I miss console wars and how they made gaming more exciting Readers FeatureGameCentralPublished March 9, 2025 1:00am Three consoles but no rivalries (Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft)A reader regrets the end of the rivalry between Xbox and PlayStation and suggests that console wars are actually good for everyone.For better or worse we are approaching the start of another generation of consoles. I think, overall, its for the best because, lets face it, this generation has been pretty bad. Especially if you count the Switch as having been last gen. Theres been no shortage of great games but the people in charge of publishers have completely lost the plot, to the point where Ive got no confidence in their ability to lead and to not nosedive the whole industry into the ground.Almost immediately we have seen what happens when there is no major competition for PlayStation. Theres a lot of reasons for them going radio silent but I think one of the main ones is that thats the time that it became obvious Xbox had not only lost the console war but were no longer competing on the same level as PlayStation.Sure, Xbox may be the biggest publisher in the world now but that doesnt mean anything to Sony, any more than it mattered whether Activision or EA were the biggest beforehand. Nintendo and Sony have never really been rivals, even in the early days, and it also doesnt whether PlayStation or Nintendo are selling more because theyre not competing for the same audience.As of right now there is no console war. The Nintendo Switch is on its last legs and no longer really a factor. The Xbox Series X/S has been a complete failure and Microsoft is going all out on releasing games multiformat. Well probably have Gears Of War on PlayStation 5 before the end of the year and I doubt itll be much longer before theres Halo and Fable too. Forza Horizon 5 is already confirmed to be on its way.Microsoft says they have a next gen console in development but I find it very hard to imagine its going to be anything other than a novelty, not unless it has exclusive games which would go against everything else Xbox has been doing for over a year now.You cant have a console war without direct competition and I dont think theres going to be any in the new generation. Maybe, if the Switch 2 is more powerful than we think and gets the majority of third party games, but as long as its not getting GTA 6, Assassins Creed, The Witcher 4 and the other big names I dont think its going to make much difference.My problem with this new situation is two-fold. The serious reason is that without direct competition companies, Sony in this case, can do whatever they want with no one to provide a better deal. Increasing prices, decreasing console and subscription features, making less exclusives they can do all that without anyone to do the opposite and attract disgruntled customers. Forza is on the horizon for PS5 (Microsoft)But the thing that upsets me the most is that console wars were fun. Not if you took them too seriously and turned into some internet tryhard but ordinary, normal rivalries are fun. Its like supporting a football team. Just because a tiny minority are hooligans it doesnt mean everyone else isnt having fun egging on friendly competition.It helped make both formats better too. The best example is the Xbox 360 era, when Microsoft and Sony were almost perfectly balanced. Xbox put in a ton of work to become a contender, putting out not just great games but revolutionary ideas for online support and downloadable games.Sony was slow to respond but when they did they fully embraced online (which they would never have done so quickly if Xbox wasnt pushing them) and upped their game in terms of exclusives. By the end of the generation, they were both equal and the reward for ordinary fans was tons of great games and services and some fun drama between the fans and companies.I had an Xbox 360 at the start of that generation and I got a PlayStation 3 at the end, just to play its exclusives. I didnt hate PlayStation, I enjoyed trolling its fans and then joined them first chance I got. I think thats how most people are. But now that whole culture has disappeared.More TrendingTheres zero point getting an Xbox Series X/S and I doubt there will be for the next one either. Ill probably get a Switch 2 at some point but its success, or otherwise, isnt going to change Sonys attitude. We needed Xbox for that but thats not what they do anymore, and I think its a real shame.By reader Stratos A new generation is about to begin (Nintendo)The readers features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you wont need to send an email.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy