Why Don't I Care? And Am I The Only One?

I find myself in a strange place. The next generation consoles are on the horizon... And I don't give a damn.

I've seen some stuff, sure, and it doesn't look THAT much better than the PS4 and Xbone. Indeed, the expectations seem to be tempered down, with lots of talk about load times and raytracing instead of anything that's really going to look substantially different. Indeed, it seems like these consoles are designed for 4K and fast loading to the exclusion of everything else. I've had NO problems with games loading slowly on the PS4 and Xbone, even with vast open worlds like the ones we've seen in Horizon: Zero Dawn or Red Dead Redemption 2. It seems that Sony's off trying to sell TVs with their game console again, and Microsoft? Is this just their last console, and they're going out with a bang? This coming generation just seems... Bleh.

It's a strange place to be for me. The start of a new console generation has always been exciting for me, what with all the possibilities for new games and new experiences. Now? The excitement isn't there. Other than sequels to Halo and Horizon, I don't care at all about these boxes. That they're likely both to be $500 makes me even more subdued about the coming generation. The Series S had SOME potential, but now that we know it's a digital-only box, that's off the list entirely. What's left seems to be exclusively for people with 50+ inch monitors and an obsession with granular technological detail that has always been alien to me. And the potential for $70 games makes the whole lot even less appealing.

This isn't to say I WON'T get one of these systems ever, but this looks to be the first time ever that I will be waiting for a price drop, possibly two. $500 for systems that don't look like they'll offer anything more than moderately faster load times just doesn't appeal. Hopefully by the time these boxes hit a more palatable price, there's something that's worth spending the money on.

Not to say that I won't be gaming while I wait. There's plenty to play still. Games look like they'll still be coming out on the PS4 and Xbone for some time yet, and I have massive backlogs of shame. Not only that, but my Raspberry Pi 4 and PC have been getting a TON of use during the pandemic, what with all the retrogaming I've been doing. Obviously, GOG and the Switch are still a big part of the gaming diet. Looking forward to the new Hyrule Warriors!

At the end of the day, this is the first time I've not cared at all. Is gaming passing me by? Maybe. But while I love gaming and always will, I'm not an addict. I can wait until it's more palatable for me.

So, what about you guys? Anyone else here not looking forward to or really caring about the next gen consoles? Is it a strange feeling for you as it is for me, not having any excitement or wanting to jump into the next gen now, if ever? I'd love to read your thoughts on the subject!

Probably because the upcoming generation hasn't exactly had the same lead-up due to lock-down, they've constantly been avoiding the proper questions as well which has killed a lot of the excitement.

@RSM-HQ: That certainly does it no favors, but at the same time, if there was some super hype shit, we'd be hearing about it. More than any generation before, the PS5 and Series X just seem like they're trying to force a next-gen console, and the reticence to try knocking our socks off THIS CLOSE to launch just makes it seem more bad than good, especially to anyone who doesn't put "progress" above everything else.

I just can't shake the idea that MS and Sony are desperately rushing this generation, and the pandemic only serves to make it more obvious. It feels like a new generation for its own sake.

The PlayStation 4 is honestly a pretty underwhelming console and that's despite the fact I've been enjoying mine since launch. The upgrade is pretty needed on my end, 60FPS is very important, and while I can tolerate 30FPS it's not my preferred choice.

Many other aspects just annoy me on the PS4 that design-wise are something I hope dies with the console but we'll see how that plays out. I never owned a Xbox One but assume many the issues I have with PS4 are transferable.

I personally don't need a super tanky console that runs 4/6K and 120FPS with photo-realistic graphics. I have a gaming P.C. which is undergoing upgrades for Baldur's Gate III. Just make it more like the Switch, easy to navigate, flexible, quite, and focus on performance.

High in large most gamers don't care for the tech side of things, they just want a nice console that runs the new stuff with as little issue as possible.

Honestly, power or no, the PS4 has been an excellent console, with tons of great games, more than a few of which would have been hard to achieve on the PS3.

I'm curious as to what design issues you had with the PS4. It was by and large a very painless console, especially when delivering patches (compared to how absolutely GLACIAL the Xbone was with patches). Being able to play the game offline while the patch was being downloaded was a nice touch too, especially with games that had large patches like MHW or Red Dead 2.

You do bring a good point, though, if the PS5 and Series X just end up givng us 4K versions of games that are 1080p on the PS4 and Xbone, how much mainstream penetration will the systems receive? You are right, however, that the Switch has proven to be the most focused of the platforms. Nintendo's probably making a killing too, so there's that.

I just wish these systems felt more like they were about games and not about an extremely incremental tech increase. If I cared about tech that much, I'd be a PC gamer.

When I was a kid I was excited for Colecovision, then Atari and after that 8bit NES. Then I was excited about the 16 bit sega genesis & SNES, checked out the Turbografix 16 but it was meh then I was excited about the PS1 & N64, by then I was like interested but not really excited if I wanted it I bought it 🤷‍♂️

When I was a kid I was excited for Colecovision, then Atari and after that 8bit NES. Then I was excited about the 16 bit sega genesis & SNES, checked out the Turbografix 16 but it was meh then I was excited about the PS1 & N64, by then I was like interested but not really excited if I wanted it I bought it 🤷‍♂️

Got a good PC, my excitement for PS and Xbox is nonexistant. There were one, maybe two exclusive games on PS4 I wanted to play this gen. None on Xbox. Will probably be the same for next gen.

Nintendo is usually way more exciting for me.

@Litchie: To be fair, I'm not a HUGE PC gamer because most of it is Steam/DRM encumbered. I got 446 games on GOG, but consoles help fill the gap with games that won't show up on GOG any time soon.

That said, you are right about Nintendo being more consistent with the exclusives. While I think you're harsh on Sony, Nintendo proves the importance of exclusive software by having that be their bread and butter. No one buys a Switch for the gimped multiplats.

The coming generation, however, DOES seem a bit underwhelming, just 4K versions of games coming out on the PS4/Xbone. I'm HOPING that this situation resolves itself by the first price drop, but I can TOTALLY see Xbone and PS4 getting 1080p versions of PS5/Series X games that aren't really all that different for those of us with sub-50" screens.

You're not the alone in this.
I also don't feel any hype and I think it's mostly due to no interesting titles coming with next gen.
I'll just wait for dust to settle before jumping on the bandwagon.

Be prepared.

• I have a few friends that enjoy local multiplayer and the hassle of accounts per player, and then some demand each account be online is a rough experience, then DLC comes in per account and that can make everyone give up.
• Weak battery life for a stupid light no one asked for forced me to invest in a third party adapter so I can use my Switch Pro on PS4.
• Paying for 'frankly' shit online that sometimes doesn't bother to be stable is also an annoying endeavor. We are paying for subpar service that hasn't improved since PS3, which was free may I add.
• Some games as well (Bloodborne) run like hot garbage, straight up, poorly optimised, and performance was not a concern in development. And too many games suffer this fate. Not all, I've been lucky with most games I play, however it's still an ongoing issue.
• Community pages are stupid and fill no purpose outside eating up your PS4s already limited memory, just support Discord already Sony.

I'm not a HUGE PC gamer because most of it is Steam/DRM encumbered. I got 446 games on GOG, but consoles help fill the gap with games that won't show up on GOG any time soon.

Agree, GoG is the best! Not the biggest fan of Steam, or frankly not owning the games I purchase.

Steam is always a last resort. Plus find a lot of its follows in denial, they wave a flag of loyalty while being treated like garbage.

Extremely anti customer compared to GoG. Too often I've bought games on Steam that just don't work, and **** would Valve even lift a finger to do anything, "just refund" is every fans answer. Who care that they're one of the richest companies in the world that could do something and not sell faulty products. . you have to search for fixes and download Nexus mods and apply the files manually. . I imagine the average Steam gamer spends more time tweaking settings and fixing broken files than actually playing the games. Become a technician if you want to do that all the time.

Bah, GoG does all that for the customer. We can buy a game and play it, right away. What a beautiful concept apparently Valve doesn't understand. Steam is the equivalent of buying a car without wheels and expected to thank them for it. But hey, refund if you are not satisfied. . .

And that's just one thing I dislike about Steam; this could fill a thread on its own. Am rambling too. Case and point, everything has problems_ console, handhelds and P.C.

GoG is the best place for P.C. gaming in 2020, just so happens to be one of the more pricey options though. Now if only GoG could get Lemmings I would be very happy.

I have zero hype for next gen the graphics don't look next gen to me. MS flight simulator 2020 truly looks next gen nothing on consoles shown yet has impressed me at all. I'm just going to stick with my PC and upgrade my GPU sometime next year.

Odd, that. I'll have to try a local multiplayer game, as I usually play single player only.

About the stupid light (And the DualSense looks like it's going to be even more crammed with stupid shit, but that's another issue), you can unhook it from the controller with no penalty. There's a little cable on the back inside that goes from the light to the controller board. You should be able to unhook it and save some battery there. Honestly, the only wireless controller I've ever liked the battery life of was the wavebird, so I just keep them plugged into the console at all times. Seriously, can we stop cramming these things with non-features that 99.9% of games will never use and optimize battery life? That's not just the PS4, that's fucking all of them.

• Paying for 'frankly' shit online that sometimes doesn't bother to be stable is also an annoying endeavor. We are paying for subpar service that hasn't improved since PS3, which was free may I add.

The online for what few games I played online seemed stable enough, but yeah, both Sony and MS have failed to make these "services" real value adds.

• Community pages are stupid and fill no purpose outside eating up your PS4s already limited memory, just support Discord already Sony.

That I'll give you. Then again, the PS4 remains better than the Metro UI used by the Xbone. However, there's no substitute for a quick and easy UI, which seemingly Nintendo is the only one that cares about that shit. Honestly, I'd rather not have any of the social features on these systems. We all have smartphones, PCs, tablets, any number of means of communication, we really don't need a trillion services clogging up the consoles.

Steam is always a last resort. Plus find a lot of its follows in denial, they wave a flag of loyalty while being treated like garbage.

Extremely anti customer compared to GoG. Too often I've bought games on Steam that just don't work, and **** would Valve even lift a finger to do anything, "just refund" is every fans answer. Who care that they're one of the richest companies in the world that could do something and not sell faulty products. . you have to search for fixes and download Nexus mods and apply the files manually. . I imagine the average Steam gamer spends more time tweaking settings and fixing broken files than actually playing the games. Become a technician if you want to do that all the time.

Honestly, I got tired of Steam's shit and quit cold turkey around 2012. Most of the games I wanted to keep I re-purchased on GoG during sales, and the rest I can play on console or from old, pre-Steam releases. Valve has gotten LAZY as ****. No customer support, no screening games for functionality, nothing. I cannot BELIEVE people put up with this shit. It's like GabeN is the Trump of gaming!

GoG is the best place for P.C. gaming in 2020, just so happens to be one of the more pricey options though. Now if only GoG could get Lemmings I would be very happy.

GoG is getting better about sales, to their credit. They have weekly and midweek sales, and large events seemingly every quarter. Personally, I don't mind paying more for a game on GoG than on Steam. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Lemmings, I think, is a lost cause. I don't see 2K really supporting GOG any time soon (the game was made by DMA Design, now Rockstar North). That's just one of those games we're gonna have to settle for abandonware sites for, and it's a damned shame. At least emulating the Amiga is piss easy now.

That's the thing. There's critically few interesting titles, none of them planned for the launch window, and the main focus of these systems seems to be 4k and loading times, neither of which I give half a shit about. As I mentioned in the original post, I'd happily get something like the series S if it had a disc drive, at least it'll be focused on my setup.

Are they going to rush another console in 2023 for 8k? Is that where we're headed?

I think we’re at the point graphically where it’s getting harder to impress or wow us anymore. Until graphics look true to life (probably 3 or 4 generations away from that), there’s not much more to improve upon. I mean, some current gen racing games can achieve almost photo realism.

@YukoAsho: Oh that Dual Sense. . . I just hope it has a good battery (as Demon's Souls Remake is a must for me). Can put up with its feedback features so long as that's not energy draining. The Switch Pro Controller is pretty awesome, my favorite gamepad I've ever owned. If it wasn't for the subpar d-pad it would be perfect.

As for poor PSN online gaming, it is a pretty common complaint for the console. And it's always on Sony's end. Using this years example; long time MH player, and I had less issues hunting online with a 3DS than a PS4. How often it splits up my party, chat gets removed or mutes party members, kicks lobby members or cuts mid hunt is tedious.

So-so online has been a reoccurring issue since PS3, it's nothing new. Back then it was easy to forgive because it doesn't cost anything. Now I expect them to be up to Microsoft Live standard and while some may think that's unrealistic, perhaps don't charge us if Sony cannot meet a good online standard. Or at least give us a far cheaper option for those who don't care for the Plus monthly games. They won't, it's business and they like getting free money for nothing.

On the note of cold truth. I also know about Lemmings, your words are very true. Seems like only a few years ago I actually played the game and was shocked how good this lost retro game is. Well lost loosely (Lemmings is one of the best selling games of all time). Twenty million it was last recorded. So how it turned out the way it had, is really sad.

I've mentioned it before, graphics are plateauing. There's only so close to realistic you can get before things begin to level off. Once we reached the point of resolutions containing pixels smaller than the human eye can differentiate as safe viewing distance (24" 1080p or 1440p up to 32" for those with 20/20 vision) and refresh rates faster than we can detect (I can't notice a difference past 120hz), then we've gotten to a point where new resolutions just won't make much of a difference at all. conventional shaders already look better than anything I've seen with real-time ray tracing. With LoD we can populate these massive worlds and still fully deck them out with moving grass, foliage, and more. There's not much room left to grow on the matter.

The test I have people do is go back to a top title 10 years ago, like Mass Effect 2 and try to play it today. The game still looks great. Then how far back do you have to go before the graphics begin to look dated? Even Elder Scrolls 4 still looks good. You really have to get back to Xbox / PS2 era, consoles when they were still natively 480i/480p.

Every single generation of console at this point is going to look less and less impressive than the last because we're well past the point of diminishing returns, which is why TV manufacturers, and graphics cards manufacturers are scrambling to find new technologies they can convince people will make a difference. 4K, RTX, is all hype to sell more crap.

I think this is where the issues lies. I don't believe that's the case.

As a matter of fact, i believe what OP is feeling, as are a lot of people, toward this new generation, and i would argue the last one as well, is a lack of technological leap.

Assuming you are old enough, try go back to the jump from the NES to the SNES, eventually to the N64.

The same can be said about the transition from PS1 to Playstation 2, Saturn to Dreamcast.

They were such huge differences in visuals and audio, that it paved the way for true innovation in games.

It's a lot less the case today, and that's why it feels like a simple graphic card upgrade.

Consoles have effectively become small gaming PCs.

For me, I don't think I've ever been overly excited for new consoles in recent years. (Maybe when I was a kid/young teen, but that's about it.) I think I always get a little excited when I boot a new console up for the first time. But, then as time passes that's no longer the case and it all comes down to the games.

Personal opinion but I do miss iconic start up screens. My mind reverts back to the PS2 & Gamecube. I think that really added to the experience but that's probably just me being nostalgic and maybe it's not of importance to anybody else.

They have the opportunity to work more on destructible environments now. Of course most of them won't, because that 4K resolution will hog up so much power.

I don’t follow the consoles. I follow which games are there for what consoles. So if say most of the games I want are on X-Box, then I would probably get a series X. I’m a retro gamer now, however that could change at some future point. But I doubt it. Anyways my backlog is kinda huge and I still wanna finish my backlog.

I play retro games all the time and it's even noted in this thread with me bringing up GoG and Lemmings. Also I hype up a game called Dusk that uses graphics similar to a Nintendo 64.

Also worth of note I'm in my twenties, I was very young when the original PlayStation was coming to a close and the PlayStation 2 was gaining momentum. Even so have had a lot of fun jumping into games such as Worms, CastleVania, D00M, and the original Sonic the Hedgehog games. Tetris is also one of my favorite games ever, and have bought it on so many platforms.

Perhaps it's a generational stance, I find a lot of people my age actually enjoy older games, and take them for its merits, mechanically. While these forums have taught me those born when graphics was a more ongoing process, perhaps in thirties, forties, etc; have a more transparent stance on the subject and only like the new shiny tech because it was something not possible before.

That's my hottake on that.

*I didn't buy a Switch or 3DS because they're graphic kings, and certainly don't expect the PS5 to out muscle my P.C. just want plug-in and play machine with as little hoops as possible. That'll work and easy to jump in when playing with friends.

Gaming regardless of stance is about having fun, and having an enjoyable experience. If you cannot have that? focusing too much of polygons and textures, perhaps need to reevaluate what you are getting yourself into.

Consoles have effectively become small gaming PCs.

Not true. Originally consoles was advertised as "arcade gaming you could do at home". And Nintendo is the only one that still seems to get that stance right, while the others fight to be Netflix and Streaming platforms. Would compare PS and XB more trying to be overall entertainment boxes.

I care not for these latter two (television/ streaming) but options are always good. Consoles are still sold because they play games primarily, the constant updates and downloads is just what natural progression has made gaming. P.C. will always be a multi purpose platform, and that's the key difference. Can be very exhausting by comparison, and while I'll happily play Baldur's Gate III on my P.C. it is also for photoshopping and other office centric apps.

PS and XB are not that. Or pretend to be. yet

That's part of it, certainly. Used to be, you didn't need to be sold on the system being more capable than the previous. It was obvious when you saw the games. It's not obvious anymore, which is why we're seeing talk about ray-tracing and SSDs.

My mind always goes back to the PS1, the first console I ever had with a bootup. And what a bootup it was! Amazing how jaded we all become in our later years, isn't it? The Saturn was pretty hype too.

There's that too. Even not counting the roms, the games I actually have will likely take the rest of my lifetime to finish. Maybe another topic for a blog post...

For what it's worth, I'm in my early 40s. Got my first console at 10, been gaming just about non-stop since. I was more into Mario than Sonic (Nintendo fangirl in the 16-bit days :P), but I think just about everyone loved Tetris, and still does to this day.

Honestly, I think part of the problem with the coming gen is that there isn't really anything not possible before. The games might be great - I fully expect to enjoy Horizon Forbidden West and Halo Infinite. However, I would probably just as fully enjoy them on the PS4 in 1080p, or even the PS3 at 720p, because it's the gameplay that hooks me.

I care not for these latter two (television/ streaming) but options are always good. Consoles are still sold because they play games primarily, the constant updates and downloads is just what natural progression has made gaming.

This, I think, is a long-standing eye-roller. How many people have Fire TV sticks and roku boxes at this point? We saw how well the Xbone did trying to sell itself as a multimedia box, why would anyone buy a $300-$500 game system without gaming being the primary focus? Streaming apps are a nice bonus, but I think Sony and MS sometimes lose the plot when they take up time in presentations with those things.

I feel the same about older games, but i don't think you, or anybody, looks at the next generation with excitement as to which old games will be re-released, or what retro-like new titles will eventually come out on it.

I'm sure you'll buy them, but that's not why you, or anybody, is about to give the Big M, or Sony 500$ dollars.

I agreed with the idea of consoles not being sold as mini gaming PCs all the way until they announced the PSPro and Xbox Pro, or whatever they call it.

Just take a look at the Series X and S. Aside from specs, there is no actual feature differentiator.

These are small PCs, where you choose a different CPU and GPU, for a different price point.

To each his own opinion, but it's becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

Just take a look at the Series X and S. Aside from specs, there is no actual feature differentiator.

These are small PCs, where you choose a different CPU and GPU, for a different price point.

See, this is a silly argument. Any games device is going to be effectively a computer. Hell, ACTUAL set computers have been repackaged as consoles and vice versa. Right off the top of the dome, I can think of the SC-3000 (Computerized SG-1000), the Atari 5200 (Based on Atari 800), Atari XEGS (straight-up consolized Atari 800), Commodore 64 GS (consolized C64), Amiga CD32 (Consolized Amiga 1200), CDi (Not even a new system really, just remarketed as a console after the whole multimedia thing fell out).

Not only that, but even the "traditional" consoles have CPUs that have been in computers. The NES' CPU is a modified MOS Technologies 6502 processor, used in the Acorn Atom, the Acorn Electron, the Apple I and II, the Atari 800, BBC Micro, the entire Commodore 8-bit line (Pet, Vic-20, C64, C128), and the Oric-1.

The Master System has another legendary CPU, the Zilog Z80, which saw use in the Sinclair Spectrum, the Amstrad CPC, the Osbourne 1, the Kaypro, the Epxon QX-10, the MSX, and way more.

The Genesis has yet ANOTHER amazing little CPU, the Motorola 68000, which powered the Amiga and ST lines, the Sharp X68000 (obviously), early Macs (I think the Lisa as well, but don't quote me) and the Sinclair QL.

Sony tried putting out CELL based laptops... Which went about as well as you'd expect.

Gamecube, Wii and Wii U, along with Xbox 360, were PowerPC based, like the third-generation Macs.

Hell, the original Xbox was X86, and the Switch is ARM (which Apple is switching to for Mac).

So the components used to make the magic isn't really what should define whether a system is a "console" or a "PC." I'll save that for when I can do my office work on a PS5. :P

Ratchet and Clank is a must for me. It shows what it is possible with the SSD beyond just faster loading and shows what is possible from a gameplay standpoint. Granted, this is only the beginning, but it seems like Sony is the one that wants to make the next generation feel like a new thing whereas Microsoft wants to extend the 8th generation out for two more years. The Xbox Series S is pretty much a Dreamcast console. It will run last generation games the best, and can do some next generation things, but by 2023 when games go beyond the 100GB mark, the series S will not be able to keep up. Microsoft has not shown what the extra two terraflops can do for games, meanwhile new graphic engines are being shown off on the PS5.

The Dual Sense looks like it could be cool, and I am glad that first party games are using it in intelligent ways instead of shoe horning features in like they did with the six axis. Microsoft has focused more on showing how current generation games run on the series X than showing what the system can do that the Xbox One cannot.

Nothing shown has been a Mario 64 moment, but Sony has at least shown the beginning of what the next generation offers while Microsoft has made a a retron or raspberry console that runs current generation games the best.

Of course, you are right.

The point i was trying to make is that, up to the few last generations of consoles, you weren't shopping for a console with either 16 or 12 CPU cores, 500GB or 1TB storage, 16 or 10 GB of video ram, 4K or 1080p resolution. 60 or 30 FPS.

This became a thing, slowly, starting with the PS3 / X360 generation of consoles.

What i mean is that the mentality changed, both for game development scope and consumer expectation of what a new generation of consoles will mean in term of innovation.

Anyway, i realize agreeing with my point will depend on many factors, including how old you are, but i really believe this underwhelming feeling people are having about these new consoles may be related to this trend.

Quick add : I realize there are a few things i am not taking into consideration, such as homogenous development and market research now being used to make games that are ''Safe" in term of revenue, that will have had a big influence in to why innovation in gaming is getting stagnant, or unexciting, from one generation of consoles to another.

In all honesty, i feel these fit the same criteria as the hardware traits i mentionned earlier. They all fit the same mentality.

The point i was trying to make is that, up to the few last generations of consoles, you weren't shopping for a console with either 16 or 12 CPU cores, 500GB or 1TB storage, 16 or 10 GB of video ram, 4K or 1080p resolution. 60 or 30 FPS.

To be fair, tech buzzwords have been a thing for a while. Let's not forget the "bit wars*."

And while the storage is obviously of material importance (installing games is a bit of a pain), and even resolution might be important to someone with a TV big enough to make 4K noticeable, I think a lot of the talk of cores and ram and frame rate has become a bit of marketing fluff (developers were able to make 60FPS games even on the PS2), which has less to do with being like a PC and more to do with running out of things that can be easily explained to a normal customer.

As many others have noted, we were going to get here regardless of architecture. The law of diminishing returns has really, and I mean really, hit. We're not that far from companies making up shit again like Sega did with "blast processing."

*For younger readers, the Angry Video Game Nerd explains the "bit wars" as an early part of "Atari Jaguar (Part 1)."

For me it's because neither console have had any game announcements that make me say "Hell yes, I need this new console." Simple as that

There is that, yeah.

I mean, for me it's really just Horizon: Forbidden West and Halo: Infinite, but the former is going to be some ways off, and the latter is going to be on Xbone and probably play more than well enough at 1080p.

People who were around for previous generational jumps will certainly find any generational increase past 2010 underwhelming, but I think considering how small the jump was last gen, this one is about on par (actually I think it is a bigger jump simply due to load times).

@girlusocrazy: Oh it's entirely possible, and as mentioned, I'll obviously be getting these systems at SOME point. This is just the first time I've not felt it at launch, especially with the increased emphasis on live service games.

OBVIOUSLY I hope the PS5 turns out to be a truly great system. I'm a gamer, I don't want the coming consoles to suck. I just don't feel it right now.

For me, graphics aren't the be-all, end-all. I consistently find myself pleased with things other people are dissatisfied with. I had tons of people tell me at the beginning of the year the XBOX One S All-Digital was crap and to go get an XBOX One X. Neither is still on the market, but I went with the All-Digital like I'd planned. I only paid $100 for it and am absolutely pleased. I think knowing yourself and what you need and could care less about is great, not just for gaming but in many aspects of life. Just because nobody else can see the value in something doesn't mean it's bad.

Yeah, I have to admit I'm not super excited for the new consoles compared to past releases... and it's not just because of the pandemic.

I'm actually way more excited for Mario 3D All Stars if I'm honest. But nevertheless, I'll get the XsX and I'm sure I'll love it. Just have to decide whether to get at launch or wait until next year.

I totally get what you mean. Especially if you compare the graphic and the gameplay of games for the PSX to the PS2 to the PS3 to the PS4. The difference is enormous. Huge gaps. Now, how about the PS4 to PS5? Very little gap, not much of a difference. In my opinion, the PS5 and the Xbox Series X will be the last gaming consoles. From there on it will dramatically change. Means Cloud Gaming and Virtual Reality will take over.

I am not too excited for Xbox X Series or PS5. For me it's the price of $500 that easily turns me off plus the launch titles don't look that interesting. I love my PS4 and Xbox One and could see myself just staying with those systems till at least 4 years. I do want a PS5 eventually but when it's $300 and has a game that I am interested in.

Yeah, that just seems like a HUGE price tag. I learned my lesson after the PS3! Remember that debacle, and how it didn't really start getting good until AFTER the first couple price drops? Not to mention all the YLODs I got on that thing before finally getting a super-slim.

I kinda feel the way you do about the current systems, and I suspect more than a few 3rd parties are going to exploit that feeling with 1080p30 versions of their PS5/XSX games for at least another year or two, at least until we've seen the prices for the next-gen reach more mass-market levels.

I dunno, I thought the PS3 to PS4 wasn't that enormous either. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see console generations in the future just tied to whatever's hot in TV tech at the moment. PS6 for 8k, PS7 for 16k, etc.

You're not the only person who thinks that way, man. I saw about more than 10 people standing outside (raining like cats & dogs) of GameStop store waiting to pre-order Playstation 5. When I see a bundle for PS5 1TB version (either it's Ratchet & Clank, Horizon Forbidden West or Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales limited edition), I'll buy it in the future. Until then, I can wait.

@BigCat2K20: Pretty much. I'm content to wait until the system's a bit cheaper, and there are more options for games less than $70. I'm not as young as I used to be, and throwing that kind of money on a video game is a bit much for anything but the absolute most-obvious purchases. Hell, with Horizon: Forbidden West coming to PS4, I've got all the reason in the world to just wait.

@YukoAsho: $70 for a video game is asking alot (reminds me of SEGA Genesis/SNES days in the 1990s). I get why there are people out there excited for PS5 & Xbox Series X/S (9th gaming era). But, there's no point of buying next gen consoles when there are games coming to PS4 (you mentioned Horizon Forbidden West & Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales for example). It's weird that Sony would market two games (you & I mentioned) on PS5, but end up coming to PS4 as well.

@YukoAsho: I didn’t get that excited about either of the last two generations either, and I think they’re the two nest generations to date.

Intellectually I know Series X is going to be amazing and have a bucketload of great games, but I’ve barely scratched this gen so far, and there’s still more current gen games I want.

I plan on switching to series x format when available, but I’m not like when I was 16 and couldn’t control my drooling for the new thing. I’ll love it as much as ever, but I’m fine playing it when I catch up to it.

@BigCat2K20: well, Microsoft is doing the same thing for their early games too. Really it happened last gen and the one before a lot too. Worse case, if I’m going to buy a game anyway, I might as well buy it for the better format if I’m buying the system anyway.

@wolfpup7: Feels a bit different this time, though, as it looks more and more like you're going to need to really look to find the differences, unless you're one of those people for whom 30fps REALLY bothers you (never understood that myself). Looking at PS3 games on the PS2 and Wii, and even the few PS3/360 games that hopped up, you could really tell the power was there. It seems this coming gen is more about convenience than really pushing the envelope with graphics or gameplay.

I know these two systems will be great, don't get me wrong, but they'll be just as great a year from now at $400, or two from now at $300. I just don't feel that NEED like I have in other generations to get in on the ground floor, and having the only game I was really looking forward to come out on the PS4 as well kinda dulls the excitement further.

@YukoAsho: I hear you Yuko. I want a PS5-Xbox X. But I have to have the Money. I do not right now and it does not look great when these two consoles come out. I only have a PS3 and I am Happy playing on this console for many more years.

I don't really care about the next generation. I think the farthest I will go is my Nintendo Switch Lite. I am having so much fun with that little handheld I don't see that stopping anytime soon. I just recently got Nintendo Online for a year so now I experience the fuss of online switch gaming that many people talk about. I am also turning 43 very soon so that probably factors into things as well.

While I have the full Switch and it doesn't leave the dock, I do agree that Nintendo's got a fun little system on their hands. We've seen better support than past Nintendo systems, especially thanks to Nicalis and other Japanese publishers. Makes me wonder what Nintendo has planned for the future, and at least we know Nintendo won't follow the trend of marginalizing single-player and ballooning their budgets to chase the next big graphical benchmark.

I'm losing interest to

I have better things to do than play games. Like draw pictures or play music or watch shows or get a leg up in life.

Plus, everyone is like "Hnng, buy a PC." And I'm like whatever. I think it's so draining when people are like this.

If it was 1996 when arcades where the best and I was 12 then maybe I would care about console hype.

Sure they may have shiney graphics and fast frame rates. But I'll be hard pressed if they have a soul.

Plus all of these new era games are gonna be a buncha money grabbers or interactive movies which I don't care about. I'm only gonna buy Crash Bandicoot 4.

@mephisto10: ray trace and high frame rates are a world of difference. Plus there's gonna be more color pallet.

At this point the only thing that will impress me in gaming will be an RPG where you can talk with the NPC AI yourself instead of selecting pre written dialogue lines, but that's at least another gen or two away.