Remember the time when the PS3 and Xbox 360 so easily replaced the PS4 and the Xbox One as the "current gen" consoles? It wasn't too long before the shift happened. GameSpot says it can be quite confusing to know when to stop referring to a console as "next gen" and then shift to calling them "current gen."
As CNET notes, during the last release of the "Resident Evil Village" livestream, a bunch of information was dropped. It includes a PS5 demo and other exciting things. One thing you can notice during the livestream is how they refer to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the "Resident Evil" as "next gen" and how the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions as "current gen."
What makes a Console Current-gen or Next-gen?
When you try to think about it, it can be difficult to determine what qualifies something as a current gen or as a next gen. When should we stop referring to the center of the show consoles PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S "next gen?".
Besides, it's been months since both of these have been out in the market. Ofcourse, not everyone has had the opportunity or the luxury to have one, but they've been in some people's homes for quite some time now. The apparent attention towards these devices is still glaring as retail stores still run out of stocks due to consoles selling like hotcakes and as Samsung is rushing to develop more consoles to silence the clamor of hungry gamers. So, when do we call them current gen? Is it when everyone has finally gotten one PS5? Is it when the hype wears down?
Some people can still think that the console hierarchy has not switched yet. GameSpot expresses the same sentiments by saying, "To be honest, I'm not sure when I'm going to start naturally referring to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 as the current gen despite the fact that I have both a Series X and PS5 and have been using them since November."
The user adds, "At the very least, I've come to start referring to them as "new gen" instead of "next gen" whenever I've had to write about them."
Still, there's a cloud of confusion when you have a bunch of these consoles at home sitting for too long. They don't seem to suit the name "next gen".Thus, GameRant opts for a more subtle approach by calling them "new gen" which makes more sense.
The PS5 & Xbox Series X|S can be Next Gen for Some and Current Gen for Others
Since there's no universal standard to measure how one calls a console new gen or next gen, it may mean a lot of things for many users. Maybe they become current gen when you can just walk into a store, not feel a tad bit of anxiety seeing long queues and rushing buyers, and walk out with a brand new unit. Maybe it will finally be the current gen when the hardware becomes obsolete and the games that will be released will no longer fit them. Or maybe when Microsoft and Sony decide they want to take a Sabbatical leave from producing consoles, then it becomes current gen. What do you think?
Regardless of what people think, it's interesting how society can think about consoles in so many ways. What's your opinion about it? Let us know in the comments below.
