Katarzyna Petru
Is the race for increasingly powerful consoles coming to an end? Naoki Yoshida, producer of Final Fantasy XIV, put forward a claim in one of his latest interviews that could shake things up in the industry. In his view… the next generation of hardware may not be necessary at all.
Are consoles powerful enough already?
Yoshida pointed out that gamers are satisfied with what is currently offered by Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and Switch 2. According to him, the new generation would not bring a revolution – the current consoles still meet market expectations. In other words: there is no rush, as the technological leap is not as noticeable as it once was.
Expensive hardware, expensive problem
The head of Final Fantasy XIV did not hide that one of the biggest obstacles is the prices. Sony and Microsoft have recently raised the prices of consoles, and Yoshida plainly emphasises: “hardware is simply expensive”. This causes players to think less and less about upgrading their equipment to a newer one – particularly if the one 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 television?
New Directions in Game Development
Interestingly, the future may not lie in new generations of consoles, but in new forms of gaming. Yoshida pointed to the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally, a hybrid handheld from the Xbox family that combines mobility with console power. This may signal that the industry, rather than a classic race of 'who has the more powerful hardware', will move towards diverse experiences and new ways of playing.
The only question is: whether Xbox Series X will actually be Microsoft's last console, or if this is just a temporary slowdown?
