Much is being made out of Phil Spencer’s recent statements regarding the future of the Xbox One. In this vision, Spencer talked about a future where consoles will see rapid hardware innovation, not unlike how PCs and the mobile world operate. Dave Thier, a Forbes contributor, has written up a piece on the matter about how the age of consoles might be past, particularly the age of console generations as we have traditionally known them.
Thier argues that the current, narrow definition of consoles (the Xbox One and PS4, for instance) is on its way out, and that big changes are on the way. Microsoft and Sony are both looking to expand the capabilities of their devices, Valve is invading the living room with Steam Machines, game streaming remains a looming unicorn and Nintendo is… uh… being Nintendo, I guess. Nobody really knows.
The only way forward is to break out of the mold of a traditional console, Thier argues. He goes on to make the “unfounded” prediction that after this generation’s time is up in 4 years, we will see the entry of new competitors, evolved consoles and integrated digital ecosystems. Funny all this talk, considering it wasn’t too long ago that people were chanting that the PC is dead.
Do you think consoles as we know them are on their way out? Let us know in the comments below.