Could We See a Multi-Cross Gen?

[Moonface]

Despite the PS5 and Series X/S being out for 3 ½ years at this point, I often see a lot of sentiment that this generation of consoles hasn't truly got started due to how many games continue to come out on PS4 and XBO, and I know that cross-gen releases isn't a new thing but I do think it's lasting longer now than it has before.

It's also pretty clear that hardware advancements aren't as drastic as they used to be. Consoles now are more like simpler PC's I think and new ones are going to be more like buying a new PC where you just get better performance rather than something ground breaking like when we saw consoles get the ability to render games in 3D and whatnot. PC games have always targeted a vast range of specs, and to me it feels like console games are starting to lean into that too (especially if a game comes to the Switch which is notably weaker than a PS5 or XSX).

So with that said, I was wondering about whether we might ever see a multi-cross-gen? To illustrate with an example of what I mean incase the term I went with sucks, it would be where a game comes out on PS4, PS5 and PS6, which would be something I don't think we've ever seen before because so far games have only come out on the current and previous iteration of a console (not counting cases where games get ported forwards like GTA V being on PS3, PS4 and PS5).

I can see it happening sooner than later myself, especially with the mounting costs of AAA game development where companies are going to try anything that makes more money. We're already seeing games that originally came out only on current generation consoles get ported backwards, such as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor getting PS4 and XBO versions over a year after the PS5/XSX release when they weren't originally planned. The only thing that might stop it for at least one more generation would be the PS4/XBO having HDD's instead of SSD's, but multiple games that were initially claimed to only be possible with an SSD have been ported to HDD-based systems. If multi-cross-gen doesn't start with the next iteration of consoles then I think it definitely happens with the one after that.

What do you guys think and feel about this?

[Mr EliteL]

I never considered what's happening now could continue into the "next gen" as in PS6 and whatever releases alongside it. Perhaps PS5 & PS6 yes but PS4 as well? PS4 may likely be too outdated by then. I'm assuming this has happened because of the stall of PS5 production back then so many people stuck with their PS4's and still a number of those haven't jumped ship to PS5 yet so the market is still there for PS4 releases. I'd like to imagine those lingering will upgrade but perhaps they'll wait to upgrade two steps instead of one if PS4 stops or proves too low in quality (everything wise) compared to PS6. I suppose creating versions for the Switch which was obviously less powerful than PS5/XBX also helps, if it can get on that then PS4 is likely too, maybe Switch's successor too as I'd imagine that'll be similar in power to PS4/Pro anyway. So it is possible thinking about it like that.

How I feel about it...guess I'm not bothered by it. I fine little reason to go back to my PS4 already and I'll most likely will wait on PS6 because I previously had next to no intention of getting that even a couple or so years into release like I did for PS5 anyway, or not at all so to be able to continue using my PS5 console for the next gen would be quite handy even if I'd have to wait around for the PS5 version release too.

[Moonface]

I never considered what's happening now could continue into the "next gen" as in PS6 and whatever releases alongside it. Perhaps PS5 & PS6 yes but PS4 as well? PS4 may likely be too outdated by then. I'm assuming this has happened because of the stall of PS5 production back then so many people stuck with their PS4's and still a number of those haven't jumped ship to PS5 yet so the market is still there for PS4 releases. I'd like to imagine those lingering will upgrade but perhaps they'll wait to upgrade two steps instead of one if PS4 stops or proves too low in quality (everything wise) compared to PS6.

I forgot about the supply issues consoles were having during COVID and how it affected early sales of the PS5 and XSX. Publishers probably saw that trying to get their games onto both current and last gen brings in a lot more money and that's why a lot of them have continued to do that even with the supply issues no longer being a problem. For third parties it's whatever, but for the actual console companies it means there's less reason to upgrade. If I didn't have a PS5 yet I'd be considering whether or not to wait for the PS6 and just play any PS5 exclusive titles on that. On the flip side though since I have a PS5, my view of the PS6 is to not touch it for a considerable while after it releases because of how many games are cross-gen nowadays so why spend more money for a new console early when I could just wait to get it later at a better price?

PS4 probably will be outdated by the time PS6 comes out just for the HDD alone if nothing else, but I guess it'll depend on how many games on PC have an SSD as a requirement or not.

[ShiraNoMai]

I just wonder how many dedicated video game consoles will exist beyond this next gen. I feel like at some point, some pieces of technology will merge, or become modifiable to the point where people will need to buy attachments to multi-use devices to play games.

[Moonface]

I just wonder how many dedicated video game consoles will exist beyond this next gen. I feel like at some point, some pieces of technology will merge, or become modifiable to the point where people will need to buy attachments to multi-use devices to play games.

Do you have anything in mind for what could merge? The handheld market has already begun to merge into the home console market thanks to Switch and Steam Deck, and consoles won't merge into PC's fully because Nintendo sure as heck won't do that and Sony have no reason to either, so I'm struggling to think of what else there is?