A journey through generational leaps: how will the one towards PS5 and Xbox Series X be? - article

The moment of generational change is historically one of the most exciting for any video game enthusiast, even if it is true that over the years the hype generated by the technological leap has inevitably ended up fading. This is an inevitable process, and for years we have sadly accepted that we can no longer witness sharp divides such as that between two and three dimensions, or that between 64 and 128 bits. But paraphrasing what Elrond said when addressing Gandalf amidst the views of Rivendell "we were there, almost thirty years ago", when the three dimensions invested in all their grace the universe of living room consoles. And beyond the undeniable sense of satisfaction we were able to derive from those miserable polygonal counts, crossing the gates of the next-gen meant also and above all getting our hands on a brand new line-up.

Let's think to June 1996: Nintendo 64 hit the shelves of video game stores, then still fierce and reluctant to surrender to the power of franchises like EB Games and GameStop, accompanied by four respectable knights. These were Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire.

Nintendo 64! Oh my god! For anyone who considered the Star Wars saga like the Bible, such as myself, the purchase of the console was therefore an obligatory choice. As well as for all those who couldn't wait to get their hands on the first three-dimensional platformer in history, also signed by Miyamoto himself. In short, it was the era of "Killer Applications" and great system sellers.