Soundwave said:
Has PS4 Pro "split the userbase"? Nope. It's not 1994 anymore, times have changed, the way consumers look at different models is very different from the industry that was 20-30 years ago (which is funny because you have a bunch of teens/20 somethings here who try to talk definitively about that era when the truth is they were in their diapers then or not even born yet). The Switch is not the GB/DS/3DS either. People need to stop thinking about it as such. The biggest reason it's succeeding is because Nintendo was smart and realized releasing a "DS3" that was a typical Nintendo portable would not work. Why? Because people on this board still do not understand how much of an impact mobile/tablet gaming has had on the lower portion of the market. If Nintendo did that they would not sell even 3DS numbers. You have to give people a "wow" experience with a portable game machine now if you're going to get them to pay big money, otherwise I mean "bite size" gaming ... who cares. For too many people it's like "why should I pay $50 a a game for that when I can just have fun with these free games?". You gotta give people console type experiences now in a portable. It's the only way to give portable gaming value in a world where low end mobile games have eaten everyone else's lunch. |
As I said previously it already has 2 performance states and by making a new portable perform at the docked performance level there is no issue at all. As for the PS4 pro I don't think it has the sales yet to split the userbase and maybe perceived later as an unsuccessful interim model when ps5 is replaces it in a year or so as the premium playstation. Personally I've been put off buying certain ps4 games because I haven't upgraded to a pro yet and having a 4k tv I thought I'd wait to get those games when I have a pro so I can experience them with higher quality visuals. So the ps4 range has become a bit messy. I can't really justify the pro upgrade yet but have held back on certain games as I fancy playing them when I do upgrade. It's not a clear cut buying decision.
There is a long history of split userbases where little or no enhancements were done for the higher spec model. Starting with the Commodore 128 and including many Nintendo devices like DSi, 3DS plus etc where the enhanced spec was little used and exclusive enhanced games were limited in number.
Also I don't like the current Switch form factor. I would prefer it smaller with much longer battery life, trying to upgrade the performance would be counter-productive I think. I see the current Switch like the original DS but I'm more intersted in a DS lite version. I also only think the next Switch needs to offer docked performance mode while portable if they upgrade the screen to 1080p and the only reason they need to do that is if they offer a VR option. It wouldn't surprise me if they reduce the screen size slightly with the next Switch sku and unless VR is in the mix 720p is still fine.
Saying that I have to put my cards on the table and say the Switch doesn't currently appeal to me at all, the software range, the pricing and the size and asthetics of the console itself. I guess I'll jump aboard when a smaller Switch revision is available bundled with Mario Odyssey perhaps at a £199 price point perhaps sometime late next year.
