KEY POINTS

  • The sales of Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series XIS' have been impressive
  • Sony and Microsoft can't meet the demand for their new generation gaming consoles
  • Despite this, a "Final Fantasy" producer made a bold prediction
  • He said 5G networks could affect gamers' appetite for gaming consoles

The arrival of 5G model networks and the new technology's emergence as a global standard will herald the death of gaming consoles, according to "Final Fantasy" producer Naoki Yoshida.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Yoshida mentioned that the improved streaming speeds would lead to the demise of gaming consoles as the primary platform for gaming.

Yoshida, who is a director at Square Enix and oversees the development of hit series like "Dragon Quest" and "Final Fantasy," made the prediction amid the surging demand for the PS5 and the sales of the Nintendo Switch consistently surpassing forecasts.

"Once 5G becomes the global standard, there will definitely come a time when we can transfer images to any device," Yoshida told the Financial Times.

"Players can enjoy a high-quality gaming experience on any device by not being tied to a gaming hardware or TV monitor," the executive added. "We're definitely heading in that direction, and I don’t think coronavirus will slow this shift."

Yoshida then compared it to home consoles which, according to him, could be time-consuming. "With home consoles, you need to sit in front of the television... and turn on the power and wait for the hardware to start up, so it was a time-consuming entertainment," Yoshida explained. "With stay at home, there were more opportunities to turn the switch on."

The fifth generation or 5G mobile networks will offer super-fast data transfer for technologies such as self-driving cars and remotely operated factory robots
The fifth generation or 5G mobile networks will offer super-fast data transfer for technologies such as self-driving cars and remotely operated factory robots AFP / Justin TALLIS

A lot of big names in the gaming industry, including Amazon, Microsoft and Luna, are currently pushing for cloud gaming services. However, the sales of gaming console systems have not faltered. In fact, according to market research firm NPD Group, Sony's PS5 is the fastest-selling game hardware in U.S. history.

Microsoft has not yet released the shipment figures for its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. But based on its previous report, the company's hardware revenue increased significantly due to the "continued demand" for its new generation gaming consoles. As for Nintendo, its Switch has consistently achieved unprecedented sales and is rumored to get an upgraded model before this year's E3.

Despite this, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said in April that the Japanese gaming giant is developing a cloud strategy that's unique and available only on Playstation. Microsoft, on the other hand, is seemingly hopeful of bringing its xCloud streaming service to rival console platforms.

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