Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

We're a few years into the eighth generation of video game consoles, and both Sony and Microsoft have announced mid-generation updates to their existing video game consoles without mentioning their plans for a true next generation video game console. Do you think Sony and Microsoft will release true next generation video game consoles, or do you think that they will simply continue to release "mid-generation" updates for their existing video game consoles?

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Sony said as part of the PS4 Pro reveal that they still believe in generations. I'm expecting a PS5 in a few years.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Yep. Don't see any reason there wouldn't be.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Stupid question. Yes. There will be more.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Yes. Realistically I'd expect it around 2019/2020. But after that, no. The US should have the internet infrastructure to handle an online service based videogame ecosystem by then. The consoles will be similar to Roku's or Amazon Fires.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

With all due respect, I don't think you understand the question. It's not whether or not Sony and Microsoft will keep making new consoles; it's if there's a line in the sand you can continue to draw between generations. That line is already being blurred with the PS4 Pro and the Scorpio.

It wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft adopted a more iterative strategy rather than the more clear-cut generations we've been seeing -- where you're buying an Xbox game rather than an Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox Next, etc. game.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Isn't that basically what Phil Spencer had said before?

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

I think both companies will further backwards compatibility, so a PS5 will be able to play both PS4 and PS4 Pro games. But a PS4/Pro won't be able to play PS5 games. The transition could be eased by some "Cross-buy" games, at least digitally, so you end up owning it on both platforms.

Another possibility would be having some PS4/PS5 "combo" discs that are playable on both during the transition, with both logos marked.

Microsoft could go the same way, or keep providing iterative updates to the Xbox One, so you're always buying an "Xbox One" game, but the quality varies based on the console (Original Xbox One, S, Scorpio, after Scorpio, etc.) The problem would be whether at some point maintaining legacy support for the original console would hold some games back, and whether Microsoft would allow a game to drop support for the original Xbox One. This would be similar to how iPhone apps work, where some newer apps require a particular version of iOS to work. But it'd be a fine dance MS would have to make to not upset original Xbox One owners and not cause confusion between which "Xbox One" games work on which consoles.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

That seems unlikely to me. Especially for latency sensitive games.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

I thought they'd said things that pointed in that direction, but I forgot that they were so explicit.

Aaron Greenberg:

Albert Penello:

Dave McCarthy:

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

There's still a lot that live in parts of the country that have crappy internet speeds. A friend of mine lives in an area that can only get 1.5 megabits . He so thankful for physical still being available. MGS V took him a week to DL!

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Well, the Switch might get classified as a Ninth Generation console since the Wii U was considered Eighth Generation. Although I'm not so sure it should.

I also don't like the idea of cloud gaming, especially as Google's FTTH deployments are slowing down and the future might be more fixed wireless access. We already get enough input lag from the televisions.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Of course, even if you buy the disc version, more and more often there's still a day-one patch file that's multiple GB in size you need to download.

I wish that there was a way to install games via a USB flash drive. Gamestop and other retailers could have a Kiosk that you plug a USB flash drive into, and it copies over a game and all the patches/updates to it. It could even encrypt the game, maybe tying it to your gamertag, so it'll only unlock and copy over to the console for you specifically. You may still need to go online to "activate" the copy, but that should need only a nominal connection.

I think they may have to go this route, or something similar, if they eliminate discs completely.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Thanks for all of the replies, and the information about Microsoft wanting to move beyond console generations. Does anyone know if Sony is also interested in doing away with traditional console generations?

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Sony hasn't given up on generations just yet:
https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...rosoft-scorpio

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/...re-going-away/

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Thank you for the information. Very interesting that Sony seems to want to keep traditional console generations while Microsoft is a lot less interested in doing so.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Keep in mind that both have time to change their minds. MS still has to release Scorpio before making any formal plans/announcements about future consoles. Sony may have to make up its mind first, deciding whether the next console after the Pro is another "PS4" or a "PS5".

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

If Sony releases a full on PS5, I almost think Microsoft would have to follow suit or get labeled as having only an iterative upgrade available at the same time. Much like how Microsoft had to abandon their always connected online strategy when Sony just laughed at them and said they would keep things the same.

As far as the 2020 online only prediction, I also don't see why retailers would support systems whose sole purpose is to bypass them when it comes to video game sales. They don't make any money off of the systems themselves, right?

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

I could see it being kind of iPhone-y. For instance:

• All Xbox One-era games will play on the Xbox One, XB1S, and eventually the Scorpio.
• The first few years of the Scorpio's lifespan will see all games playable on the Xbox One, XB1S, and Scorpio.
• When the Xbox Next launches, no/few games will play on the XB1 or XB1S, but they're playable on the Scorpio and the new hardware.
• At some point into the Xbox Next's lifespan, there's a Scorpio-style hardware update. By then, games are playable on the Next and the revision, and the Scorpio is outmoded.

Fewer and fewer new games will be playable on older hardware as newer models are launched, but your existing Xbox One library will all the while be playable on these new devices. That way, you strengthen the Xbox as an ecosystem instead of basically starting from zero every generation. There are still challenges with that (how does MS make it clear which games will play on which pieces of hardware?), but I can definitely see the appeal.

I think Microsoft can make an Xbox Next that can stand toe-to-toe with the PS5 in 2019/2020 while still having those games at least playable on the Scorpio without excessive compromises -- no different than dialing down the quality settings on AAA PC games.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

I'm not sure they'll necessarily feel forced to, depending on the specs. Scorpio is looking formidable spec-wise, and the PS5 will have to step up to surpass it. And if Sony announces the PS5, MS could then announce the next XB1 iteration with better-than-PS5 specs, even if it's a year or more out (like the Scorpio).

Retailers make money off the systems. Not a lot, but they make some money. Retailers can also make money selling gift cards for the online services, and game download codes. Those are in some way better, since the retailer doesn't have to pay for the cards until they're activated, unlike discs where they pay upfront for them, tying up capital.

The only retailers really opposed to going all digital are the used-game retailers, which make a lot of money reselling pre-owned media.


In your scenario though, MS is often only supporting two iterations at once. I could see them supporting 3 or even 4 iterations at once. They may go with some sort of "10 year support" plan, where a given iteration is guaranteed 10 years of support from release. After that, if you want to play new games, you need to upgrade.

Re: Will there will be a true ninth generation of video game consoles?
 

Right. It's no different than, say, buying a Kindle at Target.

B&M retailers would be way more up in arms about digital having a price advantage.

Yeah, those were definitely just examples. I could see more being supported. It really depends on how frequently they roll these out. If they average every, say, 3 years, though, then 4 iterations would be a tall order. I do think they'll space them out a good bit.