Is the console going to become extinct or evolve?

[bloodline76]

I think they're going to do exactly this. It's going to be a PC with a custom OS skin which functions basically like Steam Big Picture. All games will be made for PC and thus work on actual PCs and the "Xbox PC". Maybe you'll be able to upgrade bits I don't know. I haven't really thought it through.

I think going custom is the wrong way. I drifted away from pc gaming because of the constant upgrades. I think it benefits the devs to build games with the same hardware in place.

 

[D-Ranged]

I think going custom is the wrong way. I drifted away from pc gaming because of the constant upgrades. I think it benefits the devs to build games with the same hardware in place.

I've only just put a new 4080 in my pc in the last few months. I was using a 1080 for the last 6 years. My CPU/Mobo combo is about 7 years old.

I was able to play everything until the last year in high at 1080p with the old setup, and now with the new GPU, ultra and 1440p.

I wouldn't say that you NEED to constantly upgrade a PC to enjoy games, that is personal preference.

I bought a PS4 in 2020 just for FF7 and sold it after I completed it, as there was literally no use for me afterwards. There was nothing I wanted that I couldn't get on my PC.

 

[bloodline76]

I've only just put a new 4080 in my pc in the last few months. I was using a 1080 for the last 6 years. My CPU/Mobo combo is about 7 years old.

I was able to play everything until the last year in high at 1080p with the old setup, and now with the new GPU, ultra and 1440p.

I wouldn't say that you NEED to constantly upgrade a PC to enjoy games, that is personal preference.

I bought a PS4 in 2020 just for FF7 and sold it after I completed it, as there was literally no use for me afterwards. There was nothing I wanted that I couldn't get on my PC.

I think the upgrading almost becomes a game in itself. I did keep up, but it was always last years tech to keep the price down.

I think each to their own, I like the ability to just pick up a controller and play from the sofa. Seemed more casual social.

In that zone of thing interesting from either at the moment

 

[D-Ranged]

I think the upgrading almost becomes a game in itself. I did keep up, but it was always last years tech to keep the price down.

I think each to their own, I like the ability to just pick up a controller and play from the sofa. Seemed more casual social.

In that zone of thing interesting from either at the moment

Yeah it definitely does become a game or even obsession, which is why I just usually do a GPU upgrade every 4ish years, then CPU/mobo a few years after, or when needed. The last time I had to upgrade CPU/mobo was because the gpu was getting bottlenecked by the CPU and RAM in some newer games.

I am going to upgrade my CPU/mobo combo very soon now, although I probably don't need to, it is working absolutely fine, although I expect slightly bottlenecking the GPU. And I am going to use the old setup so my misses can have a gaming PC.

As far as being able to pick up a controller and play. I have an Nvidia shield in my front room, I stream my PC from my office to it using Moonlight, and am able to play whatever I want with my Xbox controller, or even a lap mouse and keyboard I got years ago. Still a little bit of faffing, but does the job.

 

[adidan]

Since the GPU fiasco I've pretty much just gamed on my PS4 and now PS5.

I'll pick up a new GPU towards the end of the year and switch back to PC for a bit but I've no need to upgrade any of my AM4 stuff for a while.

Maybe when AM6 is out and about.

So, for me, console gaming is very much alive. Just easy in the living room.

 

[Cromulent]

I got rid of my PC in 2022 and went Mac only so I bought an Xbox Series X for gaming (and watching DVDs and Blu-rays). Pretty happy with things but I do miss some games which are PC only.

 

[Timber]

Interesting quote I bumped into a few days ago and is pertinent to this thread. Mike Ybarra, former Blizzard Entertainment president's opinion on whether consoles are dying.

wccftech.com news story - itself taken from quotes on X

Speaking on X earlier today, the former Blizzard Entertainment president discussed Sony's approach to exclusive games, saying that it is the correct strategy to follow if you plan to win in the living room. In this regard, Sony not only knows how to make hits but also how to pick them from others, and it is definitely paying off. If he were Sony, Ybarra continued, he would double down on this strategy because the blood in the water is all over the place.

As another X user highlighted, the narrative nowadays is that the living room is not the future and that consoles are dying. Mike Ybarra replied that, in his opinion, consoles will never die, and it's those who are losing who are pushing a narrative that fits them. This is a not-so-subtle dig at Microsoft, whose strategy regarding its consoles and exclusives has been all over the place lately, creating much uncertainty.

 

[Moothead2]

I was going to buy a PS5 in February for FF7 Rebirth but when I was looking at what else I could pick up I saw nothing and decided I can wait for the PC release. I upgaded to a 5800x a couple of years ago and upgraded my £60 GTX 1080 to a £120 RTX 2080 a couple of weeks ago and that's tiding me over just fine. It feels like a pointless treadmill at this point.

 

[sx_turbo]

Interesting quote I bumped into a few days ago and is pertinent to this thread. Mike Ybarra, former Blizzard Entertainment president's opinion on whether consoles are dying.

wccftech.com news story - itself taken from quotes on X

I am an Xbox fan boy I'm not going to deny, I've just never got on with the playstation since the ps1 (I chose a Saturn over one.. DOH, and then N64, then thought about getting Dreamcast but that was short lived and ended up with original Xbox the 360, skipped the one and now got series x), just don't like the controllers, and lately I prefer the Xbox os. But I'm losing the will with Xbox of late.

Phil Spencer has got to go, the original Xbox was great, the 360 the world cottoned on, then it fell apart with the one, and ms are just killing the brand with the series x. Just don't understand what they're doing.

I don't think consoles are dying, I think it's the games just aren't there at the minute, PCs are still enthusiast market, not many people want a pc in their living room, there is arguably more people who just want to play games by plugging in a telly and off you go.

 

[Kainz]

I got rid of my PC in 2022 and went Mac only so I bought an Xbox Series X for gaming (and watching DVDs and Blu-rays). Pretty happy with things but I do miss some games which are PC only.

I did the same, bought a M2 MacMini - best move ever moving away from Windows. Bought a PS5 for gaming - the only game I do miss is Satisfactory. Since then my old gaming PC has been repurposed with Fedora KDE as has my laptop as of a few days ago.

 

[Timber]

I am an Xbox fan boy I'm not going to deny, I've just never got on with the playstation since the ps1 (I chose a Saturn over one.. DOH, and then N64, then thought about getting Dreamcast but that was short lived and ended up with original Xbox the 360, skipped the one and now got series x), just don't like the controllers, and lately I prefer the Xbox os. But I'm losing the will with Xbox of late.

Phil Spencer has got to go, the original Xbox was great, the 360 the world cottoned on, then it fell apart with the one, and ms are just killing the brand with the series x. Just don't understand what they're doing.

I don't think consoles are dying, I think it's the games just aren't there at the minute, PCs are still enthusiast market, not many people want a pc in their living room, there is arguably more people who just want to play games by plugging in a telly and off you go.

I thought it was an interesting quote because of Ybarra's experience. It cements the argument that Microsoft's problems are of their own making.

I do think some of the debate around the future of consoles (and PC) is connected to prevalence of services everywhere, where the hardware you use becomes less important. I.e. Fortnite is a platform in and of itself. That said I think you cannot have console hardware without exclusives and this flies against Microsoft's overall strategy. I have no doubt they will end up as a multi-platform publisher only and abandon hardware for good, but they won't give up on the walled garden yet and do everything in their power to transfer Xbox to a Steam-alike platform. I even think Sony are damaging their console with PC-versions of single-player games.

I was there day-one with the OG Xbox and still have v1.6 Crystal version in the loft. I sold the Series X back in June with all the accessories as I just have no faith anymore in Microsoft's direction with Xbox. I have consolidated the platforms I use to just Steam, PSN and Nintendo's consoles. Even Sony are on shaky ground but for now the PS5 does give me an easy way to experience some games where I don't care where I play them, or sometimes a better experience than PC. However PC and Steam Deck is my preference moving forward and where I have the most games.

 

[beachBOYken]

I got rid of my PC in 2022 and went Mac only so I bought an Xbox Series X for gaming (and watching DVDs and Blu-rays). Pretty happy with things but I do miss some games which are PC only.

I got a laptop for the odd game I want to play that’s better on PC like strategy games, city builders and the likes.

Everything else I play on ps5 or Xbox.

 

[mid_gen]

The experience of gaming on console is just more seamless and less hassle, given the choice, I'd go console every time. Where there's cross-save I'll often play a little on PC though, but I prefer sitting on a sofa on my Oled, than at my desk which is spend all day at, working on games.

The sorta of games I like these days, are better on console. PS5 for the big single player titles. XSX for gamepass stuff. Pc for work.

 

[fantasticCG]

I was thinking about a ps5 but their games are on or coming to pc, game pass is on PC.

Only thing that would temp me is Fifa, GTA 6 as the PC wait would be far too long.