The Nintendo Wii U console and its tablet-like GamePad controller were released in November 2012. A follow-up to the console, code-named NX, is slated to be released next March.
The Xbox One S is a slimmed-down, slightly feature-enhanced version of the Xbox One console, which was released in November 2013. The One S is being released Tuesday. An even more powerful follow-up to the Xbox One and One S, code-named Project Scorpio, is slated for release during the 2017 holidays.Meet the Xbox One S
Coming three years after the release of the Xbox One – but more than a year before Microsoft’s more powerful Project Scorpio device – the Xbox One S is being released today, offering a few key updates to the original console’s design. – Sleeker, slimmer – The Xbox One S comes in a case that is slimmer and 40 percent smaller than the original Xbox One. Rather than having to plug in an additional, corded power brick, the S model’s power supply is integrated internally. – Improved graphics -The Xbox One S supports color with a high dynamic range, or HDR, which offers greater contrast between light and dark sections for a more vivid presentation. Select titles, such as “Forza Horizons 3” and “Gears of War 4,” support HDR. – Sharper video – The Xbox One S supports streaming 4K resolution video and plays Ultra HD optical media, each of which benefits from the improved visual clarity offered by HDR. The original Xbox One was limited to displaying content at 1080p resolution. – Cheaper – The original Xbox One debuted in November 2013 at $500, including a Kinect camera. The Xbox One S doesn’t include the Kinect but will sell for $299 to $450, depending on hard-drive size – 500 gigabytes to 2 terabytes – and whether a game is included. ‘ The console will have an eight-core central processor. Its graphics processor will be powerful enough to support gaming in 4K resolution, generating visuals with four times as much detail as the standard high-definition supported by the Xbox One. – The system will support virtual-reality gaming, at least one example of which will be landmark 2015 hit “Fallout 4.” – Project Scorpio and Xbox One are being touted as part of the same device “family.” Games and accessories will work for either system.
The next generation: What we know.
Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have released precious few details about the NX console or Project Scorpio and Neo, the upcoming refreshes to the existing Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Here’s what’s been confirmed:- Sony’s Neo Sony confirmed the existence of the device in June. Its release date hasn’t been announced. – Neo will be a “high-end PS4” targeting hardcore gamers and those with access to 4K-resolution TVs, which will be necessary to eke the most benefit out of the system. – Neo will cost more than the baseline PS4, which currently retails for $350 with a bundled game. However, both systems will be for sale simultaneously. – All games released for Neo also will be playable on the standard PS4 and “all or a very large majority of [PS4] games will also support [Neo].” – Neo will work with Sony’s virtual-reality headset, PlayStation VR, which will be available Oct. 13 for $400.Nintendo’s NX- Nintendo confirmed the NX’s existence in March 2015. It is slated to release March 2017.- The device will be a “brand new concept” and offer “a new way of playing games,” implying a shift away from a traditional console design.- Nintendo expects Wii U sales to slow with the release of NX, but company says the new device isn’t a successor to the Wii U console or the 3DS handheld.- The NX will focus on providing compelling content over pushing the envelope in terms of faster hardware.- Games announced to appear on the NX include “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” “Dragon Quest X,” “Dragon Quest XI” and “Pikmin 4.”- Rumored: The NX will be a console/handheld hybrid that eschews optical discs in favor of games stored on cartridges. It will be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra X-line of mobile.Microsoft’s Project Scorpio- Microsoft confirmed Project Scorpio’s existence in June. It is scheduled to release in holidays 2017.The company is billing Scorpio as “the most powerful console ever” and a device that will “move Xbox forward.”- The console will have an eight-core central processor. Its graphics processor will be capable of 6 trillion floating point operations per second and is designed to handle games at 4K resolution.- The system will support virtual reality gaming, at least one example of which will be landmark 2015 hit “Fallout 4.”- Project Scorpio and Xbox One are being touted as part of the same device “family.” Games and accessories will work for either system.Source: Financial Times, The Verge, NeoGAF, Bloomberg, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo Oct. 1985: Nintendo Entertainment System
A timeline of consoles
– Nintendo Aug. 1991: Super NES Sept. 1996: Nintendo 64 Nov. 2001: Gamecube Nov. 2006: Wii Nov. 2012: Wii U – Average time between generations – 5 years 5 months – Sony Sept. 1995: Play- Station Oct. 2000: Play- Station 2 Nov. 2006: Play- Station 3 Nov. 2013: Play- Station 4 – Average time between generations – 6 years 1 month – Microsoft Nov. 2001: Xbox Nov. 2005: Xbox 360 Nov. 2013: Xbox One – Average time between generations – 6 years – Industry-wide average time between console generations – 5 years 4 months, including systems made by Atari and Sega
In late 2013, James Wilson was one of a million gamers who queued up to buy the newly launched PlayStation 4 video game console.
To video game fans, purchasing a new console is traditionally seen as a fairly long-term investment. For an entry fee of a few hundred dollars, owners of a PlayStation, Xbox or the latest hardware from Nintendo can expect to play new releases for several years before needing to upgrade to a more powerful successor.