Are Xbox One and PS4 being held back by concessions to old hardware?

The next generation doesn’t start when Microsoft, Sony or any other platform holder says so. It starts with the players who decide which console to buy, cascades down to the developers who decide which platform to develop on, and hits its stride when everyone is finally brave enough to write off 360 and PS3 altogether.

[tigertron]

We already have games built for these consoles i.e. Killzone Shadow Fall, but for multi-plat games like AC4 will be held back by the limitations of the PS3/360.

Give it a year or so and the majority of developers will be focusing entirely on the PS4/XB1/PC.

[blakstarz]

My words exactly, people keep forgetting these consoles JUST came out....give it a year and both will be doing some amazing stuff.

[AndrewLB]

How you know how PC gamers have been feeling for the past decade.

Unfortunately due to the lackluster power of Xbone and PS4, we're in for another decade of consoles holding advancements in gaming back again...

[yezz]

Most people don't need constant upgrades in graphics and performance to enjoy their games... If a game is done right it will be awesome even for consoles and lower end PCs.

[AceBlazer13]

How does the almighty pc get held back by a mere console. Ferrari in traffic, lol.

[Rageanitus]

The only thing I felt held back is the way the game mechanics have developed.

I.e. slower movement of games and rechargeable health, slight or FULL autoaim in FPS games. Other than that the graphics since Doom 1 Have always been superior in my eyes on a PC. I would say Consoles are only playing catch up because PC gamers have been playing so many versions of Shooters

I am still stuck in using a mouse and KB as a primary choice of control scheme. Till that changes I will stick with PC as a primary source of gaming then consoles for their exclusives.

[MysticStrummer]

Holding back in comparison to what? The minority of gaming PCs that are always on the bleeding edge? The words "lackluster power" would also apply to all the low to mid range PCs that are the norm.

[maddskull]

pc is shit it should never be meant for gaming the only game devices should be the console while pc should only be for rts and mmo's

[Heisenburger]

Congratulations on beating everybody to the red lights.

Then we all move on together, and there you go speeding off to the next one.

There is nothing wrong with PC, you are just a sad person. Quit taking your sadness out on other people wanker.

[Baka-akaB]

How about you blame instead those once pc exclusive developers that jumped ship and wanted a piece of the console pie ?

Consoles arent holding any pc back , it's the greed of publishers that could very well have concurrent and disparate versions of a same game , to accomodate differences in hardware , or could just stick to either consoles or pc

[Pogmathoin]

100% correct, got both PS4, X1 and I am actually a lil bored right now, but this is the same that happened last gen, with 360, I got it, but sold original Xbox, but got bored soon, waiting for Oblivion seemed to take forever. You need to give it about 6 months for the new gen kicks in, and you start seeing the really good stuff... thank god for GTA5, finishing off as many side quests as possible, aiming for 100% completion... otherwise I would be bored to death...

[Rageanitus]

Yup's happens to EVERY console generation. Everytime I get a new console, I feel like I am waiting for games.

Why because you are truly waiting for the developer to MAKE the games for that system specifically.

I'll give you a good recent example. Imagine you somehow lose your PS3 either by selling it or it breaking down, but you wanted to play games like Gran Turismo.

1) you either tough it out and purchase a new PS3
2) you wait for Gran Turismo 7

[qu1ckset]

Bored ?? I have knack , nfs rivals, bf4 , ac4 and Killzone for my ps4, and can't even find enough time to play all my games black flag takes up so much of my gaming time along with bf4. I'm good wait for the spring release games plenty of games to occupy my time!

[Baka-akaB]

Yeah this is weird , every launch , even one as gigantic games and hits wise as the dreamcast's , people complain about having stuff to play and boredom . And yet every moment of the year , most of those folks buy 2-3 games per month max .

How come they have that issue that compel them otherwise , to want 6-10 games a launch month ?

[worldwidegaming]

You my friend should have gotten a Wii U!
Or at least dust off your ps3!

[WickedLester]

Right now I do believe this is the case with certain launch titles and we'll probably continue to see some of that next year as well. However going into 2015 I'd say most all developers will have moved on to next gen hardware.

[Psychotica]

That's funny, this problem has plagues the PC for years now..

[AndrewLB]

And these "next gen" consoles will hold back PC gaming just like the PS3/360 did for another 5-10 years.

bah!

[Sharingan_no_Kakashi]

Here...

http://www.unilever.com/ima...

[WickedLester]

Wrong! The lack of unified architecture and the inability for developers to truly max out any one PC configuration is what's holding PC back, not consoles!

[SnakeCQC]

Tbh its only lazy devs who say there will be little difference between this gen or last.

[Tidybrutes]

In a way multiplats will be held back for a while until support for PS3/360 is dropped. Although it always takes a year or two at least until we start to see the true potential of next gen.

[Hicken]

This'll be the case for probably the majority of this first year. We'll probably see EA still pumping out their yearly sports titles, and Activision making Call of Duty, but I expect most other 3rd party multiplats will be exclusive to the current gen by the end of next year.

[INDIFFERENT-GAMER]

The question seems to have already been answered by the writer of this article.

Anyway...

Every console cycle ending to a transition of new hardware suffers being held back. Developers need years to refine and exploit new hardware, and old programming techniques are replaced by new ones, and new hardware (initially) suffers in it's 1st two years as a result.

It's been this way since consoles were mainstream popular culture. The question is a rhetorical one at best.

[sprinterboy]

10% of pc's are High end, the rest imo are mid range pc's that's why gamers choose consoles cause all games work as there intended without the need to upgrade every few years plus console gaming is more social with friends on couch in front of tv, yes pc's can plug into tv but 80% of pc gamers sit at a desk

[worldwidegaming]

integrated processors are killing the PC gaming world!
They need boost them or get rid of them! simple as that!

[HERMAGERD]

The truth is if consoles didn't exist, we'd have graphics like this a year and a quarter ago and they are better. than. current. consoles. And they are trying to keep you locked in for the next 6 to 8 years! They'll ONLY develop for what will make them the most money. Imagine if they developed to hardware that had the full potential of current consumer technology...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

This is also only a TECH DEMO from last year, a real time rendering on a single gtx 680, and now the 780 is out which could do even more. Imagine the games they could come up with if they were trying to sell you more than just a tech demo. just LOOK at those particles.. those can be played with and float around affected by real physics.

There is only one thing lacking in this, texture resolution. manufacturers add some more videoram and there you go, Its a cheaper component anyway.