A reader feels a new generation of video games consoles is currently unnecessary, unless the new hardware and games are shown to do some different.
The advent of a new console generation is an exciting and unpredictable time. Faster processors, beefier graphics cards and more teraflops than anybody knows what to do with. But with the recent PlayStation 6 rumours swirling, I can’t help but wonder…do we really need that next leap right now?
Technology is an ever-evolving thing and with it, so expand its capabilities. When a new console generation was released there was always a lot of fervour about what was new. Just think about some of the general leaps. 2D to 3D, SD to HD, long loading screens to near seamless worlds. But what can the PlayStation 6 and the Xbox (whatever it will be called, I mean who can guess at this point?) provide us?
Just because they will be exponentially more powerful than their older brothers doesn’t mean they’ll offer anything truly new, problems we’ve already seen with the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. They both delivered iteration rather than revolution.
I mean yes, they did give us practically zero load times, depending on the game, and we do have games running at native 4K, but what, if anything, did they give us over the previous gens?
An example of this is the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo, known for their out-there designs like the N64 controller, and unique and engaging play systems (Wii motion controls), have just taken what was good about the Switch and plopped it into a bigger, sexier design and made it more powerful.
Is this wrong? I’d say no, I think it’s a great system, but it is missing some of that Nintendo charm and magic that they are known for.
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So why is this going to matter to gamers? Don’t we all want something new? To which the answer is usually yes. I mean for example, Sony once again released a PS5 Pro model, which can run a lot more games at 4K and a steady 60 frames per second, while toying with some ray-tracing. Most people don’t need this, but for those who like to push boundaries, this is a great system.
But my goodness, does this come at a cost! The cheapest PlayStation 5 is £430, while the Pro comes in at £690. That’s a £260 difference, and amazingly, neither of those prices includes disc drives. If you want one of those, then that’s another £70.
So, can we possibly imagine how much a new console generation can start at? It’s a little concerning.
These companies know what they’re doing, for the most part, and can potentially bring us some exciting and amazing surprises. More power is great, and I hope that the new generation can be a locked 4K 60fps gaming machine straight off the bat. But I do hope that outside of shinier and smoother graphics, we get these systems being used more creatively. Gaming is a creative space; let’s keep it that way.
If the PlayStation 6 is coming, I hope it’s something more than just a PlayStation 5 in a nicer suit. I want to see something that surprises us, something that makes it feel like it’s a true generational leap forward, something worth getting excited about. Otherwise, we’re just buying the same console in a sharper tux.
By reader Mike Wilson
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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