Next generation gaming consoles have been the cause of much speculation ever since the current generation of gaming consoles was released in 2005. The current generation of gaming consoles, the seventh generation which includes the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii, is the longest lasting generation of consoles in the history of gaming. Sales have slowed in recent years and it is apparent that the consoles have lost their newness appeal. The Nintendo GameCube was on the market for five years prior to the introduction of the Wii and Nintendo just released the Wii U nearly six years later. With the first console of the eighth generation already on the market, when will Microsoft and Sony release new gaming systems and what features will they have?
Whereas gaming graphics improved tremendously from 2000 to 2005, today, Xbox 360 and PS3 graphics are still comparable to cutting edge PC games. The next generation of gaming will undoubtedly have better graphics but HD gaming can only go so far. Eventually, differences in gaming graphics will be marginal and only gameplay styles will change. Will Generation 8 be the last generation of gaming consoles ever? Not likely but expect them to outlast Generation 7. Gaming Bolt reported on December 2 that a source close to the creators of the “Xbox 720” and “PlayStation 4” revealed important details about next generation consoles. Though it is unlikely that all of these are true, they give a good idea of where these consoles are headed. The future is virtual reality and interactive gaming:
7th Gen Consoles
Sony:
Console Name: Omni
Graphics Technology: Capable of modern day graphics comparable to a Direct X11 level of technology like Unreal Engine 4 and Frostbite 2.
New Technology:
- Omniviewer – a thin and light head-mounted autostereoscopic display
- Head-tracking and 360° field of view – turns any TV into a 3D TV
- Semi-transparent AMOLEDs
- Augmented reality
- Duo-Moves or DualShock controllers with pulse sensors in the grips for biofeedback gameplay
- Sync with PS Vita
- OmniCloud
- Cloud stream PS1, PS2 and select PS3 games to Playstation Certified devices
- Every digital and retail purchase will have access to a copy on the cloud
- Buy one game and use on any Playstation device
Games: Next Gen Uncharted, Next Gen Siren, The Boydguard, Wipeout Omni, Bump In the Night, Killzone 4, Gran Turismo Prologue, Next Gen Media Molecule, Omni Fitness.
*Relative Console Power: 2
Storage Space: 160GB
Price: $350-$399 (System + Controller), $450-$499 (+ Omniviewer & Included Game)
Release Date: September 2013
Omni Concept Art
Microsoft:
Console Name:Won’t be decided until shortly before it’s unveiling at E3. Xbox 720, Durango, or Xbox Next?
Graphics Technology: Most powerful of the 3 systems. Specs are unavailable.
New Technology:
- Kinect 2
- Four People
- Object, clothing, face, and finger tracking
- Understand different voices
- LiveWall – omni-projection unit that will allow game environments to be projected nearly 360 degrees around the user
- Can also be used to play different games on different walls
Games: Halo Trilogy Remake, Chief Samurai by Rare, Project Gotham Racing, Kinectimals 2, Rise, Carnival Park, Fable 4
*Relative Console Power: 4-6
Storage Space: Unknown
Price: $499, $300-$399 (with 2-3 year Xbox Live contract)
Release Date: Soft Launch – November 2013, Full Launch – Summer 2014
Xbox Concept Art
Nintendo:
Console Name: Wii U
Games: New Metroid game, Smash Bros will be unveiled at E3, Raven Blade, Mach Rider, Fatal Frame, Kirby, Mario, many first party games released next year
*Relative Console Power: 1
Release Date: Already released. Expect new hardware add-ons by holiday 2013.
Wii U
*The console with the lowest power is assigned a 1 and the rest are relative
Are you excited for the next generation of consoles or are you happy with generation seven? Do you think they will be successful or is it too soon for virtual reality?
Source: Gaming Bolt
Where’s the portable xbox360? Time and time again I have almost invested in a PSP just because of the gaming capabilities on top of the audio. I am hoping somebody makes a really nice portable gaming console that I can purchase in the near future to integrate a tablet and gaming console.
Gaming consoles will never stop being developed, simply because there is too much money to be had in the industry. Personally I see all the technical aspects and changing degrees of interactivity as phases that will eventually pass. Kinect, Playstation move etc. will never compare to games with innovative gameplay and solid mechanics. Games like Bethesda’s “Dishonored” show that technical specs only go so far, and that truly great games are defined by innovation and gameplay. Visually I have always preferred games like Borderlands 1/2, Dishonored, or even The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword. They’re not as incredibly realistic as a game like COD is, but the visual style has character and makes a statement absent from games that just try to look “real”.
Anyway as for the Wii U, Nintendo really is just trying to catch up to Microsoft and Sony technologically, while taking advantage of the current app/tablet phase. They did develop the pro controller, which may be there way of acknowledging the limited potential of the non-traditional gaming that has been trending (even though it is inferior) lately
I’ll have to look at this all in a month or so. I like the idea of consoles being projectors too.