It might look like that we are far off from seeing the first 9th gen consoles and handhelds, although after the release of the new 3DS from Nintendo, they all already having talks about making a whole another console in the future to replace the Wii U and possibly a new handheld as well, this put to my mind that the 9th Generation might be here sooner than we though, which if we go by average, the years between a start of a generation is 7 years, so if we put it to expectations, the 9th Generation will start around 2018-2020 which isn't really far off.

Plus, also, Sony may create the PS5, but rumors said that might be their last video game console, but you don't know, it is just a rumor. For Microsoft, we haven't heard about anything related to a 4th Xbox.


What do you think the Video Game companies might do in the next generation, and what will the possibly 9th generation might be different from the 8th.

Personally, I believe that Valve will make the first 9th generation console in the form of one of its Steam Machines. The first one which is supposed to come out next year has been tabbed as 8th gen, but I feel that a "sequel" console to that is more likely to come out before any new major consoles by Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo. I think that Nintendo will be the first of those 3 to make a 9th gen console by making a new handheld, and then a new console maybe a year after that. I think Sony would be last since at the moment it doesn't look like there's really any way to make a new handheld system since the Vita is still so new, and who knows, maybe Microsoft can make a handheld.

Personally, I would say that the first 9th gen console would be made unexpectedly by a company trying to be ahead of the game and releaseing it as early as it can, maybe 2018, and then other companies trying to release theirs sooner maybe in 2019 or 2020.

SOmething like that kind of happened with the 8th gen games, Nintendo made the first, the 3DS in 2011, and then Sony released the Vita about 10 months later. Then Nintendo released the Wii U in 2012 and SOny and Microsoft released theirs a year later.

The year is 2017.

At the E3 building, a light appears on the screen.

"Introducing the X-Steam-Wii-Station 4D..."
"...an immersive console that brings the best of Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo..."

The words fade away.

"The first game for this console will be Katamario: Combat Evolved, a golf game with a twist!"
"All the golf clubs are actually pine trees!"

I can totally see it happening. The X-Steam-Wii-Station 4D will be an add-on to the Sega Genesis. Even though the year is 2017, the limitations of the Sega Genesis cause Katamario: Combat Evolved to be 32-bit. The game is a large, bulky cartridge. The cartridge is too heavy to carry, so no one buys it because they are not strong enough. The X-Steam-Wii-Station 4D decides to release a 512-bit console that uses terabyte quadruple-layer discs. The graphics are similar to those found in Donkey Kong Country.

This is the one and only 9th Gen console.

A little history.
I'm an old gamer. I've played games since I was 8, seeing a Space Invaders in a small shop. I bought the Atari 2600, the NES, several versions of gameboys (up to DS), the superNintendo, N64, the Playstation, the PS2, Wii, the Xbox360. Later I acquired a few more retro systems including a Gamecube. I never bought a Sega system but thats because my best friend always got them, so we would come over to each other's house to play both systems.

I have no desire to buy current gen. systems. I've always bought at least one as long as I can remember. I don't think its because I'm getting older, because I still play all sorts of games. But the days of a console standing out against PC has just faded away to me. Publishers are making games that are more expensive than ever, and taking fewer risks. My wife knows one of the art team for a developer, and he mentioned how they can feel their hands are tied. The market is stagnated by the creative types restricted by CEOs and suit types who have not been game developers. I see it like big budget movies and the sequel churning there. The data shows a successful will make money if its rebooted or expanded upon. Game launches used to get exclusive games from developers - but those days are going away. The budgets are crazy high, and you need multi-plaftorm launches to recoup loss. 

I think we might be in line for a small market crash on video games. Maybe even one of the big three currently making systems will pull out of the race to stop financial losses by the end of the 9th gen.

There is one thing I want more then anything next year and that is a new Sega system. I know that they are low on money but a new console will be awesome comeback. I know you guys are crying inside thinking about it lol.

Hopefully they will make systems backwards compatible. I know why they are not doing it, but I honestly think it would increase sales revenue if they made new systems backwards compatible. 

I think that the 9th generation of consoles will be;
Microsoft: Xbox Two or Xbox 720. I can't see any new name for it besides Xbox.

Sony: Play Station 5, guaranteed, why would they make a new name for their console because all of them have been Play Stations.

Nintendo: Nintendo is kind of hard to predict, but I think that integrating 3D into a home console that is not portable could be a step in the right direction for them, or a mix of the 3DS with a new Wii U Game Pad, but that would still technically be 8th generation. Or they could do something completely different.

I'm late to the party.

So we see Nintendo has announced a new Gimmick console for 2017. As for Sony and Microsoft, I don't expect a new system until at least 2020, or more likely 2021 unless some really huge things transpire between now and then. They seem to have embraced longer generation cycles unlike Nintendo who is sticking to their traditional five year cycles.


I also don't see MS or Sony stopping with the next console, again barring major changes. The reason being that so many people said the PS4 and XBox One would flop and be the last consoles....and we see how that turned out. lol What we have now is record breaking sales in games and consoles, and they show no signs of dying down anytime soon.


As for what they'll do next, I expect Sony to stick with classic console and controller design (thank goodness), as well as MS, and I expect higher resolution support as well as some more movement toward VR, and quite possibly a heavy push in VR support. In fact they may ditch consoles for all out VR at some point, but I doubt that will be in the next generation. It is noteworthy that Sony made a simillar statement in a commercial back in 2001 though.