The gap between consoles from generation to generation is starting close, as one developer suggests that both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are practically the same system.
Creator of the Resident Evil series Shinji Mikami, in a recent interview with Edge magazine, states that the consoles themselves are simply too similar to justify having to develop two versions of the same game anymore.
“We only need one console. Why do I have to make two versions of a game? And when Xbox One was first announced it had lower specs than PS4, but now they’re almost identical. So either will do.” Mikami tells Edge.
Things like console-exclusive releases or DLC have always been one aspect of what sets the systems apart. However, the more recent trend of non-exclusive titles is leveling the playing field and is taking away the edge that one console may have previously had over the other.
Keiji Inafune (co-designer of Mega Man) also touches on how unnecessary owning both consoles may become in the future. “I don’t think there’s a major difference between them. If you get down to the tiny details then maybe each is better at one thing than the other, but it doesn’t really impact the way you make a game. It’s not like PS4 or Xbox One are particularly hard to develop for. Quite the opposite: you can make whatever you want on either one, and that should be enough for anyone,” he says.
Both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will launch next month.