The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S generation has seen the longest cross-generation period to date, making players feel like the actual new generation never truly began, but next year may mark the end of this long period, with multiple developers looking into dropping PlayStation 4 support.
In a new report shared by GamesIndustry, it has been revealed that HoYoverse dropping PlayStation 4 support for the extremely popular Genshin Impact isn't going to be an isolated move, as "many other operators of major online and live service titles also eyeing up the timeline for dropping PS4 support." While some developers are dropping support for the previous generation system due to technical reasons, like in Genshin Impact's case, the report suggests that the install bases of the current generation systems are now high enough for some publishers to leave the PlayStation 4 behind and focus their effort on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
With Sony's system confirmed to have shipped 80.3 million PlayStation 5 units, it's not surprising to hear that developers of live service games are finally ready to leave the previous console generation behind. Still, the current console generation finally coming onto its own may be short lived, as rumors abound regarding the next generation systems from Sony and Microsoft which should release between the next couple of years. Going by these rumors, both the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Next will represent a sort of shift for both manufacturers, as Sony is reportedly aiming to offer a 4K, 120 FPS machine while keeping costs down, while Microsoft to use the flexibility offered by the Magnus APU to deliver a wider range of systems which won't necessarily compete with a traditional console, but with gaming PCs. As such, amidst so many challenges, it seems like gaming is going to change quite a bit in the future, and even the concepts of console generations and cross-gen periods may become a thing of the past.
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