Katarzyna Petru
Is the race for increasingly powerful consoles coming to an end? Naoki Yoshida, producer of Final Fantasy XIV, in one of the latest interviews, put forward a thesis that could shake things up in the industry. In his opinion… the next generation of hardware might not actually be needed.
Are consoles powerful enough yet?
Yoshida noted that players are satisfied with what Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and Switch 2 currently offer. According to him, the new generation wouldn’t bring a revolution – the current consoles still meet market expectations. In other words: there’s no rush, as the technological leap is not as noticeable as it once was.
Dear hardware, dear problem
The head of Final Fantasy XIV did not hide the fact that one of the biggest obstacles is the price. Sony and Microsoft have recently raised the prices of consoles, and Yoshida plainly states: “hardware is just expensive.” This means that players are increasingly less likely to think about upgrading their equipment to newer models – especially if what they have is working flawlessly.
Square Enix is ready, but…
Although Yoshida dampens hopes for a quick generational leap, he reassures: if new platforms emerge, Square Enix will be ready for them. The only question is – do players really need another box under the TV?
New Directions in Game Development
Interestingly, the future may not lie in the next generations of consoles, but in new forms of gaming. Yoshida pointed out the example of the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally, a hybrid handheld from the Xbox family that combines mobility with the power of a console. This could be a signal that the industry, instead of the classic race of "who has the most powerful hardware," will move towards diverse experiences and new ways of playing.
The only question is: whether the Xbox Series X will actually be Microsoft's last console, or is it just a temporary slowdown?
