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Cyberpunk 2077 is to the Witcher 3 what Fallout 3 was to TES Oblivion.
The two CDPR games have the same underlying mechanics and structure, just like the two Bethesda games did.
Which is why the failure on console is just so baffling.
The two CDPR games have the same underlying mechanics and structure, just like the two Bethesda games did.
Which is why the failure on console is just so baffling.
There is something different about this generation of consoles, though.
The XBone and SeXBox are co-existing. So is the PS4 and PS5. And in many ways Windows and Xbox are the same underlying structure.
That's a huge change from how consoles used to be.
The XBone and SeXBox are co-existing. So is the PS4 and PS5. And in many ways Windows and Xbox are the same underlying structure.
That's a huge change from how consoles used to be.
Before the XBone/SeXBox and the PS4/PS5, every generation of console mostly started over.
New design, new silicon, new OS. Sometimes backward compatibility happened easily, sometimes it was emulation, sometimes a daughterboard.
They were all different computers.
New design, new silicon, new OS. Sometimes backward compatibility happened easily, sometimes it was emulation, sometimes a daughterboard.
They were all different computers.
Now, both Sony and Microsoft's systems are x86. Under the hood, they're more or less laptops without screens, keyboards or batteries.
So the Xbone and the SeXBox are now just different generations of PCs, both capable of running the exact same software.
So the Xbone and the SeXBox are now just different generations of PCs, both capable of running the exact same software.
But while they CAN run the same software, they're not going to do it as well.
A laptop from seven years ago is not going to be as fast as a laptop today. You can run the same game on both of them and it'll work, but one of them will be noticeably better at it.
A laptop from seven years ago is not going to be as fast as a laptop today. You can run the same game on both of them and it'll work, but one of them will be noticeably better at it.
That's new for console developers.
It used to be easier: one system, one generation, standard hardware, no accounting for different CPUs and GPUs and sound cards and all that nonsense you deal with on PC.
But now the XBox and Playstation are PCs, with the same foibles.
It used to be easier: one system, one generation, standard hardware, no accounting for different CPUs and GPUs and sound cards and all that nonsense you deal with on PC.
But now the XBox and Playstation are PCs, with the same foibles.
I don't know if we're ever going to see another developer fuck the dog quite this badly again, but for as long as the XBone and PS4 live alongside the SeXBox and PS5, trying to dev for all of them at once is going to be an issue for developers.
It's going to be difficult to do that.
If you cater to the old hardware, you're negating the benefit of the new hardware.
Despite how it looks, it's not as simple as "just turn the sliders down and it'll work on the old one." https://twitter.com/soggyhydrox/status/1340326767555452928
If you cater to the old hardware, you're negating the benefit of the new hardware.
Despite how it looks, it's not as simple as "just turn the sliders down and it'll work on the old one." https://twitter.com/soggyhydrox/status/1340326767555452928
The XBone has less RAM than the SeXBox. That affects speed, and in particular how fast it can load new textures.
The XBone has an old-style spinning rust hard drive. SeXBox has SSD. That affects how quickly you load and reload from saves.
The XBone has an old-style spinning rust hard drive. SeXBox has SSD. That affects how quickly you load and reload from saves.
Conversely, if you design for the XBone and decide you'll just "turn the sliders up" for the SeXBox, well ...
Sure the graphics are prettier, but if they both work almost as well then any other appreciable benefits of spending $600 for a new console all but vanish.
Sure the graphics are prettier, but if they both work almost as well then any other appreciable benefits of spending $600 for a new console all but vanish.
This strategy works for PC gamers. It has for a long time.
If you're a developer you want the most players possible, so you'll design your game to run good on even very old hardware.
The difference is PC game devs *aren't in the hardware business.*
If you're a developer you want the most players possible, so you'll design your game to run good on even very old hardware.
The difference is PC game devs *aren't in the hardware business.*
Microsoft and Sony not only curate the software, they sell the hardware.
If you give console owners less reason to upgrade, you as a dev will make out fine but the people who are selling your software won't be as fine.
They won't make ALL of the money.
If you give console owners less reason to upgrade, you as a dev will make out fine but the people who are selling your software won't be as fine.
They won't make ALL of the money.
