I think this generation will be remember as the one where console gaming became unaffordable for casual players. Rising console, game and service prices.
@kmtrain83 Gaming PC is hardware running a Windows, Linux (Steam OS) or Mac OS operating system with an open ecosystem for purchasing games (Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Microsoft Store, Ubisoft store), open for cumminity mods, open for non-licensed accessories and potential with a certain degree of upgrade options, though that's no always a given in case of laptops or handheld devices such as the Steam Deck.
It can be a desktop tower with a monitor, keyboard and mouse, it can be a small factor device with a controller connected to the TV, it can be a laptop, it can be a handheld device. You can connect a PC with Steam OS to your TV, run it in big screen mode and use a controller like you do on a console. That also includes gaming devices from Dell, HP, Asus, Lenovo, etc. All modern PC graphics cards have an HDMI to connect them to TVs. Valve's recently announced Steam Machine is basically going to be the sort of "console"-like gaming PC which can prove their viability on a big TV screen setup
im curious to how this next xbox will even work will it just be a pc then a console? i mean mac has steam , but most games aren't playable on a mac ( with out a work around).
Based on what has been reported officially and unofficially, it's pretty likely that the next "Xbox" hardware is a Windows PC.
Like with the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds from Asus, it will probably boot into an "Xbox full-screen" mode similar to console dashboards and Steam OS, with the option to switch to the full Windows desktop view. Storefronts will be integrated as full screen apps.
According to reviewers of the ROG Xbox Ally the full screen experience isn't as streamlined and smooth as on a console or the Steam Deck. There are separate settings menus from Xbox, Windows and Asus, the OS is using the Windows updates for system updates and there are multiple options for how to uninstall games. There's still a lot of work ahead for Microsoft to get the Windows and the Xbox full screen mode in a good shape.
It's an unknown how compatibility to Xbox console games will work. This has been mentioned by some, but no details are known yet. Personally I think Microsoft might implement a translation layer for Xbox to Windows system operations, similar to the community project XWine1. That would allow Xbox console games to run on Windows OS.
It seems like whatever Microsoft is currently building, it might not be exclusive to a specific "Xbox hardware". It seems like most of the work is going into Windows OS to bring the PC gaming experience closer to a console experience, and everyone on a Windows device would benefit from it. Valve has proven with Steam OS that it's possible.
@graymamba At this point, what options does Microsoft have for the Xbox? Their Xbox hardware sales are drastically declining, as a game publisher they are too large and games are too expensive to make them Xbox exclusive, Xbox is the in 4th place for many game developers in terms of release priority with Xbox support often being neglected, Windows is still the most used OS for PC gaming.
As no one buys Xbox consoles anymore, Microsoft has 3 options: 1. Go the Sega way and stop any Xbox hardware, 2. Sell the Xbox brand (not sure who would want it), or 3. Transfer to PC.
Microsoft doesn't care what is good for consumers, they care what is good for their business. And if this move strengthens their OS business then they will likely go that way
@TrollOfWar PC is a different beast. Xbox is releasing 1st party on PS because they are a sinking ship and in desperation mode. A console can release on PC and it will not affect console sales. PC is not really a direct competitor to a console like xbox vs. PS is. Ps5 just reached 94million units sold, while releasing games on PC since 2020. Horizon zero dawn released on pc in Aug of 2020. Xbox's #'s this gen have been abysmal while they go multiplat. The proof is in the numbers
While Xbox and PlayStation were competing directly, I think by this point people need to realize that Xbox as a console platform stopped competing. The Xbox Series prices are not competitive with PS5 prices and they stopped making games exclusive to Xbox.
And while PlayStation is not competing directly with PC, indirectly it is. Gamers on PC looking to play the newest games will buy and play on PC not on PlayStation, as the majority of all newly released games are on both systems.
Microsoft has definitely lost the console wars, they admitted that. But it's a clever move of them to transfer the Xbox platform to PC, if they can really pull it off, as PC will dominate the future of gaming. Xbox's move to PC is already in progress. Question is, what will Sony/PlayStation do when the majority of gamers is on PC?
@graymamba Yes. 👍 Definitely proves that company strategies shift with changing dynamics of the gaming industry. What was a good practice in the past might not be all that valid in the next 5-10 years.
I guess the "Store Rating" category is for the numbers of ratings rather than the average rating score. Otherwise Black Ops 7 would not be included in that list.
Doesn't need any more build-up until the month before release imo. Sony often overexposes their exclusives with too many trailers and dedicated deep-dive state of plays. Just tires me out for games that I'm dead-set on playing anyways.
The thing is, people who follow gaming news are well informed about upcoming games and come here to PushSquare, are actually in the minority of the PlayStation playerbase.
There are tens of millions of casual players, who might be remotely interested in the newest "Marvel" game and are not up to speed with Playstation news. That's why Sony is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing with multiple trailers, showcases, deep-dives, adverts, so even the most casual gamers are engulfed by the hype and get more PS5 units sold to those who didn't need one yet.
But I think for me the biggest head scratcher is why you'd want to faff about getting certain games running and you can't tell me that's not a thing because it is. Now you'll have to forgive me because I'm older guy and I've never gamed on PC, I'm just going off of what my son and his friends game on and tell me and he spent a fair amount on his "build" around £900 and he told me "oh it's future proofing" but it's struggling to run the latest games coming out while my 5 year old PS5 does it just fine and now he's looking for another graphics card, he hates me because I take the piss all the time, then when his friend is around they try and gang up 😆
I'm not surprised if your son doesn't like you making fun of him. I think he would expect from you, as a fellow gamer, to show more understanding, but you seem to mock him and ignore what is going on on the PC gaming Side.
I don't know how performant your son's PC is, but you cannot compare the price of a PC directly to a price of a console. While PCs are open platforms and hardware manufacturers aim to make a profit on sold hardware, consoles (until now at least) have been subsidized. The platform holders would sell the console at a loss and would gain back the costs via sold games, subscriptions and licensed accessories. A "£ 900" PC doesn't match the performance of a PS5, but it's an open platform where your son is not restricted in how he is using it and where he is buying games. He doesn't need to pay for online gaming either.
It is also commonly known that PC ports of console games haven't been that great in recent years. Unreal Engine 5 games have been stuttering due to shader compilation issues (shaders are pre-compiled on games for consoles) and other games are just terribly optimized (like the recent Monster Hunter Wilds which the community found out that the game is constantly performing checks for DLCs on PC impacting the performance). On PC at least you can try to fix those performance problems with the game settings and the help of community mods. On consoles if you have performance issues, you can only hope for developer team to fix it.
@TrollOfWar I agree with you about PCs being more flexible and customizable than consoles but I think ‘plug and play’ is a big part of the appeal of consoles.
I think that classic 'plug and play' benefit for consoles is gone (unless you game on Switch 1 or Evercade). You need to connect your console to the internet, you need have an account, you need to install games you purchase on discs, many modern games don't fit on a disc so they often need to be downloaded from the internet, you need to download system updates, game updates and controller updates. You need a subscription to play online and store your save games in the cloud. Some games let you choose between "quality" and "performance" mode. You need to disassemble your PS5's cover plate and choose the right SSD it you want to expand the storage. Consoles have been slowly becoming more PC-like over the last 10 years.
That is why so many rival storefronts have had problems getting traction against Steam though all offer free access and some hand out free games periodically.
I think it's a benefit for PC players if they have several storefronts to choose from where they buy their games.
Another big part of the appeal of consoles is the subsidized hardware. While consoles are pricier than ever and thats bad, the problem is the skyrocketing price of computer components.
Yes, initial costs are higher for gaming PCs than for consoles in many western countries.
But PCs are cheaper in countries like China, Brazil, India. And with Steam's regional pricing games on PC are much cheaper than on the PlayStation store in regions like Argentina and Turkey.
Many people buy a PC for work, school and gaming, so in those cases PC gaming is the cheaper option.
@TrollOfWar you would say that already released Accessibility controller is not patented by Sony? And anyone can make such copy-cat design? I doubt that.
I believe Sony also has a patent on the PlayStation Access adaptive controller.
Accessibility peripherals are usually already quite expensive, which is making them often unaffordable for people who are already struggling to get a job. If no name hardware manufacturers could create cheaper copy-cat products then yes I am totally for it, because the option for cheaper accessibility peripherals is more important than the profit margin of large corporations.
Nnnnnope, absolutely dumb idea. There is no better feeling than smashing those buttons or aiming with the analag sticks - that cannot be replaced. It would feel like emulating on a phone.
Maybe Sony is aiming to capture that Gen Z audience who grew up playing on smartphones and has no clue how a controller with actual buttons works. 😄
This is a fairly weak patent. Mobile games and streaming services like Xcloud had this feature for several years on touchscreens. Apple MacBooks used to have a customizable touchscreen bar above the keyboard and there are several programmable touchscreen keyboards. I wouldn't call the idea something Sony invented.
Regarding customizable controller layouts, Turtle Beach (Stealth Pivot Wireless) and Thrustmaster (ESwap Pro) already have a controller which allows you to do that.
Also, as the article is describing this as an "accessibility needs" feature, I personally think it's wrong to lock accessibility features behind a patent unless they plan to make it available for free for any hardware manufacturer.
@DKG-85 PC is more flexible and customizable than a console. It offers a lot of freedoms where consoles are very restricted.
You have the option of multiple digital store fronts from where you can buy games (or even get them for free) like Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Microsoft Store, Itch.io, etc.
There is no fee for online gaming and cloud saves on PC.
You can customize game settings for graphics to fit your needs and use mods to add more. For example, someone created a VR mod for Cyberpunk 2077. If you only have a PS5 and PSVR2, you cannot play that.
As already mentioned above you can connect any controller (Xbox, DualSense, Steam Controller, third-party) to a PC. It's also well known, that mouse and keyboard are more effective in strategy games, shooters (where aiming is quicker and more precise) and MMO RPGs (where you need multiple shortcuts and a keyboard if you want to quickly type a message).
Physical media is not what it used to be: If you for example have The Crew, Anthem or Concord on a physical disc, you wont be able to play them. The more games require an online connection the less future proof they are. Also it's becoming a trend where only a small part of the game is included on the disc and everything else is downloaded from the internet. This is due to the growing size of games and the limits of blu-ray discs. You also see similar problems with the Nintendo Switch 2 key cards.
People treat PC like it's some kind of complex platform, but with time and patience you learn that it's fairly easy and PC gaming has been becoming easier over the last decade with automated updates and games auto-detecting your hardware.
@Naughtyottsel92 I guess it's obvious that most people don't want to have to buy 2 expensive consoles which have similar specs and capabilities, play 90% of the same games, with the only big difference being the "exclusives".
That's why people would prefer to be able to play all games on the console of their choice.
I believe the bigger story here is, that PC has 80% compared to PS5 40%. Less than half of the developers are interested in developing games for consoles. The Steam Deck also has 40% despite having sold less than PS5.
Around 15 years ago PC gaming was deemed "dead", now it's the future of gaming. No surprise Microsoft is moving their Xbox business to PC.
So why didn’t Sony wait for the release of Marathon, with a campaign featuring that game? Or GTA6?
Maybe because production and operational costs are rising, but the PS5 playerbase isn't growing faster than the PS4 generation.
The main problem is that in past console generations the prices would decrease over time, making them more affordable. This generation they are going up.
@Questionable_Duck Maybe because Xbox developers are now allowed to freely express their intentions of releasing their games on PlayStation and they want to promote those legacy Xbox franchises to players who are unfamiliar with them
There are probably also PlayStation developers who would like to release their games on Xbox (like Insomniac or Housemarque who previously released games on Xbox) but most likely Sony doesn't allow such statements.
@StitchJones Because it's easy for small indie studios to take a game engine like Unreal or CryEngine, which offer robust lighting by default, combined with some high resolution assets and texture packs from some 3D asset store, while facial animation requires expensive motion capture equipment which not many studios can afford.
@IronCrow86 It would be nice for players on Xbox, if PlayStation would release more of their 1st party games on Xbox, but of course many people in the PlayStation fanbse wouldn't want that. The more people can enjoy good games on their favorite devices the better for everyone.
Unfortunately some people are still stuck in the "console war" mentalities where they think that Xbox is directly competing with PlayStation.
I got the 2020 Sony TV model X950H, after owning an LG OLED TV which got burn-in (during a 2 year period) and LG customer service was horrible. I like the Sony TV and I would have chosen the brand again for a future TV, but now I'm not sure if TCL can keep up the same production quality.
I'm genuinely curious. Are people actually interested in this game? I haven't heard any hype for this game, and I'm on this website every day.
The many players on this website mostly care for single player games, not multiplayer live-services, so Marathon will not meet their taste. They would rather prefer if Bungie and Sony would spend the time and money on developing some cinematic single player shooter.
While the initial reveal trailer of Marathon had some big hype due to the strong art style, some of the closed betas were met with skepticism. I played one of those closed betas last year, I enjoyed it but I would probably only buy it if my friends would play it as well.
@Dogbreath I agree with what you are saying now. I'm also baffled how some people "preorder" digital games, as if there is a risk of not being able to download the game otherwise, and buy unnecessarily overpriced Deluxe editions with no meaningful additional content.
It's really hard to define the "correct" price of a game. It will be always compared on lenght, visuals, features, quality to other games. Publishers think the price should reflect the time and money which was spent on creating the game.
Tomb Raider is multiple generations behind Uncharted 4. It has been dated and degraded by time.
I know, I wanted to use a strong contrast. I think everyone has their expectations to how prices should drop, but there's no defined rule. It's common knowledge that Nintendo games hardly drop in price, and some PlayStation games (Marvel's Spide-Man, Days Gone) keep their initial price over many years (excluding special discounts).
Unlike a car, there is no wear and tear. Actually games get better over time due to patches.
Imagine a car that at one year old was still in showroom condition, zero miles, but the engine had grown more powerful and the seats had changed from textile to leather.
The comparison between games and cars doesn't quite work, as in case of games (similar to books and movies) selling a duplicate of the work is much cheaper than when you sell a duplicate of a physical car.
People don't consume a car. Cars are more expensive than games so people buy or lease a car and hope to use it for 3+ years. Cars are necessary means of transportation in our society and the manufacturing of a car is expensive.
Games are basically created/developed once (except live-services) and sold as cheap copies. They are meant to be played/consumed. Once you finished a game, you are thinking about playing something else (probably a new game). So if a game doesn't attract new buyers (due to newer games being more popular) with it's original price, then the price of that game can be easily lowered, as copies are inexpensive.
Imagine if Tomb Raider (1996) had the same price as Uncharted 4.
I think this reduction in price is more about lower than expected initial sales numbers of Avowed across PC and Xbox with the standard price, and seeing the success of games like Clair Obscur, Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2 with a lower price.
Other games like Halo Infinite, Indiana Jones, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, Deathloop, Sea of Thieves are listed at their original release prices (except during time limited special discounts).
@Oram77 I’d be interested to see if any Xbox-derived games will enter PS+, it might not be contractually possible. But fingers crossed!
There were already cases of Microsoft-owned games like Psychonauts 2, Minecraft Dungeons, Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo being available on PS Plus Essentials or Extra, so everything is possible.
for the love of gaming please stop announcing your games so flipp'n early. It doesn't help anyone, and only puts even more pressure on the dev team to crunch and get the game out as soon as possible
I think it's not an easy decision when to announce a game and several factors can delay the planned timeline.
Sometimes from the platform's perspective it makes sense to reveal early projects to generate hype for a future game (like Zelda on GameCube, FF7 Remake on PS3, Metroid Prime 4 on Switch, Starfield, Hellblade 2, Halo Infinite and Fable on Xbox). Many people will buy a console just on that promise of a game. It keeps interest in the platform up.
Often times the projects might be impacted by mismanagement, key roles leaving the project, studios changing or external events like the pandemic.
In this case I think it's rather the first case where the PlayStation playerbase is craving to see what Naughty Dog's next game is. They released 2 games and a standalone expansion during the PS4 generation, but nothing noteworthy this generation.
@TrollOfWar but then Sony would be devaluing its product to the point that Xbox has now been. There is literally no point in buying Xbox’s anymore when you can get the games anywhere
Well, I guess, if Sony cares more about the perceived PlayStation brand value, then it's better for Sony to bleed money on keeping the Naughty Dog studio alive for several years without any major output, and hopefully their next game is successful enough to secure the studio's future.
Japan felt out of love with Sony's offerings ever since 1) Japan Studio was shuttered and 2) the Vita was stabbed in the back.
They're going to need another handheld "Monster Hunter" moment to gain any traction again.
I remember reading an article that Japan never really perceived Sony as a gaming brand on the same level as Nintendo and Sega. Sony has always been known to be a hardware brand in Japan.
PlayStation became popular in Japan because of the games from other publishers like Square Enix, Capcom, Namco, Konami, Atlus, with many games being exclusive to PlayStation hardware. Nowadays those publishers are releasing on multiple platforms including PC and Switch/2.
Sony might need to acquire one of thr big Japanese game publisher if they want to be more relevant in Japan, but the question is what business value would such an acquisition bring them?
Without having been to Japan myself, I guess PlayStation currently doesn't offer what Japanese players want and need.
Some of them play games on PC, smartphones and Nintendo Switch/2. Their basic gaming needs are covered, as they can play smaller games on mobile/handheld out of home, and PC at home. I remember some articles about Japanese players asking for FF16 to release on PC. A PS5 would be just an expensive purchase for most of them, only to play a few exclusive titles. But even those exclusive, won't have the same attraction as in previous generations if those games are aimed at a western audience and the Japanese players are invested in endless live-service games.
Would be interesting though to see how a PlayStation handheld would do in Japan.
Comments 465
Re: Xbox RPG Avowed Snubs PS5 Pro Support
Maybe the lack of PSSR on PS5 Pro is a benefit given the issues found in other UE5 games (like Silent Hill 2).
Re: Sony Will Offset Soaring RAM Prices by Further Monetising PS5 Players
I think this generation will be remember as the one where console gaming became unaffordable for casual players. Rising console, game and service prices.
Re: 'Not Likely': Spider-Man 2 Dev Crushes Xbox Port Dreams
@kmtrain83 Gaming PC is hardware running a Windows, Linux (Steam OS) or Mac OS operating system with an open ecosystem for purchasing games (Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Microsoft Store, Ubisoft store), open for cumminity mods, open for non-licensed accessories and potential with a certain degree of upgrade options, though that's no always a given in case of laptops or handheld devices such as the Steam Deck.
It can be a desktop tower with a monitor, keyboard and mouse, it can be a small factor device with a controller connected to the TV, it can be a laptop, it can be a handheld device. You can connect a PC with Steam OS to your TV, run it in big screen mode and use a controller like you do on a console. That also includes gaming devices from Dell, HP, Asus, Lenovo, etc. All modern PC graphics cards have an HDMI to connect them to TVs. Valve's recently announced Steam Machine is basically going to be the sort of "console"-like gaming PC which can prove their viability on a big TV screen setup
BTW I found this statistics by Newzoo from last year on how PC player numbers have grown in 2024 compared to console player numbers 3.9% increase to 907.5 million on PC, 2.3% increase to 629.5 million on consoles): https://insider-gaming.com/pc-gaming-gained-more-players-than-console-in-2024/
Re: 'Not Likely': Spider-Man 2 Dev Crushes Xbox Port Dreams
@twitchtvpat
Based on what has been reported officially and unofficially, it's pretty likely that the next "Xbox" hardware is a Windows PC.
Like with the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds from Asus, it will probably boot into an "Xbox full-screen" mode similar to console dashboards and Steam OS, with the option to switch to the full Windows desktop view. Storefronts will be integrated as full screen apps.
According to reviewers of the ROG Xbox Ally the full screen experience isn't as streamlined and smooth as on a console or the Steam Deck. There are separate settings menus from Xbox, Windows and Asus, the OS is using the Windows updates for system updates and there are multiple options for how to uninstall games. There's still a lot of work ahead for Microsoft to get the Windows and the Xbox full screen mode in a good shape.
It's an unknown how compatibility to Xbox console games will work. This has been mentioned by some, but no details are known yet. Personally I think Microsoft might implement a translation layer for Xbox to Windows system operations, similar to the community project XWine1. That would allow Xbox console games to run on Windows OS.
It seems like whatever Microsoft is currently building, it might not be exclusive to a specific "Xbox hardware". It seems like most of the work is going into Windows OS to bring the PC gaming experience closer to a console experience, and everyone on a Windows device would benefit from it. Valve has proven with Steam OS that it's possible.
Re: 'Not Likely': Spider-Man 2 Dev Crushes Xbox Port Dreams
@graymamba At this point, what options does Microsoft have for the Xbox? Their Xbox hardware sales are drastically declining, as a game publisher they are too large and games are too expensive to make them Xbox exclusive, Xbox is the in 4th place for many game developers in terms of release priority with Xbox support often being neglected, Windows is still the most used OS for PC gaming.
As no one buys Xbox consoles anymore, Microsoft has 3 options: 1. Go the Sega way and stop any Xbox hardware, 2. Sell the Xbox brand (not sure who would want it), or 3. Transfer to PC.
Microsoft doesn't care what is good for consumers, they care what is good for their business. And if this move strengthens their OS business then they will likely go that way
Re: 'Not Likely': Spider-Man 2 Dev Crushes Xbox Port Dreams
@StitchJones
While Xbox and PlayStation were competing directly, I think by this point people need to realize that Xbox as a console platform stopped competing. The Xbox Series prices are not competitive with PS5 prices and they stopped making games exclusive to Xbox.
And while PlayStation is not competing directly with PC, indirectly it is. Gamers on PC looking to play the newest games will buy and play on PC not on PlayStation, as the majority of all newly released games are on both systems.
Microsoft has definitely lost the console wars, they admitted that. But it's a clever move of them to transfer the Xbox platform to PC, if they can really pull it off, as PC will dominate the future of gaming. Xbox's move to PC is already in progress. Question is, what will Sony/PlayStation do when the majority of gamers is on PC?
Re: 'Not Likely': Spider-Man 2 Dev Crushes Xbox Port Dreams
@graymamba Yes. 👍 Definitely proves that company strategies shift with changing dynamics of the gaming industry. What was a good practice in the past might not be all that valid in the next 5-10 years.
Re: 'Not Likely': Spider-Man 2 Dev Crushes Xbox Port Dreams
Remember when Insomniac Games said the same about the PC port? 😊
Re: Saros Succumbs to the Pay Extra to Play Early Trend
"This is for the shareholders" 😄
Re: Here Is Why Sony Put Helldivers 2 on Xbox
Congrats to Arrowhead and Sony PlayStation.
I guess the "Store Rating" category is for the numbers of ratings rather than the average rating score. Otherwise Black Ops 7 would not be included in that list.
Re: PS5's Wolverine Won't Be at This Week's State of Play
@tameshiyaku
The thing is, people who follow gaming news are well informed about upcoming games and come here to PushSquare, are actually in the minority of the PlayStation playerbase.
There are tens of millions of casual players, who might be remotely interested in the newest "Marvel" game and are not up to speed with Playstation news. That's why Sony is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing with multiple trailers, showcases, deep-dives, adverts, so even the most casual gamers are engulfed by the hype and get more PS5 units sold to those who didn't need one yet.
Re: PS5's Wolverine Won't Be at This Week's State of Play
@themightyant Yeah, global warming is shifting the seasons. It's spring already. 😅
Re: Romeo Is a Dead Man (PS5) - Absurd, Entertaining, and Tedious All at Once
I was really hyped for this game, I like Suda 51 games. But with a "6/10" I guess I'll wait for a discount or until it's on PS Plus.
Re: Sony Finally Confirms Horizon Co-Op Game, Horizon Hunters Gathering for PS5, PC
I wonder if this will also release on Xbox and Switch 2. 🙂
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@DKG-85 All good. The important thing is that you all are enjoying your games, no matter which platform you and your son choose to play on. 😉
Re: Want a Head Start on Forza Horizon 6 PS5? Cross-Save Lets You Begin on PC and Xbox
@dskatter
There are a lot of people who mainly play on PlayStation but use GamePass to try games. This cross-save feature is perfect for them.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@DKG-85
I'm not surprised if your son doesn't like you making fun of him. I think he would expect from you, as a fellow gamer, to show more understanding, but you seem to mock him and ignore what is going on on the PC gaming Side.
I don't know how performant your son's PC is, but you cannot compare the price of a PC directly to a price of a console. While PCs are open platforms and hardware manufacturers aim to make a profit on sold hardware, consoles (until now at least) have been subsidized. The platform holders would sell the console at a loss and would gain back the costs via sold games, subscriptions and licensed accessories. A "£ 900" PC doesn't match the performance of a PS5, but it's an open platform where your son is not restricted in how he is using it and where he is buying games. He doesn't need to pay for online gaming either.
It is also commonly known that PC ports of console games haven't been that great in recent years. Unreal Engine 5 games have been stuttering due to shader compilation issues (shaders are pre-compiled on games for consoles) and other games are just terribly optimized (like the recent Monster Hunter Wilds which the community found out that the game is constantly performing checks for DLCs on PC impacting the performance). On PC at least you can try to fix those performance problems with the game settings and the help of community mods. On consoles if you have performance issues, you can only hope for developer team to fix it.
Re: Rumour: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Skips PS5 Exclusivity, Will Be Multi-Platform Straight Away
@Reyzore
... and the PS5 is still selling just as well as the PS4 did, despite a huge lack of exclusive games.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@Carnage
I think that classic 'plug and play' benefit for consoles is gone (unless you game on Switch 1 or Evercade). You need to connect your console to the internet, you need have an account, you need to install games you purchase on discs, many modern games don't fit on a disc so they often need to be downloaded from the internet, you need to download system updates, game updates and controller updates. You need a subscription to play online and store your save games in the cloud. Some games let you choose between "quality" and "performance" mode. You need to disassemble your PS5's cover plate and choose the right SSD it you want to expand the storage. Consoles have been slowly becoming more PC-like over the last 10 years.
I think it's a benefit for PC players if they have several storefronts to choose from where they buy their games.
Yes, initial costs are higher for gaming PCs than for consoles in many western countries.
But PCs are cheaper in countries like China, Brazil, India. And with Steam's regional pricing games on PC are much cheaper than on the PlayStation store in regions like Argentina and Turkey.
Many people buy a PC for work, school and gaming, so in those cases PC gaming is the cheaper option.
Re: New PlayStation Patent Could Let You Put Controller Buttons Where You Want
@REALAIS
I believe Sony also has a patent on the PlayStation Access adaptive controller.
My point is that, despite all the negativity EA gets, they at least make their accessibility pantents free to use for everyone else.
See: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ea-makes-eight-new-accessibility-patents-free-to-all
Accessibility peripherals are usually already quite expensive, which is making them often unaffordable for people who are already struggling to get a job. If no name hardware manufacturers could create cheaper copy-cat products then yes I am totally for it, because the option for cheaper accessibility peripherals is more important than the profit margin of large corporations.
Re: New PlayStation Patent Could Let You Put Controller Buttons Where You Want
@BloodyBlact
Maybe Sony is aiming to capture that Gen Z audience who grew up playing on smartphones and has no clue how a controller with actual buttons works. 😄
Re: New PlayStation Patent Could Let You Put Controller Buttons Where You Want
This is a fairly weak patent. Mobile games and streaming services like Xcloud had this feature for several years on touchscreens. Apple MacBooks used to have a customizable touchscreen bar above the keyboard and there are several programmable touchscreen keyboards. I wouldn't call the idea something Sony invented.
Regarding customizable controller layouts, Turtle Beach (Stealth Pivot Wireless) and Thrustmaster (ESwap Pro) already have a controller which allows you to do that.
Also, as the article is describing this as an "accessibility needs" feature, I personally think it's wrong to lock accessibility features behind a patent unless they plan to make it available for free for any hardware manufacturer.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@DKG-85 PC is more flexible and customizable than a console. It offers a lot of freedoms where consoles are very restricted.
People treat PC like it's some kind of complex platform, but with time and patience you learn that it's fairly easy and PC gaming has been becoming easier over the last decade with automated updates and games auto-detecting your hardware.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 618
Sea of Thieves
Cathedral on Evercade
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@Naughtyottsel92 I guess it's obvious that most people don't want to have to buy 2 expensive consoles which have similar specs and capabilities, play 90% of the same games, with the only big difference being the "exclusives".
That's why people would prefer to be able to play all games on the console of their choice.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
@Naughtyottsel92
Maybe some people would like to play games on their preferred device of choice.
Re: GDC Survey Reveals Developers Are Twice as Interested in Making Games for PS5 Than Xbox
I believe the bigger story here is, that PC has 80% compared to PS5 40%. Less than half of the developers are interested in developing games for consoles. The Steam Deck also has 40% despite having sold less than PS5.
Around 15 years ago PC gaming was deemed "dead", now it's the future of gaming. No surprise Microsoft is moving their Xbox business to PC.
Re: Sony's Sending Messages to PS4 Players Encouraging Them to Upgrade to PS5
@Max_the_German
Maybe because production and operational costs are rising, but the PS5 playerbase isn't growing faster than the PS4 generation.
The main problem is that in past console generations the prices would decrease over time, making them more affordable. This generation they are going up.
Re: 'How Can We Bring Our Games to the Largest Audience Possible?': Playground Explains Fable PS5 Release
@Questionable_Duck Maybe because Xbox developers are now allowed to freely express their intentions of releasing their games on PlayStation and they want to promote those legacy Xbox franchises to players who are unfamiliar with them
There are probably also PlayStation developers who would like to release their games on Xbox (like Insomniac or Housemarque who previously released games on Xbox) but most likely Sony doesn't allow such statements.
Re: Captivating Historical Italian Adventure Becomes PS5 Console Exclusive to 'Deliver the Best Experience'
@StitchJones Because it's easy for small indie studios to take a game engine like Unreal or CryEngine, which offer robust lighting by default, combined with some high resolution assets and texture packs from some 3D asset store, while facial animation requires expensive motion capture equipment which not many studios can afford.
Re: 'We Want to Honour the Halo Legacy on PlayStation': Xbox on Halo's PS5 Remake
@IronCrow86 It would be nice for players on Xbox, if PlayStation would release more of their 1st party games on Xbox, but of course many people in the PlayStation fanbse wouldn't want that. The more people can enjoy good games on their favorite devices the better for everyone.
Unfortunately some people are still stuck in the "console war" mentalities where they think that Xbox is directly competing with PlayStation.
Re: The End of an Era: Sony Spins Off Iconic Television Business
I got the 2020 Sony TV model X950H, after owning an LG OLED TV which got burn-in (during a 2 year period) and LG customer service was horrible. I like the Sony TV and I would have chosen the brand again for a future TV, but now I'm not sure if TCL can keep up the same production quality.
Re: 'Could You Tell at the Time?': Ex-Producer Defends BioWare's Decision to Make ANTHEM
The comment on the original VGC article from someone who claims to have worked at EA at the time has a different opinion than what Darrah thinks https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/former-bioware-exec-hits-out-at-suggestions-that-it-should-never-have-made-anthem-in-the-first-place/#comment-96116
Re: GTA 6 Dev Rockstar North Cordoned Off After Reported Explosion
I remember passing the Rockstar office 6 years ago on a city trip to Edinburgh.
Re: Marathon's PS5 Release Date Looks Like It's Leaked
@B_Lindz
The many players on this website mostly care for single player games, not multiplayer live-services, so Marathon will not meet their taste. They would rather prefer if Bungie and Sony would spend the time and money on developing some cinematic single player shooter.
While the initial reveal trailer of Marathon had some big hype due to the strong art style, some of the closed betas were met with skepticism. I played one of those closed betas last year, I enjoyed it but I would probably only buy it if my friends would play it as well.
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
@Dogbreath I agree with what you are saying now. I'm also baffled how some people "preorder" digital games, as if there is a risk of not being able to download the game otherwise, and buy unnecessarily overpriced Deluxe editions with no meaningful additional content.
It's really hard to define the "correct" price of a game. It will be always compared on lenght, visuals, features, quality to other games. Publishers think the price should reflect the time and money which was spent on creating the game.
I know, I wanted to use a strong contrast. I think everyone has their expectations to how prices should drop, but there's no defined rule. It's common knowledge that Nintendo games hardly drop in price, and some PlayStation games (Marvel's Spide-Man, Days Gone) keep their initial price over many years (excluding special discounts).
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
@Dogbreath
The comparison between games and cars doesn't quite work, as in case of games (similar to books and movies) selling a duplicate of the work is much cheaper than when you sell a duplicate of a physical car.
People don't consume a car. Cars are more expensive than games so people buy or lease a car and hope to use it for 3+ years. Cars are necessary means of transportation in our society and the manufacturing of a car is expensive.
Games are basically created/developed once (except live-services) and sold as cheap copies. They are meant to be played/consumed. Once you finished a game, you are thinking about playing something else (probably a new game). So if a game doesn't attract new buyers (due to newer games being more popular) with it's original price, then the price of that game can be easily lowered, as copies are inexpensive.
Imagine if Tomb Raider (1996) had the same price as Uncharted 4.
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
I think this reduction in price is more about lower than expected initial sales numbers of Avowed across PC and Xbox with the standard price, and seeing the success of games like Clair Obscur, Arc Raiders and Helldivers 2 with a lower price.
Other games like Halo Infinite, Indiana Jones, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, Deathloop, Sea of Thieves are listed at their original release prices (except during time limited special discounts).
Re: Xbox's Avowed Will Be $20 Cheaper When It Launches on PS5
@Hyena_socks
There were already cases of Microsoft-owned games like Psychonauts 2, Minecraft Dungeons, Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo being available on PS Plus Essentials or Extra, so everything is possible.
Re: Sony Needs to Move Mountains to Get Samson: A Tyndalston Story on PS5
The main character looks like 2007 Sam Fisher from the early Splinter Cell Conviction videos.
Re: The Witcher 3 Really Could Be Getting a New Expansion on PS5 in 2026
Might finally give me the reason to start playing the game.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 614
Tomb Raider 2, Final Fight and Alwa's Awakening on Evercade.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 613
NORCO
Tomb Raider 2
1944: The Loop Master
And maybe Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 612
@Cvantez i haven't finished NORCO yet, I'm just in act 2, but it's truly a unique experience. It reminds me a lot of Kentucky Route Zero.
Re: 'Sony's Never Experienced This Phenomenon Before': PS5 Smash Hit Gran Turismo 7 Getting Stronger Over Time
Great game. I bet it would find additional success on PC as well.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 612
Mega Man
NORCO
Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra
Earthworm Jim 2
Re: Naughty Dog Forces Crunch to Get PS5 Exclusive Intergalactic 'Back on Track' for Mid 2027 Release
@MARl0
I think it's not an easy decision when to announce a game and several factors can delay the planned timeline.
Sometimes from the platform's perspective it makes sense to reveal early projects to generate hype for a future game (like Zelda on GameCube, FF7 Remake on PS3, Metroid Prime 4 on Switch, Starfield, Hellblade 2, Halo Infinite and Fable on Xbox). Many people will buy a console just on that promise of a game. It keeps interest in the platform up.
Often times the projects might be impacted by mismanagement, key roles leaving the project, studios changing or external events like the pandemic.
In this case I think it's rather the first case where the PlayStation playerbase is craving to see what Naughty Dog's next game is. They released 2 games and a standalone expansion during the PS4 generation, but nothing noteworthy this generation.
Re: Naughty Dog Forces Crunch to Get PS5 Exclusive Intergalactic 'Back on Track' for Mid 2027 Release
@GamingGod
Well, I guess, if Sony cares more about the perceived PlayStation brand value, then it's better for Sony to bleed money on keeping the Naughty Dog studio alive for several years without any major output, and hopefully their next game is successful enough to secure the studio's future.
Re: Japan's New Language Locked PS5 Hasn't Made a Massive Difference to the Format's Domestic Fortunes
@sanderson72
I remember reading an article that Japan never really perceived Sony as a gaming brand on the same level as Nintendo and Sega. Sony has always been known to be a hardware brand in Japan.
PlayStation became popular in Japan because of the games from other publishers like Square Enix, Capcom, Namco, Konami, Atlus, with many games being exclusive to PlayStation hardware. Nowadays those publishers are releasing on multiple platforms including PC and Switch/2.
Sony might need to acquire one of thr big Japanese game publisher if they want to be more relevant in Japan, but the question is what business value would such an acquisition bring them?
Re: Japan's New Language Locked PS5 Hasn't Made a Massive Difference to the Format's Domestic Fortunes
Without having been to Japan myself, I guess PlayStation currently doesn't offer what Japanese players want and need.
Some of them play games on PC, smartphones and Nintendo Switch/2. Their basic gaming needs are covered, as they can play smaller games on mobile/handheld out of home, and PC at home. I remember some articles about Japanese players asking for FF16 to release on PC. A PS5 would be just an expensive purchase for most of them, only to play a few exclusive titles. But even those exclusive, won't have the same attraction as in previous generations if those games are aimed at a western audience and the Japanese players are invested in endless live-service games.
Would be interesting though to see how a PlayStation handheld would do in Japan.