When the Nintendo Switch was introduced in 2017, the gaming world got its first taste of hybrid console gaming. In case you aren’t familiar with this term, a hybrid console is a gaming platform that can be used in more than one way. For example, the Switch can be used as a handheld console, but can also be plugged into a TV and played like an Xbox or PlayStation.
Despite their modernity and portability, however, gamers are split over whether hybrid consoles are really the way forward. Although other industries are developing the way their audiences play games, such as playing blackjack online casinos rather than in physical ones, many gamers and critics feel that introducing hybrid consoles would actually harm the market rather than benefit it…
Are the XBOX Series X and the PS5 considered hybrid consoles?
In short, no. Next-gen consoles and hybrid consoles aren’t the same things, and thus, the Nintendo Switch remains the only hybrid console on the market. Whilst the new XBOX and PS5 will have a number of features that stand them out from older models, they retain one key element:
They’re one console.
The thing is, hybrid consoles may limit the level of performance a console can run at. The XBOX X reportedly has 1TB of storage space, whilst the Nintendo Switch only has 32GB when first bought. Next-gen consoles such as the new XBOX and the PS5 will likely be able to run their graphic levels at a speed that the Switch – and other hypothetical hybrids – wouldn’t be able to handle.
Obviously, this is all theoretical. One of the gaming big boys could bring out an incredible hybrid in the next five to ten years, or a new company could burst onto the scene. However, turning a PlayStation or XBOX into a handheld console almost defeats the point of those types of systems.
Arguably, people use consoles such as Sony’s PlayStation to play games that take up extended periods of time, rather than for a quick entertainment fix. Turning these consoles into hybrids would almost render their main purpose useless.
What would the pros of a hybrid console future be?
If one of the big electronics firms designed a hybrid console, mobile gaming would change forever. Being able to play huge franchise games such as FIFA and Call of Duty pretty much on the go would put app stores for mobiles out of business, and probably regular consoles altogether.
However, would gamers enjoy playing Fortnite on the train? Would players feel as if they were able to immerse themselves in their game on their lunch break in a café? Making gaming portable reduces how personal gaming becomes. Not to mention, those FIFA rages definitely wouldn’t be acceptable in public! A smaller screen could become unsatisfactory, and if gamers want to play games on the go they can – on mobiles, as we have done for years now.
Similarly, it’s unlikely that Sony for one would venture into hybrid production. After the lack of success, the PSVita experienced when it was released, you’d imagine they’d be hesitant to plow millions into the development of something that gamers don’t necessarily need, or even want for that matter…
Hybrid consoles are good for those who want to save space and enjoy the flexibility of being able to travel with a console. Similarly, for those who view gaming more as a fun pastime rather than something to do ‘properly’ (so to speak), hybrid consoles are great. However, as we’ve already pointed out, do we actually need hybrid consoles? Would it make gaming the same immersive experience it currently is and can be in the future?
