According to Polygon, five years after their November 2020 launch during the global pandemic, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series generation feels like a “strange detour” rather than a defining era. Sony broke sales records despite players questioning the PS5’s value, while Microsoft became “distracted beyond all measure” by its $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition, Game Pass subscription service, and PC gaming investments. The result is Microsoft practically giving up on exclusives and publishing most titles on PS5, with Halo coming to PlayStation next year. Symbolically, Microsoft has conceded the console war, making PS5 victorious by default in a generation with few defining exclusive games.
The console that wasn’t
Here’s the thing about this generation: nobody really won. Sure, Sony sold more boxes. But when your main competitor basically stops trying, is that really a victory? Microsoft built arguably its best hardware ever with the Series X and S – reliable, fast, with genuinely great features like Quick Resume. Then they seemed to forget why they made the things in the first place.
Meanwhile, Sony kept selling consoles but struggled to deliver that “next-gen” feeling. The pandemic definitely messed with development cycles, but five years in, where are the system-defining exclusives? We got some great games, sure, but nothing that screams “you NEED this machine.” It’s like both companies lost the plot at the exact same time, just in different ways.
Xbox’s identity crisis
Microsoft’s situation is particularly bizarre. They spent years building toward this generation, delivered fantastic hardware, then immediately shifted focus to everything BUT consoles. Game Pass, cloud gaming, buying Activision – all massive strategic moves that somehow left their own hardware behind. Now they’re putting their biggest franchises on PlayStation? What’s even the point of owning an Xbox anymore?
I mean, think about it. When Xbox Series might be the end of traditional consoles, you have to wonder if Microsoft saw this coming. They’ve essentially become a third-party publisher that happens to make consoles. And while that might be good for business, it’s left Xbox fans feeling pretty abandoned. The whole situation reminds me of how some players feel Game Pass changed everything, and not necessarily for the better.
Where do we go from here?
So what’s next? If this generation feels lost, where does gaming go from here? Both companies seem to be hedging their bets – Sony with PC ports and live service games, Microsoft with its “play anywhere” strategy. The lines between platforms are blurring fast.
Maybe the traditional console cycle is just… over. With development costs skyrocketing and 2025’s release calendar looking thin, the business model that sustained PlayStation and Xbox for decades might not work anymore. We could be looking at longer generations, more cross-platform releases, or even a shift toward streaming and subscription services.
Basically, the PS5 and Xbox Series generation might be remembered as the turning point where consoles stopped being the center of the gaming universe. And honestly? That’s probably for the best. The industry needs to evolve, even if it means leaving some traditions behind.
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