PSVR
For decades, the idea of virtual reality was nothing but a concept meant for the future. Movies made in the 80s relied on characters wearing VR headsets to show the audience that what they were viewing was set in the future. Nintendo tried a VR of sorts in the 90s. Time and time again, companies did all they could to tap into this market, but they all arrived at the same conclusion: the technology wasn’t yet there. It wouldn’t be until 2016 that a VR headset would release to the public that was not only affordable but actually worked as intended. That headset is Sony’s PlayStation Virtual Reality headset.
If you’ve tried PSVR before, you know it’s the real deal. Simply put, it works. One moment, you’re stuck on earth with the rest of us and the next, you’re in the middle of a London Heist, or underwater fending off a shark, or stuck in a house only your nightmares could dream up. Because of PSVR, the public finally has a virtual reality device that truly makes users feel as if they’ve been transported to somewhere different and it’s a device widely-available at an affordable price. Hell, you can find a PSVR unit for $200 nowadays. Not only is PSVR affordable and not only does it work, but it’s succeeding and it will likely continue to do so. For the first time ever, we live in a world where a tech-giant has not only created a tried-and-true VR headset but continues to provide support to it and seemingly will for years to come. For the first time ever, VR is here to stay and in a very real way, video games will never be the same because of it. Sure, we’ll have our standard video games alongside VR for the foreseeable future, but as time goes on, VR will only continue to advance. Who knows: one day we might hit a point where playing a non-VR title seems archaic.
Half-Step Consoles
This one is a shoe-in. While not necessary in any capacity to play any PS4 or Xbox One game, the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X are essential to the up-to-date tech owner. Years ago, 720p TVs were the most HD screens available to the public. On those TVs, we played games in 480p (or lower) until video game technology caught up to 720p. Then, 1080p TVs were released and a few years later, video games in 1080p became a thing. Naturally, TVs continued progressing and just a few years behind, like always, were video games. A few years ago, 4K TVs capable of HDR hit the market. Guess what followed shortly behind? Yep, video games.
History repeats itself so when Sony announced the PS4 Pro back in 2016, it came as no surprise and when Microsoft followed suit with the Xbox One X last year, still, it was a no-brainer. Just because these innovations weren’t a surprise, doesn’t mean they were any less important, though. For the first time ever, the Pro and the X gave us 4k HDR graphical settings in video games. We had bought our TVs capable of this years ago, and we had been enjoying movies in this format since then, but finally, thanks to these two consoles, we could now enjoy our favorite medium, video games, in the same way. 1080p is just fine. Games in 1080p are still beautiful, but once you play a game like Horizon: Zero Dawn or Gears of War 4 in 4k/HDR, you just can’t go back and you shouldn’t either. Here’s to 8K!
Xbox Adaptive Controller
This might be the most important innovation of recent history made in video games. The Xbox Adaptive Controller allows an entirely-new marketplace to be tapped into. There are people around the world who have never experienced a video game, or at least done so and been left with a smile on their face. Maybe they’re not capable of using joysticks properly. Maybe they’re not able to hold the controller for a long time. Whatever their reasoning for a negative experience with this medium, it left them isolated and no person should ever have to feel that way, especially in the world of video games. Microsoft saw this problem, which is frankly a giant, gaping hole in this industry, and took it upon themselves to make Xbox the most accommodating and proactive console of this generation and they did so with the Xbox Adaptive Controller.
This controller has over 100 control setups leaving virtually anyone with a disability, or special need that would otherwise stop them from playing a game, from feeling free to use the controller in a way that works best for them. This controller was literally designed by those in need of it at the forefront of the conversation. Hell, you can even open the box it comes in with your teeth if you’re unable to use your hands. There are still many, many steps this industry needs to take — Sony and Nintendo are up to bat — but Microsoft is leading the revolution to make gaming more accessible than ever before.
Biggest Innovations From The Big Three This Console Generation
Nintendo Switch
What a turnaround Nintendo has made this generation. Two years ago, Nintendo was the laughing stock of the Big Three. Its flagship console failed to make an impact in the video game marketplace —lifetime sales reached a measly 14 million, the worst-selling Nintendo console of all time (meanwhile, the PS4 and Xbox One would surpass those numbers in half of the time it took the Wii U to reach them). Nintendo would make one of the greatest comebacks in video game history in February of 2017, though, with the Nintendo Switch.
What more can be said about this console that hasn’t already been said? It’s console-quality games that can be played portably. We have received a full-fledged Zelda and Mario on it. Not only can we play those games on the TV, but with absolute ease, that experience can be picked up in seconds for an on-the-go play session. Simply put, Nintendo is alone in creating a machine capable of doing this, and rightfully so, the market has responded by rewarding them with incredible sales. The Switch, in just a year, has already surpassed the lifetime sales of the Wii U and it’s soared far beyond that. The future is bright for this console. Sure, it doesn’t play games in 4K/HDR like its competition on the marketplace, but it doesn’t need to — the competition doesn’t let players play whenever and wherever they want.
Biggest Innovations From The Big Three This Console Generation
Xbox All Access
If you’re an adult who has to manage their finances, you know what it means to finance something. Because of financing, millions of people around the world are able to own something they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Sounds great, right? It can be. For the uninitiated, financing something is basically a different way of saying you’ve purchased something using a credit card. That sounds terrible — credit cards are terrible — but many companies offer great financing offers. Sometimes a credit card purchase will accrue interest on day one. Many, though, don’t. In fact, most come with a 24-month zero-interest offer or something similar. That means that if you pay off the item you’ve financed in 24 months or less, you won’t pay a single penny in interest. That’s what a “good” financing offer looks like and with Xbox All Access, Microsoft has given gamers the best financing offer they could ask for.
Xbox All Access bundles an Xbox One S, 24 months of Xbox Live Gold and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass for a mere $21.99 a month for 24 months. When all is said and done, you’ll have spent over $100 less than you would’ve if you bought these three things separately. The Xbox One X bundle doesn’t save you near as much — more like $20 in the end — but for just $34.99 a month, for 24 months, an Xbox One X and 24 months of Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass can be yours. The deal that is Xbox All Access is innovative as is, but what’s truly innovating about this deal is the fact that it exists. Consumers can practically finance everything these days, but never before have they been able to finance a video game console from one of the Big Three. Thanks to Xbox All Access, Microsoft has become the first of the Big Three to join the world of modern consumerism.
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