At this point, the existence of the PlayStation 4 Neo and the Xbox One Scorpio is all but confirmed. The two new machines will be mid cycle refreshes of the hardware that also bump up the specs a bit, sort of like the New Nintendo 3DS was to the Nintendo 3DS- so it’s going to be the same console, but with improved specs.
For a lot of people, this is a bit unacceptable- after all, one buys a console so one doesn’t have to worry about upgrading their system, like they do with PCs- the deal is, you buy a console once, and you are set for the next 5-7 years. And while the existence of the PS4 Neo and Xbox One Scorpio will definitely not make your old consoles incapable of playing games, it does mean that they are no longer cutting edge.
With the New Nintendo 3DS, which came a good four years after the initial launch of the 3DS, Nintendo had several trade in schemes and promotions in place- this, plus the long gap in time between the initial 3DS and the revision, made the concept of a mid cycle bump more palatable to people. Should Sony and Microsoft maybe have a similar kind of trade in program in place, to make the transition into an era of iterative consoles easier for customers?
I have previously made the argument for iterative consoles on GamingBolt– I sincerely believe they are the way to the future of console gaming. A lot of my arguments were illustrated with comparisons drawn to mobiles and handhelds- however, one must keep in mind, with mobiles and handhelds, there are always trade in schemes in place to facilitate a transition to the newest model. If Sony and Microsoft want the PS4 Neo and Xbox One Scorpio to be received well, they may want to consider offering similar rebates and benefits to owners of the existing models.
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