Let’s face the elephant in the room! Irrespective of the inevitable growth of technology, the future of console gaming is a hot subject attracting so much debate lately. Things might take a different turn in the gaming world based on gaming consoles. Most players game from their phones and PCs, but players who take gaming seriously have kept up with the different generations of gaming consoles. However, with time, that might not be the case.
PC gamers are slowly taking over console gamers since PC games have, over time, spiked in sales compared to console games. The difference in market sales between these two speaks volumes. Most people prefer PC games because PCs are just better in so many ways. If we compare a high-end PC with the newest console, the PC has three times higher framerate, higher resolution, better graphics, and better overall gameplay experience. It begs the question, is there a way for consoles to catch up with PCs in the near future?
How Has Console Gaming Emerged Over The Years?
In the days, console gaming was the real deal, mainly during the 90s when console gaming was either in someone’s living room playing multiplayer titles on a split-screen or in one’s bedroom playing a single players game. Users back then didn’t have a vast experience with console gaming due to a lack of enough technology. Today that is different. Technology has been brought up to speed, and console gaming has made many strides.
Consoles have incorporated more features, such as Bluetooth, an available inbuild camera, and an internet connection. The card storage capacity has also been enhanced, making the console more toothsome to gamers. However, it’s still heartbreaking that regardless of the enhancement and addition in console features, PC games such as CS:GO and Dota 2 still take up a remarkable position in the market compared to console games.
On the other side, some cross-platform games still provide a better experience on consoles. For example, one of the most famous Esports games, the Rocket League, can be played on both PC and console. The vast majority of gamers prefer to play it on console mainly because of console controllers. It is just easier to control a car with a joystick than it is with a mouse and keyboard. In addition to that, consoles have evolved enough that it is even possible to watch live streams and bet on Rocket League directly from the console.
How Does the Rise Of Cloud Gaming Affect the Future Of Console Gaming?
We can’t just turn a blind eye to what is happening in the console gaming world. With the dramatic change in technology, cloud gaming is soon becoming a thing. Over the years, console gaming has been a contest of hardware instead of software, but tables are turning with time. Many console reviewers in the gaming industry agree that software delivery is where console gaming is headed at.
PS5 could soon be a service instead of hardware or a console in layman’s language. It is true that people might start streaming console games from the cloud instead of using games, playing games downloaded on consoles, or buying games that are sold on discs. For example, Microsoft and Sony, manufacturers of XBOX and Play Station, are already looking ahead on matters of console gaming. Even though they are the biggest sharks in the console industry, both of them are slowly preparing for a future without console gaming.
Microsoft is looking for ways to integrate gaming into almost all windows products to shift from hardware to software. On the flip side, Sony is doing everything in its power to bring on board non-console gaming options. Given that software delivery is way cheaper than hardware delivery, changing to cloud gaming is something that might impact the gaming industry positively.
Though almost every gaming company might be working on releasing a console revision, that might be the last revision we will have before cloud gaming takes over entirely.
As soon as software gaming delivery makes it on the map, gamers will only need a remote controller and a monitor instead of a console for gaming. Michael Pachter, a gaming research analyst, confirms that gamers won’t need consoles for high-speed interfaces in the next five years. Gamers will have an easy time gaming through their devices since almost all games will be easily playable virtually on different devices such as tablets and phones.
Is Console Gaming Necessarily Dying?
Despite the rise in cloud gaming, console gaming may not die anytime soon due to obvious reasons. It may not perish, but one thing is for sure; the way of gaming is definitely going to change. To some people, it is easy to purchase a gaming console and start playing instantly, while to some, spending over $1000 on a gaming console and set up is nearly impossible.
Similarly, some gamers are still buying consoles because they don’t want to play on PC, while for others, PC gaming is the way to go since it’s easier to play games on the computer than get separate consoles to play different games. Both PC gaming and console gaming help connect people, but truth be told, console gaming easily connects people than PC gaming.
In addition, getting a powerful PC for gaming is challenging compared to getting a console, albeit that’s not the case for some people. Therefore, as much as people are still debating about the end of the console gaming era, console gaming will take so much to die completely.
Final Thoughts
Console gaming might still be on the map years from now, but the video game consoles won’t be the same as what exists today. With the change in functionality and availability of streaming services, it will be tricky for gamers to continue purchasing a gaming box. Therefore, the demand for gaming consoles may decrease with time. Microsoft and Sony are preparing for the future of gaming consoles where non-console gaming options will be available for gamers, and gaming will be integrated into windows products.
