QOTW: Are upgradeable games consoles a good idea?

[LSG501]

Well seeing as the fundamental parts of both the ps4 and xbox one are basically a pc with a fixed set of hardware wouldn't making them upgradeable just make them into a pc with a custom os...

I do like the idea of a more modular upgrade path to consoles, think making them into 4 modules, processor, memory, graphics and storage so that upgrades could be released by the manufacturer at key stages in development. It does however cause issues for dev's and ensuring everyone has good performance etc.

[c12038]

Make everything modular swap and change through usb 3.1 that way if a piece breaks it can be replaced without loss of console

[bridges009]

Might as well give up on consoles all together if they do this. The whole point of a console is supposed to a simple 'black box' that you buy once every 5-6 years, sits under your TV, and runs games without any tinkering around etc. That hasn't been true for a long time now, unless you're talking Nintendo. If you're going to have an upgradable XBox running Windows how is that different from an off the peg PC?

[Wozza63]

I'm a mainly PC gamer myself but this is a silly idea and ruins the only benefit that consoles have over PC for developers. A single system that they can optimize specifically for. If that is no longer available then consoles are just going to look like rip off PCs because they will have older hardware at a higher price and it will not be optimized well at all.

[ixo]

I half agree with others.
A fully upgradeable console seems like a poor idea, as the benefits of console are indeed the closed ecosystem.
However if they were to make it where after 2-3 years it could be upgradeable by one piece of hardware (and therefore enabled to play certain games) for a reasonable fee of say 100-150 dollars, that wouldn't be a terrible idea, IMO.

[keithwalton]

Like others have said console upgrades are nothing new,
heck the xbox 360 had a number of upgrades during it's life.
The HD-DVD rom drive, kinect sensor, all added functionality. Whilst the console itself changed a lot over the years mainly reducing power consumption but adding features like hdmi and wifi built in.

The problem with current consoles is they have most of the core features already only thing missing is VR and that would take a master stroke with the current anemic AMD apu's unless something sat on the hdmi port and did all the extra processing required. The gpu's at least support 3d which is a start.

The other issue with current consoles is the heart of the devices, they both use a SOC, nothing on them can be user upgrade able, microsoft floated the idea of an xbox one mk2 with an improved soc but that didn't go down very well.

[iamlorro]

Upgradable HDs are a must (like with the PS4,PS3,360 etc). The XBox One you can plug in an eternal HD, but that's a pain in my eyes having another corded box stuck to the console. You also have the choice of putting in a SSHD or SSD if you feel the need to speed up load times.

Other than HDs though, I don't believe it should be necessary to upgrade other significant parts in consoles, since that is the appeal of consoles.. a static platform that will be supported for years until the next console arrives, which will probably backwards compatible too.

And with recent consoles Microsoft and Sony have been good at adding extra software features over the lifecyle - that's a form of upgrading!

[whatif]

[QUOTE=I do find it interesting though that Valve are trying to make a PC more like a console and Microsoft are suggesting they want to make a console more like a PC, they're both trying to address a problem but from opposite ends. QUOTE]

I was just about to write something like this and you took the words right out of my mouth :-)

Not the best to talk about consoles as the only console I ever owned was the original tennis game (Pong), but I have tried many friends ones over the years; and been using computers since 1974, personally I like upgradability. And I don't like the fact that consoles don't work well with a keyboard and mouse (K&M) - I have had multiple sports injuries to my hands and fingers (just 2 examples - whole palm fused into one bone, or pain and limited movement of right thumb due to arthritis from many fractures) and find the K&M a lot easier and less painful to use for any length of time (I have a programmable K&M and can rearrange key functions to suit).
The funniest thing is watching me try to write a text on my phone, with large fingers and limited movement, I have been told it's like watching a tall adult try to ride a little toddlers bike. :-)

[simonpreston]

Find me one example, of a console upgrade over the last 30 years, that has actually been a success.

I can't think of one. The development studios will be primarily targeting the baseline model, as that's where the sales will come from. Those that do develop for the upgraded version end up regretting it, as they don't sell enough, as a much smaller % of users have the upgrade.

[DanceswithUnix]

Find me one example, of a console upgrade over the last 30 years, that has actually been a success.

I can't think of one. The development studios will be primarily targeting the baseline model, as that's where the sales will come from. Those that do develop for the upgraded version end up regretting it, as they don't sell enough, as a much smaller % of users have the upgrade.

The Wii was an upgraded gamecube.

The 3DS was an upgraded DS.

[sanf789]

The Wii was an upgraded gamecube.

The 3DS was an upgraded DS.

I believe the best example for the original question is the New 3DS. It is mostly the same as a normal 3DS with some technical upgrades, and a few games benefit from it: Xenoblade (cannot run without the new handheld), Monster Hunter (extra analog input, smoother frame rate). However, there is a vicious circle here with developers not jumping into the new 3DS when the 2DS is selling well, and not many people buying the new 3DS because it is not required for the games they love, ehem, Mario. I suspect the Xenoblade game did not sell well.

A quick search for "games that only run on new 3DS" only returns a single game for me - please do correct me if I am wrong.

So it usually boils to the least common factor here if you build a new compatible system with upgraded features but still very similar to the previous one.

[Pleiades]

The Wii was an upgraded gamecube.

The 3DS was an upgraded DS.

They were completely 'new' consoles though. I think he meant, add-in upgrades to an existing one, which is what we're discussing after all... something like the Sega 32x... I also agree that there have been no successful upgrades in that context, but it doesn't mean it's impossible now. There's a much bigger market and consumers are possibly more open to it...

[DanceswithUnix]

They were completely 'new' consoles though. I think he meant, add-in upgrades to an existing one, which is what we're discussing after all... something like the Sega 32x... I also agree that there have been no successful upgrades in that context, but it doesn't mean it's impossible now. There's a much bigger market and consumers are possibly more open to it...

But looking at the wording of the interview that this article is based on, the PS4 VR add on box is mentioned fairly negatively saying it doesn't change the core console, which says to me that a new upgraded console is exactly what he is talking about. Specially when talking about evolution of the hardware.

You want plug in hardware? Well for years we have had USB and Bluetooth peripherals coming out of our ears. My PS3 has the camera and microphone addons. But you just can't upgrade the core components like that. People on here saying that the latest consoles are just a PC, but they are consoles with slightly wacky memory layouts thanks to not having to run Windows. So, how could you make an upgradable console? Well graphics and CPU are all on one chip, so you could socket the APU. Carrizo could probably out pace an XBOne, perhaps it could run some XBOne games if the shaders are compatible enough and games don't mind having fewer hardware threads. But would you socket the CPU on a console? That would increase initial cost, decrease reliability, and from what I gather the vast majority of people with PCs never upgrade any part of them so in practice it would be a really stupid move.

But then while the Gamecube hardware scaled nicely to the Wii, it could be argued that the Wii-U shows the danger of trying to stay on a platform. The Wii-U is a *really* fast GameCube at the heart, and that isn't such a good idea these days.

[xslavic]

Likely to be overpriced.

[crossy]

I think that an 'upgradable console' is either going to be limited to storage bumps, or end up being a "real" PC, and the latter kind of misses the whole point about consoles - namely simple and standardised. So no, while I'd like to see an approved way to slap 2tb in my Xbone (or an SSD) the rest isn't something that appeals.

However, I can't help wondering about an (Apple style) subscription model where you pay your money and your 'upgrade' is actually a new console, and you hand back the old one. Note that I'm not talking about a yearly upgrade, but at least you're not just writing off your old gear, while the console makers get a guaranteed revenue stream plus the users get access to better tech. You might even find that a majority of "old" content is usable and could be transfered from the cloud automatically.

Don't flame me, it was just a passing thought...

[big_hairy_rob]

I'm also firmly in the 'no' camp. How long would it be before unscrupulous games/hardware companies start releasing a new upgrade with almost every new AAA release. It would just become a cash-cow and consoles would be released specifically with upgrade in mind, having reduced hardware/performance, while knowing that they would need to spend serious money to keep using what would quickly become an expensive brick otherwise.