Okay, I realise we’re in that transition phase. Are they next gen consoles or current gen consoles? Who knows. For the purposes of today’s Community Review let’s just call them ‘Next Gen Consoles’. For the record, I’m talking about the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One and the Wii U. Some of you have been living with all three for a while now — what are your general thoughts so far?
I have to say, on the games front, it feels like all three have under-delivered. Particularly the Xbox One and the PS4. The Wii U is a bit longer in the tooth, and it shows from a visual and feature perspective, but it also allows the Wii U to have a good head start in terms of actual quality games. Say what you like about Nintendo, but they truly have been cranking out quality first party exclusives on the Wii U: Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Pikmin 3, Wind Waker HD — all very high quality Nintendo experiences.
Both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 have threatened with great exclusives — InFamous: Second Son and Titanfall being the big two on their respective platforms — but neither, in my opinion, are game changers. Titanfall probably shifted more consoles, but seems to have faded out dramatically as multiplayer experience. That’s worrying.
The idea of cross generational third party releases, I’d argue, has really been holding both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 back. I suspect there was a large amount of unease from third party publishers regarding the release of new consoles, so almost everyone played it safe with their first round of next-gen releases, making sure they were available on PS3 and Xbox 360. I suspect this has affected both the quality of the games themselves and the interest of a more general audience in next-gen.
I mean seriously — even Destiny is coming out on the 360 and the PS3.
Which has been silly when you consider that games like Watch Dogs, for example, have sold dramatically better on Xbox One and PS4. I think it’s time to make the transition.
In general, I’m happy with all three consoles and I’m happy to own them. But all three have a long way to go.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments
47 responses to “Community Review: Next-Gen Consoles”
With every generation of consoles they try to do more, and I wish they would do less. I just want my console to turn on (as quickly as possible) and play great games. If I wanted a complicated entertainment machine that did everything, I’d just boot my PC.
I guess it’s good that I’m still waiting until a year has passed before thinking about next-gen. I still have a backlog of games to go through as well.
I waited when the 3DS came out, and it paid off with a 2DS and a nice selection of games.
I think last gen lasted too long and third parties should hurry up and get with the program. Next gen is here hurry up and make the transition its almost been a year since the new consoles launched, stop living in the past man.
I think 720 is next gen. Yup.
I love my wiiu so far and i’m pumped for sbb.
I find it a bit annoying that most games are native 720, it’s a bit annoying when im used to 1080.
Most games? Majority of Xbox One games are 1080p along with PS4, which has pretty much every game at 1080p. None at 720p that I know of. Xbone is also usually 900p as well.
I purchased the Xbox One on launch, the PlayStation for Christmas and just this month I picked up a Wii U with Mario Kart 8. The latter is still fairly new to me and the other two are still at odds with what they set out to be.
I feel as though my Xbox gets the most use as I prefer the software feature set and I’ve been a Gold Member for 8 years running so I just roll with it. The PlayStation is an impressive machine from a technical standpoint and PlayStation Plus trumps Gold where value is concerned, however my PlayStation experience has always been a solo, mostly offline one.
At the end of the day I just go where the games are.
To me once a new generation of consoles are released they stop being next-gen and start being current gen.
Sony have always said that the PS3 will have a 10 year lifespan (Micro$oft copied Sony and started saying this a few years ago as well), so I would expect to see cross-generational games up until at least the end of next year, which sucks because it just holds back the quality of the new current-gen games.
That said I am enjoying my Wii U, and Xbone, but I’m finding that I’m playing my 360 and PS3 more.
cross platform is holding back the new generation….. there is too much money still to be made from the installed user base to fully embrace the future, which is a real pain….
I have an xbox one, wii u, 3ds and vita. I’ll likely pick up a ps4 eventually but right now I can’t justify the purchase with the lack of games that interest me on the system. I think most people who aren’t fanboys can realise that the xbox one/ps4 are close enough this generation that it really comes down to what games line up you prefer. The Wii U is ok but I wouldn’t pay more than a couple hundred bucks for it. The vita is a piece of junk, great hardware but the games line up is terrible, the 3ds is a great handheld and has the best line up out of anything so far this generation. My most played would be my 3ds followed closely by the xbox one, then the wii u and WAY behind the vita.
If you have an issue with vita ports, like myself and many others, heres a petition that was brought to my attention to get some of the bad Vita ports fixed. You don’t need to be a member to sign and can choose not to display your name. I know this isnt really the place for this, I appologise, but hey:
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/sony-computer-entertainment-patch-ps-vita-s-ported-games
No need for a new-gen console just yet, but the same could be said for the PS3 and (to a lesser extend) the 360 at similar points of their lifecycle.
It took about 18 months before the 360 had that period where it got Bioshock, Assassins Creed, Halo 3 and Mass Effect (I think I’ve got that right) in a period of about 6 months and that’s when the last gen really because “must own”. I bought an Xbone on launch night and while I’ve thoroughly enjoyed quite a few games on there, I can’t say it’s got anything that I couldn’t have lived without.
Wait till mid-2015 if you really have to. I think the Witcher 3 would sell me a console if I didn’t already have one. I’ll still be glad I’ll be playing the new-gen versions of Destiny and Dragon Age this year though.
I have PS4 for the best cross-platform-console-only stuff, a Wii U for the Ninty awesomeness, and a SteamBox for the rest. Ps3/360 rounds out the older/cheaper games in my backlog. I’m a happy chappy with each choice.
WiiU – fantastic when there’s a game I want to play. Gamepad is nice and comfy, it’s great seeing those classic Nintendo properties in HD and so far I can’t even tell that it’s behind in terms of power. Looking forward to Captain Toad and Zelda.
PS4 – fantastic when there’s a game I want to play. I never had much issue with the PS3 controller but the DS4 is probably my favourite one to hold despite the terrible battery life. I haven’t really touched the console since I finished inFamous, and the only exclusive I have my eye on in the future is Bloodborne. Based on the PS3/2/1 I know Sony will come up with the goods eventually.
Xbone – I don’t own one but I bought the controller the day they made PC drivers available and it’s fantastic when there’s a game I want to play (on PC). The Dpad is a vast improvement – now I can play 2D games on PC with ease and the controller itself is just that little bit more comfy in my hands.
Terrible battery life on the DS4? Interesting, I hadn’t thought about that at all or seen anyone mention it yet. How terrible are we talking?
Oh actually, are the batteries replaceable? Or are they fully inbuilt again? How about on the Xbone? Completely forgot to take notice when I tried each of them out, only did for the Wii U ones.
The battery on the DS4 is built in, I can’t say I’d call the battery life terrible but not as good as I’d like, it doesn’t last as long as my good quality rechargeable AAs in my 360 controller. I just have a USB extension cable handy to plug the charger into for when it goes on about running low.
I will never understand why some people are so vehemently against using a standard power source like a pair of AA batteries.
I like em, quick swap and you’re done.
Me too and you can always get good alkaline AAs for cheap at Bunnings
I go straight to wholesale for my batteries with a company like Master-instruments do the best batteries
I’ve found it to be comparable to my DS3s, which I thought had really good use per charge. And I never noticed them fade over the 6 years or so I’ve had them. I always have a couple of controllers so I can switch and charge. I find this more convenient over than rechargable NiMH batteries.
I didn’t use the DS3 enough to make a decent comparison because it hurt my hands long before the batteries wore out, I ended up going for a corded aftermarket PS3 controller with the 360 layout
It seems to be worse than the DS3 battery life but not as bad as the WiiU Gamepad.
I just felt like I was always swapping controllers around when I was playing inFamous. I blame the light bar. I now we can dim it now but I haven’t had a reason to play the PS4 for long enough to test if it improves the battery life.
It does, for at least an hour more. Still sucks alot of power and not as good as DS3.
I thought the light thing might make a difference, but I haven’t really noticed a huge difference with the DS3. This estimate is definitely not qualitatively based though. Maybe I just don’t have a long enough attention span…
All the new gen controllers have crappy battery life IMHO.
Wii U Pro controller’s supposed to have like 80 hours of battery life.
That’s not too shabby 😛
It doesn’t come with the console, in most cases, so I would count that as an add-on, just like the X1 bratty pack. IMO.
The WiiU gamepad, DS4 and X1 pad all get the same 5-7 hours (Not sure) use I believe. Not fantastic… almost the same as Vita/ 3ds battery life.
What makes it worse is the light bar on the DS4 drinking up the juice, considering that if you use the DS4 on PC you can turn off the light and the controller ‘lives’ longer.
The part about that I find most amazing is that the other controllers have the same life as the gamepad, not better.
Honestly though the gamepad life doesn’t bother me. For the most part it’s long enough to last a an average gaming session, and even when it’s not… well the cable is a million miles long. Most of the time I just play with it plugged in anyway.
I’ve only had it run flat on me once.
Truth be told, I don’t have as much gaming time as I used too, so I don’t encounter battry issues.
And considering the gamepad has a screen, the battry life it admirable, bit it’s also bigger and can house a bigger battery. The one that really buggs me if I were honest, is the Ds4. The light uses a lot of power and right now does nothing. They really should add an option to disable it, at least for now.
I had a friend who bought one of those bigger batteries for the gamepad. I don’t think he ever got back on whether it was any good or not though. Would be particularly interesting to see how the life of it is now that it’s been a good year or so.
I really like the PS4 for its controller, so I bought a PS4 controller and use it on the PS3.
Wii U is still my Monster Hunter machine. The Wii backwards compatibility means that I’ve just dug out the GameCube, so between that and the Wii U, the Wii is getting retired.
Gaming time is limited for me, so I have no interest in owning multiple consoles. For me, the PS4 won out quite easily as I have as the PS exclusives have always appealed to me more.
I grew up as a Nintendo ‘fanboy’ and only owned Nintendo consoles until the previous gen when I picked up the PS3. Honestly, and I hate to say it, I haven’t been able to go back to Nintendo. The Wii is the last Nintendo console I’ve owned, the Wii U just isn’t appealing to me. If I had more time on my hands to play games, I’d pick the Wii U as a second console over the Xbox as does have the likes of Mario and Zelda…but where is Metroid and F-Zero?
I have a pc, ps4 and wiiu.
The ps4, and xbox1 for that matter, are progressing painfully slowly IMHO. The wiiu is however hitting it’s stride.
As far as destiny.. If I get it it’ll be on ps4, but tbh if I didn’t already have the console I would be happy buying it on ps3. I didn’t want to use 15gb of my data on a beta so I got it (the beta) for ps3 (5gb) and it runs well and doesn’t look bad. Certainly not bad enough to warrant getting a next gen console for it IMHO.
That’s my, relatively unbiased oppinion so far.
My PS4 has had maybe 20 cumulative hours use for games since I got it in early December, and probably 200+ hours as a netflix box. So it’s getting a good amount of use, but not really for the primary function it’s designed for. There’s very little coming out for it in the next 9-12 months that excites me either, since I have a good gaming PC and I’ll be grabbing most of the AAA multi-platform stuff for PC. Destiny is basically it.
I think a lot of the problem is that the Japanese publishers haven’t come to the party yet. And possibly they won’t at all, since the market over there has shifted so strongly to handheld and mobile.
There’s a bunch of JPN-only games on it currently. Can you import thosE?
You can import them, sure. But aside from Ryu ga Gotoku / Yakuza, they’re not actually worth bothering with.
The Wii U is a big disappointment so far, but at least E3 showed it ramping up a bit in the near future. For the time being, it’s a decent Mario kart machine.
PC is my main beast, but the PS4 does alright sitting next to it. I play my XBO less because it’s mainly for halo, sunset overdrive, fable and some other stuff; none of which have come out yet. But forza does nicely.
Naturally I’ll play most things on PC, but I really like the PS4, and the XBO is decent. I feel like the XBO UI is too cluttered and unfocused at the moment, and the games run noticeably better on PS4, which is why I tend to gravitate toward Sony this time (was more of a 360 guys last time).
2014 has been a big year for delays, so I wouldn’t single out next gen in saying there are a shortage of things to play. AAA titles are lacking across the board, so given the circumstances and past patterns, I’d say PS4 and XBO libraries are pretty much where they need to be at the moment.
Wii U, however… I can’t say I agree that they’ve put enough first party stuff on the table. Just waiting for ssb, Zelda and the eventual Metroid I suppose.
I bought a PS4 at launch and haven’t used it nearly as much as I expected. My PS3 is still getting more hours of playtime by a sharp degree. That said, it is a very nice machine, the controller especially is outstanding, and my experience with the Destiny beta has really got me looking forward to what’s in store.
Ok from my Gaming feed on my HTC one M8 I seen this article and signed up just to comment/add my 2c.
I am lucky enough to own both a PS4, and a Xbox One. I have all the major next gen exclusives on said consoles. And in the past I also owned last gens when they came out.
My experience now is exactly the same as last gen. They’re brand new consoles,the games won’t have a “Wow” factor in my opinion until they are 1 yr+ old and the devs understand the capabilities and start pushing the hardware boundaries.
From my trusty old 360 it’s only in the last year when I’ve felt it’s truly shined in regards to graphics/fluid gameplay.
In summary am I blown away with next gen? No.
Am I hopeful about the future? Yes. And I’m excited to see where they go.
I’ve only got a WiiU (by choice, so far) because XB1 and PS4 just still haven’t sold me. I should actually clarify that Sony have sold me, I just haven’t invested yet because I know it won’t get played yet.
I’ve played all the AAA’s I want to play on my bro’s consoles, and am just waiting for the right game to push me into a JB with a wallet full of cash and a hungry look in my eyes.
I’m not sure whether it’s Far Cry 4, Alien Isolation orArkham Knight that’ll do it… But I doubt it’ll be long.
In terms of the WiiU I like it, the upcoming games look great, and I’ve loved the games I’ve got so far. More of that kind of stuff, Nintendo, and I’ll defend your oddity until you confuse me again just before the next console comes out.
For this generation, I have an Xbox One. For previous gen I have a 360 and a PS3.
I HATED playing the PS3 simply because the time I had to game was limited and the PS3 always took FOREVER to do updates and / or install new games.
I have an 18mb ADSL 2 connection and some games would still take 1hr + to be ready to play, this compared the 360 that always took at most 5mins to play (most updates took less than 1 minute on the 360).
HOWEVER… the Xbox One seems to have taken cues from the PS3 and also takes FOREVER to install / update games… SO ANNOYING!
Apparently Sony have got it right this gen and the updates are extrememly quick, but it deters me from turning my console on because I dread the time it will take to actually start playing.
Has anyone else noticed this? Does it annoying anyone else?
I played the Destiny beta all weekend and I must say it’s the first game I’ve played on my Xbone which truly feels and looks like a next gen title.
Some time between now and September I will be getting an Xbone – they’re hitting a critical mass of good games in the home stretch of this year (Destiny beta on 360 was fun, Sunset Overdrive is a lock, Far Cry 4 will make up for not buying no 3, held off on Watch Dogs to get the NG version)
The only thing I can’t decide is Kinect or no Kinect?
The Wii U definitely had a resurrection as of lately and my excitement for my Wii U console shot up greatly thanks to E3. Some awesome titles coming soon that I will be collecting.
Don’t own a PS4 or an Xbone and I probably never will, and the only upcoming next gen title I am greatly interested from the two is MGSV but I’ll most likely just pick that up for PS3.
Last week, I finally used my 9300 Coke Reward points to get a PS4… but delivery is going to take 6 to 8 weeks.
@markserrels – hard to compare the quality WIIU releases to to the XBO/PS4 releases when you take the release dates into account:
Super Mario 3D World, – 8 months ago
Pikmin 3, – 1 Year Ago
Wind Waker HD – 11 months ago
The only notable exception is Mario Kart 8. The other games however have been out for longer than the PS4/XBO consoles.
Since the release of the XBO and PS4, weve also had some quality games:
Titanfall
Infamous second son
Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn
Wolfenstein
Transistor
Watch Dogs (Coming to WII U Eventually?)
The Last of Us Remastered.
Plus its going to be a very busy next few months for all consoles. Whilst not all those games are exclusive, bare in mind the “next gen” consoles have only been out for about 8 months.
Can’t forget Donkey Kong and Wonderful 101!