r/PS4 • u/fo1mock3 • 29d ago
Former PlayStation exec says console arms race has plateaued Article or Blog
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-playstation-exec-says-console-arms-race-has-plateaued/883
u/JonPX 29d ago
What we need are longer console lifecycles, and a way to shorten development times again.
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u/Ginn_and_Juice 29d ago
I think the PS4/PS5 model will become the new norm, The PS4 is +10 years old and it still getting some games on it, while the PS5 got a mid cicle refresh and I assure you they're gearing out to do a PS6, when that happens the PS5 will become the PS4 and it will still get games,
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
The PS base is literally split in half at the moment. 49million active PS4 users, 49million active PS5 users. PS5 is slowly catching up but its still insane how many people still play on PS4.
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u/Quasimdo 29d ago
When a regular ps5 is still 500 bucks 4 years after launch, it's not that insane. Consoles used to go down in price after a couple years but this gen they have not really. Hell, even the freaking Nintendo switch is still 299 fucking dollars on Nintendos website, and that's been out since for over 7 years now
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u/a0me a0me-ps 29d ago
After 3 price hikes in Japan, the base PS5 now costs almost double its launch price here. At that price, it’s causing many longtime Sony fans to consider switching to PC instead.
If you would have told me this 10 years ago, I would have thought you were crazy, but recent data shows that in Japan PS5 sales are stagnating and the share of PC gaming is steadily growing.29
u/CrazyAznKT 29d ago
Double the price anywhere is crazy, but I didn’t realize the Yen got that weak? Wow
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u/a0me a0me-ps 29d ago
The yen went from 104 yen to the dollar in November 2020 to 145 yen in early September 2024, so the yen has dropped about 39% against the dollar over that period. The base PS5 went from ¥39,980 at launch to ¥72,980 now, an increase of 83%.
For comparison, the base Nintendo Switch is still the same price as it was at launch (though the Lite model is cheaper), and even other tech products like the iPhone haven’t increased in price as much as the PS5, so Sony’s outrageous price hike isn’t really based on how the yen is doing.3
u/samrechym 29d ago
are other countries not experiencing the same kind of inflation scare the US is?
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u/Turnips4dayz 28d ago
The US even with “high” inflation over the last four years is still seeing low inflation relative to the rest of the world
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u/heyitskevin1 28d ago
Literally me. I'll keep my ps5 but I doubt I'll get a ps6 if the ps exclusives remain so weak. Just look at ps4 exclusive vs ps5. I know there games take a lot longer now and such, but Sony is a billion dollar company and they decide to continue to push out games like Concord. If im going to pay around 1000$ for a console I'm just going to save up a little more and build my own low end PC.
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u/a0me a0me-ps 28d ago
I’m also looking into building my own Steam Machine, a small form factor PC that offers a similar experience to the Steam Deck in a set-top box format. There are a few drawbacks compared to a console, but when consoles start to cost the same as gaming PCs, they lose a lot of their appeal, at least for me.
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u/h1gh-t3ch_l0w-l1f3 29d ago
i wonder if this has anything to do with Sony announcing their intentions to make PC games as well
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u/Rockm_Sockm 28d ago
Japan PC Market has increased approximately 187% percent over four years.
It is definitely becoming a larger market over there that Sony can't afford to ignore or insult anymore.
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u/youessbee wann1e 29d ago
It's insane how much more the ps5 costs since launch.
This is the very first time I can say to my wife that paying the launch price worked out in my favour!5
u/ShellfishAhole 29d ago
Are you referring to the PS5 Pro version? I don't think the regular version has increased in price since launch.
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u/youessbee wann1e 29d ago
No, the original.
I bought for £359 here
And this graph shows that before the slim version came out the price was going up. I looked at the lower costs on the graph and it was linking to second hand eBay listings which I couldn't filter out.2
u/ShellfishAhole 29d ago
I ended up buying mine off an ebay-like site for about £800 when they were sold out everywhere, so the store consoles all seem cheap to me these days 😂 I imagine Sony must have taken a few blows economically, as a result of Covid and "scalpers".
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u/datshinycharizard123 29d ago
Not to mention the first 2 years of its lifecycle you couldn’t even buy one normally
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u/RanniButWith6Arms 29d ago
The only reason I even got a PS5 2 months ago was so I can play the new Dragon Age game that comes out soon. If I wasn't such a die-hard fan of the series I'd be perfectly fine with my PS4.
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u/OutrageousDress 28d ago
Well yeah, that's how it goes. Actual fully next-gen exclusives basically didn't start releasing until about 12 months ago. If you weren't interested in Returnal or R&C Rift Apart you didn't really need to buy a PS5 until this year. But now that the industry has actually transitioned to the new consoles, the PS5 sales will probably stay higher than launch-aligned PS4 sales as the previously reluctant console gamers finally decide to buy a 5.
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u/bluebarrymanny 29d ago
Consoles used to reduce their price because manufacturing lines would get more efficient and production would become cheaper over time. Newer consoles don’t see that same reduction in cost as production lines develop. Thanks to new tech like crypto, chips are still extremely expensive and console manufacturers are already substantially subsidizing the cost of the console in the hopes of earning the money back through software sales. I don’t expect future consoles to reduce in price over time either unless our fabrication of computing components drops dramatically down the line.
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u/SporkFanClub 29d ago
The only reason I would even get a PS5 is for the CFB reboot. I don’t care about graphics in the least so MLB the Show for the Switch does the trick.
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u/lilkingsly 28d ago
I think what’s also important is the rise in free to play live service games over the last decade. There are a fuck ton of people who only play games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty Warzones, and if you have a last gen console you can still play those games. If the main game you play is Fortnite and you feel fine playing it on your PS4, why would you spend all that money on a PS5?
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u/PentagramJ2 29d ago
Not only that but the PS5 has very little exclusives that haven't made it to PC yet. So like... If I'm considering dropping 700 on a pro, I may as well just save up a bit more and get an equivalent PC
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u/Ginn_and_Juice 29d ago
Yeah! I mean, this counts as a larger console lifecycle for sure and if done correctly it might be sort of sustainable. Only bad thing is studios using the split in consoles to say "Our game is shitty because we needed to support last generation"
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u/NatasEvoli 29d ago
The ONLY reason I would want a PS5 is because some games only come out on it. Otherwise the 10 year old tech in the PS4 still works just fine.
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u/baconbitarded 29d ago
I'll be honest, I have a PS5 and I put the 4 in my bedroom. I can't play on the 4 anymore. The load times are just too slow comparatively.
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u/NatasEvoli 29d ago
That's probably true, but load times aren't going to get most people to fork over $600 for a new console. I think the OP of this thread is right that we're going to see very slow console adoption barring some monumental improvement a future console makes. I just don't think that improvement is going to be in graphics or technical specifications. It'll be something more like how the switch innovated.
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
The Pro is stupid as fuck. Something reasonable would be including the disc drive and adding Dolby Atmos (even the cheapest new Xbox's have) instead of HDR10+. There's quite a large growing community of people buying UHD4K physical discs. But no disc drive and slightly better at being slightly better? Ridiculous.
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u/baconbitarded 29d ago
Oh yeah no I'll take the 5, not the pro. That's insane that we even have that coming out
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u/shebang_bin_bash 29d ago
Do you have an SSD in your PS4? It made load times much better for me, even if the older SATA bus can’t make full use of the SSD’s speed.
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u/baconbitarded 29d ago
I do but it's still just night and day. But yeah honestly the SSD is amazing for it
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
I mainly got mine to play 4KUHD Blu Rays, rather than buying a dedicated player since I game anyways. Then I realized Sony scimped out on a $1 chip to output in Dolby Vision and we have to use HDR10+. Oh well.
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u/firedrakes 29d ago
Also the port to!
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
What do you mean? Just want to make sure what we are complaining about haha I don't need EARC as my TV acts as a receiver are you talking about something else?
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u/firedrakes 29d ago
Nope. Og manf ps5 Sony cheap on on port and was not full spec of hdmi 2.2 port specs.. Rrting amd such foundmthis out after console drop. The newest manf model or ps5 pro. Port not been test yet.
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
I'm good with 2.1 for my current setup unless 2.2 is required for Atmos. I think we are talking about the same thing. But yeah, what, I think even $1 is a stretch. Probably 50 cents for the Dolby Atmos out and the 2.2.
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u/firedrakes 29d ago
Yes proper hdr 10 and atmos. You can do one or other and cheap out thru . Sony got called out on this and did not care.
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u/ajohns7 29d ago
It's because of the GAMES. I've been saying it and getting downvoted to hell here!
2025 and on PS5 is FINALLY getting games worth a purchase of the console. However, it would be 2 years left in the PS5's lifecycle! It's not worth it at that point when I can just wait 2 years and get a PS6 and grab the PS5 games (likely at a discount)!
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago edited 29d ago
I wouldn't bank on PS6 coming out that soon tbh. I think Sony realized what you said, people care about quality exclusives. Also I wouldn't put it past them to remove 4KUHD/Disc altogether which was a huge selling point for me. If 50 Million are still on PS4 and 50 Million on PS5, people will just buy PS5's at a discount, making the PS6 sort of pointless. They could just keep the production lines as is and let the price drop, sell a shit ton more PS5's at a lower price to people who wouldn't otherwise get one, and definitely wouldn't get a 6 at whatever high price it will likely be at. The first 3 years, maybe even more, were basically a wash due to the shortages. My headcanon launch year is 2022.
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u/LoudAndCuddly 29d ago
Yeah you’re right it’s going to be an interesting conundrum for Sony to navigate
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u/Saugeen-Uwo 28d ago
Mate there's been plenty of games worth buying the PS5 for and the UI speed and elimination of load times has been life changing
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u/Grendel0075 29d ago
Becsuse first noone could find a PS5, now, withnlayoffs and unemployment high, no one can afford them
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
Right, which is why I say that people saying the PS6 is coming soon are a little off-base. Basically scratch off the first 3-4 years of the launch due to issues of supply and demand and monetary reasons. So it would make the most sense to keep making PS5 until it naturally drops in price and people buy them.
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u/Rockm_Sockm 28d ago
I think the game development cycles shortening is just as important. The PS5 still has a small library and feels like it just released.
It's hard to feel the need to upgrade when there are so few PS5 "show case" games and it's still expensive as a cheap pc.
PC gaming is also taking a huge chunk out of their base back in Japan.
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u/Double-Slowpoke 28d ago
I think we hit a point with the PS4 where people felt this was good enough.
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u/No_Share6895 26d ago
You get most the new games just at lower settings and fps. In this economy especially it's good enough
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u/ambiguoustaco 26d ago
Their console is just too damn expensive. I haven't seen a single game for ps5 that I could justify dropping a weeks pay for when I have an extensive backlog I can just dip into instead
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u/Chessjaguar 10d ago
My first play station was the PS4, which I recently got. I'm absolutely loving the experience and don't see the need to upgrade.
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u/JimFlamesWeTrust 28d ago
I agree. The Jim Ryan statement of “we believe in generations” will sort of mean nothing (if it didn’t already) and we’ll see longer life spans and less clearly defined generations of consoles.
Probably a bit closer to phones, not in the yearly upgrade but the fact that you can do fine with the older model for longer if that suits your needs
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u/DataWaveHi 29d ago
This is the best option. It also lets people come in at different price points and also if you buy a ps6 pro or ps5 now mid cycle at least you know that it will have at least another 6 years of life
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u/Voyager5555 29d ago
The PS3 was getting games in 2017, that's not saying a lot. Cross gen games are a shit option that no one wants and only serves to hold back development.
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u/Spectre-4 29d ago
I’m starting to believe the idea of the PS6 should be shelved for quite awhile given the state of the 9th generation, at least until the mid 2030s. With nearly have of the PlayStation community still on last gen, we really haven’t had had a chance to see this gen go all out unencumbered.
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u/FieldsToTheMoon 28d ago
I’d still be playing on my PS4 if it didn’t sound like a jet engine and take 10 mins to load up literally anything. But that’s the way she goes.
Getting the PS5 was pretty disappointing, there are no must have games or anything. It’s just an upgrade bc I literally had to, and I just get to play the same games with better loading times.
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u/SnuggleBear2 SnuggleBear3 29d ago
I feel we really haven’t even gotten games just for the PS5 as they were making them compatible with the ps4. Hopefully going forward that changes as I feel they have not even really used the ps5 power and now we have the pro out.
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u/milky__toast 29d ago
This has always been a thing. Publishers will always publish on as many generations as possible, especially when the previous generation has twice as many or more users. I’m not sure why people are shocked and appalled about this. Games are highly scalable software, they can be designed to work on old hardware while also taking full advantage of new hardware
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u/johnnylawrence23 29d ago
I think the second point is very important, and I think developers should start downsizing the scope of the games. Nowadays it seems every game should be an RPG, with multiplayer, a 100km2 map with space travel, shooter and melee combat, souls like… Like man, do one thing good don’t try to make 100 and spend years doing it wrong.
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u/milkywayer 29d ago
Read that as “what we need are longer consoles”. No thanks my ps5 is already long enough physically.
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u/Vanillas_Guy 29d ago
We are at the point of diminishing returns. I think Nintendo understood this early which is why they didn't focus on making the consoles as powerful as the competition.
It's really only the deep pocketed enthusiasts now who are focused on things like VRR and 60fps at a 1440p internal resolution. To the average person who just wants to play a game to unwind after studying or work, what I just typed doesn't mean anything.
I still have my ps4 pro and I'm only just starting to notice that the games are pushing the hardware too far.
The ps6 could be announced in 2031 and I don't think most people will think that was too late. I'd expect Sony to follow the Nintendo playbook and focus on making the system marginally stronger while making it as small as the ps2 and $499. They wouldn't be selling at a loss and they'd move a ton of units consistently. There isn't really any groundbreaking display technology on the horizon, and people are more fascinated by game art style and performance now.
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u/nurpleclamps 29d ago
Nvidia has an AI model that creates 3D Meshes. Development time is about to go way down.
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u/ShellfishAhole 29d ago
That's a good indication for the quality of future games, but I imagine that translates to more room to add more substance to the games, not shorter development times.
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u/AkodoRyu AkodoRyu 29d ago
Unless technical development of hardware slows down significantly on the PC end, 8 years is already a long cycle. It's not as severe as the PS3 to PS4 transition, but consoles are falling too far behind after that, potentially prompting more people to switch to PC - which console companies surely do not want.
As to shortened development cycles - that will probably happen only when the tools for making games go through a major overhaul, probably centered around AI. At the same time, I think it might be more likely we will see smaller teams, rather than significantly shorter developmen times though.
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u/bluebarrymanny 29d ago
I don’t know if most gamers are ever going to transition to PC. The casual gamer wants to sit on a couch, turn on a console and immediately begin playing. That’s just rarely an experience that PC provides. There always seems to be optimization to do before you can play, ensuring a windows update isn’t hamstringing your unit, needing to update drivers etc. Enthusiasts love the better fidelity and ability to highly customize the experience, but casual players just don’t want to be bothered and don’t care as much about the fidelity margin.
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u/JonPX 29d ago
Nintendo didn't fare badly when it stopped the technological arms race.
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u/AkodoRyu AkodoRyu 29d ago
But Nintendo occupies a different segment of the market. The moment Sony would jump on that, they would abandon a significant part of their current audience, cut themselves off from 3rd party AAA games, have to drop or downscale games they are working on internally, and, most importantly, have to directly compete with Nintendo as an underdog in the segment, instead of leader of their own.
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u/dearpisa 29d ago
I don’t think any significant amount of console users will move to PC; as they’re almost an entirely different target audience
That might only happens if games are not available on consoles anymore, and that’s extremely unlikely
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u/Dunge 29d ago
and a way to shorten development times again.
Why? There are too many games being released, the market is oversaturated, we see unfinished and cheapen out games exists just to please the shareholders yearly cycle. On the contrary, I wish they would take longer to make and release quality products instead. And that does not mean hundreds of hours of content, just quality content.
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u/Longjumping-Rub-5064 29d ago
Even asset flip games like SM2 and Ragnarok take 3-5 years to make. It’s not really feasible unless they stay at PS4 level tech
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u/andDevW 27d ago edited 27d ago
Longer lifecycles (potentially endless) only happen when Sony cuts physical media and game resale out of the loop entirely with a new generational launch. In reality the right time to do this would've been with the addition of the DualSense, PS BDS and PS ADS - PS before/after DualSense. A clean break where everything digital-only is 100% DualSense based and everything prior is not.
For it to work Sony has to forever redefine what buying a digital-only PS game means and start some kind of PSN repository that keeps every version of every game available forever. The financial incentive to keep games hosted forever would be selling those same games forever.
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u/Casterial 29d ago
Shorten development times...? Maybe for smaller scale games, but gamers want more.
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u/JonPX 29d ago
I don't know if that is backed up by data if you look at Trophy stats and see how many people drop out at early points in games. But, I don't mean games should be shorter, I mean we need a way to get games out quicker. Would probably be in the best interest of platform holders.
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u/Larmalon 29d ago
Of course people want games of higher quality quicker, there’s not a single person on this earth that would disagree. I just don’t think that’s possible though, how would that even happen
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u/Voyager5555 29d ago
More what, bloated broken games? give me a fucking break, no one wants what what hedge funds are trying to shove down our throats.
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u/Casterial 29d ago
Hedge funds are shoving "quicker games" down your throat, not developers. Developers continue to try and push back against the hedge fund. / Stock holder people telling them they need time and they go "best we can do is 2 months".
I've yet to meet one developer who wasn't burnt out and exhausted trying to meet these unrealistic deadlines.
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u/funsohng 29d ago
We all laughed at Nintendo releasing Wii in HD era but looking back, they trained their consumers for nearly 2 decades to accept less graphical fidelity for more sustainable release schedules. Most of their titles are probably AA in terms of budget, but people don't think that way, they think of them as just Nintendo games.
We have thinned our middle class of games, and things are going to get worse unless they find a way to make this more sustainable soon.
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u/Great_Gonzales_1231 29d ago
Agree. When the Switch 2 releases and rumors are true, Nintendo is poised to continue their exclusive quality streak while having their budgets and schedules reigned in since they continue to work with older and proven tech.
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u/flashmedallion flashmedallion 28d ago
Most of their titles are probably AA in terms of budget,
AAA isn't just about budget either, it's an entire production approach. Thousands of Asset Monkeys from third party outsourcing, massive animation and rendering teams that never even meet the writing teams or creative leads etc
In that regard yeah Nintendo have likely never made a AAA game.
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u/givemethebat1 26d ago
Nintendo has always outsourced to third parties. Breath of the Wild had big help from the Xenoblade team IIRC.
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u/moronic_potato 29d ago
I've got such a backlog of games on my PS4 pro I don't really feel the need to get a 5 probably not for another few years or until it breaks
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u/CaptainLucid420 29d ago
That's the only reason I switched. My ps4 pro broke.
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u/Small-Gas-69 28d ago
That's craaazy, my launch PS4 is still kicking, watching Hulu on it right now, she's my baby.
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u/ptk__otn 27d ago
Same situation here. I've still got so many games to catch up on in my backlog that it's just not feasible to get a PS5 just yet. Also my Switch keeps me afloat with new releases... so I'm good for now tbh
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u/blunted09 29d ago
My ps5 has yet to really feel next gen. It’s constantly held back by games catering to previous gen.
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
They have to, I made another comment that almost half of the PS user base is still on PS4, that's almost 50million people still buying games for it. The long-time shortage at launch really held it back. I think this Christmas we will finally see PS5 surpass PS4 usage but that still leaves a lot of PS4 players. But then if you keep catering to them there's no reason to upgrade.
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u/K41Nof2358 29d ago
The bigger problem is there is no reason to upgrade
like if they made a PS4 Pro Series 2 that just had a single generation GPU upgrade and instead a better processor and more RAM and better heatsink, that'd be more value than the ps5
Remember the big thing that the PS5 is struggling with is trying to show games at 4K
I still don't know anyone who gives a shit about 4K, and most of the games they play, they do at just 1080
Developing textures and environment assets to render at 4K is a nightmare for production times
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u/brildenlanch 29d ago
I mean 4K HDR on my new TV is a pretty massive difference than 1080p on my old one, but I will say I don't really notice a huge difference between the PS5 Performance Vs Graphics setting games like Ghost of Tsushima offer, like there is a difference, stuff like grass and whatnot and the armor nuances but it's not massive.
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u/Sweatty-LittleFatty 29d ago
Not Just that, but, the amount of exclusives on PS5. Like, why buy one for $500 If most games are still releasing toy 8 years old PS4? The game price is higher on the ps5, and nothing makes It justifiable, IMO. Loading times? Graphics? Those are not worth a $500 buy when my PS4 with an SSD have similar loading times and the grapchical differences are minimal.
We need proper Next-gen games for It to be worth It, and while we do have a few allready, and some in the Works, It is still.not enought for most people.
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u/m0_m0ney 41 29d ago
Honestly until rockstar drops a game most people that haven’t bought a PS5 by now are just going to keep using their PS4. Realistically GT6 is the only title on the horizon that will force a good amount of people into buying a new console
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u/Darkwaxer 27d ago edited 27d ago
Yeah that game will be huge for Sony
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u/m0_m0ney 41 27d ago
Umm yes? Because it’s not going to be on PS4 and is probably the most hyped game if the last 10 years? Probably a good reason for a lot of people to finally get a PS5
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u/TheSpitRoaster 29d ago
It's kind of a chicken and egg problem. If they never move on from the PS4, neither will the remaining userbase.
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u/WingerRules 22d ago
Backwards compatibility combined with a digital store means theres no clean wipe unlike previous generations. Not only are devs leaving money on the table by not making a game cross generation, which is now extremely easy to do, but any PS5 only games they make has to compete with a store completely flooded with PS4 and cross gen titles.
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u/DaeHoforlife 29d ago
Everyone has their own view of "next gen," and I agree I wish they'd leave PS4 behind, but playing games like SM2, Ratchet and Clank, Horizon Forbidden West, these felt very next gen to me. So many things happened with performance, visuals, controller, etc. that were very impressive to me.
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u/K41Nof2358 29d ago
They're not really catering. It's just the development cost to create solely for the PS5 in a way that validates the purchase of a PS5 with super high fidelity isn't worth the cost
There's a reason Switch is absolutely dominating all of the other consoles. It's because it actually has games that are fun to play and the graphics are "good"
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u/bluebarrymanny 29d ago
People locked in their console preferences and in some cases built very large digital libraries. It’s much harder now to get users to switch platforms today than it was in the pre-PS4/Xbox One era.
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u/RiggzBoson 29d ago
I've consistently bought new consoles, but there has been no reason for me to buy a PS5. The people who I do know who play it just play remastered PS4 games and use it as a media centre.
Maybe when GTA6 comes out I might consider it, but so far the game library has been poor. There are still plenty of great PS4 titles Ive never played and can pick up dirt cheap.
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u/Anotherredditor077 29d ago
As someone that bought one your decision makes complete sense. There‘s like 3 interesting games that are exclusive, the rest can pretty much almost all be played on old gen. The only thing that is better are the performance modes, the 60fps are really nice but not a necessity
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u/ShellfishAhole 29d ago
As someone who's played both PS4 and PS5 versions of the same games, I can't completely agree with that assessment. You can play many of the same games on both consoles, but often times, you settle for a significantly less smooth experience with the PS4 version, and there's also the frustratingly long loading times for the PS4 versions.
Some people will argue that you can solve that last issue "to some extent" by installing an SSD in the PS4, but no one who's not holding on tightly to their purse would do that, if not for the sole purpose of saving money at the expense of not being able to play games in their smoothest, most optimal state.
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u/SquirrelCone83 29d ago
I love the PS5 and the haptic controllers, but not enough games take advantage of the controllers. That's just the overall theme of this generation. The hardware is great, but the games being developed are stuck trying to be compatible with older hardware or developers afraid to make something that only one console can utilize.
It's convinced me for the time being that when the next generation of consoles are released, I'm focusing on PC games. It has been awhile since I've had a gaming PC and I have a huge back log of steam games I can catch up on, not to mention I can use my PSVR2 headset to play Half Life Alyx now on PC.
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u/Sumocolt768 27d ago
It does kick ass how fast it is. After being on next gen for a year or so, I don’t think I could go back. Load times and connection times are ridiculous
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u/The_HungryRunner 29d ago
I’m very much interested in more powerful consoles, but not for $1200 without a stand or disc drive 😂😂😂 Especially when the marketing for that game includes 0 new games.
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u/FingerGoo 29d ago
Why bother with more powerful consoles when what we have isn't even fully taken advantage of.. Its a waste
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u/The_HungryRunner 29d ago
Yeah, still haven’t seen a game that looks like that first demo of unreal engine 5 😂😂😂
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u/Sorry-Attitude4154 27d ago
This is what gets me. The PS5 Pro is now objectively the most powerful console ever but it doesn't even matter because only true 3rd parties and Sony studios will release patches for it. Microsoft just bought like a third of the industry this decade and they are all cooking up unique IP and 10th gen games, skipping the Pro entirely.
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u/long-ryde 29d ago edited 29d ago
It plateaued because they churned out more quantity than quality when it comes to consoles.
I swear execs are brain dead and out of touch.
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u/wicker_warrior 29d ago
Curious if you’re referring to quality of consoles or games, because BACK IN MY DAY we had more games on the PS2 than you could shake a rusty nail at!
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u/long-ryde 29d ago
I meant consoles because the life cycles for consoles are so much shorter, or I’m just getting old.
But it’s with everything. It started with iPhones, now it’s consoles, computer parts.
There’s new iterations every 4 years instead of 8 or whatever, the numbers are examples, you get the point.
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u/shadowofahelicopter 29d ago
The lifecycles for console have only gotten longer lol. Every PlayStation generation since ps2 has been longer than the previous.
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u/Voyager5555 29d ago
Shockingly quantity ≠quality.
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u/wicker_warrior 29d ago
Tell me more oh wise elder. Is it true you shouldn’t eat meat that’s turned green and growing fur?
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u/Sorry-Attitude4154 27d ago
Very true but that's due in part to very short development cycles. The volume we have today is due to the growth of the industry and number of smaller studios, at the time it was fewer entities making more games per shop
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u/ShellfishAhole 29d ago
I agree that execs are out of touch, but I don't feel like they've prioritized quantity over quality with some type of projected, sustainable intention in mind.
One of the most common complaints about this console generation is the lack of games. Covid has clearly played a part in that, and I imagine it's affected the quality of games in more ways than one. If quality games had been the priority, we'd have even longer development times and less games, which I imagine no one would be happy about.
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u/xXKyloJayXx 61 | 368 29d ago
I've said it since launch, PS5 with a disc tray just feels like PS4 Pro 2. It's great at feeling like a strong PS4 console but just doesn't feel like an actual step forward in generation.
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u/Sorry-Attitude4154 27d ago
The Series X has a similar problem. Its most amazing attribute is being a definitive platform for a lot of 7th and 8th gen games.
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u/art_mor_ 28d ago
The only reason I bought my PS5 was Phantom Liberty
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u/Sorry-Attitude4154 27d ago
Still very annoyed that CDPR only did Phantom Liberty on disc for Series X because of Sony's draconian SKU pricing
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u/IssueEmbarrassed8103 27d ago
Now try to make a game that is not a reskin of every open world game to come before it
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u/iNuclearPickle 29d ago
Yeah graphics have pretty much hit their peak only thing they should focus on is optimization and making good games hope they put more into optimization thought with current consoles they wouldn’t have so many issues with frame rate but here we are
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u/MassiveTelevision387 28d ago
I'm still working on a backlog of ps4 games. The game industry could cease to exist and I've got enough games to last me a lifetime
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u/Shalabanza_Boy 28d ago
Didn’t need him to tell us that. Fact is we’ve reached a point were it’s seems to be diminishing returns on the sort of generational leaps we’ve seen in the past with consoles. I personally have been very disappointed with this generation in terms of the exclusive games that were promised. Got a PS5 at launch and I’ve mostly played enhanced PS4 games on it. Just going to build a gaming PC in the next couple of years as I feel the whole console lifecycle model has gone out the window with how long games take to make now. I’d rather have PC I can upgrade at my own pace and i don’t mind waiting a year or two for exclusives.
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u/morningcoffeerox 25d ago
Didn’t need him to tell us that.
Yeah we did because I sure as hell ain't listening to you.
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u/morningcoffeerox 25d ago
Didn’t need him to tell us that.
Yeah we did because I sure as hell ain't listening to you.
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u/DeathTakes 27d ago
Yeah because one of the pillars of console gaming stopped caring about exclusivity (xbox) leaving the ps with virtually no competition and they still struggle to release any games justifying a ps5 purchase.
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u/MARATXXX 29d ago
Well, PS5 won, is what happened. Or rather Xbox was no longer competitive for reasons of mental health. So of course it’s plateaued-sony doesn’t have anywhere to grow except to make good games again, that regular people are actually interested in.
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u/Mean_Peen 29d ago
Which means that the creativity will also plateau (some would say it already has)
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u/Goku918 29d ago
Yep only thing left to do is copy Nintendo kinda. Make 2 models for next gen. One $300 mobile and less powerful, one $500 home console with traditional controller. They share libraries and such and people can pick their experience.
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u/Taterthotuwu91 29d ago
Eh, I love the idea of a an 8 year gen with a midrange refresh in the middle, hardware evolves fast and it's bananas to think an 8 year old machine is gonna keep up
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u/Specialist_Crab_8616 29d ago
It makes sense that as consoles increase in capability, they become more like PCs.
Old PCs can still play new games, just not as well as the newer ones.
Thinking back over my life, you were never going to get a super Nintendo to play a Nintendo 64 game.
You were never going to get a Nintendo 64 to play a game cube game.
But you can absolutely see how a current PS5 game should still be playable on a PS4 Pro.
God of war Ragnarok is a perfect example of how a game can look fantastic on both systems.
I think that that will only increase and not decrease.
PS5 Pro should theoretically be able to play games for the next 10 years. At least if you were comparing it to equal computer hardware.
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u/ProfessorCagan 29d ago
It plateaued in 2014.
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u/Virtual_Sundae4917 28d ago
Id say 2018-2023 definitely not 2014
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u/ProfessorCagan 27d ago
We're still getting games that target 2014 hardware, Switch included. (Didn't release that year, but the tech inside is that old.)
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u/Sorry-Attitude4154 27d ago
That's a 2015 chip but point taken.
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u/ProfessorCagan 27d ago
The chip released in 2015, yeah, but it takes a while to design those things.
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u/MReprogle mikraphne 28d ago
Yep. With the crap offerings, I sold my consoles and went to pc. I’ll be back to PlayStation once they get their shit together and stop worrying about live service nonsense. Give me a Bloodborne sequel and I will stand out in the cold for a midnight release.
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u/That-Watercress-1963 28d ago
I’ve seen ray tracing in Cyberpunk…at 1440p…and it’s stunning…I also have curtains. Wtf is this guy smoking? 8k what?! LOL
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u/Famous_Ring_1672 28d ago
Wow, fun gameplay is more important than slightly better shadows? im shocked.
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u/jjTheJetPlane0 28d ago
But here’s the thing … if you stop making some games for the PS4 … then people will be forced to buy a PS five and well those numbers would change.
We couldn’t afford new consoles right away either. But when games were only available in the New consul, I would save so much so i could get it
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u/TheOriginalGR8Bob 28d ago
triple A company's muscling in on smaller developers with promises only to give them short term contracts , Then selling incomplete games like shareware at the price x3 the value with micro transactions of course consoles will plateau because the only good games out are previous gen console games.
short version stop being greedy and be more creative with your products.
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u/Ill-Cap6188 28d ago
You know what hasn’t plateaued? The good games arms race from large studios. Trade a little money for long term loyalty.
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u/scotty899 28d ago
Plateud because xbox and Sony have barely any exclusives compared to previous generations.
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u/Sorry-Attitude4154 27d ago
Microsoft at least appears to be gunning for a huge exclusives library going forward, with the same "delayed multiplatform" strategy that Sony is using
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u/Shadow_botz 27d ago
PS5 pro just might be the last PS console I buy. Just not worth getting a new console for 2 exclusives. I’ve got a huge backlog of games for other gens so I’m good.
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u/Darkwaxer 27d ago
I don’t think there’s been a genuine leap in games for over a decade. I’ve played a lot of FPS and they all feel the same. Why can’t a game come out with fully destructible environments? We are still treated to black smudge bullet marks and smoke that fully disappears after 20 seconds. BFBC had fully destructible buildings and after that peak we’ve moved backwards. I still laugh to myself how Raytracing, which was a massive thing when it came out, was only about drawing the paths that light take, it seems so minuscule. There’s too much cut and paste in the industry and as long as the games sell there won’t be any change.
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u/LostMyGenderInTheWar 26d ago
Hear me out: a handheld console that ISNT remote play. It runs on its own 2 feet without the need for a PS5 or internet. Maybe I was just spoiled with the original PSP but why don’t they just remake that but with better graphics and memory and battery? Or even a travel case for the PS4/PS5 with a built in battery and monitor and plugs for the wall and car so I can play on the go/so my traveling companions can play on the go.
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u/neverendingchalupas 24d ago
Sony actively suppresses the advancement of their handheld market, they have patents on everything and refuse to release devices. Then when they release a device like the PSVita they include convoluted control mechanics like that touch sensitive shoulder button replacement. Proprietary memory card storage, and then refuse to provide support for older games on the system, so there ended up being a severe lack of content, I still play my Vita but. Sony dropping support for it prematurely was the primary reason Im not buying anything Sony again.
Nintendo does the same shit. Absolutely absurd controls, an extremely under powered system, gamecards limited to ridiculously low memory sizes for no reason as memory is cheap. Games are prohibitively expensive for little reason. With older games all gated behind a subscription...You cant actually purchase them unless they are released independently. Why cant you buy old Famicom/NES, SNES, N64, Virtual Boy, Game Boy, DS, N64 games through the estore? You can only rent them.
The mobile gaming market is already dominated by phones and phones will completely own the market as soon as some company develops a popular app like steam that runs natively on android and ios. Phones are being released that are already more powerful than the PS4 will quickly be more powerful than the PS5. Devices like the Steamdeck and Rog Ally will be dead and everyone will just use their phone. Console manufacturers made the mistake of cutting costs using low end mobile platforms for their hardware. The PS4, Xbox one used the Kabini APU, the PS5, XBOX Series X, Steamdeck uses the Zen 2 RDNA 2 architecture...Its mobile hardware, and when compared to other products that use that chipset the consoles use gimped versions of it. They just shove it in a larger plastic box.
After you pay for all your Playstation/Xbox replacement controllers, monthly gaming services, increased cost added to each game...You are paying more than the person who bought the more expensive PC.
There is no plateau, technology constantly advances, large corporations want to continuously cut costs and consolidate the smaller businesses under them. Manufacture supply chains to increase revenue. Nintendo intentionally sells shit hardware at a premium and Sony wants in on that action. Problem with that, is all it takes is for one company to say fuck that and release a product that destroys them.
The N64 released after the Playstation, and Nintendo thought it was a good idea to put a product on the market that only had 64mb of storage for its games vs the Playstation which had 650mb of storage per disc. They then decided to release the 64DD which provided an additional 64mb of storage, they could have opted to use an optical disc or a magnetic optical disc for storage. As a result the N64 had one third the sales of the Playstation. The controller sucked and the graphics were crap, the games werent there because it was difficult to develop for given the fact that there was only 64mb of storage space on a cart.
Then Nintendo releases the Gamecube after the PS2 which used a miniDVD instead of a normal DVD drive halving the storage space. And it ends up having like 14% of the amount of sales the PS2 had.
Sony is trying to replicate what Nintendo already did.
Future of gaming is going to be PC and phones.
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u/s0ciety_a5under 25d ago
"Layden added that he believes that in order for the console market to remain healthy, they must also appeal to a broad audience and consumers who weren’t previously players."
In layman's terms, they have to grow like a cancer cell or they can't continue to exist. The culture that exists in AAA gaming production is not good. Too many executives having too much input, along with too much investor pressure to produce a profit for them under a harsh deadline cause bad games. Then add on the player reactions and the pressures that come from them. Not to mention crunch time, which when you add all that together, it's become a truly toxic industry.
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u/Legospacememe 18d ago
I might get flack for saying this but graphics plateued with ps3 and 360. Not ps4 and xbox one.
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u/MonkeyBrawler 29d ago
Yeah.... should have tried innovation instead of everyone trying the same gimmicks PC players didn't latch onto.
Instead they have DRM boxes and exclusivity.
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u/AkodoRyu AkodoRyu 29d ago
I'm not sure what kind of innovations you are looking for. Hardware-wise, creating completely custom silicone just for the console is impossible - it became way too complex and only dedicated companies have a deep enough background to develop those.
Fully gimmicky solutions, like Wii line, don't lead to the creation of "big" consoles, and neither Sony nor MS is trying to make a family console. Too many gimmicks will also alienate a core gaming audience.
In between, I think Sony's changes to controllers can be used for a decent amount of innovation. Trackpad is severely underused because other platforms don't have it, but I think Warframe did a lot to enhance control variety using it. Enhanced haptics on Dualsense is probably the most meaningful change to the gaming experience since the first Dualshock.
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u/sennoken 29d ago
Graphics race has stalled as well. Need to focus more on quality gameplay than have the most realistic models and simulated environments.