With each new generation of console comes bigger capacities and capabilities, bigger is better after all ( isn’t it). When you look at the history of PlayStation and Xbox you might be forgiven in thinking ‘where’s the innovation and creativity?’ Each new generation provides better graphics, more storage, higher RAM etc, but that’s it. Each console is just a faster better version. At no point has either company really tried to innovate or change the way people play video games.
I’m not saying these consoles are rubbish but what I am saying is are they stagnating, and what does the future hold? The most powerful console on the market is the Xbox One X and unfortunately, the sales for this system have been extremely poor. You have to ask though, why would I pay £200 for what is essentially the same console, just with slightly better graphics? It all gets a bit boring, take FIFA for example, it’s been the same game every year but with better graphics. FIFA18 is visually stunning, so it’s hard to see where it can be improved, has it reached its peak? Will FIFA22 really be any different? Probably not.
I feel we are hitting that peak where the power of the consoles will become irrelevant; there’s only so much realism you can get. You can’t make things look better than real life can you? You don’t always need life-like graphics, most games are built in fantasy worlds of unimaginable beauty, so why should it look lifelike? I for one would rather console makers look to innovate the way we interact with games, rather than just upscaling its power. I would also like developers to concentrate on gameplay rather than making the next best looking game.
Look at Nintendo: you don’t have to be the most powerful to get the most sales, you need a console that resonates with fans and gives them something they don’t have. The Switch, I feel, is bucking the trend of biggest is best and is truly revolutionising the way we play games. Nintendo has always been innovators, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But with every innovative idea, you know that they are doing it for you! They wholeheartedly increase your gaming pleasure, and when it works it is majestic. That’s what this industry needs, innovation and focus on gameplay, not higher res and the same old stuff time and time again.