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Microsoft told digital foundry that the Series X is their mid-gen refresh (DF direct Weekly #116)

Survive Hip Hop GIF
Snoop Dogg GIF by Verzuz
Ore that great line "It eats monsters for breakfest"😂
 
Trolling, yes. There are over the top fantards in all camps.

FUD campaigns that kept moving to the next thing, then the next thing, then the next thing? Nah. Even DF partook in the FUD early on. And they are actively trying to do it right now, by saying "they hope a PS5 Pro does not exist, that it will hinder the base model." Which last gen showed that was not the case.

Pure clownery.

We are not talking about fanatics and trolling, we are talking about well organized FUD campaigns. Something that history has shown to be a constant.


course diss GIF

Digital Foundry is really showing their true colors lately I love it.
 

GHG

Member
As someones first console it makes sense, but I wouldn't want to buy another refresh of the same console gen 2, 3 years later. No matter if it's from MS or Sony.

I bought a PS4 pro last gen, I'd buy a PS5 pro this gen. This is one of my main hobbies, in the grand scheme of things it's not that expensive and I want the best where possible. The original PS5 can be sold, no problem, they've held their value relatively well. I just purchased some lowering springs that cost far more than any mid generation console update would, it's not that deep.

Not sure what narrative I'm attempting to push here. I just said I don't agree with the mid-gen refresh cycle. It also makes a lot less sense this time than the last time where 4K adoption was the big boom between 2013 and 2016 which necessitated the mid gens in the first place.

You're attempting to make out that multiple SKU's become a problem as far as mid generation console upgrades are concerned. The evidence we have doesn't align with that notion. I don't remember any developers stating there were developmental problems with the PS4 Pro or One X last gen. What we have seen though is them voicing concerns and also stating when there have been problems with the Series S/X situation.

Right now we're still not out of the cross-gen period in the first 3 years of the consoles.

Not for the platform that is the topic of discussion here. Microsoft just announced they will no longer be supporting the Xbox One generation as far as games are concerned, and I don't know if you've noticed, but 3rd party developers have long since abandoned the Xbox One as well.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I bought a PS4 pro last gen, I'd buy a PS5 pro this gen. This is one of my main hobbies, in the grand scheme of things it's not that expensive and I want the best where possible. The original PS5 can be sold, no problem, they've held their value relatively well. I just purchased some lowering springs that cost far more than any mid generation console update would, it's not that deep.

Not about just deep, it's the age old adage of the reason someone buys a console is that they don't have to worry about upgrades etc for as long as the generation lasts, it's the reason why the hardware split was 80 - 20 last gen despite the mid gens coming out just 3 years after the initial console launches. You bought them, that's great, I am not questioning your interest in the hobby at all.


You're attempting to make out that multiple SKU's become a problem as far as mid generation console upgrades are concerned. The evidence we have doesn't align with that notion. I don't remember any developers stating there were developmental problems with the PS4 Pro or One X last gen. What we have seen though is them voicing concerns and also stating when there have been problems with the Series S/X situation.

We also didn't see a prolonged cross gen period where developers are also supporting PS4/XBO along with the new gens. PS5 Pro in '24 will likely mean we'll still be seeing cross-gen PS4 games till then as well.


Not for the platform that is the topic of discussion here. Microsoft just announced they will no longer be supporting the Xbox One generation as far as games are concerned, and I don't know if you've noticed, but 3rd party developers have long since abandoned the Xbox One as well.

"Long since abandoned" is a bit of a stretch, Alien: Dark Descent came out today and it has an XBO version. the next Yakuza will also be coming out on XBO. There's too many for me to list individually but you get the idea.

And even if a few developers like Capcom don't release base XBO games anymore, they're still supporting base PS4, another last-gen console.
 
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jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
Right right.

You know what's funny though? Sony managed to cost reduce the PS5 already, and managed to ship what, over twice as many PS5s? And we all know what DF thought about the hardware on PS5 vs Xbox Series, so you know DF running their mouth about what is or isn't regarding Playstation is just bird shit.

Maybe they should focus on what is or isn't, what can or can't about Xbox and leave Playstation HW talk to people who know about hardware, because you know Sony is an hardware company last time I checked. Which means its no surprise MS is stuck with a big ass die, split memory, expensive cooling and a bitch of a problem regarding cost reduction.
I agree.

I think bottom line is since Sony can actually sell hardware at a decent clip, they may have more incentive to do a pro console vs MS. From a business sense, MS doesnt. Too many ppl get hung up on the power narrative.

XSX stock issues
introduce a 3rd sku and add to stock issues

MS have alot going on with Xbox consoles. Meanwhile Sony made 2 consoles the exact same except for a disc drive. To me it just seems easier for Sony to introduce another sku vs MS.

Not really. Everything you said are arguments that could be applied to the here and now for Xbox.
Exactly.
 
I agree.

I think bottom line is since Sony can actually sell hardware at a decent clip, they may have more incentive to do a pro console vs MS. From a business sense, MS doesnt. Too many ppl get hung up on the power narrative.

XSX stock issues
introduce a 3rd sku and add to stock issues

MS have alot going on with Xbox consoles. Meanwhile Sony made 2 consoles the exact same except for a disc drive. To me it just seems easier for Sony to introduce another sku vs MS.
Couple that with Sony dropping to one SKU this holiday with the detachable disk drive console than bring out the Pro and back to only 2 SKUs
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
I think at the very least Xbox needs to find a way to address the difference in 3rd party performance between themselves and Sony. I don't know why games seem to perform better on average on PS5, maybe a better SSD or an option for a better SSD?

Or maybe it's a software issue? I dunno, but while that may not warrant an entirely new mid gen refresh, it's a problem they should still address.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Couple that with Sony dropping to one SKU this holiday with the detachable disk drive console than bring out the Pro and back to only 2 SKUs

Perfectly said. Which sounds like a sound strategy. Not sure what MS is doing here thinking that this was a good idea.

I think at the very least Xbox needs to find a way to address the difference in 3rd party performance between themselves and Sony. I don't know why games seem to perform better on average on PS5, maybe a better SSD or an option for a better SSD?

Or maybe it's a software issue? I dunno, but while that may not warrant an entirely new mid gen refresh, it's a problem they should still address.

Is it DX12 related?
 

hinch7

Member
Plenty of PS5s were sold on auction sites for more than that. Great games sell consoles.
Define plenty? Only desperate people buy from scalpers and those may be in the thousands. This was at a time when the pandemic was in full swing (with lockdowns), with chip shortages and scarcity being a thing; it was the perfect storm for scalpers.

Besides that we've seen historically that the PS3 sold like crap at $600. And its very unlikely we're not going to see the price point again. Unless they want to see their consoles sitting on shelves collecting dust. Just like GPU market is right now and how AMD and Nvidia are learning there's only so much you can price something until consumers say no.
 
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Jigsaah

Gold Member
Perfectly said. Which sounds like a sound strategy. Not sure what MS is doing here thinking that this was a good idea.



Is it DX12 related?
I have no idea. I try to avoid blaming it on the existence and subsequent requirement to develop for the S, but I can't really count it out.
 
Yeah. It's not like developers had to release their games on 7 SKUs in last three years, right?
An SKU that is too small in base gets neglected. That was what happened to the WiiU. And since we have proof that Series S as it is is already causing porting issues, adding another one to the ecosystem without increasing the install base would decrease appeal further. I mean, if Xbox insist they can do whatever they want, but it is their own funeral.
 

Rykan

Member
I didn't say anybody is waiting for anything.



No. Logical people's decision analysis changes with new information. Since it's impossible to know how a hypothetical PS5 Pro would ultimately compare to a hypothetical 2024 mid-range GPU card in price, tech, and performance, your statement is incorrect.
It doesn't matter how much a “hypothetical PS5 pro” would compare because that is not why people play on a PC instead of a console. People play on PC because a PC is far more versatile. It can be customized and upgraded at will, It's a more social experience, and it can be used for tasks besides games. It also gives access to a wide variety of games and genres that are not available on consoles.

There is no PC gamer that is looking at a PS5 Pro and be like “okay NOW is the time to swap to a console” instead of a regular PS5 or XSX. A console's specs isn't what is keeping PC gamers playing on PC. A person that wasn't persuaded by a regular PS5 isn't going to be persuaded by a PS5 pro.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I think at the very least Xbox needs to find a way to address the difference in 3rd party performance between themselves and Sony. I don't know why games seem to perform better on average on PS5, maybe a better SSD or an option for a better SSD?

Or maybe it's a software issue? I dunno, but while that may not warrant an entirely new mid gen refresh, it's a problem they should still address.
"Rising tide lifts all boats"

The man told us. Devs told us, it's not just about a TF number.
 

Nydius

Member
They also just stealth increased the price of the S. Very charitable.
Man I'm glad I'm not the only person who noticed this.

I don't really care about the whole mid-gen refresh debate because I bought a Series X hoping to avoid such a thing but in the DF video I absolutely agree with Richard that the price point of the 1TB XSS simply makes no sense. Not when the current one is regularly on sale for $250, sometimes less. Or could be found factory refurbished for around $230-$250, or second-hand used for $200-$225. One could buy a current white 512 XSS on sale (or refurb, or used) and buy the 512GB expansion card (either brand), and pay less than they're asking for the 1TB black model refresh.

Feels like they would have done better to drop the 1TB model into the $299 price point and phase out the old 512GB ones, using holiday sales to empty retailer stock of that model. But who knows what the hell goes through their heads over in the marketing department in Redmond...
 

Knightime_X

Member
Imagine if Sony panicked and acted on this while MS was just trolling.
Sony invests a large sum for a pro version, a few years later Xbox announced Series X-2 that's deliberately stronger than ps5 pro .
Sony can't just jump ships nilly willy that fast and bust out ps6.

Not without heavy consequences.
 

Helghan

Member
Perfectly said. Which sounds like a sound strategy. Not sure what MS is doing here thinking that this was a good idea.
Release next gen consoles in 3 years, 1 year before Sony does to get a head start. Since Sony decided to do a mid gen refresh they might not release at the same time.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Imagine if Sony panicked and acted on this while MS was just trolling.
Sony invests a large sum for a pro version, a few years later Xbox announced Series X-2 that's deliberately stronger than ps5 pro .
Sony can't just jump ships nilly willy that fast and bust out ps6.

Not without heavy consequences.
A few years later (after 2024) would be around the time a PS6 lands tho.
 

PeteBull

Member
Just make a $1000 console. I'm ready. I want the power of a high end PC and the convenience of a console combined into one.
Actual midgen upgrades will be priced 600 to 800$, soonest holidays 2024 or in 2025, so ofc by then those 600 bucks will be worth as much as 400$ back in 2013 tho.
Still many of us, enthusiasts will gladly buy it.

How powerful console is/gonna be isnt currently bottlenecked by its price but by its powerlimit, aka u need them to be at least 2x more powerful from base consoles( so ps5/xsx, lol at xss) and still keep that 220-250W tdp to be contain in console factor boxes w/o getting too hot/too loud.
For comparision ps5 has official tdp of 350W but DF measured how much power it takes running miles morales(so launch crossgen game), and it was already over 200W(206W iirc).
Thats why u hear date of holidays of 2024 or 2025 sometime, thats simply earliest tsmc can provide console manufactures with mature enough 3nm node, so it can be used for making console APU's.

Remember thats not just gpu powerdraw but everything so cpu/vram,ssd and even fans/vapour chamber aka cooling system, and u can compare it to current amd's offering, their bext, rx 7900xtx card is easily 2x powerful from xsx/ps5 but it alone has 355tdp(and die size of 529 square mm, in comparision xsx 360/ps5 308 .
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-6700-xt.c3695 here quick but very good avg game performance of gpu's comparision, 6700xt is better/faster in every possible way from what consoles got and top amd card is at 228% of its performance currently.

Hence again, we need that 3nm node and amd's rdna4 gpu architecture, powerdraw will be much lower/chip size much smaller, and rt performance will probably be on similar lvl or even better vs that previously mentioned top amd card.
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
Actual midgen upgrades will be priced 600 to 800$, soonest holidays 2024 or in 2025, so ofc by then those 600 bucks will be worth as much as 400$ back in 2013 tho.
So that means XSX2 and PS6 out by 2028-2029? Really?

These mid gen upgrades keep not making sense, e-peen and desire to have new toys are not enough reasons (not logically no).
 

Godot25

Banned
An SKU that is too small in base gets neglected. That was what happened to the WiiU. And since we have proof that Series S as it is is already causing porting issues, adding another one to the ecosystem without increasing the install base would decrease appeal further. I mean, if Xbox insist they can do whatever they want, but it is their own funeral.
And what exactly would be a problem if Microsoft had Series X Pro? Devs would need to still target Series S as a baseline. Then you have Series X with 1440p and then Series X Pro with native 4K (for example). So I struggle to see a problem here.
 

PeteBull

Member
So that means XSX2 and PS6 out by 2028-2029? Really?

These mid gen upgrades keep not making sense, e-peen and desire to have new toys are not enough reasons (not logically no).
We can quickly compare it to last gen, ps4pr0 launched holidays 2016, xbox one x holidays 2017, and we still got both ps5/xsx holidays 2020 so 4 years for sony and 3 years for ms after their midgen upgrade.
There is no way if ps6/xbox next come in 2028-2030 those companies leave their most hardcore/enthusiasts/devoted fanbase with machines from 2020 till then :)
 
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Zathalus

Member
I think at the very least Xbox needs to find a way to address the difference in 3rd party performance between themselves and Sony. I don't know why games seem to perform better on average on PS5, maybe a better SSD or an option for a better SSD?

Or maybe it's a software issue? I dunno, but while that may not warrant an entirely new mid gen refresh, it's a problem they should still address.
It's not really much of a issue, as they keep going back and forth. Diablo 4, Dead Space, and Witcher 3 for example runs slightly better on the Series X. RE4, Hogwarts, and Jedi Survivor are better on PS5. If we make a list going back to launch I wouldn't be surprised if it was a near even 50/50 split.

The differences are almost always so slight that no one outside of DF/NX/VGtech will notice.
 
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i would like to see consoles drop the generation model, and move to something like the iphone type model, where new hardware is released maybe evert couple of years, steadily improving. Software stays the same but as hardware ages it simply stops getting new software updates and games are made to target certain software levels.
The 1 Tb Series S should drop in to the price of the 512Gb model and the 512Gb should drop by £50.
I'm sure if a PS5 pro is in the works then Microsoft will respond with a more powerful model. My only question is how much more powerful can a console be if it is still targeting around £450. Xbox has some wiggle room to release a more powerful box with out much effort i think. If they simply upgrade the RAM setup so all the Chips are 2 Gb that would give it 20Gb RAM with nice bandwidth and then increase the clock speeds of the GPU and CPU buy a couple of hundred Mhz each, probably wouldn't even have to redesign the case and they would have a decent upgrade, for not much investment. Not going to be double to power but it would certainly enable them to boost frame rates and resolutions.
Playstation 5 Pro not sure what they would do there simply increasing clock speeds might be difficult as they are running at high speeds anyway more RAM is easy enough but they would probably need to add more compute units to the GPU which would be more expensive in R&D and physical costs.
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
i would like to see consoles drop the generation model, and move to something like the iphone type model, where new hardware is released maybe evert couple of years,
Worst of PC and worst of consoles… But I guess that seeing phones going up and up in price and performance now improving only by 10-15% years over year is exciting? Cross generation forever…

Did the console generations model hurt you :)?
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
It's not really much of a issue, as they keep going back and forth. Diablo 4, Dead Space, and Witcher 3 for example runs slightly better on the Series X. RE4, Hogwarts, and Jedi Survivor are better on PS5. If we make a list going back to launch I wouldn't be surprised if it was a near even 50/50 split.

The differences are almost always so slight that no one outside of DF/NX/VGtech will notice.
Fair, but that was Sony’s point. Pure TFLOPS difference is misleading. They seem to have made the right bet as they have very high volumes and are not losing a lot on each unit sold if anything at all.
 

FrankWza

Member
Define plenty? Only desperate people buy from scalpers and those may be in the thousands. This was at a time when the pandemic was in full swing (with lockdowns), with chip shortages and scarcity being a thing; it was the perfect storm for scalpers.

Besides that we've seen historically that the PS3 sold like crap at $600. And its very unlikely we're not going to see the price point again. Unless they want to see their consoles sitting on shelves collecting dust. Just like GPU market is right now and how AMD and Nvidia are learning there's only so much you can price something until consumers say no.
It's enough to establish that people are willing to spend more in the console space. And the PS3 is a long time ago now and it had similar competition +beat to market and price. If they make it powerful enough it will sell at least as much, percentage-wise, as the PS4 pro and there'd be no Pro console to compete with it. And If they did something like full BC it would be a nice thing to market and set them up going forward.
That was because of scarcity tho. I hope Sony breaks their "it's gotta be $500 or less sweetspot" and give us something at $600 for a mid gen refresh. Doubt that'll happen tho.
They also raised prices in some territories and it didn't appear to hurt sales. VR2 already pushed that price point as well. I'd buy one.
 
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PaNaMa

Banned
It's fine for DF to say that, but Series X and PS5 were clearly the "next generation" consoles at the time . The S was clearly the value option from the start. If Sony releases a PS5 Pro /mid gen refresh Microsoft will have to release an XPro. They are probably hoping Sony does not launch PS5Pro any time soon, cause developing and launching mid gen refreshes that aren't just die shrinks is an expensive thing to do. And Xbox has too many SKUs for Devs to manage as it is.

This is an advantage for Sony. With a mid-get refresh, PS5 becomes their base console and the Pro is their enthusiast console. This model worked great for PS4 and PS4Pro.

Xbox's baseline still has to be Series S, which has like triple as many consoles in customer homes as the X. If they release X Pro you now have your customer base split 3 ways and devs instructed to develop for things to work on the S, which is already hamstringing them. I don't see how that model is supportable.
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Release next gen consoles in 3 years, 1 year before Sony does to get a head start. Since Sony decided to do a mid gen refresh they might not release at the same time.

That seems like that could end in disaster for MS though. They'll be asking their customers to spend ANOTHER $500 on a new device, when it's hard enough to spend that same money on the XSX.
 

Bernardougf

Gold Member
The PS5 Pro can't be a dollar over $550. If it is, it would need to come with 2 additional years of PS+ Premium or something.

Its a niche product ... they judt released a console priced VR and an 200 dollar controller... dont think that IF they choose to release a pro console will be 500 dollar cheap ... but lets see
 

Helghan

Member
That seems like that could end in disaster for MS though. They'll be asking their customers to spend ANOTHER $500 on a new device, when it's hard enough to spend that same money on the XSX.
What do you mean? Aren't we going to spend $500 on the next-generation of consoles?
 

dulleyes

Banned
The entirety of that video made me realized why I stopped paying too much attention to DF.

Averse to a PS5 Pro releasing? Really? For reasons of........not hindering the standard console?

I'm sorry, did I wake up to an alternate reality where the PS5 Pro and whatever the hell the Xbox mid gen refresh was named didn't exist?

And this is AFTER they were talking about how XSX is the mid-gen refresh all along, and also the fact that MS released TWO DIFFERING consoles of TWO DIFFERENT capabilities AT THE SAME TIME!

What in the living hell are they even on about? You're saying its a bad thing to have a mid-gen console refresh, while simultaneously being completely fine that XBOX has TWO differing consoles at launch?

Absurdity, and a justification for my avoidance of watching DF content in recent years.
 
Of all the takes you could have made, claiming Sony would release a $800 consoles is one of the silliest take to have taken.
The first platform holder to embrace $70 games, the people to charge $10 next gen patches, the company that increased its hardware price in all the markets it had no competition in, and the company that charges $200 for a controller with a weaker better life than the one there comes in the box................

That's the company you think is going to release a 4k/60 box for less than $250 over the box they're selling hand over fist?
 

dulleyes

Banned
The first platform holder to embrace $70 games, the people to charge $10 next gen patches, the company that increased its hardware price in all the markets it had no competition in, and the company that charges $200 for a controller with a weaker better life than the one there comes in the box................

That's the company you think is going to release a 4k/60 box for less than $250 over the box they're selling hand over fist?
Confusion Reaction GIF


You went from $800 to ~$250 as your goal post and now it makes zero sense.

No, Sony won't sell it below $250, and hell no they won't sell you a console at $800 dollars.

If Sony wanted to sell us a $800 console they would have done it already if they didn't already had a bad freaking taste in their mouth for selling the original PS3 for $499 at the height of their arrogance.

That being said, I can see a Pro PS5 being sold for $400 - $500 (which I doubt, but possible). But if you think they would price themselves ABOVE an entire PSVR2 set for $549, you're just kind of pushing the boundaries of what im able to believe.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
The entirety of that video made me realized why I stopped paying too much attention to DF.

Averse to a PS5 Pro releasing? Really? For reasons of........not hindering the standard console?

I'm sorry, did I wake up to an alternate reality where the PS5 Pro and whatever the hell the Xbox mid gen refresh was named didn't exist?

And this is AFTER they were talking about how XSX is the mid-gen refresh all along, and also the fact that MS released TWO DIFFERING consoles of TWO DIFFERENT capabilities AT THE SAME TIME!

What in the living hell are they even on about? You're saying its a bad thing to have a mid-gen console refresh, while simultaneously being completely fine that XBOX has TWO differing consoles at launch?

Absurdity, and a justification for my avoidance of watching DF content in recent years.
Their true colors get revealed more and more. They couldn't even keep the script straight in the same show.

Don't worry, they'll sing praises if they get first look at the XSX-X.
 
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hinch7

Member
The entirety of that video made me realized why I stopped paying too much attention to DF.

Averse to a PS5 Pro releasing? Really? For reasons of........not hindering the standard console?

I'm sorry, did I wake up to an alternate reality where the PS5 Pro and whatever the hell the Xbox mid gen refresh was named didn't exist?

And this is AFTER they were talking about how XSX is the mid-gen refresh all along, and also the fact that MS released TWO DIFFERING consoles of TWO DIFFERENT capabilities AT THE SAME TIME!

What in the living hell are they even on about? You're saying its a bad thing to have a mid-gen console refresh, while simultaneously being completely fine that XBOX has TWO differing consoles at launch?

Absurdity, and a justification for my avoidance of watching DF content in recent years.
Its why I don't bother taking their 'takes'.

Better stick to objective data from them than clickbait. That and they're not as impartial as they like to make themselves out to be.
 

Nydius

Member
Absurdity, and a justification for my avoidance of watching DF content in recent years.
I’ll still watch their technical breakdowns but take opinion comments within them with several grains of salt.

I feel like DF’s decline really accelerated when they decided to become a weekly show because now they have to find ways to fill the time, and that often devolves into clickbait and bad hot takes for “engagement“. Rather wish they had just stuck to just technical videos.
 
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