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- The PS5 and Xbox Series S|X have been held back by cross-generation releases, remakes/remasters, and more.
- The new hardware has not delivered much of a graphical leap either.
- Unusually long AAA productions have also been a major problem for this generation.
The Xbox Series S|X and PS5 launched in November 2020, completing four years on the market earlier this month. While these consoles have certainly delivered their fair share of exciting games, it’s shocking to see the results when compared to past generations.
At a similar point in its lifespan, the PS4 had truly come into its own. Similarly, the Xbox One, despite its many problems, had a solid lineup of games and was undeniably doing things that the Xbox 360 could only dream of. Look at their successors, and the same is much more difficult to say.
Why it matters: Console generations typically last seven to eight years, giving the current hardware just a few more years to leave its mark.
Cross-Gen Releases And Remasters/Remakes
It’s no secret that more and more studios have pursued cross-generation releases since 2020. While 2023 certainly saw a shift away from this trend, major releases, like Black Ops 6, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, were still released for last-generation hardware in 2024.
Perhaps the biggest blow to the current-generation consoles is the fact that the biggest critical success of 2024, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, is playable on both the PS4 and Xbox One.
Last year, Game of the Year contenders like Resident Evil 4 Remake were also available on older hardware. On the subject of remakes, the focus on re-releases has been another major hurdle handicapping the hardware.
Games like Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us Part 2, Dead Rising, and Lollipop Chainsaw have received the remaster treatment recently. This trend has become far too common today, diminishing the value of studios revisiting fan-favorite classics from time to time.
Long Development Times
It would be an understatement to say that game development is an arduous undertaking. These projects, often spanning multiple years and costing millions of dollars, require maximum effort from every person involved, making it miraculous that AAA productions are even completed to begin with.
However, modern titles are taking ridiculously long to make. This was already a problem last generation, but things have gotten out of hand over the last few years. Consider the fact that Naughty Dog produced two full games and a standalone release for the PS4 in seven years.
Fast forward to 2024, and the team has done nothing but re-release two old games since 2020. Other teams have found themselves in a similar boat, with AAA studios taking north of five years to create a single game.
This stands in stark contrast to a time when studios could churn out entire trilogies, like the Batman Arkham franchise, Mass Effect series, Dead Space IP, and more, during a single console generation.
Graphics Have Plateaued
Gaming visuals were evolving at an astronomical rate in the early 2000s, and they reached new heights in 2013. The likes of Killzone Shadowfall, Battlefield 4, and more were genuinely awe-inspiring to behold at the time, but nothing has impressed nearly as much since 2020.
For all the horsepower of the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X, it’s clear that modern graphics can only be pushed so much. Ray-tracing and all the fancy new tech are far from unimpressive, but even a gorgeous release like Alan Wake 2 isn’t visually head and shoulders above a game you would have played on the last-generation consoles.
Moreover, relying on new technology like Unreal Engine 5 has meant that consoles frequently run games at low internal resolutions without having much to show for it. Seeing the likes of Stalker 2 rendered at resolutions below 900p is far from satisfying.
This wouldn’t be so bad if games were evolving in other ways, but the constant fixation on chasing better graphics has meant that developers barely focus on elements, like physics, reactivity, and the dynamic parts of gaming.
The Future Holds Promise
It feels strange to say this, but the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X seem to have only begun their journey. The next year is already shaping up to be one of this industry’s biggest, so all hope is not lost just yet.
If nothing else, releases like GTA 6 and Death Stranding 2 should prove to be huge console sellers for PlayStation and Xbox.
I may not be the happiest with what these consoles have delivered in the last four years, but this does not mean things can’t get a lot better. Here’s hoping that the next four years are a game-changer, and both PlayStation and Xbox end this generation on a high note.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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