So, the reason that made me wanna write an article for the second day straight is this article I read today from GameSpot, that pretty much confirms that the PlayStation 5 is a thing, no matter how near or far it may be. I've been noticing random websites throwing around the name "PS5" here and there, but that's mostly to get hits from fanboys that want to keep the console wars going, as if that was ever some sort of trend. But after seeing a high-end site like GameSpot officially utter the words "PS5", I start to realize that it is now becoming official.
Which leads me to one simple question: Why?? Why do we even need a PS5? Did the PS4 Pro not JUST release less than two years ago? Is Sony basically admitting that the difference between the Xbox One X and their high-end console so huge that they need a new machine to make up the difference? Is the Japanese giant at a financial disadvantage due to the release of Microsoft's upgraded console? Or is it just submission to the peer pressure of the fans? What could be the reason for the creation of the PS5?
The original PS4 has just gone past its fourth year since release and only now do the game developers seem to be able to fully grasp the capabilities of the new engine. To deliver them yet another new one and force them to go through this entire process all over again would seem like a huge error of judgment.
The PS4 is now living its glory days. It has many exclusive titles (Detroit: Become Human, God Of War, Spider-Man, just to name a few) that are soon to be released and promise to be huge blockbusters. According to rumors, the PS5 will not be backwards compatible towards PS4 titles so to put a damper on that huge stream of titles would seem like yet another huge mistake on Sony's part.
We're talking about a console that is still selling strong. Only recently did it surpass 70 million and there's a good possibility it might even go beyond one of its predecessors, the PS2, to become the greatest selling console of all time. Yet if Sony were to introduce a PS5 with no backwards compatibility, a lot of people might consider saving up towards that rather than buying a PS4.
Of course, one could make the argument that the article on GameSpot suggests, which is that the PS5 is still a long time away (2020 at the least). Yet that still doesn't seem long enough for this particular console. There are still games that can be released with the current technology and that are still actually planned to be released yet haven't even seen the light of day (FF VII, Ghost Of Tsukishima, Days Gone, hello??). A console's lifetime should be based upon the developers, not the will of the fans.
And speaking of the fans, I must admit I will never understand this constant need for "greater visuals". There has come a point where visuals can only be so good. Graphics like those of Horizon Zero Dawn are the absolute best anyone could ever hope to achieve. Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't constantly strive to achieve something better, but to base that on top of our gameplay experience, when we're supposed to just be focusing on the game itself (since that's what it is: a game), seems like a little bit of an unhealthy obsession. At the end of the day, who cares if the Xbox One X or the PC can show 1080p and 60fps, if you don't have any games to play on them? And if the Xbox One X is so great, why is the Nintendo Switch outselling it by so much?
The PlayStation 5 might be at the early stages of development right now. We might not see it until a distant E3 in the future (2019, 2020, who knows?). However, the issue that I'm addressing is that right now, there's absolutely no need for it. We already have incredible machines, capable of delivering unto us visually astonishing worlds, but most importantly, we have a lot of games to look forward to. Let's just try to enjoy what we have before we go diving into something new. The time will come for that. You can be sure of it!
Which leads me to one simple question: Why?? Why do we even need a PS5? Did the PS4 Pro not JUST release less than two years ago? Is Sony basically admitting that the difference between the Xbox One X and their high-end console so huge that they need a new machine to make up the difference? Is the Japanese giant at a financial disadvantage due to the release of Microsoft's upgraded console? Or is it just submission to the peer pressure of the fans? What could be the reason for the creation of the PS5?
The original PS4 has just gone past its fourth year since release and only now do the game developers seem to be able to fully grasp the capabilities of the new engine. To deliver them yet another new one and force them to go through this entire process all over again would seem like a huge error of judgment.
The PS4 is now living its glory days. It has many exclusive titles (Detroit: Become Human, God Of War, Spider-Man, just to name a few) that are soon to be released and promise to be huge blockbusters. According to rumors, the PS5 will not be backwards compatible towards PS4 titles so to put a damper on that huge stream of titles would seem like yet another huge mistake on Sony's part.
We're talking about a console that is still selling strong. Only recently did it surpass 70 million and there's a good possibility it might even go beyond one of its predecessors, the PS2, to become the greatest selling console of all time. Yet if Sony were to introduce a PS5 with no backwards compatibility, a lot of people might consider saving up towards that rather than buying a PS4.
Of course, one could make the argument that the article on GameSpot suggests, which is that the PS5 is still a long time away (2020 at the least). Yet that still doesn't seem long enough for this particular console. There are still games that can be released with the current technology and that are still actually planned to be released yet haven't even seen the light of day (FF VII, Ghost Of Tsukishima, Days Gone, hello??). A console's lifetime should be based upon the developers, not the will of the fans.
And speaking of the fans, I must admit I will never understand this constant need for "greater visuals". There has come a point where visuals can only be so good. Graphics like those of Horizon Zero Dawn are the absolute best anyone could ever hope to achieve. Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't constantly strive to achieve something better, but to base that on top of our gameplay experience, when we're supposed to just be focusing on the game itself (since that's what it is: a game), seems like a little bit of an unhealthy obsession. At the end of the day, who cares if the Xbox One X or the PC can show 1080p and 60fps, if you don't have any games to play on them? And if the Xbox One X is so great, why is the Nintendo Switch outselling it by so much?
The PlayStation 5 might be at the early stages of development right now. We might not see it until a distant E3 in the future (2019, 2020, who knows?). However, the issue that I'm addressing is that right now, there's absolutely no need for it. We already have incredible machines, capable of delivering unto us visually astonishing worlds, but most importantly, we have a lot of games to look forward to. Let's just try to enjoy what we have before we go diving into something new. The time will come for that. You can be sure of it!
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