Experts predict the next PS5 and Xbox will be the last consoles

For years, analysts and industry insiders have been predicting the death of consoles. But now, thanks to the tremendous growth in streaming technology, it seems a future without the presence of a console is entirely possible. And according to Cristiano Amon, president of technology company Qualcomm, the rise of video game streaming means the next-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox will be the last home entertainment consoles produced.

“From our perspective, the cloud is going to be the new console,” said Amon. “You can start playing on any device, on any screen. That will be the future of gaming.” The technology Amon describes is exactly what Google Stadia will bring – the ability to stream high-quality video games at 60 fps on most devices, as long as the user has an Internet connection.

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The point about Google Stadia is that it eliminates the need for powerful hardware to play AAA games. It also doesn’t require a strong Internet: Stadia only needs 25Mbps to work. That’s in theory, of course, Stadia hasn’t officially launched yet, and we don’t yet know how different the reality will be from the show at GDC 2019.

Microsoft is also developing a game streaming service for Xbox in the hopes of turning it into a “gamer’s Netflix”. Details of this streaming service are expected to be announced at E3 2019 this June, but many believe it possesses similar features to Google Stadia.

Sony has also entered the video game streaming market with PlayStation Now – likely to expand to PS5 as well. Whether PlayStation Now is as convenient as Stadia or whether Sony moves the processing to the server like Stadia is still a secret.

Experts have also forgotten about Nintendo – this giant is developing its own things instead of directly confronting Sony and Microsoft in the console race. Nintendo’s consoles exceeded all industry expectations, as the 3DS and Switch continued to become successful handheld gaming consoles, despite experts predicting mobile would kill off handhelds. Therefore, even though Microsoft and Sony decide to switch to streaming in the future, perhaps Nintendo will continue to be loyal to the traditional console with its exclusive titles.

Source: The Sun