DF Direct Weekly: will this console generation really last until 2027/2028?

The regulatory battles between Sony and Microsoft over the latter's Activision Blizzard acquisition are throwing up all manner of headline stories - such as Xbox effectively positioning themselves as third out of three in terms of the major console platform holders, Sony writing off its chances of ever creating an FPS as potent as Call of Duty - and perhaps most intriguing of all, acknowledgement that this console generation is likely to persist until 2027 or even 2028.

The various legal documents make for great reading but do need to be treated with more than a little caution. On the face of it, it appears like we're getting a fascinating insight into the inner workings of the platform holders, who are producing all manner of never-seen-before 'insider' information. However, we also need to remember that all of these disclosures are being driven by very specific agendas and nothing should be taken at face value, no matter how intriguing the information may be.

With that said, the idea of a prolonged console generation absolutely has merit. I'm not sure it's fully understood how hard Microsoft and Sony pushed to make PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as powerful as they were, given the technologies available to them. Various factors - outlined in depth in this interview with Xbox's chief system architect - demonstrate that the routes forward in producing any kind of next-gen console are (right now, at least) limited to say the least. The basic assumptions we have about new technology being both more performant and cheaper are clearly being challenged.

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