PlayStation 5

Probably technically yes, but the PS3 and PS4 are radically different platforms. They have totally different CPUs and GPUs, and even the structure of those chips is way different.

It was basically a remake in that they had to completely rewrite the engine for PS4. A PS5 version of a PS4 game is more comparable to a PS4 Pro patch.

Sony also had the additional incentive to offer PS4 remasters because so many users migrated from Xbox. That won’t really be a factor next gen.

Yes but again, nobody cares about how much effort it was for the developer.

I suspect the developer and publisher choosing whether or not to monetize the labor do.

Microsoft’s approach is about reducing the impact of hardware generations. I’ve heard it described as PC and mobile-like. Sony is sticking to the tried and true model.

The practical implication of this is my Xbox One X is going to be useful a lot longer than my PS4 Pro will be. That means I can give the Xbox One X away to a friend and they can join me in Xbox land - especially if they opt into Game Pass. Then we’ll have a common library too.

Contrary to my thinking that Sony (and Microsoft) would make a very limited number of next-gen consoles in 2020 due to their (assumed) high price and COVID effects on the world’s economy, Sony says they are boosting production to meet expected demand.

Interestingly enough, every PlayStation 4 SKU, including the Pro is sold out everywhere that I’ve looked right now. That was really surprising to me, but I guess it’s not just Switches that people are buying while they’re limiting their social interaction.

Right, the previous generation won’t be rendered obsolete in a matter of months as in previous generation. I do expect the Xbone models to be effectively obsolete in under two years, though.

That definitely implies some very strong confidence based on what ever metrics they’re seeing. Also implies to me the pricing won’t be as high as many fear.

Yep. I can’t imagine them thinking that they could sell 10 million PS5s this year if they’re $599. I could have been way off with my prediction.

Man, if you just look at the North America portion of that chart (something I’d never considered before), the 360 really was a wild success. Nintendo DS is number 1, PS2 is number 2, and 360 is not far behind as the number 3 best selling console in NA. I didn’t know, for instance, that it had outsold not just the PS3 in NA, but even the Wii by a lot. That almost doesn’t compute in my head. The 360 outsold the Wii in NA? Despite all the mainstream success of the Wii and old folks and grandmas buying it? And it looks like the PS4 has a long way to go to catch the 360 in North America too.

I think that really highlights the failings of the One.

There is kind of a question on upgrade/replacements with the 360 though, Red Ring was a big issue and early models didn’t have HDMI. I don’t know what that percentage is but I think the same consumer repurchase of the 360 is definitely higher than other consoles even with the One X and Pro taken into consideration.

But that also, somewhat perversely, speaks to the strength of the 360 - that so many people had failed consoles (and I personally had two) that they thought to themselves, crap! My console is busted! Guess I’ll go buy a new one! Rather than for instance going, hell with this, I’m out.

Yeah, it’s awesome that you had to spend $300 to get your console again after you threw the first one in the trash. Those were incredible times, man!

WTF?!

I didn’t have the takeaway that @divedivedive thought any of it was awesome, just mentioned that people liked their 360’s enough to buy a replacement despite the shitty (not awesome) situation.

Exactly my read too. MS replaced one 360 for me. I think the second one lasted me until the next gen. I bought a One when it died. So I was one of the lucky ones. But it was an awesome machine. And I would likely have (grudgingly) replaced it rather than go for a PS3 at the time.

It doesn’t matter what he meant. There’s no apology for the red ring that will ever be acceptable. They tried to cover it up for a year.

It kind of does matter what he meant when you shove a bunch of words into his mouth and conclude with a “WTF?!”.

As for the RROD apology, I have no idea what you’re going on about but I agree? if I had a 360 I would have told them to take a hike.

Wii sales went off a cliff around 2010. The HD consoles continued to sell well for another three years. That’s mostly how the 360 overtook the Wii in the US. And ultimately, the Wii sold around 100m, but the PS3 and 360 were both over 80m, so the sales gap wasn’t huge in the end.

It reads like an apologist to me. I didn’t put words in his mouth. He’s telling us how great the 360 must have been because people kept buying them when they broke. Maybe those people had an investment in games (both physical and digital) and had no choice if they wanted to play those games? That’s far more likely. That’s the main reason I kept going with it.