For years the console war has conflicted player's decision when it comes to choosing a gaming console. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony take to the stores and see who has the largest following and the best features. The battle for supremacy has taken many different directions over the years but with reports of the next generation of consoles on the horizon, it is time once again for players to choose their side of the battle.
Reports of new consoles being unveiled at E3 2016 have recently been confirmed with a total of 4 new consoles taking center stage and being released in 2017. Nintendo has been working on their new console code-named "Nintendo NX" but there is not much information as of yet on what to expect from the console. However, Microsoft recently announced that two new Xbox consoles will be revealed during their press conference this year at E3. We are expecting an new Xbox One Slim that will be smaller and just as powerful as the Xbox One we have right now. Microsoft has also confirmed that the new console will have incredible power and 4K capability.
Sony has answered the call to arms and is planning to reveal a new Playstation 4 with 4K capability code-named "Playstation 4 Neo". Unfortunately, the new Xbox is rumored to be powerful with a targeted 6 TFLOPS making the console projected to be 1.5 times more powerful than the Neo. Both consoles will have VR capabilities as well. With all of this news, gamers are excited for the next generation but are fearing for their wallets. All of these consoles are coming out four years after their predecessors, the gaming community is scared to see consoles upgraded every couple of years and following the model of PC.
Console gamers pay a smaller price for their consoles but are promised to have a system that can play games for a good 5 years and possibly more. With a new console coming out more rapidly will console gamers stop buying the new systems? Developers need to promise that what gamers are purchasing is going to be a solid investment for the next four or five years of gaming. We hope that backwards compatibility becomes standard in all new consoles which will make new consoles a little more appealing and give players more longevity.
As technology develops, consoles will become better and better making newer generations of consoles release at a more rapid pace. With the increase in consoles, is it worth it to make the investment in a PC where you can run any game you desire and pay a substantially smaller amount for upgrades as technology improves? Will you make the switch to PC or will you stand by your console until the end of time? Only time will tell.
