Autoblog's too-early next-gen gaming console guide

With all the madness going on in the world right now, sometimes it’s nice to take a step back and focus on things that don’t really matter. Fun distractions have been a necessary component of a healthy human life since the beginning of time, and they’re more helpful than ever in the year 2020. Of all distractions you could choose to throw your focus at, video games are probably some of the most fun. That’s why it’s so exciting for us gamers that we’re currently in what’s known as a new console launch year. What does that mean? It means your old Xbox and Playstation are about to be officially obsolete. It’s next-gen time, baby.

OK, that last sentiment was what we call in the biz, “hyperbole.” Your PS4 and Xbox One aren’t magically going to be obsolete this year, at least not yet, but this is the beginning of the end. If you haven’t heard the news, both Sony (Playstation) and Microsoft (Xbox) are planning to release their shiny new video game consoles to the world this coming holiday season in the form of the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X (as well as a heavily rumored lower-tier Xbox likely to be called the Xbox Series S). Most anyone reading this will probably know that those consoles are seen as two of the three top competitors in the space, with the Nintendo Switch also occupying kind of a mushy middle between current and next-gen technology, since Nintendo often chooses to release its new consoles staggered outside of the upgrade schedule silently agreed upon between Sony and Microsoft.

So what is the point of this post? Well, we’re all still stuck at home for the most part, we’re bored, and we’re dreaming of the future, so we figured we’d draw our lines in the sand way too early and decide on our next-gen video gaming plans right now, so we can visualize the digital future we want, come this Q4, and manifest it for ourselves. And maybe, just maybe, we can help some of you who might be on the fence make some decisions as well. This is Autoblog, so we’ll be trying to focus on the racing and driving game experience for each console first and foremost, but everything, of course, is on the table.

Here are the facts: At the time of this writing, both the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X have been announced and revealed, but neither exact launch dates nor prices have been revealed for either console. Microsoft and Sony often enter into a game of chicken when it comes to revealing console price during a launch year. The reason for this, likely, is to see what the competitor thinks they can charge for this new, often extremely technologically impressive, piece of technology. And subsequently, what the public reaction is to the price that was chosen. The internet at large seems to think both the PS5 and Series X will come in at around $500. Personally, I think that’s a pipe dream and you should expect a $600 starting price for both consoles at minimum.

Outside of the brand new consoles, the Nintendo Switch is also kicking around, arguably stronger than ever with recent blockbuster exclusives in the form of "Pokemon Sword" and "Shield," "Animal Crossing New Horizons" and another all-but-guaranteed monster hit on the way with the heavily rumored "Super Mario" 35th Anniversary remake collection. Oh, and don't forget the Switch also exclusively runs probably the greatest Kart Racer ever made, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe."