It’s still hard to believe that we’re now well into in the next-gen of console gaming. The closing months of 2013 and the opening few of 2014 saw a staggering launch window of exclusives for both consoles – but there is not yet a singular killer app for either. Furthermore, there are still so many features that are ripe for updates or missing entirely. So when does ‘next-gen’ truly become ‘current-gen’? By the looks of things, we’ll have to wait until 2015.
1. Features still missing from Xbox One and PS4
When both Microsoft and Sony held their respective console launches in 2013, they promised a large number of features to their eagerly awaiting fans. These ranged from improvements over their predecessors to brand new apps, and all the basic functions in between. Over a year has passed since each company detailed their planned features, and yet there are some that still haven’t arrived.
Microsoft is pumping out monthly updates for the Xbox One, largely driven by consumer feedback, to add in features that make the Xbox experience more enjoyable. They even went so far as to start xbox.uservoice.com a website devoted solely to compiling and listening to their audience’s suggestions (there are some really good ideas on there, I recommend checking them out). Things that they’ve added so far include Twitch, external hard drive support, smoother UI integration, easier access to Friends lists, notifications, and so on.
Unfortunately, a few of those features were originally planned for launch, or even available on the Xbox 360. There are still, and always will be, other features missing from the console that fans will want. For example, living in Australia, I can’t use the “Xbox On” command, or the One Guide with a set-top box (which was the original selling point at the reveal), or a lot of applications that the rest of the Xbox One world has access to.
While the Xbox One’s competition received numerous updates since launch, Sony has also promised features for the PlayStation 4 that aren’t yet available. A couple of examples include the ability to suspend and resume gameplay, or have another player over the internet take over your controller and help you through difficult sections of a game.
While features such as these aren’t necessarily must-haves at launch, or in the following few months, the problem (or solution) is more so the ideal behind adding in updates post-launch. If they left these features out in November last year and can just add them in later, then what else can they add in? MP3 support for PS4? No worries. External hard drive capabilities for the Xbox One? Not a problem.
In exactly one year’s time – or even less – we’ll see innumerable fixes and features available for both consoles. That being said, there’s not much point having the best consoles if there aren’t any games to go with them.
2. Best exclusives coming out late 2014-2015
Don’t get me wrong; both the Xbox One and PS4 launched with some great exclusive titles (enjoy Forza 5 and Knack to your heart’s content, no matter what anyone else says), with plenty more releasing earlier this year. That being said, there aren’t too many exclusives at the moment that call for an immediate purchase, and multiplat games take on the fight.
The Xbox One has new IP and old classics/sequels on the horizon, including Sunset Overdrive, Quantum Break, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo 5: Guardians, D4, Crackdown, Phantom Dust, Scalebound, Fable Legends, Forza Horizon 2, and many more. The majority of these, as well as a number of other quality multiplat games, won’t see a release until 2015, while the rest all launch towards the end of this year.
The PlayStation 4 has a similarly structured release schedule, involving titles such as The Witness, LittleBigPlanet 3, Driveclub, Deep Down, The Last of Us: Remastered, Bloodborne, Let it Die, No Man’s Sky, The Order: 1886, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. As is the case with Microsoft’s lineup, the PlayStation 4 will play host to some of its biggest hitters in 2015 – with only a few of the games releasing late this year.
So while there are plenty of games available for both systems now, and more coming by the end of the year, it seems as though the time to own a Xbox One and PS4 for the exclusives is by the beginning of 2015, after all those games have released. Then it’s simply a matter of choosing which one to spend all your time and effort on. Speaking of which…
3. New hardware takes time to get used to
This last point is as obvious as they come: being only 7 odd months into this generation, no game utilizes either system’s full potential. Given how long it takes to develop a game, most of the games currently out were in development long before the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One released.
Take Uncharted. The first game in the series released towards the beginning of the PlayStation 3’s cycle, approximately 1 year after, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception released 4 years later in 2011. The difference between these two games is pretty stunning, as one represents the start of a generation, and the other shows the progress Naughty Dog made with the hardware.
Another example is the difference between Halo 3 and Halo 4 on the Xbox 360 which, again, saw them release at the start and end of the 360’s lifespan, respectively. Halo 4 looks absolutely astounding next to Halo 3, and the only difference between them is time and experience with the hardware.
Consider the games you played at the end of the last generation – Grand Theft Auto V, Halo 4, The Last of Us. These represent the pinnacle of experienced development with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Now imagine what will happen over the next few years in this generation, with improved hardware and experienced developers; the options seem unlimited. We may start to see results by the end of next year, but developers will always get better at what they do over time, especially when getting used to new hardware.
All in all, there is definitely no harm in owning a Xbox One and PS4 at this point in time – I do – because there are some great games and features available. That being said, the real reasons for owning them won’t truly reveal themselves for another year. In that time, Sony and Microsoft will finally sort out their initial launch bugs and add a myriad of extra features and content, a variety of exclusives will make their way to each platform, and developers will have time to adjust to the new hardware (the latter may not even take effect for a few more years).
In summary, it’s a great time to be a gamer. But I can guarantee you that 2015 will be even better.
