the next next gen: talking about the ninth generation of videogame consoles

[upupdowndown]

it is really, really weird that we're like two and a half months away from the PS5 and Xbox Series X* being released, and we still don't know when we can buy them or how much they'll cost.

that being said, as a filthy casual who only games on console, I'm excited about picking up a PS5! the "virtually no load times" thing sounds like it'll be a nice thing for multiplatform games, but for first party games specifically built for the PS5's architecture, I think it could be used for some really cool stuff! The Ratchet and Clank gameplay video starts to make you think about the possibilities:

Also, frankly, my PS4 Pro sounds like a dang Quinjet when I'm playing Avengers. I'm looking forward to a console that runs it with a little more ease.

Is anyone else excited for new hardware?

*I remain in awe of the Xbox dedication to confusing grandmothers everywhere with which Xbox console to purchase for their grandchildren

 

[Issun]

I am stoked to play a remaster of a 7th gen game on a 9th gen console. That game is Demon's Soul's so there we are.

 

[Vega]

It'll be great for games to load so fast they have no use for empty corridors or transition screens.

 

[Exposition Owl]

I’ve mostly been looking forward to the PS5 in hopes that that would mean a price drop for the PS4—I don’t have a super high-res TV anyway, and the rumors of a “599 USD”-style price point have me leery. I guess we’ll see how it goes.

ETA: And if Sony follows through on those expressed intentions to bring more of their first-party games to the PC, then the question will be moot for me.

 

[MCBanjoMike]

I am completely uncertain what I want to do regarding the next generation of consoles! Seven years ago, I made myself a nice PC instead of buying a PS4 or Xbox One and, honestly, I feel like it was the right call. It's more expensive out of the gate, but games tend to be a lot cheaper on PC game stores and the power and flexibility of the PC are great if you're willing to deal with the occasional hassles of computer life. Now we're a month or so away from some seemingly-very-powerful consoles that are going to launch with essentially no games, a slightly-less-powerful version of the Xbox that seems like it might be a great value proposition, and a new series of PC video cards that apparently blow everything else out of the water. I have a nice 4k TV and would like to play some good lookin' games on it, either at full resolution or upscaled from 1440p, but there are too many avenues for me to choose from. Also, I don't actually play that many fancy 3D games! So I'm a little paralyzed by choice at the moment. If anything, I'm considering grabbing a 3070 to put in my existing PC and then upgrading the rest some time next year (because I almost certainly don't have a strong enough processor to output 4k graphics at this point). That way I can get some of the benefit right away and spread out the cost of upgrading a bit. We'll see if I change my tune once I see what the 3070 actually retails for in Canada, though.

 

[ASandoval]

I'll admit, the idea of the digital $299 Xbox Series S with Game Pass is really tempting, but I'm still planning on the PS5 at the moment - for one I prefer to own my games either way, and in the past Sony has had my favorite exclusive titles*. I guess we'll see what happens when the eventual price drops. I'm hoping for less, but $599 would be my cut off point.

* Microsoft has bought a lot of really good talent and I really want to play a new Psychonauts game some day, but I imagine those games will all come to PC sooner than the Sony exclusives will and I can hold out a bit longer on PC upgrades for the time being.

 

[Phantoon]

I'm going to hang fire for now. Nothing at launch really appeals to me, and of the two I'm currently leaning more towards Xbox for the back compatibility. I want to see how it plays out to be honest, I'm not short of games to play.

 

[Vega]

I'm considering grabbing a 3070 to put in my existing PC and then upgrading the rest some time next year (because I almost certainly don't have a strong enough processor to output 4k graphics at this point).

Does your PC have an SSD and do you store your games on it? That will probably do more to help it keep up with modern games than a newer graphics card will.

 

[ASandoval]

We now have a price for the PS5 ... ... ... made out of 24k gold.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1303340291517104129

 

[Kirin]

It's kind of hilarious that they're still making you pony up an extra hundred bucks for a physical disk drive after paying eight grand for a precious-metal-plated console.

 

[4-So]

Waiting somewhat impatiently for PS5 release date and price. The Series X is almost certainly going to be a thing as well but I'm disinclined to day-one the Microsoft box. For PS5, I'm just waiting for the pre-order buttons to go live. I don't like to spend money but my tech lust is strong and consoles are one of the only things I'll splurge on. I've been an early adopter since at least the N64 days; I've picked up every major console since the N64 at launch, with the exception of the PS2, PS3, and 360, which were all hard to find at launch around these parts. I intend to get the PS5 at launch (or as close to launch as possible, considering these shortage rumors) and I'll likely pick up the Series X within a year of its release.

What I'll be playing on PS5 is a question that can only be answered affirmatively with "Assassin's Creed Valhalla". Ratchet and Clank looks great (never played one) and for some reason Gran Turismo 7 captivated me (never owned one) but I'm at a bit of a loss to think of anything else that wowed me. Maybe Kena: Bridge of Spirits. (I also wouldn't mind replaying some PS4 games on a more capable console with faster load times that doesn't sound like an F-15 has been cleared for take off in my living room.)

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

Owned every PlayStation since the first, still have every single one, gonna own this new one too. Owned every Xbox since the first; no longer own any of them. MS to me generally works best as an underdog competitor pushing the other gaming companies to innovate, but after the hilariously bad outings from them the last three generations, I'm out on them. I have a nice PC too, I dunno why I'd put money down on an Xbox when they're working so hard to make Xbox just a PC-lite. Sony machines also generally house games I'm interested in, in a more exclusive capacity than MS ones. Halo and whatever the ghost of Rareware makes isn't enough to get my juices going.

The Series S is an interesting prospect, but I mostly resent what MS has done to fragment the console gaming realm. Multiple SKUs with different inners for key components just makes things harder for developers and confusing for consumers. The 360 held back that entire generation of games with its DVD drive and optional HDD; I'm worried the Series S will do the same to this gen.

 

[Positronic Brain]

I'll admit, the idea of the digital $299 Xbox Series S with Game Pass is really tempting, but I'm still planning on the PS5 at the moment

Ditto. Honestly, if the $299 included a disc drive, I'd preorder it right now, but a digital only box is a no-no, since BC is my main draw to MS's box. Maaaaaybe if the pay-by-installments plan of theirs included Game Pass - then at $25 per month I'd be tempted.

Rumor is that Sony will announce the PS5's price today. Any bets? Theories abound that is going to be $499 or $599, and that Microsoft's announcement was supposed to undercut that but they got leaked so they lost their momentum. I honestly hope that ain't the case - I'm hoping $449 for the PS5 , $349 for the digital-only version (the price difference between the solid gold models pretty much cinches a $100 price difference between models)

(I can't believe I typed solid gold models literally refering to consoles covered in solid gold)

 

[4-So]

I'm thinking $499.00 for the disc-drive PS5; November 17th release date. I'd be surprised if the price was more than that, although it certainly wouldn't be new territory for Sony.

 

[Pajaro Pete]

pretty excited for 2023 when they announce cheaper revisions

 

[MCBanjoMike]

I bet the drive-less version is $500 to match Microsoft but the one with the drive is more. Sony is probably feeling a little arrogant right now, since they won the last console generation and they have more of a launch lineup for the fall.

 

[Issun]

It's crazy to think that 7th gen is the only one where Sony didn't get the lion's share of the console market, and that because the 360 was, red rings aside, a very good machine and it wasn't until the end of the generation that the PS3 got a truly compelling high-profile exclusive. Even Nintendo only truly dominated the 3rd generation, so Sony has been the major force in console gaming for almost 25 years now.

 

[MCBanjoMike]

What's interesting to me, though, is that every time there was a clear winner, the company behind it went on a power trip was usurped by an upstart. PlayStation took the lead because Nintendo insisted on using expensive cartridges. Xbox 360 took over when Sony decided that suckers would pay whatever they asked and released a console for 599 US Dollars. Microsoft then lost their lead by trying to shoehorn a bunch of TV features and online verifications that nobody wanted into the Xbox One. This time around, MS seems to have the most consumer-friendly system, featuring lots of backwards compatibility and the best subscription service on the market. Sony has the games, so all they have to do is keep a level head and I expect they'll come out on top. But if they start thinking the brand is enough to carry them through another generation, well, I wouldn't be surprised if they end up 2nd to Microsoft for a second time.

 

[Patrick]

I’m looking forward to catching up on PS3/4 and Switch games over the next generation. I just don’t have the time to play all of the games that are out now.

 

[Kirin]

Yeah, there's a good chance I'll get a PS5 eventually, but my console early adopter days are long behind me. I got a PS2 on day one (and was playing with one slightly pre-release at grad school), my PS3 wasn't at launch but early enough for the hardware BC (may it RIP). PS4 I don't think I picked up 'til FFXV came out?

For PS5... yeah, there's AssCreed which I enjoy, but my backlog is such that I have a game and a quarter of that on PS4 I haven't finished off yet. And lord knows what's even happening with FF. Also, physical vs driveless is gonna be an interesting choice for me, since even though I like physical media in *theory*, in actual *practice* I have fewer physical PS4 discs than fingers even here at the end of the gen.

 

[upupdowndown]

I'll admit, the idea of the digital $299 Xbox Series S with Game Pass is really tempting, but I'm still planning on the PS5 at the moment - for one I prefer to own my games either way, and in the past Sony has had my favorite exclusive titles*. I guess we'll see what happens when the eventual price drops. I'm hoping for less, but $599 would be my cut off point.

* Microsoft has bought a lot of really good talent and I really want to play a new Psychonauts game some day, but I imagine those games will all come to PC sooner than the Sony exclusives will and I can hold out a bit longer on PC upgrades for the time being.

The Series S is a fascinating market play and a great idea. I mean, it's not for me personally but it's a great idea for the budget-minded consumer.

it's a little disappointing that the internal storage is 512MB when it's dependent on digital delivery though; however, you can get a 1TB expansion card.

I really thought *all* Xbox games were simultaneously released on PC, so if you like playing on PC and have a good PC, seems like there's precious little reason to get an Xbox. I thought Microsoft was just more invested in getting people into their game ecosystem, whether that be on Xbox or on PC.

I'll be getting a PS5 at launch. I want the shiny, I want to play upgraded versions of games I'll already have like Avengers and Cyberpunk, and I'm firmly embedded in the Sony ecosystem and tend to highly favor their console exclusives. That bering said, MS has bought a *lot* of great developers lately, so I could see getting an Xbox Series Whatever mid-gen to get some Xbox exclusives because PC gaming holds no interest for me personally. (reasons: I don't *have* a PC, the fiddling required is a turn-off, and I grew up on console gaming and that's what I'm most comfortable with.)

 

[Becksworth]

I’m probably waiting for now on getting any new non portable consoles. Ratchet and Clank is really the only launch window thing that peaks my interest, and that can wait.

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

it's a little disappointing that the internal storage is 512MB when it's dependent on digital delivery though; however, you can get a 1TB expansion card.

Not to get all cOnSoLe WaRz on you guys, but it's this kinda thing that I friggin' detest about Microsoft.

 

[upupdowndown]

Not to get all cOnSoLe WaRz on you guys, but it's this kinda thing that I friggin' detest about Microsoft.

I think I read somewhere that both the PS5 and XB Series X/S consoles are going to be able to much better compress data, so maybe 512GB will go farther than it does now in this gen

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

I doubt it. Regardless, 512GB will probably not go nearly as far as it did this gen as developers throw more dense textures and other stuff into games as the average target resolution goes up and as devs begin exploring how to best use this new hardware. And that's before you take into consideration that the OS on Microsoft machines always eats up a giant chunk of the onboard storage. It's the 360 all over again, where you rope-a-dope suckers in for a cheaper console at face value, but then at some point you have to throw down several hundred dollars for a proprietary hard drive expansion that ads a paltry amount of storage per how much you're spending. This kind of fake out and forced upselling once you've bought into their ecosystem is basically MS's business model and I hate it so much.

 

[4-So]

Microsoft is probably banking on Internet throughput to be generally okay enough for people to consider the Project xCloud streaming service, so you won't necessarily need copious amounts of space. If these NVMe SSDs are really as fast as everyone is boasting on both the Sony and MS side, shuffling content / reinstalling games might not matter much either. (I know a fair number of people who play a game once and then move on, so I question how much of lack of space is actually a problem for the average consumer when the option to delete and re-download is readily available.)

 

[Becksworth]

Yeah, it’s going to be inevitably more annoying trying to fridge clean a 100 GBs of indie titles vs a single 100 GB AAA game.

 

[Paul le Fou]

Girlfriend tends towards early adoption, so we may end up getting each other half of a PS5 for Christmas. We'll see. I know I'm interested in that Demon's Souls remake and probably Horizon 2 (unless I end up not liking the first one for some reason), at the very least. Backwards compatibility is a plus but we have two PS4s in the household so maybe not suuuuch a big deal.

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

Microsoft is probably banking on Internet throughput to be generally okay enough for people to consider the Project xCloud streaming service, so you won't necessarily need copious amounts of space.

Big mistake, IMO. Especially here in Burgerstan, where we're decades behind the rest of the world in broadband saturation.

 

[Thraeg]

Maaaaaybe if the pay-by-installments plan of theirs included Game Pass - then at $25 per month I'd be tempted.

Good news!

Xbox All Access seems like one of the best deals in gaming

Subscribers pay nothing upfront for hardware and can save money over two years.

arstechnica.com

Anyways, I'm still waffling on what to get and when. I used to always wait for a critical mass of exclusives that I really wanted before pulling the trigger, but have rethought that with the idea that if I'm going to end up buying it anyway, it might as well be early, and that having it for an extra year is probably a reasonable trade for not saving $50 or whatever. Especially since this generation will theoretically be not just compatible but superior performance and load times for the previous generation's games.

I like MS's general approach more than Sony's over the last few years, what with embracing the PC side of things, great value from Game Pass, and inclusive steps like the adaptive controller. I'm a lot happier with the Xbox One X I got in March than I was with the PS4 it replaced, even setting aside the controller disconnection and fan noise issues that made me look for a replacement. It's head-and-shoulders better for media/streaming usage due to the ability to control the TV and receiver as well as the console from a single media remote. And the Game Pass library has let the kids and I dabble in a bunch of neat games that we wouldn't have bought or even known about otherwise. I still have two years prepaid on my Game Pass sub, so an Xbox would have a guaranteed library without spending more than I already have.

On the other hand, that same embracing of the PC means that I'm harder pressed to see why I should invest in a XSX for single-player games that I can just play on PC in the first place. PS5 will have meaningful exclusives, so it probably makes more sense as a complement to the PC. But it probably wouldn't replace the One X as family media hub for the above reasons (also it probably wouldn't even fit in my media center if the rumored size is accurate). So it would most likely go in my office next to the PC, and only get used for those occasional exclusives, which seems wasteful when there are already way more games I want to play on PC than I have time for.

So I contemplate just skipping it altogether, but then I'm pretty sure that my resolve is going to crack whenever the Demon's Souls remake shows up. And if I accept that, then logically, I might as well dive in now, and use the intervening time to catch up on the PS4 exclusives I missed because of my hardware issues (Horizon, God of War, Spider-man, FF7R, Ghost of Tsushima), and a replay of Bloodborne with a rock-solid framerate and quicker loading times sounds really appealing too...