Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week's tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages.
We doubt you missed it, but Microsoft unveiled its new games console this week, and it even showed off some Xbox One hardware to prove it. While the new name is offering casual gamers a bit of confusion -- Google "Xbox One" for a taste -- the specifications sound like they could make for one very potent console. Billions of transistors? We're just hoping they ensure there's plenty of Covenant to shoot in the requisite Halo sequel. There was a very heavy focus on TV, Call of Duty and sports games, so plenty of big-hitter titles to get excited about. But numbers and decimals make us just as happy, so join us for plenty of 'em after the break.
Forza Horizon 5 has reportedly sold more than 5 million copies on PS5.
All are winners here. Especially Microsoft who actually has a audience now that will buy their games. While I do miss the competition from Microsoft as a consumer, it is nice getting those games without having to buy another console and get another subscription. I just wish they released proper physical games.
Yup fully 100% agree with you. On one hand I'm sad the way Xbox as a platform as gone. On another hand as you said one console is all you need really now for majority of games.
Wish they did release this physically as well as age of empires, flight sim, age of mythology.
It's a hard narrative to kill when MS confirms it by having to reach out to other platforms in order to get sales.
@Frosty as usual you make no sense. With your logic then PS needs PC since those games are on there and HD2, deathstranding on Xbox. They're reaching out for sales because console is no longer enough.
More reason for Microsoft to ditch Xbox and release on PS and PC. Imagine if Nintendo stopped faffing on with consoles, their games would reach eye popping sales, but they love control and that's losing them millions or billions a year. Mario Kart 8 and World on PS5 and PC, what sales would they hit?
This comment makes absolutely zero sense. Nintendo is never leaving the console industry as a manufacturer; they have the second highest selling system of all-time, and some of the highest attachment rate of any developer ever. The PS5 won't even touch Switch 1 sales, so why would Nintendo even entertain the idea of this? MK8D sold 70 MILLION UNITS on the Switch. That is the "eye popping sales" you're going on about, if anything Sony wants that for their games that they never get.
What you're saying is, if Nintendo ditched consoles, it wouldn't make a bigger killing from releasing all of its games on PlayStation and PC, maybe even Xbox if Microsoft grows a backbone? Mario Kart 8 and Breath of the Wild as examples, what sales would Nintendo hit on PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox Series X? Nintendo could still bang on with controllers, joycons and cams etc. to bulk up its profits. Nintendo has been holding back its fans for years now when it comes to tech. Last time it was up there was with the GameCube and that generation, it was the second most powerful console, Xbox being top in terms of tech, followed by PlayStation 2 then Dreamcast. Average tech holds back AAA games, the Switch 2 is apparently up there with PlayStation 4 tech. I agree that the Switch has pulled off some amazing games, although some games were Wii U ports. I understand that Nintendo will never leave the console industry, but it most definitely has missed the boat when it comes to maximising game profits. Nintendo has only been on top (not handhelds) with the NES, Super NES, Wii and Switch, but the Switch is a handheld console, Nintendo skipped that generation and didn't release a home console and that's also the case with the Switch 2. The Switch isn't anything new to a certain extent, as SEGA's Nomad and Sony's PSP could be connected to a TV. Some gamers can't accept that Nintendo pulled out of the home console market with the release of the Switch, comparing to sales of home consoles is a pointless exercise. I don't care about PC gaming, but I hope Microsoft ditches consoles for PC and PlayStation. Most gamers are fed up with all these consoles and game sales at an all-time low, gaming does need a single format. One tech, we all choose which brand we want to buy and that's it. It has never done the likes of VHS, DVD and Blu-ray any harm and someone mentioned on here a number of years ago, owning a Sony DVD player, you could only watch Sony produced movies and play Sony produced music CDs.
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I agree. Nintendo is leaving billions on the table. If they left console gaming behind and let us say released a mainline Pokémon game on android and IOS, in addition to console and PC, I cannot imagine the amount of profit they would enjoy.
Modern phones are good enough to play most Nintendo switch games so if they made a mobile controller that can interface with android and IOS phones, they could port games like Mario Kart 8 to mobile phones and other consoles. I am sure they would be enjoying sales from both their own unique controllers and the game sales itself.
The only thing they stand to lose is the 30% cut from all software sales being released on their system. Perhaps they believe they can earn more from that vs sales of their own IPs on other platforms.
Mario Kart 8 apparently hit just under 70 million sales on Wii U and Switch, although that figure includes the game packaged with the console, so I'm not sure on single game sales (disc, card and download). No Nintendo console out there, I think Mario Kart 8 would've hit bigger sales when you add Android and IOS, which is a good point. Nintendo's games don't exactly need ground breaking tech, but if that was there with a single format, Nintendo could then keep up. Don't get me wrong, I love the Switch and Switch 2, but PS4 tech games going into 2026 and onwards, again, it's a limited console from Nintendo.
Nintendo games already reach eye popping sales. In fact, neither PlayStation nor Nintendo really HAVE to put their games on other systems. Even Sony's PC releases don't sell anything big (outsold of outliers like Helldivers II).
That said, I agree about Microsoft with Xbox. Outside of being a gateway to Game Pass, they should drop the platform and cut their losses. Stick it out as a 3rd Party pub and make bank that way.
so what.. just have PlayStation in the console space? Great news for innovation and pushing each other to be better.
Yeah it makes way too much business sense for these games not to be on PS and PC. If it's 300 million Sony got 90 million from simply allowing the sale of the game. MS need to get the development house in order so these games can come out at the same time that's when you make real big money
This is correct. There is a lost sale aspect by not being available day and date on PlayStation. Halo is day and date so everything else should be too. This may not be possible all the times but they are not served at all by taking the Forza 6 route. No one is buying and Xbox or getting GamePass to play the next Forza. When the realize this they will just enforce day and date for all games.
@Wommens @Potdy Keep creating those alt accounts!
The truth is Forza, Gears and Halo and Starfield and the WHOLE SLATE will be going to PlayStation.
Microsoft has sold more copies of Forza on PS5 then it did on Xbox Series S/X.
The RAM price rise could lead to the 'Xbox PC' being delayed - if that happens Microsoft might not release it at all.
Stop running defence for a trillion-dollar company that doesn't know you exist.
The way I see it, most racing gamers prefer playing on Playstation. It has been so since PS1.
As I said before, that Forza Horizon 5 would do well on PS5. So I was right
Racing games have primarily been an arcade + PC endeavor in-terms of popularity. GT and Forza pale in comparison to the decades of arcade/PC simulator racing games that defined the genre. iRacing, Assetto Corsa, Rfactor, NR2003, Automobilista, GTR 2/GT Legends, GPL, GP4, Daytona USA, Richard Burns Rally, SEGA Rally, Virtua Racing, etc..
Console games have only just started on the path to comparing to them, but even then, the physics on PC are unmatched.
Again you don't know what you're talking about. Daytona/SEGA Rally, as examples, never sold ANYWHERE NEAR what GT has and has never been as popular either (particularly in EU). Put out a new Daytona and GT8 and watch the latter absolutely dog walk it in sales. On top of that, most of those games are very different from one another. They can co-exist. If you want to go there, the highest selling "racing" series is Mario Kart. Hint: console. It hasn't been an Arcade + PC > console for a very long time.
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Insider Gaming has learned that the ongoing price increases in RAM due to the rise in AI could delay the next generation of console releases.
What is even the incentive of upgrading to the next-gen after this console generation we've had? Graphics are plateauing, prices at an all time high, studios skipping entire generations or simply releasing just one game for it...
Its a mess
How do you gauge each generation? There has been a lot of really good games this gen. I only care about the games. First party hasn’t been the best but the generation isn’t over yet
jznrpg,
Thing is, every generation before this one has had something that defined console identity. Very little beyond bigger/more detailed games and performance modes are really there.
I feel the last generation that cared very much was gen 7; Capcom's darkest era, but I have to give them props for being really experimental at the time. We saw plenty of new games that still tried to do something new. Outside of Metaphor and Clair Obscur, this gen has been pretty forgettable if you ask me. I'm sure a lot of it is the corporatization of the industry and the creative talent has to keep making sequels and spiritual successors because the cost of development is out of control. But even then, plenty of these experiences are experiences we've had already. And the thing is. Switch 2 and PSVR2 could really be doing incredible things, but it's just not there. Xbox I just don't see the value or point anymore but that's just me.
Why has is been the worst? I've been gaming all my life and this gen. has been one of the best.
Not to mention that just like this generation, the next one will also be shared between the current and next gen console at least for a couple of years. So the few titles that it will had, just like this one, will run on the console you already have.
I think people have to remember the pandemic at start of this gen and how it effected game development. This next gen we will see the PS4 etc support dropped and truly see the full utilisation of SSD's improvements to ray and path tracing and the impact of AI upscaling etc will be where the biggest improvements will come from.
My sentiments exactly, next gen has got to prove it's worth before i buy into it this time. This has been the weakest generation in my 30yrs of gaming. From the drawn out cross gen garbage, to so many games getting stuck in development hell or canceled, to the ABSURD levels of trend chasing to the point of self destruction, this gen just wasn't worth it
I'm pretty sure I've already read a story that said Playstation is only halfway through this console's generation and that PS6 is a way off.
Im good with next gen being pushed back to 27/28. It feels like this gen has only just begun.
Covid-19 held back everything at least 2 years worth. Although many people disliked, i think only UE5 can generally distinguish this gen from the previous one.
UE5 is definitely impressive, but I would also give the nod to the current version of Decima, at least the way it looks for Death Stranding 2.
That's normal how you think. Time goes faster when you're older and i bought my PS5 since day 1 release and now it's 5 years old. I don't mind a year delay to release PS6 in holiday 2028.
Regardless of RAM price increases, I strongly believe there’s still a lot of potential left for the current gen. I’d be fine with at least 3 more years.
Whenever it comes out is fine with me. I still have backlog for the next year at least
It could be argued that it was the release of Forza Horizon on PlayStation, and not the news that Halo is coming to it, that heralded the real end of the console war.
Halo’s brand power has been on the wane for some time now, especially given the lukewarm reception to Halo Infinite when it was released four years ago. Every time a Forza Horizon game is released, however, it’s always up there as a legitimate Game of the Year contender.
This one will be special. I can feel they will put lots of respect to the environments and scenery.
I think that the map in this one will be the strongest since Forza Horizon 3.
Replies(5)I hope they go all out with the presentation since the last game was a cross-gen release.
I can't wait.
Best open world racing games ever. Cant wait to see what they come up with. Microsoft struck gold when they purchased them.🤘
One of my PSN friend actually worked on Forza Horizon games. I played with him on LittleBigPlanet years ago. Really good at designing some LBP levels. He's lucky to work for top team.
You got to like that list it show's how shitty the event and this console is. Though who knew they dedicated 15 minutes to cod i thought i was only 10 max huh.
Good bye sony4g.com. I own all 3 current gen, enjoy and use them, still playing bowling on wii when people come over, but really, n4g, you guys really sold out, not even close to impartial, and blind to the future, go play with your games console, will leave you behind....
MS are dead to me.
The worst event ever made...ever...