Seeing as we approach the start of the ninth generation of video game consoles with the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X later this year, it’s as good a time as any to stoke the age-old flames of the console wars and assess what each of the leading system manufacturers have offered since 2012. It’s safe to say that this has been the least “significant” generation, in the sense that there have been no particularly major developments or releases in the same vein as, say, the Sega Dreamcast. Instead, the big names of the industry have sought to refine what they had already built in the prior generation, with the help of more powerful and cost-effective computer components as well as ever-improving online infrastructure. In fact, what I would consider to be the most notable innovation of the 2010s, virtual reality, has only truly penetrated the consumer sphere in the second half of the decade, where the console lineup had mostly solidified, and it still has some way to go before it becomes a viable choice for the video game playing community at large.
Since each system in the eighth generation has a sensibly different purpose and development ethos behind it, the prospect of comparing each manufacturer’s work is only a formality for the sake of inviting discussion. Thus, I find it appropriate to speak of each separately before offering a quick conclusion as to my preferences. In the case of Nintendo, I will neglect the Wii U in favor of focusing on the Switch, as it is no longer in production.
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