Will we still play on consoles with traditional hardware in the future, or is the gaming future already based on a cloud-based solution with the PS5 and the next Xbox? Developer Hajime Tabata believes in cloud consoles.
In autumn 2013, the release of the PS4 and Xbox One marked the beginning of the 8th console generation. We are still in this generation in 2018 – and it is unlikely that this will change anytime soon. With the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, more powerful consoles have been released that are meant to continue the 8th generation. A “next-gen” seems to be still far off.
There is still no official information about the successor consoles. Sony and Microsoft remain silent about a PS5 or a next Xbox. This leaves plenty of room for speculation – and a well-known developer now suggests that the next-gen consoles will rely on cloud technology.
Will the “next-gen” still rely on traditional hardware?
Hajime Tabata is the game director at Square Enix and serves as director for Final Fantasy XV. In an interview with the official Xbox magazine (via Gamingbolt), he talks about the future of consoles.
While the PS4 and Xbox One already increasingly rely on online services, the next-gen consoles will likely go a step further and build on cloud-based technologies.
This would mean that the gaming industry would follow a similar path as the music and film industry – moving towards streaming services.
Specifically, this would mean: A PS5 or a next Xbox would no longer rely on stationary hardware, but on a subscription model. Games could – similar to movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others – be purchased and played online.
In other words, the games would be streamed directly from the cloud. The fact that streaming technology works for console games is already demonstrated by streaming services like PlayStation Now.
Possible problems with cloud-based games
If the next consoles fully rely on cloud technology, there would be a significant downside for many gamers: Very fast and stable internet connections would be needed, which are still not available everywhere in the world – not even in Germany.
In contrast to series, streaming games face a further issue: Delay. Particularly in fast-paced shooters, quick reactions are important, and larger delays cannot be afforded.
However, it should be noted: These are merely assessments from Tabata. He has no insider information on this. However, he is not the first to talk about a “cloud console.”
Already in late 2014, Masayasu Ito, Executive Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment, stated that he expects there will be a PlayStation 5. However, he does not yet know in what form it will be released. It could be a physical console or a cloud-based solution.
Even if the form should change, Ito says, there will definitely be PS5 games.
What do you think? What does the future console generation look like?
