Playstation 5

ShakyJake said:

PC gaming has long been held back by the limitations of Windows as its primary operating system. If PCs could break free from the need to run Windows, it would open the door to more innovative gaming experiences, such as dedicated Steam-based PCs and customizable, streamlined operating systems specifically tailored for gaming. This shift could lead to greater performance optimization, reduced system bloat, and creating new possibilities for custom gaming setups and competitive alternatives to traditional consoles.

Click to expand...

Then its just another console with different OS that uses off the shelf PC hardware. Which the consoles mostly do. You would still need to port them to [Gaming OS] to run them. The whole benefit of the consoles is the standardization of the hardware AND the software platform. I *think* you are saying you want to break this down to a software only standardization with an OS specifically designed to run games, ala Steam OS. But if you have to allow for customization, you lose both the benefits of standardization of platform and the multifunctionality of the PC. It seems like the worst of both worlds.

Maybe I am misunderstanding: You want someone to rip out everything non-game related in a PC OS but still allow for (some) hardware customization options? So like an Android/Apple curated garden split? Help me understand.

Kajiimagi said:

I always looked at it as the PC was kept back by console limitations not the other way around.

Click to expand...

It used to depend where we were in the cycle; years ago, in earlier generations, the consoles were more advanced for a time then the PCs would catch up because the life cycle was so long. Now with GPU cycles so short and high end cards so powerful, PCs are never behind. Engines also scale differently, games take longer to develop for every platform so its more the dev cycles themselves are holding back games rather than one platform or the other; the console install base is massive and limited in its power. Look at what the PS4/XB1 did to CP2077; the experience is diversified enough that I don't know that the games themselves are *really* being held back; the hardware is effectively the same platform these days, just super optimized.

ShakyJake said:

The concept behind this "Gaming OS" would be a Linux-based system that’s fine-tuned specifically for gaming, optimized to work with certain hardware configurations for maximum performance, like a tightly controlled and streamlined version of Linux, sort of a hybrid between open PC flexibility and console-like optimization.

Think of it as creating a curated ecosystem for gaming that supports some customization but within certain optimized specs. Users would have the option to buy pre-built systems with recommended hardware configurations, or they could go the DIY route, choosing components themselves as long as they’re compatible with the OS’s optimized specs. This would strike a balance between allowing for individual customization (like PC gaming) and providing a stable, high-performance environment (like consoles).

The end result could combine the stability and efficiency of a console with the modularity and flexibility of a PC, providing a smooth and consistent gaming experience without sacrificing all the benefits of PC hardware customization.

Click to expand...

Eh, why do you think no one has produced this yet? Mac-ify a console platform? How do you monetize it? What do you sell? Hardware? The games? The OS?

-The current console makers practically give away their hardware to sell the games on their platform.
-The games put you competing not only with the Consoles but also with PCs and with Steam, which has 20 years of incumbency to overcome.
-The OS, a Linux variant has to be developed and maintained but also be big enough to have drivers developed for it as well. Intel and AMD have shown that they can't do this for their GPUs super effectively for Windows, much less a new offshoot of Linux.

There's a reason why Valve hasn't done this; The Steam OS/Console/PC was a huge topic of conversation and speculation for years but never came to be. There's a reason they went with a handheld and decided to obliquely compete against Nintendo (and compliment their own games library market supremacy/incumbency) in the handheld market rather than go this route.

Maybe when Nvidia makes their new ARM processor they will partner with someone with make something like this but if you bank on people starting over and giving up on all of their existing game libraries, it better make more than magic.

If anyone tries out Rise of the Ronin, protip: Make sure you set "Frame Rate Limit" to Off in the options. Makes the FPS in Ray Tracing mode almost as good as the FPS in FPS mode...

spronk said:

that, stellar blade, and black myth wukong are all games I look forward to buying and playing (on a black friday) sale on my new ps5 pro, rise of ronin looks like what assassins creed shadows should have been

all 3 games are getting PS5 Pro patches too which is nice.

PS5 Pro: Developers share how they’re using new tech to enhance their games

Details on the growing list of titles taking advantage of the console’s larger GPU, advanced raytracing, and AI-driven upscaling

blog.playstation.com

i can't say i'm super excited about ps5 pro, literally the only games I am playing right now on my ps5 are ps+ games that are years old but i am playing them so a little boost for $700 spread over a few years of ownership is a pretty good ROI. i'm currently playing balatro (lol, 1990s visuals), Dead Space remake, and Dead Island 2.

Click to expand...

I had zero interest in PS5 Pro myself (considering what a graphics whore I am) but now my PS5 is making funny noises so I guess I'll do one of those Gamestop trade-in deals they usually do on a new system release where they add a ton of value to it and make it worth your while. If I could trade and get the Pro for half price, I'm down.

The games I'm waiting on a Pro for are pretty much the same: Black Myth, Stellar Blade, Ronin. Would be a pretty solid trio to test the system with.

Mez