PS4 and Xbox 720 a long way off – so enjoy the current generation
I always like to look ahead to the future of gaming, sometimes even at the expense of enjoying the present. But it looks as though I may as well get on and enjoy the consoles currently on the market, because it’s likely their successors are a long way off. Seriously, don’t hold your breath for the PS4 or Xbox 720 to make an appearance anytime soon.
This current generation of games consoles is almost four years old now, with the Xbox 360 kicking it all off in November 2005. The PS3 and Wii then followed a year later. It’s around this time that we usually start to think about the next generation of consoles, with the companies working on replacements and developers starting to push the systems on the market to their limits.
However, that doesn’t seem to be happening. The Wii is maybe looking a little long in the tooth but then it did from the day it was released. Here is a console that doesn’t rely on graphics to win over consumers, instead going the route of offering something different than the competition. And Nintendo has done fantastically well out of taking this route.
Then there is the PS3 and Xbox 360.
There have been rumblings that the Xbox 360 is now being pushed to its limits, with Red Faction developer Volition claiming exactly that at the start of the year. But I haven’t seen much evidence of that as of yet. Instead, I think the console has a long life ahead of it.
It’s clear the PS3 is nowhere near being pushed to the bounds of its hardware capabilities either. There are some fantastic-looking games on the way (Uncharted 2, God of War 3) that are clearly using the innards of the Playstation 3 in the right way but I’m confident there is much more to come.
In light of the release of the PS3 Slim, Aaron Greenberg denied a similar move for the Xbox 360. And on top of that he told Kotaku that Microsoft doesn’t even consider this to be the halfway point of the Xbox 360′s life cycle. Which would imply the company is looking at ten years for the console. And Sony has already said as much about the PS3.
And then there is Project Natal and the Sony Wand motion-sensing systems on the horizon. These are being developed for the Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively, and neither Microsoft or Sony is going to release these on a console only a couple of years away from being replaced.
A Wii 2 may only be a few years away but it’s likely to be a new iteration of the current hardware with improved graphics. Which doesn’t really count as a new console. And the PS4 and Xbox 720 probably won’t see the light of day for five years or more. So if you’re not a fan of the current-gen systems I’m afraid you have a long wait ahead of you. Probably.
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34 Responses to “PS4 and Xbox 720 a long way off – so enjoy the current generation”
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September 5th, 2009
I’m sure you could get a little bit more out of the Atari 2600 if you really really wanted to., it’s just the law of diminishing returns.
September 5th, 2009
Good to see you’re carrying on your crusade against the Wii
Besides, don’t spoil my dream that Nintendo will use all those cash they’ve made on hooker, blow, AND taking a big financial hit on thier next machine because they make it capable of rendering ‘hard light’ (boys from the Dwarf!) holograms in my living room.
September 5th, 2009
I think this generation is going to last longer than previous generations……….(idk if the wii is going to make all the way)
September 5th, 2009
I’d imagine a fully b/c HD Wii (that upscales all the present Wii stuff nicely) is a bit of a no-brainer.
(mind you, if you have an HD reveiver with a good upscaling chipset or there’s a decent chipset in your TV you’ll not notice any difference.
Native HD games *might* be different.)
September 5th, 2009
Further to my comments on the PS3 slim.
I know not everyone cares or has the hardware but for those of us that do it would be nice if they at least produced equipment capable of meeting the specs they are supposed to.
I was disappointed to learn that the PS3 slim has indeed stepped forward by being able to bitstream HD audio properly, but it’s limited to only 5.1.
That’s annoying (surely) as many Blu-ray movies now come with 7.1 audio tracks and one of the major points about Blu-ray is that it allows us consumers to hear audio identical to the master audio track?
Pity, I can see those who might have bought the slim now switching to buy a stand-alone that can handle HD audio properly.
September 5th, 2009
IDK if you know this but not everybody has an HD audio setup, and there is a small percentage that cares for it….you seemed to be the only one talking about it in here.
September 5th, 2009
if there is only small % HD tv’s out in the world, there is even a smaller % for HD audio
September 5th, 2009
The numbers are out according to VGChartz.
PS3 (price cut & preorders etc from 18th Aug) has just shaved it ahead of Xbox @ 75,931
Xbox (price cut later than PS3) @ 74,689
Wii @ 74,245
They also list worldwide numbers as
PS3 @ 136, 434
Xbox @ 142,881 (140k+, a first for Xbox)
Wii @ 191,665
://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=5039
From this initial result at least it certainly looks like the Xbox price cut did indeed pi$$ on Sony’s chips.
PS3 finally beats Xbox in the USA again, but by only a mere & tiny 1242.
Of course differing territories saw the pricing changes & slim release at different times but the first results at least are coming in.
So much for the expected (by some) Sony sales rocketing?
Maybe next month?
Japan will surely boost their fortunes but how big that boost is elsewhere and how sustained it is is still very much open to question.
September 5th, 2009
If PS3 slim isn’t the success some expect I’d be revising this thread title Dave.
I’d bet large amounts of cash that PS3.5/PS4 will be coming sooner rather than later if sales fail to impress……
…..and this in turn will spur on Xbox 540/720.
September 5th, 2009
ROCA
If you look, you’ll see that not only am I aware that a lot of people aren’t interested in HD audio per se, but I am also fully aware that a lot of people don’t have the equipment to use a 7.1 audio track nevermind a 5.1 lossless one fully.
The give-away is in the words I wrote.
Have a look. It’s completely and totally true.
September 5th, 2009
BTW those vgchartz numbers are weekly ones for the week 23/08/09 – 29/08/09.
September 5th, 2009
all PS3 supports 7.1……maybe not in HD audio.
either way im not planning to make a bachelor’s with ultra sounds and nice audio all around with my PS3
and now ur just starting war with those number (and then saying you dont do advertisement for m$, but that’s what u have been doing all day)
if the PS3 Slim isnt a success, who cares…. 10 year cycle is guaranteed. and those numbers clear showed the shortage on PS3 in late august. most retailers only got 4-8 units.
September 5th, 2009
“all PS3 supports 7.1……maybe not in HD audio.”
LOL that doesn’t even make sense
September 5th, 2009
Roca
WTF is the point of down-grading lossless audio from 5.1 to lossy 7.1?
Who in their right mind would bother with that (stupid & nonsensical) option?
Some of us have & enjoy high-end kit.
I know it’s not for everyone and I am well aware that others have different priorities but nevertheless you can’t complain that an important element to one of the mojor points about Blu-ray (and by extension PS3) is missing.
It is missing.
It shouldn’t be missing.
The sales numbers?
Don’t be so defensive.
Aren’t you (along with almost everyone else) interested to see the intial results of how things have moved since the recent big changes?
What’s to ‘war’ over?
The sales will happen and the results will roll in.
It will be what it will be.
…..but it will be interesting to watch how the reality either matches or fails to match the expectations.
September 5th, 2009
So Happy is Happy to quote VGChartz?
Well that sets a distinctly low precedent.
September 5th, 2009
how is that important to BD, I enjoy all my BD with no problem and so does everybody is without HD audio…. but go ahead and focus on that topic if that makes your 360 look a bit stronger!
I remember when you used to talk “alot” of crap about bluray, once you saw that you couldnt get anywhere by trash talking BD, now your looking for something else……but if you think that ppl buy console looking for hd audio (or hd graphics – by wii-standars) you are out of ur mind. but go ahead and keep talking about it all day long. I’m done with this topic. enjoy your Saturday night though!
September 5th, 2009
If you’re interested in 7.1 HD audio you’re going to get a stand alone Blu-ray player, not a PS3.
It’s not like these people are trying to save money or anything.
September 5th, 2009
Roca
It’s got nothing to do with “trash talking” anything.
I understand that your own enjoyment of Blu-ray is in fact limited.
Your “optical link gives the best audio possible” comment proved that and made it pretty obvious.
You might care to know that Xbox doesn’t do lossless audio either – the Xboxes HDMI 1.2a can ‘only’ give audio to SACD and DVD-Audio standards.
You might care to know that this is also far ahead of your optical quality audio.
I know you always want to shoe-horn this into an Xbox v PS3 thing but in this instance that is utterly irrelvant to my point.
The point here is that one of the major elements Blu-ray (and PS3) offers, lossless audio, is capped to 5.1 and cannot give 7.1 audio.
That alone would ensure I would not choose a PS3 slim or otherwise as my Blu-ray player – and I doubt I would be alone in that.
7.1 might not matter to you (now) but it will to some now.
I do think it’s funny that you dismiss lossless multi-channel audio when it is one of the major selling points of the format.
It’s true that I did not think Blu-ray was the best choice in the old format war (largely because it was primarily designed as a data storage media whereas HD DVD was primarily designed as a video format, there is a difference).
But that is long over and we are where we are.
Why do you get so antsy when I point out a PS3 short-coming in this?
Would you rather people did not know?
me_
Precisely.
Like many others I could buy whatever’s out there if I wanted.
But I make what I hope are informed choices and spend as wisely as I can so my dough goes as far as it can.
It’s not like this whole a/v thing isn’t an inexpensive hobby at the best of times.
September 5th, 2009
lock_down
It’s the 1st bit of data we have following the changes.
You really have no interest?
Oh, and before you sneer too heavily, just remind me where I claimed they were the last word in data?
September 6th, 2009
Actually I’ll take that back about 7.1 lossless bitstreaming.
The guy I was talking to reckons there are several discs which cause the slim problems and it is related to the disc and not the slim.
DTS HD MA has several variables and these are the ones giving trouble with reporducing 7.1 lossless tracks.
Happy now Roca?
I’ll always come back and tell the truth about any such matter if I find out things are somewhat different to how I first heard about them and raised here.
September 6th, 2009
It seems like in all the gamer forums people say the PS3 is the best Blu-ray player, if you go to an A/V forum then it’s a different story.
I just think (generally) gamers don’t know much about A/V.
September 6th, 2009
Home Cinema Choise have reviewed the new PS3 Slims a/v performance and it’s certainly not that great in some areas.
It does have problems with some set-ups (largely HDMI handshake…..which in fairness are no exactly unique to the PS3 slim) and it makes for a worse regular DVD player than the old (fat) model – some of that cost-cutting coming through?
w.homecinemachoice.com/reviews/new_reviews/ps3+slim+hands+review+why+new+console+both+better+and+worse+original+28+08+09
September 7th, 2009
I just pre-ordered my PS4 on Amazon!
September 7th, 2009
PS4??? I just pre-ordered a PS6. you are 2 gens behind!! lol
ohh by the Way, this is all the new content on Tales of Visperia for PS3: (I know you are going to like this CarlB)
* Full voice acting
* New playable character (Patty Fleur)
* Flynn as a fully customizable, playable character
* New mini-games (Racing mini-game for Repede)
* New cutscenes
* New subplots
* New main game quests
* New sidequests
* New towns
* New dungeons
* New bosses (including the Sword Dancer)
* New Artes
* New Skills
* New Equipment
* New Skits
September 8th, 2009
Sony already made the PS9 commercial is awesome. I’m on PS9 already you people lagging behind come on get up to date. Tales of Visperia is gonna have a massive improvement now it will be worth buying for once.
harryhockum:
Shut the fuck already about that shit dude get a life already. You always writing that garbage and no one seems to care not even your crew Xbots.
September 8th, 2009
We’re a crew?
September 8th, 2009
harry sachz:
A really small one but yes you a crew congrats. The winning achievement which unlocks 100 points is here xbox360iso.com/showthread.php?t=63835&highlight=Batman%3A+Arkham+Asylum
September 9th, 2009
Well shit! When do I get my bandana?
September 9th, 2009
@ Mike Ferro and DAVE PARRACK,
Just wanting to point out that Ivan is linking a website that is hosting pirated ISO files.
Is it time for his 2 week vacation yet?
September 9th, 2009
LMFAO
September 9th, 2009
a free flight to hawaii?
September 12th, 2009
2 years left…. the ps3 has lost this gen. deal with it fanboys…
btw: “Full voice acting”
wtf? this is what ps3 fanboys are hyping?
as opposed to “not-full voice acting”..?
gawd, sony’s crew are desperate..
what next, they want to say, “full colors in graphcis”? lmao..
September 12th, 2009
this may be the last gen for sony and the ps brand…
it looks like sony MAY sell off the brand…
ethiopianreview.com/scitech/7159
it’s still early, but if sony can’t stop the bleeding caused by the ps3, then they won’t have a choice….
i could’ve sworn i predicted this possibility a while back on this site, only to be hammered by the fanboys… *sigh*…
enjoy… lmao….
September 16th, 2009
kev:
You a total idiotic FANBOY wow and what a moron wow i can believe you said that. Microsoft is suing everything they got to try and make a profit even wasting millions of timed exclsuives and DLC i bet Sony must having blast seen them suffer.