Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
Mio Hudson and Zoe Foster in Split Fiction
Games Split Fiction lead worries “AA games are taking over” after Clair Obscur's success: "You can't do GTA for $10 million"
Ellie and Joel during The Last of Us
Games Rockstar, Naughty Dog, and Nintendo are "pushing the envelope of innovation," says Split Fiction director
Big in 2026 hero image
Games Big in 2026: The ultimate guide to the video games that will shape 2026 and beyond
Gaming laptop, keyboard, headset, controller, PC and Switch 2 case on an orange background
Hardware GamesRadar+'s best of CES 2026: all the gaming gadgets you need to know about this year
A close-up of Wolverine in his iconic yellow and black X-Men costume, grimacing as he raises his claws close to this chest - cropped from the game's key art with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame
Action Games With Wolverine set to elevate superhero gaming in 2026, here's the four features I want the most, and four I'm desperate to avoid
Elder Scrolls 6 screenshot with GTA 6 characters over it
The Elder Scrolls Xbox accidentally unleashes a wave of Elder Scrolls 6 hopium while trying to hype up GTA 6 and Forza Horizon 6
An older bearded man in a cap stood in front of computer equipment in Half-Life Alyx
PC Gaming What to expect from Valve in 2026: the return of the Steam Machine, a new VR headset, and more Half-Life 3 rumors
Switch 2 with Donkey Kong Bananza art on screen on wood pattern table next to accessories.
Nintendo Switch 2 What to expect from the Switch 2 in 2026: Pokemon and Zelda celebrations, tons of ports, and comfort Nintendo food
Fable 4
Xbox What to expect from Xbox in 2026
Key art for Marvel's Wolverine, with Logan on the right hand side - his claws are out against a yellow background
PS5 What to expect from PlayStation in 2026: New blockbusters, a GTA-shaped meteor, and one last shot at live service
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy "It's really fateful" – Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director on charting a new course for the JRPG series with a return to Nintendo, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and outdoing AI
Mass Effect N7 Day 2025 could be hinting that Mass Effect 5 will make a specific Mass Effect 3 ending canon, but I can't tell which one
Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Red Dead No, we don't need Red Dead Redemption 3, we need to learn that too much of a good thing will ultimately ruin it
All the characters in Mario Kart World celebrating in front a Mario Kart banner
Games Nintendo's 2025 has been all about the hardware, but 2026 is going to be its year for games
Resident Evil Requiem trailer
Events & Conferences 10 predictions for The Game Awards 2025: Half-Life 3, Resident Evil Requiem, and more on Steam Machine please and thank you
Trending
  • New Games for 2026
  • CES 2026
  • 2026 Preview
  • The Forge codes
  1. Platforms

7 reasons we're totally ready for the next-generation to start

Features
By Hollander Cooper published 1 June 2012

Go ahead, big three, bring it on

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Bring on the next-gen

Bring on the next-gen

Yesterday we expressed our concerns with 7 reasons we're not ready for the next-gen, but today we decided to pick up a half-full glass, and optimistically explain why were totally, absolutely, unabashedly ready for the next-generation of gaming.

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
It feels like the hardware is close to hitting its cap

It feels like the hardware is close to hitting its cap

If we havent achieved the best of what this generation has to offer, were really close to it, and thats a good sign that it might be time to move on. Otherwise well be buying six-disk games with 50GB installs as the norm in 2014, and with the amount of hard drives well need to buy to fit all of our games well already be well on our way to buying a new system. On that same note

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
Massive hard drives need to be the standard

Massive hard drives need to be the standard

Hard drives are cheap, too! If next-gen systems come packed with 500GB drives, it'd give developers a little more wiggle room; they could create games that take full advantage of the system power, without needing to worry about small hard drive sizes on low-end consoles. Were looking at you, Microsoft stop it with the 4GB introductory system, youre not fooling anyone.

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
Next-gen peripherals can be better integrated

Next-gen peripherals can be better integrated

Lets have Kinect work better as a strictly voice-controlled addition, making it easy for gamers to shout out commands in squad-based games without worrying that a conversation on the other side of the room could trigger a game-ending maneuver, and lets make it so the Move can be played closer to the TV.

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
Current-gen hardware is sorta crappy

Current-gen hardware is sorta crappy

Microsofts billion-dollar blunder has likely taught the company not to cut corners when it comes to hardware, and Sonys vulnerability hacking has led to an increase in security for both companies. While were sure there will be issues, were thinking that the big three have learned from their mistakes, and are ready to make consoles with longer lifespans especially if theyre expecting another lengthy console generation.

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
New generations usually mean new IPs

New generations usually mean new IPs

Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Assassins Creed all started their lives early in this generation, and plenty of other franchises were born in the generation before that. Wed love to see what other characters and environments would be born from the new generation of gaming. Who knows? Maybe the next great mascot is hiding behind a next-gen launch title already in the works.

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
This lengthy console generation is holding back PC gaming

This lengthy console generation is holding back PC gaming

As time goes on, it seems like developers are making games for consoles first and PCs second. This means that even with new, blazing-fast PC hardware on the market, developers are being forced to cripple their games to be compatible with aging systems. It keeps gaming from moving forward, and hinders the PC gaming market all over again. Generally this cycle ends after about five years, but with the current-generation lasting so long its becoming even more detrimental.

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
A new generation is exciting

A new generation is exciting

We expect the next-gen will be that way too. Fancy new graphics will replace our already impressive visuals, and well get to see what a new set of hardware can do to our favorite genres. New console launches are exciting, and we absolutely cant wait.

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
Then again...

Then again...

7 reasons we're not ready for the next-gen

And if you want more E3 news, check out our E3 page and our 51 most anticipated games of E3.

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation Xbox Mobile Gaming
Hollander Cooper
Hollander Cooper
Social Links Navigation

Hollander Cooper was the Lead Features Editor of GamesRadar+ between 2011 and 2014. After that lengthy stint managing GR's editorial calendar he moved behind the curtain and into the video game industry itself, working as social media manager for EA and as a communications lead at Riot Games. Hollander is currently stationed at Apple as an organic social lead for the App Store and Apple Arcade. 

Share by:
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Whatsapp
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Read more
The PS5 - Five Year Anniversary art for GamesRadar+
Five years later, PS5 is in the best place it's ever been, but after 8 years covering PlayStation, I've never seen a console generation like it
 
 
Atsu holds a sword, lit by flame, in Ghost of Yotei, with a badge saying 'GamesRadar+ Best of 2025'
2025 is the year PS5 came into its own with fantastic exclusives, but is it too little too late?
 
 
Fable 4
What to expect from Xbox in 2026
 
 
Xbox Series X
Microsoft says the next Xbox console "will be a very premium and high-end curated experience," and you can see "some of the thinking" in the Xbox Ally handheld
 
 
Key art for Marvel's Wolverine, with Logan on the right hand side - his claws are out against a yellow background
What to expect from PlayStation in 2026: New blockbusters, a GTA-shaped meteor, and one last shot at live service
 
 
Baldur's Gate 3 pale vampire elf Astarion, a man with curly white hair and red eyes
Baldur's Gate 3 publishing lead says what we're all thinking about Microsoft's supposed new Xbox: that's just a gaming PC
 
 
Latest in Platforms
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Gustave in a French-inspired outfit
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director says the RPG's success was "completely unexpected from pretty much everybody"
 
 
Anthem
Dragon Age veteran defends studio's attempt to make something different with Anthem: "BioWare's always been changing"
 
 
Takumi is surrounded by question marks in The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy
Danganronpa creator's massive tactical RPG has actually been two games in one all along, which, y'know, makes sense
 
 
Hytale
Minecraft-like RPG Hytale releases first big update with new content, tons of fixes, and a tease for pet dogs
 
 
Runescape
Jagex is killing RuneScape's awful microtransaction shop because it wants to be "a safe haven" for players
 
 
A screenshot of the title card for the upcoming game Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe.
Assassin's Creed Hexe, the next mainline game in the series and reportedly a witchy RPG, adds Mirage and Valhalla writer as lead scriptwriter
 
 
Latest in Features
Baldur's Gate 3 Drunken Master Monk in the House of Hope screenshot
Baldur's Gate 3 reveals Larian's commitment to perfecting its RPG recipe
 
 
Drywall Eating Simulator
Art imitates life, so I'm munching through walls while an AI chatbot tells me to buy a gun in Drywall Eating Simulator
 
 
The poster for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with a close-up of Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
25 years later, and I'm fully convinced there'll never be a greater adaptation than The Lord of the Rings trilogy
 
 
Key art for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 showing a Blood Raven Space Marine in front of a montage of other factions including orks, necrons, and the adeptus mechanicus - with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame branding
Dawn of War 4 has its sights set on "gameplay that feels authentic to the fantasy of each faction" in Warhammer 40k
 
 
Key art from Cliver Barker's Hellraiser: Revival showing Pinhead holding the Genesis Configuration while lightning crackles from it against a background of dark smog, cropped for a header image with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame
Hellraiser: Revival has such sights to show you, but "most of them pretty visceral and gruesome"
 
 
Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
28 Years Later 3 release date speculation, cast, news, and everything we else we know
 
 
  1. Origin Story box and cards laid out on a wooden surface
    1
    Looking for a good 2-player board game? This superhero adventure is worth suiting up for
  2. 2
    Trails Beyond the Horizon review: "This JRPG's thrilling real-time and turn-based combat evolves Metaphor ReFantazio's hybrid battles, making up for a poorly paced adventure"
  3. 3
    Scythe review: "This alt-history board game is still a gold standard for modern strategy"
  4. 4
    Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
  5. 5
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  1. Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
    1
    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
  2. 2
    Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
  3. 3
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  4. 4
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  5. 5
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  1. Holly Hunter as Captain Ake in Starfleet Academy.
    1
    Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
  2. 2
    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a surprisingly heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
  3. 3
    Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
  4. 4
    Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”
  5. 5
    Fallout season 2 review: "A hell of a lot of fun despite being overcrowded and convoluted"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...