In this week’s newsletter, we explore a significant shift in the gaming industry: as players increasingly prioritize fun over advanced graphics and high-spec systems, the battleground is moving away from hardware.
Last week, VGC interviewed Shawn Layden, the former U.S. PlayStation head, about the future of powerful consoles in the gaming world. His response caught my attention and challenged my expectations.
“We’ve been following this path for 30 years. Each generation, costs have risen, and we’ve adjusted accordingly. But we’ve reached a tipping point where we can’t keep doing things the same way anymore. It’s time for a serious reset in our business model and in defining what a video game really is,” he explained. “At this stage, I’d say the differences between hardware specs are negligible for most players. We’re nitpicking over teraflops, but that’s not where the competition should lie. The focus needs to shift back to content. I think we’ve hit the technical ceiling.”
His remarks were refreshing for me, as I’ve always found myself less concerned with technical specifications. I often felt like an outlier in the gaming journalism field for being so indifferent to things like frame rates or resolution differences. I’d struggle to distinguish between a game running at 50fps versus 60fps, or to elaborate on what ray tracing truly entails. For me, games have been looking fantastic since about 15 years ago, and subsequent visual improvements seem mostly incremental. While developers have continuously innovated, much of that progress has revolved around themes and narrative rather than technological leaps.
Technical specifications once played a crucial role in the gaming community. I vividly recall heated debates on the playground about whether the SNES outperformed the Mega Drive, and online discussions analyzing whether the PlayStation 3 edged out the Xbox 360. This focus on hardware began to wane with the release of the Nintendo Wii, a less powerful console that sold 100 million units, defeating all rivals and proving that many gamers prioritize enjoyment over sheer power. Even a decade later, when the Switch launched and faced scrutiny for being outclassed by the PS4 and Xbox One, it has since sold 140 million units.
Despite the evidence that the majority of players today aren’t basing their purchase decisions on tech specs, there remains a dedicated group that does care: the audience for the upcoming £700 PlayStation 5 Pro and the fans of detailed analyses from outlets like Digital Foundry. This tech-focused demographic likely includes many game developers, but I would argue that they represent a smaller section of the gaming population now.
So, what has shifted? The gaming audience has certainly broadened, but it’s also a case of diminishing returns. New consoles and technological advancements used to introduce groundbreaking possibilities every few years—like the leaps from the original Super Mario Bros to Super Mario 64, or from the first Grand Theft Auto to GTA: San Andreas. However, it has been quite some time since we’ve witnessed such transformative developments. The standout innovation in the last 15 years has been VR, which has proven to have niche appeal.
That said, I have been truly impressed with what I’ve seen on the PlayStation 5. The visual detail in games like God of War: Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West is astonishing. The raw power of the PS5 allowed developers at Insomniac to unleash their creativity in titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and incorporate those remarkable dimension-shifting portals in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Still, while all of this is incredibly impressive, it often feels non-essential. If these advancements come at the expense of studios’ sustainability and developers’ livelihoods, is relentless visual fidelity truly worth it? Perhaps it’s time to move beyond that competition.
Nintendo seems to have already made this realization. In 2004, the late president Satoru Iwata foresaw this shift, stating, “Games have come to a dead end… Creating complicated games with advanced graphics used to be the key to success, but that principle no longer holds. Even if developers pour their energy into it, they won’t see proportional sales. If we keep chasing this principle that squanders resources, we face a bleak future in gaming.”
It appears that Xbox is also rethinking its approach to the console wars. Although executives have teased the development of a new Xbox console, Microsoft’s priority seems to lie in expanding its Game Pass subscription across various devices, rather than focusing solely on hardware. Could it be that PlayStation will soon stand alone in this technological arms race, which could come at a significant cost?
As we look ahead, there are some intriguing games on the horizon. In Wilmot Works It Out, players control a cheerful cube named Wilmot who finds joy in completing jigsaw puzzles, which he then decorates his walls with—an artful and soothing experience that beautifully blends creativity and gameplay.
Another noteworthy title recently announced is Project Ethos, a free-to-play hero shooter from the team behind Call of Duty at 31st Unions. Additionally, Analogue has unveiled its modern take on the Nintendo 64, promising to optimize classic games for contemporary televisions. Meanwhile, fans of print journalism can rejoice, as the EGM compendium—a collection celebrating decades of Electronic Gaming Monthly—has been overwhelmingly funded on Kickstarter.
This week’s question comes from reader Phil, who expressed his disappointment over the closure of PLAY magazine and the state of gaming publication. He asked for recommendations for websites that feature high-quality writing without falling into the trap of toxic discourse. My first writing job was at gamesTM, and I have a fondness for print journalism, but I understand the current landscape. For online recommendations, I’d suggest VGC, Eurogamer, PC Gamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, and Polygon as solid choices for gamers seeking thoughtful content.
If you have a question or feedback regarding the newsletter, feel free to reply or reach out via email at [email protected].
