There has been a lot of speculation that Sony and Microsoft would soon be revealing the next generation of home consoles, with a release in a year or two. Now though with the development of mobile technology with more powerful processors, some are saying that a new generation of home consoles is not needed. So with this in mind will future smartphones kill the need for PS4 and Xbox 720?
Nvidia are one of the companies making great strides with mobile technology, and its Kal-EI processor is predicted to take the mobile market by storm when it is released later this year. The current range of smartphones has been partly blamed for the slow take up of the Nintendo 3DS, as consumers look to have a single mobile device.
Nvidia have confirmed they have made big investments into the Google operating system, and according to myona the CEO of the company has said they “have a great working relationship with Google”. The company is predicting that once the processor hits production they “can run like the wind”. But Nvidia are not putting all their eggs into one basket, as its powerful quad-core processor may be finding its way to Windows 8 laptops and tablets as well.
Recently president of Epic Games’ Mike Capps said that mobile technology was developing fast enough to affect other markets besides computers. He feels by the time the eighth generation of iPhone is available it will “plug into your TV”, or even better connect wirelessly. He went on to say “what’s the point of those next-gen consoles?”
Capps feels that a smartphone would soon outrun the Xbox 360, and the upcoming PlayStation Vita will use a quad-core processor similar to what could be found in smartphones and tablets next year. The Vita is expected to run almost as fast as the PlayStation 3 when it is released.
The next generation of home consoles is likely to be even more of a home entertainment system than what they are now. Cloud gaming could be the next big thing found in the PS4 and Xbox720, but owners of the current generation of consoles do a lot more than just play games on them. Video streaming has become a big thing now, and is likely to grow.
Talk of the likes of Sony and Microsoft not needing to bother with new consoles is premature, and both companies will just release hardware that has moved with the times. They will also sell like hot cakes as long as they are priced right. The current crop of consoles should still have plenty of life left in them and having great graphics doesn’t always result in a great game.
What do you think will smartphones eventually replace the need for home consoles?
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