like getting caught up in that whole new console hype but agree this generation so far has just been a cross-gen halfway house in terms of support and exclusives.

Reality is you could easily have gotten away with not upgrading till a year or two into this generation.

[wakka]

I think you can expect the PS6 and Series X2 to be very much a continuation of what we have now. An incremental upgrade, some new bells and whistles, but nothing especially groundbreaking.

The main difference will be that if you want to continue to enjoy 1440p/4K with 60fps 'performance mode' gameplay, you will probably have to upgrade to the latest machines.

I would guess that by 2028/9 most new releases will feature enough graphical niceties to be limited to 30fps on the PS5/Series X.

Just my supposition.

[Asura]

I like getting caught up in that whole new console hype

I love that, but kinda related to my earlier point - I don't think it exists anymore.

I mean, what did people buy a PS5 for? Demons' Souls?

[nonny]

I love that, but kinda related to my earlier point - I don't think it exists anymore.

I mean, what did people buy a PS5 for? Demons' Souls?

Yeah good point... though there is still a lot to be said about opening a new hardware box and setting it up.

[wakka]

I love that, but kinda related to my earlier point - I don't think it exists anymore.

I mean, what did people buy a PS5 for? Demons' Souls?

It basically exists in the same way that it's fun to buy and unbox a new phone, or what have you.

Everything is basically the same as the old one except a little bit nicer and a little bit faster.

Speaking for myself I bought a PS5 cos I wanted something that ran quiet and cool, had a smartened up interface and could deliver higher resolution gameplay for my new 4K TV. It was a worthy jump from a noisy launch PS4 with disintegrating analogue sticks. I didn't expect much beyond that.

It's lame, though. Really lame. Nothing like the old days where you'd have your socks blown off.

[randombs]

I'm fine with the rate at which consoles are progressing in terms of graphics and whatnot.

I still remember the old Xbox 360 = Xbox 1.5 nonsense people were spouting, and not much has changed since then. My only concern with new gear is reliability, so I usually buy the refreshed/slim versions.

I'm 40 years old but goddamnit I regressed 30 years when I came home from work to find a huge box from Amazon with our PS5 inside... but I warped right back to 40 years old once I turned it on and had to wade through all those setup screens!

I'd love it if my PS5 first booted up and asked whether I'd like to:

1) connect to the internet; set up my PSN account; fiddle with privacy settings; and choose whether or not to send crash info to Sony
2) play Astrobot right now and deal with the boring account stuff later

The Nintendo experience is miles better because you can just pop a game cartridge in and start playing after the initial setup is done.

[fishbowlhead]

I love that, but kinda related to my earlier point - I don't think it exists anymore.

I mean, what did people buy a PS5 for? Demons' Souls?

Astro Bot, Miles Morales, Demon Souls, Sackboy, COD Cold War, for me on launch, plus I wanted the late PS4 games at 60fps, Ghost of Tsushima was absolutely sublime running at 60.

Also SSD in a console finally.
Haptics.
3d audio.

PS5 had a great launch.

[wakka]

I'm fine with the rate at which consoles are progressing in terms of graphics and whatnot.

I still remember the old Xbox 360 = Xbox 1.5 nonsense people were spouting, and not much has changed since then. My only concern with new gear is reliability, so I usually buy the refreshed/slim versions.

I'm 40 years old but goddamnit I regressed 30 years when I came home from work to find a huge box from Amazon with our PS5 inside... but I warped right back to 40 years old once I turned it on and had to wade through all those setup screens!

I'd love it if my PS5 first booted up and asked whether I'd like to:

1) connect to the internet; set up my PSN account; fiddle with privacy settings; and choose whether or not to send crash info to Sony
2) play Astrobot right now and deal with the boring account stuff later

The Nintendo experience is miles better because you can just pop a game cartridge in and start playing after the initial setup is done.

That’s a great idea. Consoles should absolutely have that option. It would be much more fun.

[dataDave]

I'd love it if my PS5 first booted up and asked whether I'd like to:

1) connect to the internet; set up my PSN account; fiddle with privacy settings; and choose whether or not to send crash info to Sony
2) play Astrobot right now and deal with the boring account stuff later

If you can skip all that they'd run the risk of losing their hooks in you. Nowadays that's partly the reason why they want you to buy one of their consoles to begin with.

See also the mine-laden landscape of their user-interfaces. Forcing features, advertisements, and other distractions on you when you just want to get to your game.