It is finally 2013 folks. You probably know what the biggest story in the video game industry will be this year and that will be new consoles from Sony and Microsoft.
Nintendo has already released their next-gen console, the Wii U, and its getting a lot of play time with us. But much like the Dreamcast had the PS2 looming over every moment of its early life back in 2000, we can’t help but look over our shoulder while enjoying off-TV play in hopes of being surprised by a reveal of the next Xbox or Playstation.
I can’t possibly keep all the rumors about these new consoles under control. There are way too many of them. This isn’t a collection of those rumors so I won’t bore you with possible clock speeds, GPU specs, etc. But most people agree that at least one new console will ship by the end of this year. Maybe even two of them!
Popular speculation seems to think that both the next Xbox and the PS4 will have at least 4GB RAM, new operating systems that emphasize multi-tasking and possibly some new control method like glasses that work together with Kinect 2.0. Sony is rumored to have a two-piece controller that acts like a normal Dual Shock when pieced together but when broken apart it turns into a Playstation Move wand. It sounds like Sony and Microsoft plan to shake up the way you interact with games a bit more than they did when they released their last consoles.
I’m bracing for $499 price points with contract options with monthly payment plans. That said, I’m really hoping for a good $399 SKU from both consoles.
Sony isn’t a total lock to release their next Playstation this year, but Microsoft seems to be pushing out all notable 360 software before E3 in order to prepare for a new Xbox console launch in the fall. Sony could still surprise us and release the next Playstation this year but they’re known for taking their time if they think it is necessary.
With 2013 upon us we want to know if you guys plan to purchase any of these rumored next-gen consoles if they arrive this year?
I personally plan to take a wait and see approach with the new Xbox just to be safe in hopes to avoid another RRoD situation. I seriously doubt they will commit the same mistake twice but I’m not taking my chances. I will likely cave in and pick up the new console for my own personal use shortly after launch so long as it doesn’t appear to have any glaring hardware flaws.
Sony’s next console may not come out this year but if it does I’d have an easier to time deciding to pick it up day one since Sony hasn’t experienced a hardware failure issue like the RRoD in recent years. Yes, a lot of people ran into disc reading errors on the PS2 but I was one of the millions that never experienced that issue in 13 years of owning a launch PS2. I’ll trust Sony on their launch units until they give me reason not to.
Price is a big concern for many gamers and I’m no different. Ideally I’d like these new consoles to sell for $399 with all bells and whistles as a premium SKU. I don’t want to see any Arcade SKUs, or Basic sets lacking some accessories or functionality if the price of entry is $400.
Used game playback is a big deal too. If one of the new consoles doesn’t play them out of the box I will probably write that device off for a long time until the price drops significantly. I understand why a no-used games console would be good for publishers, but I want to keep my freedom to choose how to gain software.
So do you guys plan on picking up any of the rumored next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft if they release this year? Let us know in the comments section below if you plan to, or why you don’t plan to. Oh, and happy 2013 everybody!
If released, do you plan on purchasing the PS4/Xbox 720 this year?,
