I don’t care about next-gen graphics anymore, and you shouldn’t either

Historically, graphics have been the primary driver behind enticing consumers to buy the newest console. Jumping from 8-bit to 16, or 16-bit to 3D was mind-blowing at the time and made it obvious why these new machines needed to exist. These graphical leaps between generations sold themselves in a single image, let alone video. There was plenty more going on under the hood of these machines, but we didn’t really need to know anything about that. All that mattered was that the new machine made games look leaps and bounds more realistic than the previous one.

After the jump to HD with the 360 and PS3 (and later WiiU for Nintendo), suddenly the leaps in graphics became far less substantial. We were seeing diminishing returns in the visual fidelity a new console could provide, especially when comparing the last games of a generation with the first of the next. The PS4 to PS5 generational “jump” was arguably imperceptible to the average person, and while the PS5 Pro isn’t a full generational leap, it too showcases just how little room left there is for graphical improvements. Besides Nintendo with the Switch 2, we’ve reached the point where consoles need to find a new way to justify their price tags besides graphics.

We’ve hit the limit on diminishing returns

There are no more graphical leaps left to make

It would be hyperbolic to say that graphics aren’t getting better. They are, but it’s in such minor increments and at levels of detail that the average person simply won’t notice. Or, if they don’t have the proper display to even output it, can’t experience it at all. The best-looking PS4 game isn’t all that far behind the average PS5 game, where there’s no way you could confuse an N64 and GameCube or PS1 and PS2 game. After hitting HD, graphics have started to narrow instead of widen, in a sense. Snake from Metal Gear Solid isn’t going from a blocky approximation of a human to a fully realized man, but simply getting more realistic stubble and shinier eyes that accurately dilate in light or dark environments.

Those minor details, such as snow deforming only where your character disturbs it, or wetness only applying to the specific parts of the body that touch, are amazing demonstrations of how far we can push technology, but do nothing to make a game more fun. No one is having a better experience playing a game because every strand of a character’s hair moves realistically in the wind.

Ray tracing is being pushed as the next graphical leap, but has the same problem. Accurate reflections and lighting are impressive but don’t add a major improvement to immersion. It’s a lot of power going into such a fine-grain level of detail that, again, most people will tune out when the action kicks in. Add in the fact that, with the amount of time, manpower, and money games take to even approach the limits of what’s possible now, plenty of games won’t even bother striving for photo-realism.

I predict a major correction in how many games will be visual showpieces going forward. Most games will likely stick to the level of quality we’re seeing now and be no worse for it, or opt to use a stylized approach that ages far more gracefully.

Consoles need a better selling point

There are more impressive enhancements to push

So, if not graphics, then what can a console do to justify itself that can also appeal to the masses? Personally, I can think of a few ideas, but the biggest is AI. Yes, I know AI is a dirty word, but I’m not talking about games being written or designed with AI. The AI I’m talking about is the kind we already have in the games themselves. Enemy and NPC AI is, frankly, embarrassingly basic even now. It is rare to find a game where an NPC does anything but walk its set path, or turns and charges you directly once it spots you. Showing how enemies can adapt, work together, and plan against you would revolutionize game design in perhaps the most major way since going from 2D to 3D.

Another possibility that is harder to give an example for would be harnessing the new power to allow for mechanics previously not possible. I think back to how mind-blowing the level from Titanfall 2 was, where you would swap between two time periods with the press of a button instantly. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart came close to this, too, with the ability to jump through rifts and instantly appear in other locations in set instances. Showing off a new way to play that you simply can’t get on old hardware is the ultimate way to push people over the edge and buy-in.

Shiny new graphics just don’t impress like they used to. We’ve hit the point where most people don’t care or won’t notice whatever marginal gains there are left to get. Unless the real next generation of consoles can find a new selling point, it might mean the end of consoles as we know it.