JinjoUnchained
Member
It's a semantic question, but an important one nonetheless. Traditionally, we've categorized video game consoles into generations for a few reasons. For one, the "generations" nomenclature shows how different console developers leveraged available technology at a given time. Secondly, "generations" help us track software trends (e.g. movement from 2D to 3D platformers in the 5th generation). And thirdly, the typical hardware generation is supposed to last until consumers are ready to invest in new hardware.
There are exceptions, of course. The PC Engine/Turbo Grafx-16 was ostensibly a 16 bit console, but had an 8 bit CPU. Is it the end of the 3rd generation or the beginning of the 4th generation? Where should we slot the 32X and Sega CD? Are the Wii and Wii U part of their respective generations since Nintendo bowed out of the technological arms race?
Putting such subjective questions aside, most sources state that the eighth generation includes PS4, Xbox One, and Wi U. That puts the generation start date as November 2012 (Wii U release). That also gives us a 4.25 year time span between the generation start date and Nintendo's hardware refresh with the Switch in March 2017. Sounds short, but it's actually longer than MS' 4 year hardware refresh time span between the OG Xbox and the 360.
The eighth generation PS4 and Xbox One are still going strong, but both of them will have major mid-generation hardware revisions within a year. The same 12 month period as the Nintendo Switch release! So, one COULD consider the ninth generation as PS4 Pro/XBox One Scorpio/Nintendo Switch. We already have people asserting that MS should go ahead and call Scorpio next gen anyway, given its' rumored specs. Or, you could discount the Switch altogether as more of a handheld refresh and keep the eighth generation going until PS5/Xbox Whatever. Or discount the PS4 Pro as more of a current gen revision and Switch/Scorpio as truly "new" or next gen. Lots of different ways you could slice that pie.
I'm wondering what GAF thinks about this. Are we already in a new hardware generation with PS4 Pro and the upcoming Switch? Does "next gen" start with the Switch? Is "next gen" still years away? Or, are we truly "beyond generations", as MS said at E3?
There are exceptions, of course. The PC Engine/Turbo Grafx-16 was ostensibly a 16 bit console, but had an 8 bit CPU. Is it the end of the 3rd generation or the beginning of the 4th generation? Where should we slot the 32X and Sega CD? Are the Wii and Wii U part of their respective generations since Nintendo bowed out of the technological arms race?
Putting such subjective questions aside, most sources state that the eighth generation includes PS4, Xbox One, and Wi U. That puts the generation start date as November 2012 (Wii U release). That also gives us a 4.25 year time span between the generation start date and Nintendo's hardware refresh with the Switch in March 2017. Sounds short, but it's actually longer than MS' 4 year hardware refresh time span between the OG Xbox and the 360.
The eighth generation PS4 and Xbox One are still going strong, but both of them will have major mid-generation hardware revisions within a year. The same 12 month period as the Nintendo Switch release! So, one COULD consider the ninth generation as PS4 Pro/XBox One Scorpio/Nintendo Switch. We already have people asserting that MS should go ahead and call Scorpio next gen anyway, given its' rumored specs. Or, you could discount the Switch altogether as more of a handheld refresh and keep the eighth generation going until PS5/Xbox Whatever. Or discount the PS4 Pro as more of a current gen revision and Switch/Scorpio as truly "new" or next gen. Lots of different ways you could slice that pie.
I'm wondering what GAF thinks about this. Are we already in a new hardware generation with PS4 Pro and the upcoming Switch? Does "next gen" start with the Switch? Is "next gen" still years away? Or, are we truly "beyond generations", as MS said at E3?
