Gaming News Switch 2, GTA VI, FF XVI: What gamers should expect in 2023 on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series
Before we wrap up this year 2022, which has been rich in both quality releases and postponements, we wanted to celebrate New Year’s Eve by taking a look at the good news to come, likely or announced. As every year, we took a look at the few persistent rumors on the web and raised our wet finger to guess where the winds of 2023 might be taking us.
summary
- Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft: the announcement of new consoles
- Big games in our machines
- Takeovers of studios
- Game Pass and PlayStation Plus will evolve
- News from highly anticipated titles
Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft: the announcement of new consoles
If you’re a regular follower, you’ll know that rumors of new hardware – or revamps of consoles we already have – punctuate the news on the site. We’ve long believed a Switch Pro was under investigation and relied on the very reputable site’s articles Bloomberg. According to Digital Foundry’s John Linneman, while an overhaul of the Switch was planned, the project would have collapsed to make way for the development of a genuine new Nintendo console. With the Switch’s success being outrageous, it would be surprising if the Japanese giant drastically changed its formula, which is why the Switch 2 name is already circulating the net. Insider Tom Henderson, source of many leaks, is convinced: The Switch turns six in 2023, and the success of Steam Deck could convince Nintendo to launch a new console in the coming months.
At Sony, the rumor has been around for a whileA test of the PlayStation 5 circulates. This new machine would be equipped with a removable disk drive and would allow the manufacturer to reduce the shipping and production costs of their current hardware. On the Microsoft side, everyone is talking about the famous Keystone project. This small console, designed to connect to screens to provide cloud gaming, was officially quoted by Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s head of gaming. If the white box was not marketed for the time being because the prices were too high, it would be surprising if the idea was finally buried. After all, the Redmond-based company has repeated it many times: its goal is to multiply the entry points into its ecosystem.
Big games in our machines
Barring new early postponements hitting 2023, the new year promises to be rich in big releases. Whether you’re having fun on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or PC, it’s going to be tough. See for yourself: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hogwarts Legacy: Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Street Fighter 6, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Baldur’s Gate III, Redfall, Starfield, Alan Wake II, Pikmin 4, Forza Motorsport, STALKER 2: The Heart of Chornobyl, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, not to mention the Dead Space (2023), Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Silent Hill 2 (2023) remakes. On the smaller games side, we can’t wait to discover REPLACED, The Last Case of Benedict Fox, or Hollow Knight: Silksong. On paper, 2023 promises hours of fun across all genres. Impatience is already tormenting us.
Takeovers of studios
By buying Bethesda and planning to acquire Activision Blizzard King, Microsoft has suddenly shown its desire to build a video game empire. Compared to other GAFAs that are also involved in gaming, such as Google and Amazon, the group seems to be better positioned. Through its aggressive acquisition strategy, the company led by Satya Nadella is certainly accelerating market consolidation and accelerating the formation of competing blocs.. While NetEase and Tencent continue to buy studios and increase their stakes in others, Sony has also used 2022 to shop with its acquisitions of Bungie, Savage Game Studios, and Haven.
Large publishers and manufacturers will not stop there and will continue to rely on talented teams, like Embracer, which secured the services of Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal. Several publishers and independent studios are still available in the market, and the Microsoft/Activision affair proved that big deals, incredible as they are, can strike at any moment. Could Sony and Square-Enix officially unite by multiplying successful partnerships? On the Microsoft side, all eyes are bound to be on Asobo. Bordeaux residents have had good relations with the American giant for many years. They helped develop first-party games, participated in the Hololens project when everything was top secret, developed the very impressive Flight Simulator, and released A Plague Tale Requiem as day one in Game Pass. We will inevitably be surprised by new mergers in 2023.
The Microsoft / Activision Blizzard King case could be resolved later this year, although it’s possible disagreements with key regulators will delay the expected closing date (originally set for June 2023).
Game Pass and PlayStation Plus will evolve
For most of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox One generation, the two giants rarely clashed, at least publicly. The fact that Sony is investing money in the AAA narrative to highlight its console, where Microsoft is taking the service route to multiply entry points, has even suggested that the two rivals are no longer pursuing the same goal. Still, the desire to buy influential publishers (Bethesda, Activision) to better feed its Game Pass has strained relationships. We have come back to the murderous statements made by both sides several times over the past few months.
What is certain is that by merging PS Now and PlayStation Plus, Sony no longer wants to let Microsoft do what it wants with subscriptions that give access to a catalog of games. Both Game Pass and PlayStation Plus will continue to evolve. The first should soon feature a family offering, while the second could refine some of its features, such as: B. the ability to play demos of the latest AAAs. It remains to be seen whether the prices will remain fixed or will also increase in 2023. All signs point to the two giants in services (also) going to war.
News from highly anticipated titles
2023 could be the year we finally learn a little more about projects we haven’t heard about in a long time. We are of course thinking of Metroid Prime 4 at Nintendo, but also of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Fable, Perfect Dark and Everwild at Microsoft. Kojima fans should get more information about Death Stranding 2 but also about the secret project that was developed with Xbox teams. After the huge leak revealed a lot of information about Grand Theft Auto VI, Rockstar could consider officially showing its production in 2023. Why 2023? Simply because a document from Microsoft indicates that the long-awaited new part of Grand Theft Auto is due in 2024. So that could point to a reveal a year early. On the Konami side, we have every right to expect news about certain flagship licenses as Noriaki Okamura, producer at Konami, has promised the reveal.many new games for 2023“, including a “long awaitedFinally, Fumito Ueda (ICO, The Last Guardian) could also announce his new project in the coming months.
Now that we’ve looked to the horizon and remembered the 2023 rumours/predictions that got us excited, it’s time to wrap up 2022 for good. But also to wish you in advance an excellent new year full of good times and of course good games.
Table of Contents
