Over the last day or so I've seen stories pop up about how Sony is starting to ask developers about what they want to see in the next-generation PlayStation, and rumours that they might announce the PS5 at E3 this year, culminating in this ridiculous DigitalFoundry piece that somehow feels the need to talk about the specific chipset that might be used in the PlayStation 5.
The PS4 Pro was only released 18 months ago - I can't be the only one who thinks it would be stupidly early to cycle the generation already? We're only at the point where developers are starting to get the best out of the current machines, let alone their high-end models, a division which I'm increasingly annoyed by - I feel like, at some point, I'm going to have to upgrade my PS4 to a Pro).
Announcing a new box would just crater PS4 sales, wouldn't it? It would certainly destroy the Pro's appeal, if the new machine is 4k and as back-compatible as DF seem to believe it needs to be.
Or am I a luddite, and everybody else is ready to move on?
Definitely too early, especially seeing what's coming up soon - God of War looks incredible, plus there's Spider-Man, which looks amazing (do you see what I did there?), and we've not seen any of The Last of Us 2, which, with ND's track record, is going to blow minds.
It's not necessary, and I very much doubt it's something anyone bar the bleeding-edge crowd want - and they're probably all just playing on PC anyway.
I think that they'd be asking developers what they want and what would be good to see but- I think any potential hardware at the moment is a ways off. I also think that if there is a PS5 it'll need to be more than just a generational leap in graphics hardware; People kind of need more than that these days, especially when chasing the pricetag that Sony always push for.
Then again, I also think that google are going to make a games console so what do I know.
Or, well, components for components. I don't know what kind of lead time you need on microprocessor subcomponents before you release a games console, but this still seems crazy early unless Sony want to announce and release in the same week.
It doesn't feel like this generation has remotely peaked yet. Way, way too early.
Amazing the difference six months can make. It feels like we're in the end stages of this gen now, the games coming out at the moment are starting to push existing hardware as far as it can go with only the Xbox One X really having the headroom to truly do these games justice. Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Odyssey and even Soul Calibur 6 all seem to be pitched primarily at the XB1X with all the other consoles including the PS4 Pro utilising various compromises to get them running well.
Next year will be interesting - I think we're likely to see big AAA releases starting to dry up as stuff gets pushed towards next-gen or at least cross-gen releases. This might be the last big Christmas for the PS4 and Xbox One.
I'm pretty sure everyone's going to spend the first three years of the new gen releasing 4K remasters of all the stuff they've already remastered in this gen, though.
Someons's dug up a patent filed by Sony - written by Mark Cerny, lending it some weight - that seems to imply that Sony intends the PS5 to be backwards compatible with every previous generation of PlayStation.
I'm sure publishers rubbing their hands at the prospect of 4K remasters of everything that came out on PS4 will be disappointed.
Well that's basically what Microsoft have working towards with the Xbox One, so it's hardly surprising. If they deliver full compatibility day one, though, it'll be a hell of an achievement. I'd imagine the weird PS3 architecture will be the most significant sticking point.
There's a difference between hardware BC and streaming emulation. PS Now already has PS3 games streaming onto PS4. Not much of a leap to add PS2 and PSone games to that list.
I guess my question about backwards compatibility is: beyond the immediately preceeding generation, does it actually matter? Is there anybody who skipped on a PS4 because it wouldn't natively play their PS2 games? I guess it's a nice marketing bullet-point, but I can't imagine that it makes much of a difference to the sales numbers.
I think it's about library content… or, more specifically, giving publishers more avenues to sell old stuff. Why spend all that cash remastering something when you can just release the old game? Never mind that a lot of them have such bad archiving systems that they likely won't have the original build files that were submitted for release, but hey.
Money for old rope is a very attractive thing for people who have lots of old rope and would like money for it.
There are a few PS3 games I wouldn't mind paying through again, but the main draw would probably be if I can keep everything in my PS4 digital library, and just continue playing Hitman forever.
The key thing for me is that I have a huge number of PS4 games built up now, a lot of which I've not yet played, due to PS+ and unwise sale purchasing decisions. If the PS5 will just play those out of the box, it makes for a very easy purchasing decision and I'd definitely stick with Sony. If it doesn't play those games, then there's no reason not to at least consider jumping ship to Xbox next gen depending on specs etc. It's all about locking people into a particular infrastructure and I think Microsoft's strategy with backward compatibility (especially the way older games are often enhanced on the newer hardware) has been a real winner for them.
Backward compatibility has been MS’s big win this gen so it makes sense that they’d want to get that message out there ASAP.
And I’d assume that any swanky solid state storage solution is being actively pursued by both manufacturers so why not get it associated first in people’s minds with the PS5?
The more techy stuff I’d assume is still subject to change at this stage anyway and the general choice of architecture is no surprise.
Seems crazy that they'd reveal this stuff in such detail, so far from launch.
Aside from DF and the people who understand what PCIe means, surely the only ones poring over these specs are Microsoft. Why show your hand so soon?
My guess is Microsoft are gonna go super off reservation with the next X-Box. Honestly, I think that they probably won't see the PS5 as a competitor with what kind of weird shit they're gonna do.
I'm just hoping Microsoft come up with an even more ridiculous acronym/abbreviation for their next console, it's been a real highlight of this gen.
I though that Xbone couldn't be topped (seriously how did they not see this was what people would call it?) but I've just found out their new discless variant is called the Xbox One S All-Digital edition, so they're literally about to release the Xbone SAD edition. Perfect.
.A post on the PlayStation blog is saying that it's going to be released for next Christmas, and that is going to have some pretty complicated feedback in the controller:
First, we’re adopting haptic feedback to replace the “rumble” technology found in controllers since the 5th generation of consoles.
…
The second innovation is something we call adaptive triggers, which have been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2). Developers can program the resistance of the triggers so that you feel the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain.
The haptics sound a bit like the HD Rumble on the Switch, but the trigger stuff sounds a bit gimmicky.
Haptic feedback is what the Steam controller used way back when before Valve realised no-one cared.
Just makes me realise that every time a list of 'revolutionary' new features are announced by a platform holder, the number of devs that will actually take advantage of them properly and do it well can be counted on one hand.
Yeah, the PS4’s the only current system with decent rumble. I like the Xbox’s trigger rumble but when the controller vibrates at full strength it sounds like someone shaking a ball-bearing around in a Coke can.
the number of devs that will actually take advantage of (special features) properly and do it well can be counted on one hand.
HD rumble, done well, is lovely - 1, 2, Switch and its ball bearing game shows that. Sadly, I can't think of a single non-Nintendo game that even tries. They just set it to 'vibrate at point X' as with other consoles and you get an awful mess, complete with horrid noise. Not even the suggestion of scale or force, just full-on vibration. It's shit. If devs made an effort with the little details (see also: all the really neat social interaction bits that PS4 offers and no-one takes any notice of because they're hidden), it'd make the world of difference.
Nothing beats the PS4's touch pad for useless features, though. I can think of maybe three games that actually use it as anything other than a giant button - one of which was a launch title. If the rumours are true and it's the principal reason for that controller's dogshit battery life then it's a travesty.
All I want from new controllers is buttons that are actually in a sensible place and a sensible size. The PS4's tiny, awkward Options button, and the Switch Pro Controller's irritatingly prominent screenshot button that I keep pressing instead of Select, are this gen's biggest offenders.
(Also, shout out to the Xbox One's irritatingly unnamed "two small squares" and "three lines in a row" buttons).
The haptic feedback on the iPhone 7 is a miracle, though. Even after owning one for a couple of years I can't believe the Home button isn't, well, a button. Pressing it when the phone is off and realising it's just flat plastic is the oddest feeling.
So the next gen Xbox, previously known as Project Scarlett, is officially going to be called…
The Xbox One Series X
which is obviously a shit name that’s going to cause loads of confusion, especially given that they already have a console called the Xbox One X. Never change, Microsoft.
Bravo. That’s the first thing that’s made me crack a smile on this dark, dark day.
The machine itself is a really odd shape and size. Almost a cube. It’ll be a bugger to fit under the telly. Maybe we all need to wait for the Xbone SeX Slim.
Last night at the Game Awards, they announced the first (to my knowledge) PS5 game, Godfall.
Like a lot of "next gen" launch titles the last few days, it's full of hideous, ridiculously overdesigned armour and particle effects out the wazoo (well, that is where they come from). I hate it already.
I just went with XSOX, because I’m lazy, and keep forgetting where the completely unnecessary ‘One’ comes in the name.
Why the hell are they so bad at naming these though?! The 360 was just about excusable, the Bone was a terrible idea (720 would’ve been awful, but still better), and this one is somehow even worse. It’d still be pretty bad if they took the completely unnecessary ‘One’ out altogether, but as it is it’s just gibberish.
Just read another article - it gets better. It's actually called 'Xbox'.
They seem fairly unsure about the Series X bit themselves, and said that was just the name of this VERSION of Xbox. Not generation, just version. And not that Xbox, this Xbox.
Makes perfect sense. Xbox Series X was the Xbox working title for the new Xbox, Series X is the codename. I believe the "X" is an abbreviation of "Xbox". Genius really.
More seriously, even calling it "The Xbox" would have been better.
Do they even remember that no one that the Wii U was a new console?
Well I can kind of see where they're going with this.
They're trying to move towards an iPhone-style incremental updates system, aren't they? Going forward you will simply buy an "Xbox" and it will be either Series X (enhanced model) or Series S (standard model). That's kind of where they are today, even. I guess the specs can change every couple of years but it won't fundamentally affect that split.
Any game you buy for an Xbox will work on any model of Xbox, if you've got one where the specs aren't high enough it'll play via streaming. Haven't they already hinted this is what they will do for Xbox One owners who don't want to upgrade?
It's a sensible system but whether or not it will compete with the simplicity of "PlayStation 5" remains to be seen.
