Is it time to talk about next-gen?

i think the concept of 'next-gen' (at least for the moment) is somewhat anachronistic...next-gen seems to imply there's a substantial technological leap being made. and whatever the ps5 ends up being, i'm not really confident that leap will be there.

but that's sorta the state of cpu/gpu architecture right now (if i understand correctly). mobile, power efficiency and shifting to ARM seems to be where the mindshare is at- and none of those competencies seem like they will impact the console-space anytime soon.

that said i'd totally buy a ps5 were it backward compatible...but that's mostly because i'm that chucklehead with a PC and a switch that has been waiting for a prime time to buy a ps4 and never found one.

I went with a PC instead of buying into this generation of consoles. Since I haven't purchased a PS4 or XBONE yet I don't mind the concept of a new generation coming soon.

What? So I can play Rocket League at 200 fps on a fancy box?

@bananasbananasbananas: Maybe they could aim a bit lower amd try to get 60 fps on all games.

Backwards compatibility is dope. I've been really pleased with what Microsoft is doing there to help preserve some classics and give some new life to games. Moreover, though some groan at re-releases, it's been neat to play some beloved games on current-gen hardware with better controllers/graphics/framerate. Also, as someone who just bought a One X and is ecstatic with its performance, I don't really see the need to shove this generation aside quicker than we have to. I certainly imagine Sony is at work on a PS5, but even if it gets announced at this E3, I'd be shocked to see it come out anytime soon. I could even see them knowingly making an unrealistic "Coming 2019" claim now to try and generate buzz, but 2020 seems like the very earliest we could actually get a new console.

Honestly, I don't see the upside for Sony or MS to preemptively shut down this generation, unless Sony just really wants to one-up the One X to again be able to say they make the most powerful console. However, I don't get the vibe that they give a shit about that at all as long as they continue selling PS4s and PS4 Pros the way they are. And from the MS end, I imagine they'd like to support the One X for at least a few more years and give it as much of a chance as it can get to take a reasonable foothold and salvage this generation for them in terms of perception. I'd talk more about Nintendo here, but they're so goddamn whimsical/asinine when it comes to their business decisions that I have a tough time even applying "generations" (or any general direction) to what they do.

There are still things that I'd like to see pan out a bit more this gen before we move on to the next one. VR was somewhat DOA, but I'd kind of like to see MS try to do something there with the One X to help keep VR alive. Moreover, it would be a good thing if this generation lasted long enough for the standard for most games to become 4K HDR, as that would seemingly help increase adoption rates of 4K HDR sets by the next generation to avoid some of the "but I don't have a 4K HDR TV yet" stuff that's happening now. The console tech is quite arguably well ahead of the display curve right now (in its area; spare me the PC master race shit), and HDR in particular is incredible and probably deserves more appreciation than it's currently getting.

So, yeah. I'm good with the situation until at least 2020. Until your average household has a 4K HDR TV, let's not send this gen out on the ice block before we need to. I'm not just itching to drop another half a grand or so on another console anytime soon, and I really don't like the idea of consoles following the cell phone roadmap of active obsolescence with little to no actual innovation/improvement to justify the new product. Everyone is likely better off if this gen gets a few more years to flesh itself out.

I gotta say when I started hearing rumors earlier this year about PS5 it caught me completely off-guard. I can't imagine buying a new console next year or the year after. What would they even do to make new consoles stand out in any way at this point ? Come back in a few years when 4k is standard and the consoles can run 60 fps high fidelity graphics with no issues, then I'd probably be interested.

Seems way too soon to me. Maybe it's because the Pro and X are still relatively new, but this generation definitely has some life left in it. I think it's weird considering the Switch too. It's not that I think new consoles would suddenly strip the Switch of third-party support especially considering how well games do on that platform, but like...take Monster Hunter World for example. It's not a secret that porting that game to the Switch would be difficult. Not impossible, but certainly a lot of work. So let's just say PS5 and Xbox 4 come out tomorrow with a new Monster Hunter as a launch game. What then? Assuming the environments are bigger and more detailed, you sure as hell ain't getting that on the Switch without some monumental downgrades.

I don't have any personal stake in Nintendo, but if you care about more than small indie game and first-party titles, I would think a new console generation is the last thing you would want right now because that just means less games for you unless you also have a PC, but I digress.

As far as backwards compatibility goes, I think with so many "games as a service" having launched during this generation, not have backwards compatibility is an even bigger mistake than before. We all know companies would love to sell those games back to you, but I dunno, I feel like people have kinda turned on remaster unless there's a night and day difference like Crash, Spyro, or Shadow of the Colossus. Like I can't imagine people being too thrilled at having to rebuy something like Overwatch for PS5/Xbox4 even if it does look better.

I don't think we need another gen for a good while. Games on this gen look great. And really, graphical fidelity is not the reason I play games anyway. I'm very happy with my Switch and PS4 Pro. As consoles get more advanced, I think budgetary considerations become more of a barrier to having the best visuals than hardware power. I'd rather take the zillion-dollar budget of the next AAA games for PS5 and divide them up among a hundred excellent indie or mid-tier games. The jump in graphics between gens just isn't as important as it used to be, and hardware evolution will continue have less of an impact as we get closer to photorealism.

I have absolutely no desire to buy a new console right now. Considering that "next-gen" has become a synonym for "slightly prettier" instead of "better games," I'll stick with what I have. My backlog's large enough as it is without adding a whole new generation to the mix, and the current gen has more to offer than any new gen would at the moment.

No way. I don't see it happening anytime soon. There is not *huge* new tech that has come out to warrant it. I voted for "perhaps in 2020" as by then we could make start thinking about it and looking out for it. I still wouldn't expect anything to actually launch until after 2020.

The upgrades they've done with the XBOX One X and PS4 Pro I feel is designed to prolong this "current generation" for a few more years since there wasn't much more upgrading that could be done than what they've done. Especially keeping it at the 400-500$ price point.

Keep upgrading and make all consoles backwards compatible. My base ps4 is on its last legs but i have a pc so a new gen console that wont allow me to play better running versions of my ps4 games is not appealing to me. I hope ps5 is announced but its just another upgrade like pc hardware.

Backcompat is a must for me. I was 4 years late getting a PS4 because of no backcompat, might not get a PS5 at all if it doesn't have backcompat.

I feel like the Pro, X, and Switch realistically marked the next generation of consoles in all but name. I don't really see the "real deal" being a huge leap from that beyond an overhaul of each company's ecosystem/UI/etc unless there's some breakthrough with VR tech or something.

I could see there being a PS5 in 2020, with the big addition being the ability to change your username.

I'm good for a few more years. I still have the first VCR-sized Xbox One and it does what I want it to do.

I'm don't feel great about the incremental spec boosts we've seen this gen, if only because I really don't want game consoles to fall into that annual upgrade cycle like phones or other consumer electronics. I prefer the longer cycles we've historically seen with game consoles, as it seems that (and maybe I'm wrong here) there's a sweet spot where developers know the hardware inside and out and can really push things, program more efficiently, or whatever. Granted a lot of the late-gen games on the 360 ran like garbage, so maybe I'm totally off on that idea.

I hope we have a few more years honestly. Plus, I am currently deciding whether I should get a One X and maybe even a PS4 Pro at some point. I am a little worried that new consoles will be coming sooner than later which as me hesitant. I simultaneously want to advance from my 1080p, base Xbox One and PS4, but I am not sure I need next-gen right now. The poll choices are hard, but I do hope that it has backward compatible. Now that I see what they can do with it I am excited about back compat. Before this-gen, I didn't care at all about backward compatibility because I thought it'd be just the same experience, and I still have the old consoles out so what'd be the point? I was wrong. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I feel like I got spoiled with the number of fantastic games on last-gen, and though there are some similarly superb games, nothing this-gen so far has made me think I could look back on it with such fondness. There especially hasn't been a console exclusive that has made me feel that we're good with this gen.

I’d be happy to live in a world of half-steps every 3-4 years, not unlike phones. I think the Xbox One X is pretty damned cool, and may grab a PS4 Pro soon, too.

Never say never, but the talk on the Bombcast about the PS5 dropping this year would be insane.

I'm also in the club of saying that 2020 would likely be the year.

The only reason to make an official PS5 would be to create a new minimum standard for new video games. As it is, all PS4 games have to be playable on both the PS4 and PS4 Pro. If they came out with a PS5 that played PS4 games, but also set a standard for new games coming out, then I can see it working.

Even then, I think the current gen has a lot of life left in it. Gen 7 lasted 8 years. Gen 8 is on year 5 with a mid-generation hardware upgrades on two systems, plus whatever the Switch is.

After spending a bunch of cash on a 4K TV, new A/V receiver, and three new consoles in the past year, I'm definitely not buying more hardware any time soon.

I have three generations of Playstation sitting in my entertainment center because Sony's back compat efforts have been lackluster to say the least. Maybe work on that first.

No thanks. A few more years. maybe not 5 but 3 or 4

How I look at it. Horizon; Zero Dawn looked very good, and performed fine on my PS4-pro. I'm a bit reactionary to what should be the necessity for a new gen console, though guaranteed 60 fps at ultra high resolution supporting HDR would be a good target. We are not there even with PC.

We're currently five years into a console cycle that took two years to get really going, and there were meaningful mid-gen console upgrades for both platforms. The last gen lasted 8 years+ and had many of its best games in the second half of that period. I don't even wanna think about a new gen right now. Also, yeah, backcompat or bust, there's just no excuse anymore with console architectures as straightforward as right now.

I think it would be stupid for any company to announce new hardware right now. The ones that are out now have a few good years in them still, i don't think we have seen every bit of "power" they have yet. So hopefully they wait until they can actually live up to their own expectations of resolution and frame-rate. Probably won't happen, as they seem hellbent on over promising each generation. As a consumer i'm getting pretty tired of the PR buzzword campaigns that hit every time.

Remember how awesome the PS3 and XBOX 360 where at playing native 1080p game at 30fps. Replace a few digits and we have come full circle yet again.

My PS4 plays video games just fine and I can't afford to buy new consoles or upgrade my PC so I say 5 more years!

I the earliest, the very earliest, we see PS5 or Xb-Next is 2020, but I would put my money on 2021.

I think we shoudl not expect anything shocking or technologly advanced beyong a 7nm SOC and fast RAM.

- Stil phyical drives, not SSDs. Likley thy will have fast solid-state cashe like Fuzedrive or Optane tech.

- Still using media drives, some Blu-Ray type.

- Still joypads, still same amount of buttons, possibility that controllers will have smarter sensors - if they can add it at low cost.

- Expect needing better cooling. I think vapor chambers and fat fin-stacks are a given. These SOCs will likley work best with all the cooling heardroom you give them. So, I'm saying expect systems that are at least as big as PS4 Pro. Big systems with big cooling systems.

- I think there might be better HDMI ports on our next systems. We might see USB 3.3 or 3.4....USB 4.0?

- Likely will use 801.11Ax wi-fi, because is compatable with curreent tech. A next generation of Blutooth in all likelyhood.

As I said, nothing shocking. All systems should be painted Vantablack...just to make them more interesting.

It feels like this gen just started with God of War - along with Uncharted 4 and Horizon. Most multiplatform games don't feel that advanced and sadly my X1 still doesn't have any great exclusives. I'd be pissed if the next gen started earlier than 2021.

For me this generation hasn't been around anywhere near long enough.
I feel like optimization has always taken a back seat with big budget games, and now with ever more complicated and graphics intensive projects it's taking longer for studios to get used to engines and hardware, and to put out games.
Let's look at the output from the major publishers this generation:
Capcom, 4-5 games in their major franchises, no new ip and lots of middling quality remasters, this is partly to do with their financial situation they can't take risks, most the games are pretty alright but no where near as strong as their back catalogue.
EA, besides the annual releases in their sports franchises we've seen 5 major releases, though nothing we're going to be proud of looking back and again, no new ip, unless you count their indie publishing programme which has faired much better.
Activision, 4 games, one of which was Ghostbusters and the rest Call of Duty and Destiny 2, though the remakes they are now getting into are notable, also some indie titles which, again, is where the new ip is.
Ubisoft, of all the major publishers Ubi are absolutely killing it, around 20 major games on current gen, a handful of new ip with even more new names on the horizon and some excellent smaller releases, Ubi are the only ones doing things the old fashioned way it seems and i wonder how long they can keep going at this rate.
As a comparison EA released 40+ PS2 games which weren't a part of their annual sports franchises, honestly there are too many for me to bother to count properly, Activision's output before Call of Duty was startling.
Quick Nintendo mention, they finally have hardware people like and are supporting it excellently with plenty of big budget, well made games, and a few nice ports to satisfy fans new and old, it's really smart of them to duck out of this ugly graphics intensive arms race.

The market has grown but it feels like the industry has gotten smaller, on the consumer end it's made up for by lots of independent studios growing their own communities of fans, teams of people have gathered solely to experiment with VR, Free to Play has evolved into an agreeable concept supporting the developers behind games like Warframe, there are also of course PC exclusives and phone games, but this is certainly the generation with the smallest number of core games.

This turned into an essay, so i'll wrap it back around like a professional, for me this generation hasn't been around anywhere near long enough.

I think even later than 2020, maybe even 2022.

I don't want to talk about it or even really think about it. It feels like this gen has only just begun hitting its stride in the past year. Further, I don't think we've reached the limits of the present hardware yet, especially considering the mid-cycle upgrades that just came out in the last year. I wouldn't put it past Sony or Microsoft to start teasing things, but it seems like a tiring and premature conversation to be having right now.

Also if any company thinks it'll be appropriate to trot out a new console with no backwards compatibility when the system architecture is all so similar now and phones have created the expectation of apps carrying through multiple generations, that company is a goddamn fool.

As crass as it sounds, I think the time to talk next gen actually started with the PS4 Pro and the One X. But yeah, realistically, I think we're probably due for a new console announcement in 2020.

I feel like the current generation is only just now getting into its groove. Let's keep it around a few more years.

What is the next-gen? There is no next-gen... what are we gonna do? Upgrade the CPU a bit, upgrade the GPU a bit? It's still basically the same machine but with a little more kick. Anyways, wouldn't expect any news before 2020.

In all honesty, I think the target for companies is going to be 60 FPS 4K consoles. But that is a huge target that seems far off at the moment because gpu and cpu hardware has not improved at the rate projected and it is still difficult for some PCs to even do this. Plus, are people even buying 4K TVs? I'm unsure about the sales of 4K TVs other than they are dropping in price rapidly. Either way, I don't think this is going to be a reachable goal, but that is what they are pushing for it seems with the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro.

Games are another issue... I just don't really see very many games that are "pushing the envelope" with graphical fidelity like they used to and that it has to do with consumers not buying into this anymore. I mean... look at the current game of choice Fortnite. If we were using the argument that "graphics are everything" we would have said that PUBG without a doubt would have been the game of choice. Instead, accessibility and optimization seem to be more important now days. You could say that there is a disconnect between console makers and game developers, but I think that has really always been a thing and game developers have been known to do some crazy magic to make their games run on anything with a processor.

So really, I think like anything relating to the "future" of the video game market, no one knows what's going to happen. It's always a toss up between innovation or sticking with reliable technology. The only thing I do know is we will definitely get the same boring ass game sequels and clones because that is the safe thing to do in a market that is as unpredictable as gaming.

I don't really have that many PS4 games still, at least nowhere near the number of PS3 games I collected during that gen. So I'm hoping it's got a good while longer, also I just bought a PS4 Pro this year and I don't see myself buying another console for a long while.

I'll echo what other people have said and say that the idea generations of gaming consoles is becoming a bit of an anachronism. In the traditional sense, this is year five of the Xbox One and the PS4, which is usually when you start thinking about the next console cycle, but that wasn't true in the 7th gen and doesn't look like it's going to be true in the 8th gen.

I'm still almost exclusively a PC gamer, but I'd like it if there were more games I wanted to play on my PS4 and would be sad if first party development was focusing on a new console. Only game I played on PS4 last year was Horizon Zero Dawn, which was my GOTY.

Backwards compatibility has never meant that much to me, and I still have working 7th gen consoles - hell, my 360 is still plugged into my TV even though I haven't used it in years. That said, the footage of Red Dead Redemption playing on PS4 Pro did look really good.

Just wait. The jump to PS4/X1 was so underwhelming. I want the next console release to feel special again, like the older console launches. Right now, we're just not at a point where you'll see significant jumps and I think the current gen graphics still look really freaking good.

I will add to my above comments by saying that there needs to be a reason or unavoidable update before we see new consoles. I especially think the cost of RAM and new SOC lithography will mean that the 'economy' of new systems just is not there. Heck, the RAM costs for current systems must be making the profits of the current systems very low. Sony must be suffering since it 8GB of GDDR5 must be far more expensive right now, a time when they may have been expecting drops in costs.

'Tuck-in' with the current systems folks, even if they could make new system, they won't until they can manufacture them economically. Prices on the commodity parts not only have to lower, those parts have to be stably lower.