Triple Click The State of Video Game Consoles
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Mar 19, 2026 They debate whether this console generation has stalled and why new hardware feels less necessary. They dig into rising game budgets, fewer big releases, and the strange economics behind PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. They explore AI and co‑development trends from GDC and imagine cheaper, simpler console futures.
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GDC Indie Highlights Including Mina the Hollower
- Jason highlights three indies from GDC: At Fate's End, Screenbound, and Mina the Hollower.
- Mina the Hollower impressed a playtester who called it a potential Game of the Year contender.
AI Upscalers Reduce Pressure For New Hardware
- Software AI upscalers (DLSS, FSR) reduce the need for raw hardware leaps by improving visuals via computation.
- Kirk feels current consoles and PCs already provide sufficient power for most titles thanks to these techniques.
Game Budgets Exploded While Console Growth Stalled
- Game budgets have ballooned, e.g., Uncharted 2 cost $20M in 2009 versus The Last of Us 2 costing $200M in 2020.
- Rising salaries and far longer dev times are driving costs without corresponding console base growth.