We've heard of several mid-generation update rumors for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series but few have been from traditional sources. Despite this, one gaming industry exec believes that refreshes for the current generation home consoles are likely to happen.
In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick states that mid-generation console variants will be coming as he talked about how it will impact the company's business, saying that the Xbox Series S/X and the PS4 Pro "did not affect the business very much."
According to Zelnick, Take-Two plans to continue supporting the Nintendo Switch and last-gen consoles. The company canceled the Switch version of Midnight Suns but followed it up with the release of Lego 2K Drive on the handheld. Zynga’s Star Wars Hunters is coming to the Switch later this year.
With rumors that the new Nintendo console is coming in 2024, Take-Two’s CEO was also asked if the company plans to support the Switch beyond this year.
"Yes, I think we’ll continue to support it," Zelnick said.
During the company’s earnings call last Wednesday, Zelnick was asked about the possibility of the studio ending support for last-gen consoles.
"It really varies," he answered. "Obviously, our labels will continue to support platforms for which they believe there’s a meaningful audience, and if and when the audience diminishes to the point where it’s not economical to do so then we stop supporting the platforms, but in general we’re pretty supportive on an ongoing basis."
It can be worth noting that two of Take-Two’s biggest titles, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, have been massively successful in previous generation consoles. Both games currently have live service offerings in GTA Online and Red Dead Online that still enjoy a massive player base on last-gen consoles. GTA 5 has gone on to sell 180 million copies of the game while Red Dead Redemption has shipped 53 million units.
There have been reports that Sony is developing a PlayStation 5 Pro with a scheduled release for Q4 2024. Rumors also suggest that a mid-generation Xbox Series console is being developed by Microsoft. One notable rumor from Chinese electronics company TCL suggests that the mid-generation updates for both consoles will feature 8K support and a 120Hz refresh rate.
Zelnick also shared that Take-Two is forecasting a jump in sales during the fiscal year beginning April 2024. The uptick will be driven by the launch of "several groundbreaking titles that we believe will set new standards in our industry." The exec may be hinting at the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 which is rumored to be coming late next year.
