How bright does the future look for gamers? It’s hard to say. At the moment, it’s hard to say. There are a bunch of names floating around for the latest gaming platforms, but information is limited on some of them. Here’s a quick rundown of the gaming platforms of 2016 and 2017.
VR
So, it’s finally here. Virtual reality gaming has now advanced so much that VR is now a feasible way to play games. Anyone remember 1995’s Virtual Boy? It wasn’t much fun. But now the tech is here, and so are the great games.
The problem with VR is that it’s not just one new system. If you want to get into the field, you have to select from a range of VR hardware! You also have to consider the console or computer you’re going to use it with, not just the headset. You will need to put focus on getting hardware that is VR-ready, like this great product from Falcon Northwest.
Xbox One: Project Scorpio
Project Scorpio will be an upgraded version of the Xbox One. This is Microsoft’s attempt to get back on top in the tech game. Where the Xbox and Xbox 360 were the most powerful of their generation of consoles, the Xbox One falls far behind the PlayStation 4.
Though it was unveiled at E3, there was nothing much to say. The specs mentioned look like it will beat the PlayStation Neo in terms of power. The specs mentioned in the unveiling video point to a high end PC that is able to run 4K video and gaming. The new console will also be VR ready and explains their recent partnership with Oculus. However, this new console could be three years away, by which time Playstation will have widened the gap even further.
PlayStation 4K (a.k.a. Neo)
Despite having been officially announced, this console wasn’t unveiled at E3. Like microsoft’s Scorpio project, it’s an upgraded version of the current console iteration. Not much is known about it, although we do have a bunch of spec information that shows it will be much more powerful than the ‘Base’ PS4.
The ‘4K’ of the title suggests it will be a 4K-ready console. And 4K is… what, exactly? It’s an iteration of ultra-HD. HD, at peak capacity, gives you just over two million pixels. Ultra-HD is closer to nine million. Aside from that, we don’t know much at all! At E3, Sony put their focus on a plethora of exciting exclusives, instead of unveiling a console with little information. (Looking at you, Microsoft).
Nintendo NX
So, the WiiU, eh? It wasn’t as tremendous a failure as many people like to say it was. And there are several games on it that everyone should play. But it definitely wasn’t a must-own console, and it paled in comparison to it’s siblings on the same generation.
And now here we are: a new Nintendo console is already on the horizon. It’s pegged to be the serious contender for the hearts of this generation of gamers. We already know that it will be the platform of the next Zelda game. Aside from that, details are pretty scarce. It looks like the system will use cartridges instead of discs. But Nintendo will probably continue to focus on content rather than sheer console power. Some may dismiss this as folly. But hey, it worked for the PlayStation 2!