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- Shawn Layden believes the race for more powerful console hardware is redundant.
- The former PlayStation boss says graphics have reached a plateau.
- He emphasizes the need to place content before anything else.
Console manufacturers have long competed to produce the most powerful hardware possible. The PS5 Pro marks Sony’s latest attempt at outdoing its rivals, with the Xbox Series X previously boasting its position as the world’s most powerful console.
However, former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden sees this race as a fruitless endeavor. In a recent interview, he declared that console manufacturers need to stop their pointless pursuit of higher Teraflops.
Why it matters: Each gaming generation has brought a huge graphical uplift with it, but the same is difficult to say for the current generation.
Speaking to VGC, Shawn Layden discussed the current state of gaming graphics and console hardware.
He emphasized that graphics have plateaued, and there isn’t much modern hardware can do to change that. The former PlayStation executive used ray tracing as an example and pointed out how this technology can be difficult to spot without the optimal conditions.
For these reasons, Shawn Layden believes that publishers and developers need to shift their approach to games fundamentally. As he points out, creativity and unique ideas are more important today.
We’re fighting over Teraflops, and that’s no place to be. We need to compete on content.
-Shawn Layden
The most interesting part about this statement is the fact that Nintendo seems to be doing just that. Seemingly ahead of the curve, the gaming giant stopped trying to outdo Xbox and PlayStation hardware over a decade ago.
Even the Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to sport modest hardware compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X. As such, Nintendo will let its games do the heavy lifting.
Shawn Layden makes a solid point, and direct comparisons between the PS5 and PS5 Pro highlight exactly why he feels this way. Still, looking at Xbox’s comments about the next generation, it seems neither PlayStation nor Xbox intends to step away from this race anytime soon.
Do you agree with Shawn Layden’s statement? Share your thoughts in the comments, or join the official discussion via the Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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