As Sony plans a PS5 Pro model, Microsoft needs an Xbox Series X mid-gen upgrade. A new Xbox with upgraded specs would match Sony, satisfy enthusiasts, boost sales, and take advantage of improved chip supply.
Travis Bruno of Capsule Computers writes:
"There is a reason that the Castlevania franchise is so beloved and even is seen as part of what started the whole metroidvania genre, given that half of the franchise’s name makes up the genre of course. These titles see players explore vast, generally 2D limited locations where players will battle against all different manner of foes, unlocking new powers and weapons along the way that will help them gain access to previously unreachable areas or breach a barrier blocking their way. Throughout the years, these metroidvanias have each added their own unique takes and quality of life features to try to set themselves apart and make a mark of their own, but how about one that sticks almost as close to the original Castlevania as possible?
Chronicles of the Wolf happens to be just that as Migami Games has made sure to stick as close as possible to the original Castlevania elements for better or worse while putting their own lore on things. Does this retro approach that adheres heavily to the old-school formula work out well for this one or was this hero’s adventure better left for the wolves?"
Our first look at Battlefield 6's factions will assuage fears for now, as there are no goofy-looking specialists that will ruin the experience.
The Outerhaven writes: At Summer Games Fest we were able to step into the ring and prove our worth in King of Meat.
I still find it hilarious that Microsoft considers Series X their Pro mode and Series S the baseline. PS5 Pro will likely sell truckloads while Series XL probably wouldn’t move many units considering they’re not selling very well to begin with.
I find this generation quite bizarre. We are already getting rumours of a close release for this "Pro" model.
But true "current-gen" titles are still a small percentage of the market, I believe we have maybe 30 of them at this point if we are really generous with half of a dozen "current-gen" DLC for some reason. And the cherry on top is that the MSRP of both consoles has actually gone up.
Like, I fully understand that technically there is room to improve the hardware. The PS5 in question is akin to a slightly beefed-up entry-level gaming computer and AMD has made progress with RT in their newer hardware. But contrary to the PS4/XOne the current-gen hardware is actually quite capable and I don't feel we have seen enough of it to really justify the need for a mid-gen upgrade.
And honestly, it's even a bit scary. Because we are already seeing developers using things like upscalers as a crutch, to the point of the recently extremely successful game running at 720p native. So just imagine if those same devs were actually targeting hardware that is a tad more powerful. That would simply spell doom for the owners of the base consoles.
I would make game devs lives harder because of Series S if this were to happen they would have 3 Series consoles but the weakest link would hold development back even more. Unlike the PS5 it doesnt have a less powerful version
Xbox Series S is a bottleneck, they are maybe not able to release a Xbox Series mid-gen refresh without giving-up feature parity...