DF Direct Weekly: will this console generation really last until 2027/2028?
The regulatory battles between Sony and Microsoft over the latter’s Activision Blizzard acquisition are throwing up all manner of headline stories – such as Xbox effectively positioning themselves as third out of three in terms of the major console platform holders, Sony writing off its chances of ever creating an FPS as potent as Call of Duty – and perhaps most intriguing of all, acknowledgement that this console generation is likely to persist until 2027 or even 2028.
The various legal documents make for great reading but do need to be treated with more than a little caution. On the face of it, it appears like we’re getting a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the platform holders, who are producing all manner of never-seen-before ‘insider’ information. However, we also need to remember that all of these disclosures are being driven by very specific agendas and nothing should be taken at face value, no matter how intriguing the information may be.
With that said, the idea of a prolonged console generation absolutely has merit. I’m not sure it’s fully understood how hard Microsoft and Sony pushed to make PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as powerful as they were, given the technologies available to them. Various factors – outlined in depth in this interview with Xbox’s chief system architect – demonstrate that the routes forward in producing any kind of next-gen console are (right now, at least) limited to say the least. The basic assumptions we have about new technology being both more performant cheaper are clearly being challenged.
00:00:00 Introduction00:02:31 News 01: Next-gen consoles to launch in 2027/2028? 00:13:41 News 02: Microsoft and Sony engaged in Call of Duty value dispute00:27:01 News 03: Witcher 3 current-gen + PC upgrades revealed! 00:37:34 News 04: Callisto Protocol leaks and reveals00:46:45 News 05: The Game Awards nominees announced 00:55:39 News 06: Warzone 2.0 tested! 01:07:17 DF Content Discussion: What has Audi been up to? 01:10:43 DF Supporter Q1: Given the performance woes of the new Pokémon games, does the industry need to re-evaluate yearly franchises? 01:18:10 DF Supporter Q2: How does being multilingual help the DF team? 01:24:05 DF Supporter Q3: With GPU/CPU stock still on store shelves, have AMD and Nvidia misjudged the market?
With all of this in mind, when the new consoles do eventually appear, I also believe we need to manage expectations from what we should expect from them. Microsoft in particular will be looking at the success of Nintendo Switch and its own Xbox Series S and may come to the perfectly valid conclusion that focusing on raw CPU and GPU power may not necessarily be the best way forward for the business – and that those who want the best in out-and-out performance are best served by moving to PC, which the firm also strongly supports. Microsoft is in the business of attracting players to its ecosystem and bringing more subscribers to Game Pass, which is demonstrabnly more important than having the most powerful console on the market.
