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GameStop Predicts Next-Gen Console Reveal To Happen Soon
Next generation console reveals could be coming soon, at least if GameStop's predictions are correct. The retailer has suggested that the reveal of the next gen devices from the likes of Sony and Microsoft could be arriving as early as this year.
Fans have been wondering about when the next PlayStation and Xbox are going to be announced. Both the PS4 and the Xbox One debuted back in November 2013, meaning that both are coming close to the end of the average life cycle of a games console. Even though the PS4 in particular is selling extremely well, claiming the position as the best selling console of 2018 over the Nintendo Switch, there have been plenty of hints that new console reveals are on the way.
The latest GameStop earnings call also suggests that these reveals could be just around the corner. On the call, GameStop CFO Rob Lloyd suggested that 2019's console sales are going to slow, and this is due to would-be customers hearing about what is coming in the pipeline and waiting it out until release.
"With respect to new hardware, as we get closer to the end of the current console cycle for Xbox and PlayStation, we expect demand to decline as some customers choose to wait on the sidelines in anticipation of acquiring the next generation of innovative consoles," Lloyd reported on the call. All in all, this suggests that new console announcements could be set to arrive later this year. So, those after confirmation of a new Xbox or a PS5 shouldn't have too long to wait.
That's not the only suggestion that next gen hardware is on the way, of course. Sony's Shaun Layden has outlined that the PS5 is expected to have more multiplayer exclusives, while a new patent has suggested that the console will have backward compatibility - something that was sorely lacking from the PS4. When it comes to Xbox, whispers are that the new device will be revealed at E3 2019, complete with Halo: Infinite as a launch title.
When these consoles are announced, it will be interesting to see how they fare against some of the platforms that will attempt to shake up the market. Google's recently announced Stadia platform could be a contender, depending on the limitations of game streaming, while Microsoft's own cross-platform support for mobile devices and the Switch looks to blur the lines of exclusivity even more. Whatever happens with the next generation, it's bound to be an exciting time for video games.
