The Thursday letters page doesn’t understand why there are so many Switch 2 leaks, as one reader bets on the next gen Xbox being based around AI.
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Long time coming
I don’t want to point out the obvious but the second GTA 6 trailer still hasn’t been released. That’s wild to me, as it’s now well over a year since the first one and we still don’t have either new footage or a release date. I know Take-Two keep saying it’s not been delayed but that’s when they’re trying to buoy up their financial results. It doesn’t have to be true, they can just delay it anyway in the autumn and say the plan changed.
To be honest, I’d put good money on that happening. Rockstar games always get at least one delay and the lack of news and info, and just the general mood, all screams delay to me. There haven’t even been any rumours for ages! OK, maybe I’m just guessing but that’s my bet and I demand internet points if I’m right.
Thing is, I’m not even the world’s biggest GTA fan. I just want to get a look at what will no doubt be a milestone game and get the whole industry moving again. Everything has been so slow and tired seeming for the last few years and the two things that should perk it up – GTA 6 and Switch 2 – are taking an eternity to arrive.
Zeiss
Sensible decisions
I really can’t remember any new console being leaked as much as the Switch 2 is right now. If I was one of these accessory makers, I would not be trying to antagonise Nintendo like this, especially as they don’t seem to be gaining anything from it. But when even Amazon has pictures of the console on their site, I guess all bets are off.
That leaked logo seems to confirm it’s just called the Nintendo Switch 2, which I think everyone would agree is the sensible choice, even if it seems uncharacteristically straightforward for Nintendo. The design of the machine is the same problem: the sensible choice but also the boring one. Nintendo didn’t get to be 135 years old by going with safe and overly cautious choices.
But we’ll have to see. There’s still a chance the console has some more secret features and we’ll see what the games are like too.
Ashton Marley
Instant game
The next gen Xbox is all going to be about AI, isn’t? I don’t know how exactly they’re going to use it but it’s blatantly going to be that. It’ll be Kinect all over again, where Microsoft has a technology that sort of, kind of works and instead of letting it cook they put it out straight away and turn everyone off the idea forever.
It’s obvious that the end goal for publishers nowadays is just to be able to type ‘Call of Duty clone’ into a prompt and have AI make games for them. And while I would assume we’re not at that stage yet, I doubt that’s going to stop some clueless exec from trying to make people do it anyway.
I mean, there is literally nothing else that could create any kind of massive generational leap, or whatever they said. So either they’re lying or they’re deluded.
Ronnie
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Portable choices
I wrote a few months ago that I would purchase a powerful new gaming handheld, ever since I unfortunately lost my Steam Deck in Norway, last August. It was tough looking at a few choices, comparing the RAM, storage, and overall value for money. As we all know, Tuesday was Lenovo’s showcase at CES and they unveiled three handhelds. Obviously, I’m excited for the Leigon Go 2 but I assume most are probably more stoked for the Switch 2’s announcement. If Nintendo can actually be bothered to announce it.
I’ve decided to take a gamble and purchase the OneXPlayer OneXFly system. It comes with 1TB of storage and 32GB RAM. I used a £46 coupon and it came under £516. Expensive surely, but it seems necessary given the overwhelming requirements of titles such as Stalker 2 and Indiana Jones. It’s just crazy. Titles are just becoming more demanding by the minute.
You see Nivida announce the RTX 5090 and you see that it’s going to break the bank. Over $2,000. All because we’re seeing more games requiring 32GB of RAM and it’s soon going to become the norm. I’ll admit even with the standard optimisation, I’m nervous to see the requirements for Fable, GTA 6, and Death Stranding 2. It will be insane.
Just shows why buying a handheld, that can handle those ludicrous specs, was a given for me. That’s why many will instantly flock to the next RTX benchmark. On a final note, I’m very curious to see how well Xbox Game Pass runs on this system. Since I previously mentioned, I’m quite excited to try out Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and, in February, Avowed.
Shahzaib Sadiq
GC: GTA 6 hasn’t been announced for PC yet.
The point of no return
It saddens me every time I see how irrelevant physical sales have become for games. It’s worse because you can’t blame anyone but lazy gamers, who thought not having to get up to change discs was better than being able to resell their games (and actually own them).
It’s been obvious for years there’s no going back, but the next nail will be when a major game doesn’t have a physical edition. By the sounds of it, it’ll probably be EA Sports FC, which will be so weird considering it’s such a casual game. There’s no stopping the decline, it’s all downhill from here.
Focus
Too real
I love everyone’s Reader’s Features and thought I would add one of my own.
I appreciate everyone’s thoughts on graphical leaps and improvements reducing generation to generation, but I think we still have a while to go before reaching truly realistic graphics. As realistic as graphics are now, they still look a bit plastic to me, like something is off. Capturing human-like graphics, like body movements, texture, tones, and especially eyes seems like a tall order to reach.
Granted, I play on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, not an expensive gaming PC, so I appreciate what I have access to might not be the full graphical capabilities PC gaming systems are capable of, but still I think we are nowhere near human-like and realistic graphics on gaming systems quite yet.
That being said, I do wonder what it would feel like to play games, especially that includes violence, at truly realistic levels. I have an inkling that wouldn’t be great for our minds and great for escapism, I think a disconnect graphically and realistically is healthy for our minds.
Just an anonymous thought.
Anon
GC: You’re almost certainly right and we’re sure GTA 6 will open that debate up once again.
Bad business
If I was one of these peripheral makers, whose entire business relies on making accessories for another company’s product, I probably wouldn’t antagonise that company by spreading all its secrets across the entire internet.
I just don’t get why any of these Switch 2 leaks are happening. The ones from the factory floor I get, and were expected, but what is Genki, or whoever, gaining from leaking images of knock-off Joy-Cons and the console itself? Even if they’re not worried about being sued would it not be better for them if Nintendo didn’t absolutely hate their guts?
Pinky
The next format
I’ve owned most consoles, even a 3DO, and when I think about it, I’ve never stuck with one maker for more than two generations as my main machine, where I game most and spend most money.
The sequence for main machines would be SNES, N64, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. That pattern will continue next gen when I’ll get a gaming PC.
Sony’s exclusives are the main reason I stuck with PlayStation this gen. But a combination of many of those releasing on PC and a waning interest in their output means I don’t mind playing them on PC, even with a delay. If Sony are wise though they’ll hold some exclusive back.
But gaming-wise it’s the increasing amount of indie games not releasing on PlayStation that’s drawing me to PC. Maybe they will arrive eventually, but this is just some of the indie games I’m wanting to play on PC not yet on PlayStation:
Tactical Breach Wizards, UFO 50, Mouthwashing, Hyper Demon, Turbo Overkill, Minishoot’ Adventures, Pizza Tower, Parking Garage Rally Circuit, and 1000xResist. And there’s quite a few more.
Add in Xbox games day one, more powerful hardware available for better graphics and performance, mouse and keyboard support, better VR support, portable options like Steam Deck, and there’s too much stacked in PC’s favour for me not to choose it as a main machine.
I do have a seven-year-old PC that’s quite a bit more powerful than a PS4 Pro, so will be able to play those indie games and cross gen stuff while mopping up my PlayStation digital collection, before having to think about the laying down the higher, but increasingly worthwhile, initial cost of a gaming PC over console.
Simundo
Inbox also-rans
There is no way a Helldivers movie is going to come anywhere close to being as good as Starship Troopers. Not in terms of the satire or even probably the effects, which are still top notch. Do you want to know more? No, not really.
Cargo
A cross between the Xbox dashboard and Windows is something that would only sound like a good idea to someone at Microsoft. That sounds like an absolute nightmare to me. Unless they bring back the Xbox 360 blades, which they won’t.
Grackle
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