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[RetroGamingUK]

Apple

The issue isn't about hardware, it's about platform.

The App Store already has hundreds of games that run across Mac, iPad and iPhone

A company like Tencent would be starting from scratch here.

 

[Schmendrick]

All the players in the market with pockets deep enough to even try have no reason chasing a market with much lower margins than what they are used to.

 

[Unfortunatecookie]

Realistically, the company that would enter would need eight key things:

1) Lower/competitively-priced hardware
2) Original IP/first-party development pipeline
3) Global marketing capabilities
4) Third-party software parity
5) Unique selling point
6) Power/performance parity
7) Talent pool that deeply understands gaming
8) Ability to sustain multiple generations of hardware

With all of that in mind, only Valve fits the description. They failed with Steam Machines because Steam Machines failed at virtually all of the above. However, they can succeed with a different strategy -- sort of like how they're seeing some success with the Steam Deck.

Every other entrant would fail because they would not be able to outperform Xbox -- a platform that is failing due to lacking most of the key ingredients listed above. I don't think people contextualize just how unbelievable it is for Xbox to be in it's current position. The richest company in the world (depending on what day of the week it is) is behind the product. To have a multi-trillion dollar company backing you for 24 years and still fail to outperform the competition is a failure for the history books. It's genuinely unbelievable.

Valve's biggest challenge will be finding a unique selling point. The PS5's USP (the DualSense) is really hard to beat. It would take a radical, truly revolutionary idea in order for Valve's box to immediately differentiate itself from the competition. I'm not confident they can come up with such an idea on their first try.

Ultimately, the hardware space is changing. The next console maker will probably have to make their console a hybrid or do what Sony is rumored to be doing with the PS6 i.e., console+handheld platform strategy.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

All the players in the market with pockets deep enough to even try have no reason chasing a market with much lower margins than what they are used to.

If Microsoft failed then it's difficult to see anyone else succeeding.

Sony and Nintendo gained their monopolies at the right time.

 

[AJUMP23]

Apple could build a box, but it is not really what they want for their business model. they probably think they have a gaming box with their apple tv.

NVIDIA would be an interesting player, but the margins they have on graphics cards would probably be harder to maintain with a set top box.

 

[meech]

They can't even make Arcade to be successful
Consoles are about games and Apple has no experience in this field (and consoles are mass-market, not premium Apple like to sell)

Apple still sells more phones in two years than Sony sells playstations in the whole console cycle. So regarding numbers, Apple is mass market.

 

[m14]

Apple

The issue isn't about hardware, it's about platform.

The App Store already has hundreds of games that run across Mac, iPad and iPhone

A company like Tencent would be starting from scratch here.

The device on the right looks like a cheese grater.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Nvidia

Why would Nvidia play in the kids' pool when they can own an Olympic one?

 

[Brakum]

Apple couple conceivably do it. They have the name recognition and plenty of money. But would they? To make a dent any company would have to be willing to operate at a loss for at least a generation or two. Not sure anyone would want to take that one. It would be a long, long term strategy.

Apple is to me the least likely company in the world to do it. They dont even care about traditional gaming for the devices they already make

 

[Felessan]

Apple still sells more phones in two years than Sony sells playstations in the whole console cycle. So regarding numbers, Apple is mass market.

Mass market defined by relative ratios in the given market, not just by comparing absolute numbers that has little relation to each other

 

[KungFucius]

But will it be a console, or more of a PC hybrid? Would be odd for Microsoft to still try and compete in the traditional console space, while also putting out their games on PlayStation and Nintendo systems.



What makes you think Sega will make a return?

Capcom becoming a console manufacture? Never going to happen.

Why do they have to compete? If the sell a few 10s of millions of units they get GamePass subs and some license kickback for any 3rd party games bought plus the occasional DLC sale. It keeps the system out there. I do think they have a chance to sell some systems if they beat Sony by a year.

A PC hybrid is interesting to me because I have 2 PCs hooked up to TVs. I'd love something cheap and competent, but I also really like building and that would deprive me of that once in several years experience. But it was also stop me having to buy GPUs which is a miserable experience.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

Most realistic would be Samsung, Tencent or Amazon.

I could definitely see Amazon buying Xbox from MS and making it into an Amazon console platform. They've had real designs for a while to get into gaming.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Apple couple conceivably do it. They have the name recognition and plenty of money. But would they? To make a dent any company would have to be willing to operate at a loss for at least a generation or two. Not sure anyone would want to take that one. It would be a long, long term strategy.

Consoles are dying off and I'd be shocked if they existed in their current form in 25 years. Apple needs to more quickly attract developers to MacOS but that's going to take a substantial leap from them with the M5/M6.

IMO one (small) thing holding back MacOS adoption is gaming. The M6 could finally begin to do that. The rumors on the M5 are impressive, but not enough. The M6 and the new fab could change that, maybe not even until the M7. So we're looking at 2028, at best?

The closest we'll see to a console from Apple will be the Apple TV, but that will always be limited to the A19, A20, etc. and a fanless design, limiting developer interest.

 

[Fess]

It'll be interesting to have this discussion mid next-gen, because I can see Xbox selling FAR few consoles now after having pivoted to third party.

Where does that leave them? IMO not in a good position as a console maker.

Is 10 or 20M sold enough to justify all of the costs associated with having your own console? Time will tell, but I'm guessing not.

Yeah definitely.

10 million as a multiplat platform would be good I think, can't expect to reach much more.

If they go for power and can have the best versions of multiplats and their own 1st party games, plus have good Xbox backwards compatibility, and Gamepass. Then I think they could carve out a small spot in the industry among Xbox-only gamers plus some multi device enthusiasts who want the highend versions. 10 million total is my guess.

If they lose in power they'll sell 5 million devices. And that's kind of what I expect since Xbox is rumoured to arrive before PS6. Extremely risky.

If they mess up BC too they'll sell like 3 million. Then the legacy Xbox library won't help them, won't have anything that PS won't have besides Gamepass.

No Gamepass. Death.


As far as what will be enough to keep it afloat. I think it depends on how much they're willing to spend to have their own platform plus how much they'll make on software elsewhere. No guesses there. They say that the console is important for them but they've said a lot and changed their mind so we'll see. I hope they keep pushing, I no longer use their consoles but I use Gamepass and I want that to keep existing. Once the console is gone Gamepass could go away as well, I'm guessing minimum 50% of subscribers play on console.

 

[Ebrietas]

They can't even make Arcade to be successful
Consoles are about games and Apple has no experience in this field (and consoles are mass-market, not premium Apple like to sell)

Imagine thinking Apple isn't mass market. They sell more hardware than Sony and Nintendo combined.

As for games they could start by acquiring a few small to medium developers and make them exclusive to Apple devices.

 

[Ebrietas]

Not with Apple Tax.

Nvidia is the only one charging tax these days.

For the price, name a better laptop than the MacBook Air, a better desktop than the Mac mini, or a better streamer than the Apple TV.

 

[hououinkyouma00]

With Xbox seeming to be on the backfoot and overall pretty low competition in the industry as a whole, I think it's worth speculating which company will be the next to enter the game console industry.

Personally, I believe the following companies could (could) create a games console and have a motivation to, from most to least likely:
Samsung
Capcom
Sega

All 3 of those are fucking laughable at best. Samsung is the most able but I see 0 chance that they'd ever want to move into the market. They other two would have no chance.

The only company that I think would have a fighting chance and would be likely to try is Valve but even Valve wouldn't reach Xbox levels IMO. Take Two estimated Xbox Series sales at 27-29M and while I think Valve could be successful we are still talking above N64/GameCube/Xbox numbers to match what is considered Xbox's failing console.

I also don't think Xbox will leave hardware yet but who knows. I think they are done as an exclusive platform but I can see them releasing one more console.

 

[kremit]

All 3 of those are fucking laughable at best. Samsung is the most able but I see 0 chance that they'd ever want to move into the market. They other two would have no chance.

The only company that I think would have a fighting chance and would be likely to try is Valve but even Valve wouldn't reach Xbox levels IMO. Take Two estimated Xbox Series sales at 27-29M and while I think Valve could be successful we are still talking above N64/GameCube/Xbox numbers to match what is considered Xbox's failing console.

I also don't think Xbox will leave hardware yet but who knows. I think they are done as an exclusive platform but I can see them releasing one more console.

Every company potentially entering an industry is laughable until they suddenly do.


Nobody on this forum saw Valve making another "console"/handheld gaming PC after the Steam Machine. I know this because I checked the logs from 5-10 years ago.

Reacting "" on the thread starter in response to a discussion about a very unpredictable future is pretty lame. It reminds me of the PS2 era where several fanboys believed Sony were going to rule the industry but when the PS3 had a bad start they immediately whinged the Wii wasn't a console

 

[Bonfires Down]

Absolutely no chance anyone else wants to enter this minefield unless you count upcoming Steam Machines as a console.

 

[tr1p1ex]

There isn't exactly room for 2 of the same. Especially given the market isn't growing.

Anyone entering would have to think they can unseat Sony too.

MSFT being the richest company around and having relatively recently bought up a bunch of studios ...makes someone else entering the space not realistic.

You would need some paradigm shift for someone else to enter. Possible paradigm shifts include:

The hybrid console ala a pricier more cutting edge Switch
Cloud gaming
VR
...

 

[noob smokes]

Ironic that Xbox will be the next console to come out after the Switch 2

Its locked in

 

[hououinkyouma00]

Every company potentially entering an industry is laughable until they suddenly do.


Nobody on this forum saw Valve making another "console"/handheld gaming PC after the Steam Machine. I know this because I checked the logs from 5-10 years ago.

Reacting "" on the thread starter in response to a discussion about a very unpredictable future is pretty lame. It reminds me of the PS2 era where several fanboys believed Sony were going to rule the industry but when the PS3 had a bad start they immediately whinged the Wii wasn't a console

Make a post with laughable content, and people are gonna laugh. I'll throw another your way.

 

[MrCunningham]

They already is and would be competing for sure
Console business now isn't about selling hardware, it's about ecosystem, and every big phone producer in China has their own (there is separate stores for Android based on producer). And possible hardware superiority just add to value proposition, if you can sell XSX level at XSS price, you have an advantage over competitors. And no one will agree to even out and standardize hardware, same as in phones right now.

I had no idea that China had a segregated phone market. That changes things. Yeah, releasing similar hardware would make them competitive to each other. I could see that come down to companies out 'min-maxing' each other with slightly better specs. But, I still think most of these said machines would run RISC-V, given China's push for more companies to use it.

 

[Fess]

Absolutely no chance anyone else wants to enter this minefield unless you count upcoming Steam Machines as a console.

A Steam machine for Valve is essentially what Xbox Series is for Microsoft. Plastic box for their launcher and store with it's own UI.
I wouldn't know why one would be a console but not the other.

 

[Fbh]

The only one I can see entering the market is some Chinese company focusing primarily on the Chinese market. Offering a cheaper price than the current consoles while focusing primarily on the games which are popular in China.

I don't really see what anyone else could offer that would make western audiences pick some new console over the big and established brands like Playstation and Switch.
You'd have to offer really good performance at a really low price while simultaneously getting the same type of third party support as the established brands and offer appealing exclusives....all to even have a chance at people giving a shit about your product.

 

[kremit]

Some people seem to be refering to cloud gaming in the future e.g a better Stadia.

In that case maybe Google? Although it would have cold feet trying such a attempt once more.

I can see Amazon doing this

 

[awwr999999]

The biggest obstacle to starting a new game console is getting people to buy it.
A parasitic F2P platform (Fortnite, etc.) can build a new console's user base ahead of time at their own pace with significantly less risk by using host platforms in exchange for a 30% cut of earnings.
When the F2P platform has enough users they can abandon all of their host platforms and become an 'exclusive' on their own relatively inexpensive rival console.
Epic could devastate gaming as a whole across consoles, PC and mobile by making a Fortnite box the only way to play Fortnite.

Upsides would be keeping 100% of their income while dropping their ongoing game development costs by focusing on fewer platforms.
By moving 100% of in-game payments to their own HW they could continue to leverage many of the same host platforms without accepting payments via those platforms.
E.g., for both Android and iOS Fortnite could have tie-in games that leverage in-game currency that can only be added via Epic's consoles.
The console would work with every wireless PS, Xbox or Nintendo controller in existence.
Epic could price their console low and give console buyers in-game credits to offset the console cost.

 

[PlayStaytion]

We don't need another new ideas from the bald guy like what he did with google, especially consoles.

 

[SirTerry-T]

ALBA, or BUSH. Either one of those could knock out a killer console.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Let's face it this isn't like it was in the mid 90s where not only did you have the main players like Sega and Nintendo, but Atari, 3DO, Panasonic, and even Konami at one point were swimming in the hardware pool so to speak...