Here we are, another week closer to next-gen console gaming! This week we will be looking at how the past-gen (PS4/PS4 Pro and Xbox One, One S, One X, and Digital Edition) have all set up their next-gen counterparts.
Let’s first take a look at how Microsoft’s Xbox One has set up its next-gen sibling. The simple bits, the Xbox One was launched in 2013 at an original cost of £429 with ‘Forza Motorsport 5’ and ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’ being two of the biggest games for the Xbox launch period. The Xbox One was a bit different to what was expected, in that it wasn’t 100% focussed on gaming. Yes it was made to play the best games possible, but there was a reason why it was called ‘One’. Microsoft wanted the One to be at the centre of your home entertainment. Not just gaming, but your device for film and streaming, your device for recording TV as well as being your ‘set-top’ box with antenna plugin abilities whilst also focussed on full Kinect integration. The idea was that you could plug in, play games, watch Netflix, all with your voice and all with one device. However, did it play out like this? No. Many of the accessories to allow for these abilities were not available until months after launch, it was also more expensive than the PS4 at launch, mainly blamed on the Kinect being bundled (this changed to becoming an added optional extra over the years). As a whole, it was a great plan, and the One name fitted with this well, but it just didn’t go as Microsoft planned. However, this didn’t stunt the One. The machine has still sold around 50 million units, not a record breaker but still not a bad amount (although around 30 million down on the 360). The One was a sleek looking thing, if bulky, and fitted the ‘box’ part of the Xbox name well. The newer versions (One S/X) improved on this even more. Exclusives proved to be another difficulty for the One system, outside of ‘Sea of Thieves’ and ‘Forza’ there really wasn’t a whole load of AAA games to pick from. To me though, the Xbox One feels like a sleeper hit whose true knockout blow may come via the Series X next-gen console. That is because, whilst the One struggled to attract gamers through exclusives or the console, later in its life Xbox GamePass was launched. This didn’t 100% change the One’s fortunes, but it became a testbed of how successful the idea of a gaming version of Netflix could work. Now when we look to how core this option seems for Series X & S, it appears Microsoft’s focus on GamePass may be about to be paid up in a very profitable and successful way – let’s wait and see.
So where does PlayStation lay in this? Whilst the One did ok (even if it’s GamePass development was huge for its maker and the games industry as a whole), the PS4 wiped the floor with it. Again the basics, the PS4 was also launched in 2013 but at a much lower cost of £349.99 with ‘Killzone: Shadow Fall’ and ‘Knack’ as some of its launch games. Let’s start there, with games. Now, looking back, the launch games were nothing to write home about. HOWEVER, their exclusive game content without a doubt is the route to the PS4’s success. Whilst the ‘One’ struggled to make an impact with this side of things, PS4 had these games amongst the mix as exclusives (*deep breath* and this is just a few) – God of War, The Last of Us Remastered, The Last of Us Part 2, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, Spider-Man, Bloodborne, Ratchet & Clank and one more for luck, Uncharted 4. So yes, quite a few very high-quality exclusives. Exclusives cannot be forgotten in this battle of two sides it has to be stated. What’s the point of buying the best, most powerful console, if there are no games on it or if the best games are on a competitors machine? This was proven with the Xbox Series X, whilst the most powerful console against the PS4 Pro, it just didn’t have the games to show that off. The PS4’s games were reasons on their own to buy the machine, you want to play that 5-star game everyone is talking about? Well, you are going to need to buy a PS4, no option. It looks as though Sony is looking to continue that with the PS5, with the fight lining up to be GamePass vs Exclusives. However, it cannot be denied that when it comes to GamePass, Playstation a competitor it is not. Sony did launch PS Now on the PS4 which was its version of GamePass, but this isn’t hitting the heights of GamePass. Most games are years old, only on Now for a few months, and is twice the price of GamePass. Sony needs to speed up its development of this if they are to compete. So the PS4 has been a success, of that there can be no denial, but whilst it focuses on hardware and games, may they be caught out by Microsoft’s focus on streaming and GamePass?
So that’s this week’s countdown, it is safe to say that actually, both ‘last-gen’ consoles have set up their next-gen siblings well. Xbox has pressure to sell more, but also is leading with game streaming, whilst PS5 needs to be just as successful as PS4 to not seem a disappointment, whilst also proving that games themselves and exclusives are just as important as how you play a game. Next week, looking at the games we will be playing on next-gen!
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