TACKLING TECH By Evan Campbell
Courtesy : Microsoft / Sony
Choosing the right gaming system
The days of only kids running Mario or Sonic across a television screen with a controller are long gone . Three out of four people in this country play video games on a wide assortment of devices , according to market research firm The NPD Group . We engage with these digital experiences across smartphones , tablets , computers and of course traditional consoles .
Microsoft and Sony are betting we ’ re ready for the next batch of expensive home systems in the coming weeks . Xbox Series S and Series X will release Nov . 10 , while PlayStation 5 follows a couple days later on Nov . 12 . They will serve as a new generation , succeeding two devices possibly sitting in your home right now : Xbox One and PlayStation 4 .
This transition , though , won ’ t require ditching a bunch of already owned games . Microsoft is promising the new Xbox consoles will work with your current game library and even be compatible with a wide selection of original Xbox and 360 titles . Plus , the company is touting improved performance for these older experiences on Series S and X . For instance , Digital Foundry , an analysis arm of website Eurogamer , claims Grand Theft Auto 4 looks better than remembered on the upcoming machines .
PlayStation 5 will support almost every PlayStation 4 game . But Sony isn ’ t going as far as Microsoft in offering compatibility past that system . So , say you had PlayStation 3 games taking up space on a shelf somewhere , they ’ ll still be useless on this new device .
In fact , old physical games might be useless depending on the new system you choose . Xbox Series S is a cheaper , discless edition that only downloads titles to play them . And Sony is also selling a digital edition of PlayStation 5 that omits physical media for a friendlier price tag . Series S will retail for $ 300 , while the latter will cost $ 400 .
6 November / December 2020