If we are, in fact, moving away from the
traditional static console market, and more toward the upgradeable model
of PCs, then the rumors and reports about the PlayStation "Neo" are
some of the most concrete evidence we've had yet.
According
to the same report, every PS4 game, purportedly following Neo's launch,
will be required to ship with two different modes: one to run on the
PS4 as it exists now, and one on whatever Neo ends up being called. This
would mean more stable frame rates on the latter. The rumors also state
the new system will be priced at $400 USD.
In the interest of looking at how the existing PS4 could continue to exist alongside Neo, Digital Foundry took a deep dive into the reported details.
Most notably of all: developers can't split multiplayer between the two
platforms; games released after October will need to also be compatible
with Neo; and devs can choose whether to allow the transfer of save
data from the original PS4 to Neo.
Sony has yet to
confirm any of these details, or respond to GameSpot's inquiries about
the supposed PlayStation Neo and all of its hypothetical features. As E3
approaches, it seems highly likely that Sony will reveal some sort of
upgraded hardware, as is the case with Microsoft. Stay tuned to GameSpot
throughout next week for news, features, and previews coming out of E3
2016.
New Xbox One Hardware Rumors Heading Into E3 2016
One of the big talking points at E3 2016 next
week could be new hardware. Microsoft is rumored to have multiple
announcements lined up to debut at the event. We've now collected all
the rumors and reports here to give you a primer.
According to reports from May, one of the consoles Microsoft may announce at E3 will be a version of the Xbox One
that is 40 percent smaller than the current model. This system is said
to include a 2 TB hard drive (existing models have 500 GB and 1 TB hard
drives) and may go on sale this year. It could also have a slightly
redesigned controller.
There
is no word on pricing yet, however. It should also be noted that if
Microsoft does indeed announce an "Xbox Mini," it wouldn’t be much of a
surprise, given that the Xbox 360 got a slimmed-down update; Sony has done the same with its consoles in the past.
Looking
further out, Microsoft is also rumored to be working on a more powerful
version of the Xbox One to launch in 2017. This system is said to be four times as beefy as the existing model and might be VR-ready. If the leaked PlayStation 4 Neo specs
prove to be accurate, the new Xbox One would be even more powerful than
that console, too. Whether or not this system is announced at E3,
however, remains to be seen.
Nintendo has said it has no intention of showing the NX at E3 this year, but with new iterations of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on the horizon, the conversation around upcoming gaming hardware wouldn't be complete without Nintendo.
The NX was first officially revealed in March 2015 to coincide with the announcement that Nintendo would begin developing smartphone games.
It was introduced amidst speculation that the garlanded Japanese
company may abandon the console market--where the Wii U floundered--in
favour of the handhelds, where the 3DS dominated. However, the announcement of NX was a statement of Nintendo's commitment to the console space.
Before his passing, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata described the NX as a "brand new concept." His successor, Tatsumi Kimishima, added it was not the "next version of Wii or Wii U,"
but something "unique and different." Kimishima also acknowledged that
Nintendo needed to "move away from [Wii and Wii U]" to make something
new.
The NX was conceived while Satoru Iwata was still president
Details
of this new hardware platform remain a mystery, but plenty of rumours
have circulated. Leading speculation is that Nintendo plans to unite its
handheld and console efforts. Reports have suggested NX will include a traditional living room console and "at least one mobile unit."
The two units will supposedly work in conjunction with each other,
allowing players to take their living room gaming on the road. It has
also been speculated the console could be used to boost the power of the
handheld.
The NX will also reportedly use
"industry-leading chips" to allow for better graphics and deeper
functionality, though what these chips are or the functionality they
enable is unclear.
Patents reportedly filed on behalf of Nintendo
have also pointed towards a "free-form touch controller." One of the
patent states the controller's buttons can be assigned for specific
purposes. It will also accommodate both right- and left-handed players.
Perhaps
the most interesting--and suspicious--aspect of the patent is the
suggestion the controller will display what is on the TV on the surface
of the controller itself. This ideas has been linked to a report from 2014
that claimed tech giant Sharp was supplying Nintendo with its new line
of LCDs. These are designed for non-traditional display shapes.
Amidst
the rumours, Nintendo has kept its discussions of NX high-concept,
saying only that "it's a new way of playing games." Over the past few
years Nintendo's attempts at reinventing the way we play games have
resulted in one of the most successful consoles of all time, and one of
the biggest failures. Whatever the NX turns out to be, it's going to be
interesting to see how Nintendo defines its next generation of gaming.
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