There’s so much we already know about the next-generation PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles set to be released ahead of the holidays in 2020. On the PlayStation 5 side of things, Sony has been fairly open about the blazing-fast AMD processor it plans to use, as well as the PlayStation 5’s next-generation SSD storage that will almost completely eliminate the need to wait for games to load. Imagine turning on your PS5 console and being able to just start playing the newest Call of Duty game immediately! Sony has remained silent about the actual console design and other key details, but a constant flow of leaks has filled in the blanks. The dev kit we’ve seen around the web time and time again may end up being pretty close to Sony’s final PS5 console design, and so many other surprises have been spoiled by huge leaks.
Where the Xbox Series X is concerned, leaks and rumors haven’t been quite as plentiful and Microsoft has been much more tight-lipped. In fact, Microsoft hasn’t even confirmed its next-generation console’s specs yet. It has revealed the Xbox Series X’s new console design though, likely to give gamers as much time as possible to adjust to its, shall we say, unique look. On the specs side, we’ve read that the Xbox Series X will actually fall short of matching the PS5 in just about every key area of performance, but we’ve also heard that Microsoft might be working on an entry-level console as well as a more expensive high-end model, and it’s unclear which version was being used for that comparison. There are indeed still plenty of question marks surrounding both consoles, but new claims made by one of the biggest video game studios in the world give us plenty of cause to be excited about both upcoming next-gen consoles.
EA released its fiscal Q3 2020 earnings results on Thursday, revealing earnings of $2.79 per share on $1.98 billion in revenue. Both figured topped analysts’ estimates, though EPS crushed estimates by a much wider margin. Shares still declined in after-hours trading, but none of that will matter much to gamers. What will matter to gamers, however, are comments that EA’s chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen made during the company’s earnings call on Thursday afternoon.
The company didn’t share any specifics about games it’s currently working on for the upcoming new PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, which is obviously a bummer. But EA’s CFO did have some comments about what the gaming experience will be like on the new PlayStation and Xbox.
“The power of the new consoles is gonna be substantially greater than existing consoles,” Jorgensen said during the call, as noted by IGN. “We can do a lot more [with PS5 and Xbox Series X]. Things we’re doing will blow people’s minds.”
The CFO went on to add that gamers can expect a ton of “innovation” not just from EA but also from other game makers. He added that the types of games we already know and love will be more sophisticated than ever on the upcoming new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and that entirely new genres of games will be created for the new consoles. Could that be a reference to the new multi-player gaming mode rumors we’ve heard where different people can control different functions of the same character? Is he referring to something else entirely? Only time will tell.
Sony’s PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X will both be released ahead of the holidays this year. Microsoft is expected to reveal key details about the new Xbox at its upcoming E3 2020 press conference, while Sony is rumored to get the ball rolling even sooner during a PlayStation event that will take place sometime next month. If the company follows the same playbook it did seven years ago when the PlayStation 4 was announced, invitations to a February PlayStation press conference could be sent to the media as soon as later today.
