... That's going to put off a lot of people that don't necessarily plan to be plugged into the net at all times.

For those that have looked past the tag in the current gen, I doubt they'd switch over in the next-gen.

500 bucks by the time next consoles release won't get you a PC that can put out what consoles do, just like at the beggining of this gen... And online gaming is free already on PS3, probably will be too on next Xbox.

The only thing they need to get right next gen is HDD space. You can't buy stuff online, download videos and other hype makers to you console if you don't have space. Also, both consoles can loose some space with install right now, imagine next gen... A simple update on HDDs won't do, they should use 1TB SSDs just to be sure and make it really fast (making the data installation that much more efficient)... Maybe, just maybe, be done with controllers by release so you don't add a new controller late on and fragment the user base (if they will use motion controls, bring those bundled right next to the gamepad from the start).

Everything else is just natural evolution for this consoles... Bigger discs, better CPU/GPU, better memory, stronger chipset, better cooling (as in design that favour airflow, not just the cooler itself, and that is for both MS and Sony), better security (as in for age restrain, self defense from malware, virus and what not, security against piracy), capable of better definition sound/image, improving existing features (browser, streaming, multimedia... maybe get back on that other OS idea and, but instead of OTHER OS, use the SAME OS, just give it some more PC functions).

I think it's too soon to discuss this, those consoles don't look like going anywhere soon, maybe that's the reason I can't see much to upgrade on consoles right now beyond the basics.

Most of those are stupid idea or they will just never do it. No disc not going to happen with the next system. It will that at least 2 more gens before they get to that but they will do more and more DLC. 3D gaming 3D will probably be dead before the next systems come out. BC why would they ever do that when the can just put them out as DLC and have you buy the games all over again. Same with number 2. I could pull a better better list then that out of my ass

its a matter of principle

I'm not sure what principle you are trying to make, but is there another console that can do HD gaming for $200 MSRP?

My point being, sure it isn't everything you want in it, but it still represents a good value compared to the competition at it's price point. You can't get a cheap console without giving up something!

Well, I literally only had 200 bucks. The only games I wanted were Halo, Fable and Gears. So, no, I did not want to drop another 100 bucks on a hard drive just to play Halo. It pissed me off so I sold it. Should never have bought it in the first place but lessons learned.

EDIT: I also own a PS3. I had bought a launch 360 on day 1. Went through 4 of them over a couple years. Once the last one died I swore off MS and bought the MGS bundle in June 2008.

I been playing PS3 then finally broke down because I really do like Halo and Fable and Gears had not been pushed out yet. So, my kid who loves halo could not play with me and after 1 hour of Fable (it sucked really, really bad) I sold the unit.

What pisses me off is I should never have bought it. $200 is $200. Getting it home and set up and both my kid and I all excited and going to the load screen and getting the "no HDD detected" message ruined it. Nowhere did I read that the 4g didnt have a REAL HDD. MS didn't tell me. Bungie said nothing on the cover of the game (BTW, out the 60 for that) so yea, its a matter of principal.

I worked hard for my cash and feel I got the shaft.

you could own a console and still understand the capabilities of a PC without using it mainly as a gaming machine...you say generally, but your statement itself is ignorant as well...you make a broad statement, but unless you have witnessed countless console owners bitching about technology then your point is invalid

Errr or it could be that most console owners can't or don't want a computer sitting under their TV's in their living room.

I think it's generally accepted that most people now know how to work a computer (included my 72 year old grandmother) Kaveti6616, but then your not exactly known for your insightful comments.

Ok Kaveti, so tell me oh enlightned PC user, how do I play the latest God Of War, Uncharted, Mario, Metal Gear, ICO, Zelda, Halo, Forza, Gran Turismo, Perfect Dark, Killzone and other of the many console exclusives I want a lot more than Farmville on this nice machine of yours? Please tell me... What you mean by wait 5~10 years for an stable emulator?

The problem with you snobs is that sometimes you just don't understand it's all about the games. Some of us don't care to have 1000 bucks self mounted/modded machine to compare benchmarks with friends, some of us can't care less if PC have oh so many extra functionalities that we don't use. Many of us GAMERS just want to play some specific GAMES.

PC can have more games, but most of us don't care about Farmville... 99%of PC game that is on the level of high production console games are console multiplatforms also.

And the reason why most PC exclusive games won't match console games in quality is quite simple, there is no interested part in pushing them out beyond the ones making the game. There is no PC format owner worried that PC need to have some exclusive great games to be atop of competition. Just devs/publihers that are already using a PC to develop games for Consoles thinking "hey, we already have that, we could make some quick buck".

Consoles on the other hand, it's format owners hord developers to make something called 1st party studios (seriously, google it up as you snobs probably aren't familiarized with the term) which develop most of the top games this industry had seen in all its years, bringing appeal to its platforms while PC platform does nothing about it and keep losing it's mojo and PC gamers keep being treated as second class citizens.

I would believe a bunch of eggheads, so superior than us dumb console lovers, would know all that already and save themselves the embarrassment.

Seriously now, there is nothing wrong on playing in PC, it has it's great poinsts as in user created/developed content (mods, servers, etc) but I'm sick to the stomach of this kind of self entitled snob so full of himself you just portrayed there Kaveti. Assuming most people don't play on PC like you because they are ignorant is almost as sad as your past comment history... Almost.

Contractual agreements are not the same as “gentlemen” agreements. If you think that they work with their distributors a month before production then their entire business model is trash. They work with companies like nvidia constantly for building the graphics cards they need. They work with companies that build motherboards years in advance. This is what proper business planning does.

They are not buying components on a whim like a consumer. So again, considering the ram isn’t a singular module and is integrated into the motherboard I highly doubt they wouldn’t have a final schematic that they are supposed to be building around.

If they are delaying production another 3 years then it’s obvious again this is an after though project and is just trying to be responsive to their bad execution they had the last 14 years.

It also isn’t far fetched to use their failure to produce first party titles the last 7 years including the highly anticipated games I mentioned all being cancelled. That they would continue to you know… lie

Yeah with FSR 5 they should be able to offer a much cheaper version of Helix.

Series S is what has killed Xbox Series so... Will they dare?

The factors are largely external. Covid and Russia-Ukraine war causing inflation led to the first price increase in 2022.

Then we get Trump's tariffs increasing hardware prices, AI boom causing a RAM crisis, war on Iran causing a worldwide fuel crisis which impacts the cost of everything.

Gaming doesn't exist in a vacuum. The last few years have been a shitshow and lot of it was definitely avoidable.

LucasRuinedChildhood,

For sure. No disagreement on the external factors doing a lot of this. Where I have to gently push back however is on two fronts:

1. The pandemic definitely caused some issues: asynchronous development was a big issue and really complicated timelines and affected game quality. At the same time, when it comes to price hikes, it's really difficult to know what was genuine necessity and what was taking consumers for a ride. The pandemic brought about "stag-flation" which was increasing prices and stagnant wages, which was a problem caused by supply chain constraints. There was also "Greed-flation", where companies that were slightly affected or had no issues took advantage of the situation and squeezed everyone citing supply chain issues when there were none.

2. It's definitely true that the tariffs, AI boom, and RAM crisis were all things enabled by tech broligarchs throwing money at this caricature of a world leader, one of them being Satya Nadella. I don't think Sony and Nintendo have contributed much to this problem if at all, but Microsoft's Nadella I feel was instrumental in causing every one of those issues. Microsoft as a company contributed to both candidates (though they gave Harris 4x as much if I recall), but Nadella was all in on letting AI run wild. He paid for unregulated AI, and got a war that's not a war (even though Trump called it that at least five times on television) that screwed up helium access. So for me, I feel that one of the players in the gaming industry is a key architect of these issues, and for that reason I struggle a bit to think of it as "external".