Microsoft: We Think The Future Is Without Console Generations

[KBG29]

SWORDF1SH said:
MS are making the right moves. The Xbox is a strong brand and they've done a good job since the fuck up of the XB1 launch.

Tech is moving too fast to have 7/8 year generations so "mid gen" updates will become a thing. Sony are going the exact same route, updated consoles every few years except Sony might keep still stick a number on the end of every few hardware updates (PS4, Neo, Neo+, PS5, Neo 2, Neo 2+, PS6 etc).

This is right on the money. The days on the console market dragging its feet are over. This does not mean you can't buy a device and have it supported for 10 years, it just means we will have options and revised consoles on either a yearly or bi-yearly rate. 

I have been saying for a while that Neo will not be the only revision of the PS4. Tech that could make a true generational leap over PS4 and XBO won't be in the sub $500 territory until about 2024. So we will definitly see another PS4 revision around 2020 with more RAM, a faster APU, and a larger base hard drive. 

We won't see a point when the OG PS4 gets put to rest until Sony can deliver a system with 128GB of HBM RAM, a 10TB SSD, and a 40TF APU. Until then we will just see something like;

PS4 = 720p/1080p @ 30/60fps

PS4 Spec 2 = 1080p/1440p @ 30/60fps

PS4 Spec 3 =  1440p/2160p @ 30/60fps

By the time PS4 Spec 3 enters the market most PS4 games will have fell to 720p @ 30/60fps. When the PS5 finally arrives PS4 will no longer be capable of delivering a quality experience. At this point what we know as Neo will be relegated to the role of 720p to 900p, and the PS4 Spec 3 will be 1080p to 1440p, and the OG PS4 will finally loose support for new software. Sony and 3rd parties will continue to release games that work on PS4, however, they will have missing features, lower player counts, and many drawback compared to their PS5 counterpart. The positive thing is, your purchase will just be a PlayStation game. So if you buy a game for your Neo it will Play on the PS4 API and render at say 900p/30fps, but if in a year or 6 months you buy a PS5, your game will then run on the new PS5 API, with enhanced features, and render at 2160p/60fps.

It will take time for people to adapt to the direction Microsoft and Sony are going, but at the end of the day, this will lead to every game and every application you own, working on all of your devices going forward. This will greatly enhance the value of your purchase, and make your money go miles further than it ever has in the past. Major hint, if you want to prepair yourself for the future and get the best value, start to transitional to an all digital library asap.