Everything You Need To Know About Next-Gen Gaming Consoles

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Gaming powerhouses Microsoft and Sony have announced their new gaming systems. The Xbox Series X and the Playstation 5 promise to usher in the next generation of gaming consoles. As the leaders of the gaming industry, these two companies are the trendsetters for the gaming industry.

The Next-Gen of console gaming has a lot of promise. So what can consumers expect with these next systems? Read on to find out what you need to know about these upcoming gaming consoles.

The Hardware

The specs of both of these systems are very similar. They both will use AMD Navi processors to produce high-speed gaming and SSD hard drives to cut down on load times. Players will still be able to use disc drives as well as the growing popularity of downloads.

One term that was floated around during the press release for the new Xbox system is “teraflop.” To the average consumer, that word does not mean a lot.

In a nutshell, a flop is a rate that polygons can move on a screen per-second.  Therefore a teraflop if a very fast rate of processing, which means the games will work faster and better. With these new systems boasting six-teraflops, these consoles promise to my the fastest systems yet released.

The design of the systems is promising to be different as well. The Playstation 5 appears to be similar in appearance to the Playstation 4 with a slightly sleeker design. The Xbox Series X has the appearance of a PC tower, though like it’s predecessors, it will likely be able to be placed on its side.  It is also somewhat larger than previous systems, which is a departure from their attempt to make systems more compact.

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Features

Sony and Microsoft promise a lot of features for their customers. One issue that game consoles continue to try and improve is load time. Some of the older systems would take what seemed like ages to load a game or load the next part of the game. With stronger processing ability, both Sony and Microsoft promise faster-loading speed.

Both systems are incorporating a new technology called “ray tracing.” This new technology improves lighting effects in games and movies. This new effect will make games seem even more realistic for players.

Another feature that these new systems promise is 8K visuals. While most customers cannot afford these high-end screens, it can be seen as a step in future-proofing their systems for when these higher definition systems become more affordable.

Games

As of press time, the companies have not given much detail about what the games will look like with these new systems. As of now, there have only been a few trailers for games, but nothing showing actual gameplay.

While this is not specifically worrisome, it does leave some questions. Luckily, there are a few things we do know about the games for these next-Gen systems.

Microsoft will be using several established franchises for their first releases for the Xbox Series X. The successful Halo series will continue with Halo Infinite as one of the first announced releases for the system. A sequel for Sensua’s Saga: Hellblade has been announced as well as new installments for Forza and Gears of War.

Bethesda Games announced two new releases for the next-Gen consoles. Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI are both scheduled for release this year. As Bethesda releases games for multiple platforms, it is likely that these games will be available for both systems. Also, games such as Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty can be expected for release on both systems as well.

Related: 17 Biggest Video Game Releases of 2020 (That We Can’t Wait to Play)

Sports fans can rejoice as well. While there are questions on if we will see live sports in the near future, we can at least enjoy them in the game world. FIFA and Madden are scheduled to make their annual releases this year for all platforms.

Another feature that Sony and Microsoft have embraced is backward-compatibility. Gamers are sometimes hesitant to buy a new system, as that could mean that they will not be able to play their old favorites. In recent years the companies have created ways for their newer systems to play older games.

However, Xbox had announced that both Xbox and Xbox 360 games will be playable on their new system while Playstation has only announced that PS4 games will be playable on their new system.

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Services

Many online services are expected to transition to the newer gaming systems. Players can expect to still take advantage of the Xbox Live, Playstation Plus, Playstation Now and Xbox Game Pass.

These services which allow both online multiplayer capabilities, as well as downloadable content for players, have garnered much praise for both companies. It would seem logical that these services will continue with the new systems.

Also, the Microsoft Project xCloud streaming service is expected to continue. The game-streaming service has allowed for streaming on multiple devices such as smartphones and PC and has been a hit with customers.

Release Dates

Both systems are slated for release around the 2020 holiday season. With the approaching seasonal holidays in December, console companies choose the October-November window to realize their new systems. We can expect the usual fan wars to spark up over, which is superior, Sony, or Microsoft.

While there is still little known about what these new consoles will offer as of now, the systems tend to have a lot of promise. Will the systems take advantage of the rise of VR technology?

That remains to be seen. While most of the details are more hardware-based, as the holidays approach, we will surely have a better idea of the gameplay and the games they will support, just in time for the gamers that Santa to bring them their new gaming system.

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