The next generation of consoles might come earlier than expected

One of the biggest complaints that people have about the current generation of consoles is that the power increase over the previous generation wasn’t nearly as significant as it needed to be, which means that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One aren’t powerful enough to handle emerging trends like 4K gaming and virtual reality. That might not seem like that big a deal at the moment, but over the next few years, both of those things are going to become mainstream, which is why there’s a good chance that Microsoft and Sony will release the next generation of consoles much earlier than expected. 

At just two years old, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One haven’t yet hit their prime but that doesn’t mean Sony and Microsoft aren’t already thinking about their successors. In fact, most are certain that development of the tentatively-named PlayStation 5 and Xbox Two is already well under way. The typical lifecycle of a premium console is around seven years in the mainstream and another three years or so before being put out to pasture. The next consoles from Sony and Microsoft, however, are expected to break this cycle and arrive ahead of schedule due to a number of factors. Unlike the gimmick that was 3D technology, 4K resolution is already on the path of becoming the next big thing. Despite the slow content rollout, we’re already seeing prices drop on 4K-compatible televisions; even mobile devices are moving toward the standard. Simply put, today’s game consoles don’t have the raw horsepower to support 4K gaming. Another key driver in the need for faster hardware is virtual reality. Earlier this year, Oculus VR revealed the high-end PC hardware that’ll be needed to run the company’s virtual reality headset. Today’s consoles don’t stand a chance, especially if they’re to offer a 4K virtual reality experience.