New consoles from the big three, madness or brilliant? (Now with added Scorpio & Neo!) This the last gen?

The_Jaster wrote:

Not saying they'd do that just pointing out that I'd likely hold off from getting a ps5 if the .5 version was to come out just 2 years later.

The PS4 will be 3 years old this year, can't actually believe how fast time goes.

Slightly on topic, there had been talk in the past that console gaming is DOOM'ed like the end of the PS360Wii gen which even me not in my fancy house can figure out after 6+ years on the market of course there going to start slowing down, the launch of the Wii U which met with consoles are dead talk.

Then the PS4 comes along and destroys every number going but this hasn't stop EA & Ubisoft both saying console gaming is DOOM'ed and this generation will be the last one but we will see upgrades like the PS4 Neo, in till we get to the all digital streaming boxes.

EA & Ubisoft do both have there on online platforms, that maybe they want to go the Netflix root and I buy a PlayStation box and I pay monthly for EA Access, UPlay, PSN and that's how we get our games from now on.

What do you guys think, I just can't see this being the last console generation. I see it eventually going like what EA & Ubisoft are saying but not for a long long time or will we just do upgrade every 3 years in till we get to the PlayStation Stream box.

I'd hate for gaming to go digital-only. I don't mind the odd download here or there, and I'd say that same games are better suited to being downloadable titles than boxed releases. But at the end of it all, I still love the feeling of peeling off the cellophane on a game box, popping the disc or cart into my console and playing away. Well, playing away after the inevitable update file, but the point stands.

Same and I've said before all digital gaming is when I become 100% RETRO unless they can really get a Netflix model to work with games and I think I would pay for that but could be to many of them though.

I think the default built-in hard drives need to get bigger before you have to download everything.

I don't think that's the issue, most PS4/One games need full installs regardless, I think fibre would just need to be the standarad speed though.

You wouldn't have to download everything though Jim, as it be streams which would need better internet like Andy says but I never had a issue with PSNOW. That if this happens, by the time it does our internets will be better.

Streaming I would be worried about. My internet connection conks out for a fraction of a second every 2 hours. Most things aren't affected by this; online gaming is, however. If I can't play my games locally, then I may bow out.

You would hope by the time this happens, if it ever does our Internets would be better though that you wouldn't have the issue.

But I do think if it's digital downloads only I would bow out as well and stick to retro.

The High End PS4 has now been confirmed by Mr Andrew House from Wales and that it won't be at E3.

This PS4 will sit alongside the current PS4 and both will be available to buy and to play all the game for the PS4's life cycle. PS4 Neo as I'm calling from here on, is for the "hardcore" gamer who want the best resolution & frame-rate and to appreciated this on a 4KTV.

All games will work on both systems and how it's worded some games may not change if played on PS4 or PS4 Neo.

Reason for it not being shown at E3, is they want to wait in till there is another titles to show the benefit of the PS4 Neo along with other features, I'm guessing 4K Movies.

There will not be any exclusive games or modes for the PS4 Neo, the Neo will cost more then the current hardware but of course by this happens the current PS4 may have dropped in price.

Basically that's what House, since then it seems games will start being Neo compatible from October (I still reckon FFXV first Neo game) which means it will likely be shown before October, mostly likely Paris Games Week which is mid-September and between then & now they will continue selling the avg 1.3m a month of the current PS4 instead of showing at E3 and some waiting till October for Neo to come out in 4 months time.

Issue I got with October is, that's when PSVR is coming out and you would think most of the PSVR buyers would be interested in Neo or new tech like a 4KTV, that it seems a lot to bring out at once. Th only other time I would show Neo is PSX as it's a show for the "hardcore" gamer but it's December and seems maybe to late if Neo is coming this year, but I would hold off till February & launch it alongside Horizon: Zero Dawn and have that as the show-piece game.

The other thing I thought of was, it was meant to be shown at E3 but with the rumors of Scorpio & it's POWER! Sony are waiting and tweaking the Neo to me more in line with the Scorpio and maybe the NX as well.

The XBox 3.5, a.k.a. "Scorpio", is real. As is PS4.5 "Neo", even if it hasn't been shown off yet. Following a trail Nintendo blazed with the New 3DS, of course - and by "blazed", I mean "set on fire and watched as it crackled pathetically for a bit, then imploded on itself".

As far as I can tell, neither MS nor Sony want to split their markets. So improvements will be limited, pretty much, to improved loading times, prettier graffix, and 4K support. MS said something about VR that I didn't research fully, but I think Sony wants both consoles to support VR. I imagine some games in 30fps might run in 60 on a ".5" console as well.

So, what do you think of this half-generation? Will it last three years as well before being replaced with the PS5 and XBox Aquarius? Will the audience be split? Will people really flock out in their droves to buy a presumably expensive new console that does nothing fundamentally different to their existing black box, or will it be an excuse for people with one to acquire the other? Your thoughts please, gents and ladies.

Scorpio? You're totally mad. Neo? Woah.

Now that's over, my thoughts. The move(s) might persuade some gamers who've chosen to stick with their PS360's to jump up a gen. There are also a few obvious groups who'll grab one - whales, fanboys, etc. - and, well, if Microsony didn't think Scorpineo (maybe? I miss being able to use 'PS360' as a phrase) would sell, they'd not be making it.

Personally, the idea of an updated machine being released partway through a gen doesn't quite sit right with me. Experience tells me that, so far, precious little is actually made specifically for a half-gen console, so it all feels a little pointless. I am hopeful that the Scorpineo venture (out in all good bookshops now ) will do better on that front.

You say that Zero doesn't quite sit right with me but did you get a New 3DS?

Yes - the reason being that the Circle Pad on my day one 3DS had worn away. Overuse, I would say. The New 3DS came out at just the right time, so I got one.

I chuffing didn't, because it hardly had any big exclusives. A port of a game I'd already played, some reduced loading times for Smash, and a downsized Wii U game that actually ran like crap on the original, so much of the talk was about that. I think, and hope, that Scorpneo will have to do much better than that to be relevant.

But the power and grfx whales will upgrade anyway, because of course they will.

Could be the same with the Scorpineo some might be the right time to get one, also don't forget the Xbox One S is a upgrade on the Xbox One Drunka owns for instance.

The thing for me is, if I get a 4KTV both of these come interesting as I want something to use my 4KTV especially if I've spent X £$€ on the 4KTV also FFXV looked crap in that demo and that could do with the extra power to run nicely.

Zero wrote:

Neo? Woah.

Spoiler:

---

The way I see it is a very slippy slope that could make this gen last much longer than it needs to or even in a extreme case make the games themselves worse because they have to run to both sets of specs.

It is really only there to squeeze out a bit more cash from some gamers.

Mr Spencer's Beyond Generations put me off a bit and he once did say about this could be the last generation and we could just upgrade at Windows event then he back tracked after.

But if the first was the case, I don't want it to be in 8 years time here's Xbox One 5 and the 4 before it has to still run the same games, as the OG Xbox One from 10 years ago would still have to run it.

And either the game on the OG Xbox One runs like utter dog shite or the power of the One 5 isn't really used making it pointless and games don't move forward as were still using 10+ year old hardware as the starting point .

I'm hoping how House addressed it about Neo the generation is something like 6 years and on year 3 the upgrade comes for those who want it.

I'm sure we'll get some exclusive titles for ScorpNeo, they'll likely be dubbed with the subtitle "Remastered HD" though.

Balladeer wrote:

...and a downsized Wii U game that actually ran like crap on the original, so much of the talk was about that.

pssst, Hyrule Warriors has more content and expanded mechanics/gameplay on the 3DS. It's an upsize if anything

I'm super happy with my New 3DS, but I didn't have a 3DS before that. But considering two of the three 3DS games I own are MH4U and Hyrule Warriors Legends, the New 3DS is definitely worth it over the original to me!

...shuddup.

Was MH4U New 3DS-enhanced? Was it just the analogue sticky thing? And what do you think of Scorpneo, O_R?

Mainly just the analogue stick, but it does run better. Something I didn't really realise until my friend (on the regular 3DS) mentioned the occasional slow down in certain areas, to which my response was "what slow down?". I think it loaded slightly faster too, which is noticeable when transitioning between areas - although that is nothing like it was back on the PSP disc days!

I'm not a fan of the Neo or Scorpio. Like others, it worries me that consoles seem to be heading more and more the direction of the PC - Microsoft especially, which is basically turning the xbox into a steam-machine style packaged windows computer for playing games.

I certainly won't be upgrading my PS4 to the Neo - for one I don't have a 4K TV so there is little draw from that perspective, but mainly because when I bought my PS4 I expect it to last me until the next console generation, just like my old fat PS3 did. And my PSP. And my original PS2.

I've never bought into mid-generation upgrades and I don't intend to start now. The only reason I have a DS lite and a new 3DS is because that's when I bought into the consoles as a whole.

I bought a New 3DS on a whim more than anything, mainly because I could get the ambassador edition otherwise I'd have probably gave it a miss, I'll definitely give the Neo a miss as 4K isn't enough of a selling point for me, even if I had a 4KTV to start with, I still struggle to tell the difference between SD and HD so it'll be lost on me.

Treesmurf wrote:

I still struggle to tell the difference between SD and HD

OR wrote:

Mainly just the analogue stick, but it does run better. Something I didn't really realise until my friend (on the regular 3DS) mentioned the occasional slow down in certain areas, to which my response was "what slow down?". I think it loaded slightly faster too, which is noticeable when transitioning between areas - although that is nothing like it was back on the PSP disc days!

I also remember seeing online that many textures on monsters etc looked better too.

---

On the whole upgraded N3ds thing I didn't buy mine expecting a massive amount of games that utilised it fully mainly because of the danger of splitting the player base, I still had the launch 3ds as well so felt it was needed & I've been very happy with it.