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With the Xbox One X priced at $499, Eurogamer ponders what sort of prices we should expect for the next round of consoles. It seems a little dire, actually, when you factor in the performance increases (or lack thereof) we’ve gotten as of late: comparing the most powerful console released in 2013 (PS4) to the current champion (XOX), the generational leap arguably isn’t there despite a significant increase in prices. Due to technological advancement slowing and hardware components holding prices for longer periods, some think that incremental updates will remain the norm. Maybe Nintendo is actually onto something, chasing new ways to game rather than power and performance.
With the arrival of 4K displays, the existence of Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro are perfectly justifiable as a means of extending the current console generation, but the figures are stark. In four years, we've only managed relatively small increases when compared to the leap between older console generations. The pace of technological advancement is obviously slowing, but more than that, we're also looking at a 25 per cent increase in the cost to the consumer, even though the platform holder is still losing money on selling the hardware alone. The price a consumer is willing to pay will have fundamental implications on how powerful the next-gen consoles will be, not to mention the time-frame they will arrive in.
With the arrival of 4K displays, the existence of Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro are perfectly justifiable as a means of extending the current console generation, but the figures are stark. In four years, we've only managed relatively small increases when compared to the leap between older console generations. The pace of technological advancement is obviously slowing, but more than that, we're also looking at a 25 per cent increase in the cost to the consumer, even though the platform holder is still losing money on selling the hardware alone. The price a consumer is willing to pay will have fundamental implications on how powerful the next-gen consoles will be, not to mention the time-frame they will arrive in.