Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
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
View
Trending
  • Prime Day Deals
  • Superman
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
A player looking out at an alien planet during The Outer Worlds 2.
Adventure Games Xbox Games Showcase 2025 needs to build on Microsoft's momentum, but it may need to go beyond The Outer Worlds 2 to pull it off
Baby Bowser rolls on the floor playing a Switch 2
Hardware Nintendo Switch 2 anticipation partly fueled by "palpable desperation" in the world, analyst says, and people wanting "something to bring joy" no matter the launch games
The Witcher 4
Games Wildcard Wishlist: These are the games we've pinned our hopes and dreams on turning up at Summer Game Fest 2025
Screenshot of Mario dragon Bowser pointing in realization
Nintendo Switch 2 The Switch 2 wants to be a do-it-all console, but Nintendo needs more first-party magic to overcome the upcoming handheld's biggest hurdle
Nintendo Switch 2 console on a stand against a red background
Nintendo After 1 hour of trying the Switch 2's motion controls, I'm convinced Nintendo is finally ready to give us more Wii remasters
A mockup of an Xbox AMD chip
Xbox "Next-generation Xbox consoles" at the heart of Microsoft's new "multi-year agreement" with AMD: "The next generation of Xbox is coming to life"
Mario Kart World screenshot showing Mario drifting into pole position on a highway corner with Peach, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and Toad behind him, all while a giant goomba rushes the pack on foot
Nintendo Switch 2 The Switch 2 is finally within reach, and it already looks like 2025 could be Nintendo's year
  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. 

See more Platform Features
Read more
A player looking out at an alien planet during The Outer Worlds 2.
Xbox Games Showcase 2025 needs to build on Microsoft's momentum, but it may need to go beyond The Outer Worlds 2 to pull it off
Baby Bowser rolls on the floor playing a Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 anticipation partly fueled by "palpable desperation" in the world, analyst says, and people wanting "something to bring joy" no matter the launch games
The Witcher 4
Wildcard Wishlist: These are the games we've pinned our hopes and dreams on turning up at Summer Game Fest 2025
Screenshot of Mario dragon Bowser pointing in realization
The Switch 2 wants to be a do-it-all console, but Nintendo needs more first-party magic to overcome the upcoming handheld's biggest hurdle
Nintendo Switch 2 console on a stand against a red background
After 1 hour of trying the Switch 2's motion controls, I'm convinced Nintendo is finally ready to give us more Wii remasters
A mockup of an Xbox AMD chip
"Next-generation Xbox consoles" at the heart of Microsoft's new "multi-year agreement" with AMD: "The next generation of Xbox is coming to life"
Latest in Platforms
A series of pink and cute PC accessories sitting on a pink GamesRadar background.
These cute and cozy Prime Day deals are going to make my dream PC setup a reality
The Last of Us 2
The Last of Us Part 2 is fast becoming Sony's Skyrim: Naughty Dog has come up with yet another excuse to revisit it – a "chronological experience" update that rearranges the story
Xbox 360
Former Microsoft exec says if Xbox hadn't shelled out $1.15 billion to fix its infamous red ring of death, "I'm not sure the Xbox brand would be around today"
Elden Ring Nightreign Wylder running alongside spectral hawk at the start of an expedition
I hope you're not squeamish, because Elden Ring Nightreign lets you find and loot your own corpse to steal back your best gear on your next run: "I couldn't have even imagined that was possible"
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) screenshot showing Darth Vader walking through a hangar flanked by two stormtroopers
I've spent 11 hours fighting AI in EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, and it's taking me back to the glory days of PS2 skirmish modes
Halo Infinite
Microsoft reportedly doesn't include lost first-party game sales when calculating Xbox Game Pass profits, but the subscription service is apparently earning money regardless
Latest in Features
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) screenshot showing Darth Vader walking through a hangar flanked by two stormtroopers
I've spent 11 hours fighting AI in EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, and it's taking me back to the glory days of PS2 skirmish modes
Dollman is lost in thought in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
This is now a Dollman fan account: Death Stranding 2's puppet pal makes for my favorite PlayStation duo since Ratchet & Clank
Agent 47 on a mission in Hitman: World of Assassination
I'm loving Hitman: World of Assassination on Switch 2, but the game's always-online requirement is worse than ever
Kaizen: A Factory Story key art featuring a production line making a toy electronic
"Make games and die. That's my plan": Coincidence's Zach Barth on making games about making things, a year of teaching, and being in it for the long haul
Cyberpunk Edgerunners
Cyberpunk Edgerunners season 2: Everything we know about CD Projekt Red's anime
Ghost, Bob, Yelena, and John Walker peeking around a corner in Thunderbolts
Marvel Phase 5 closes a weird, ramshackle chapter in MCU history – and shows what Marvel needs to get right in Phase 6
  1. A Gundam style mech in Mecha Break
    1
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  2. 2
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  3. 3
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  4. 4
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  5. 5
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  1. David Corenswet as Superman inside the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman.
    1
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  2. 2
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  3. 3
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  4. 4
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  5. 5
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

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

  • 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...