A reader looks back at his history with video game consoles, from the Atari 2600 to PS5, and laments the end of major graphical leaps forward.
A new year is as good a time as any to reflect, as well as look forwards. Which is exactly what I’ve done, but this time I’m taking a look at how each generational shift has impacted the visuals of our games.
Now, this is entirely a personal view; I’ve not necessarily taken the industry standard of what a generation is and what machines are included in them – this is simply how I remember each cohort of consoles and what my memory was of them at the time (and in retrospect).
I’ve not included the PC, due to its fluid nature, but have included some home computers as they are mostly standalone computers that fitted neatly into their respective generations. For each generation I’ve named the main systems aligned to that era (but it’s by no means exhaustive, there are plenty of articles online if you want a more in-depth read).
Pitfall on Atari 2600 (Wikipedia)
The First Generation – Atari 2600, Intellivision, Magnavox Odyssey 2
My exposure to this generation was very limited. I was very young and vaguely remember seeing one at a friend’s house but it serves as a useful reminder of how it all began – for me at least. Graphics were basic but functional but with nothing previous to compare them too (other than more powerful arcade machines) they were still very impressive in conveying the action. Many of the titles took place moving from single screen to single screen, which was reminiscent of the arcade games of the time.
Knight Lore on the ZX Spectrum (Wikipedia)
8-Bit Generation – NES, Master System, ZX Spectrum, C64
This is where I truly entered the scene, primarily with the Spectrum and Master System. Graphical sophistication took a leap, especially as developers got to grips with the hardware and its limitations. It’s probably a cliché, but with quite a bit of truth behind it, in that the very limited memory meant the programmers had to come up with novel and ingenious ways of getting more and more out of these systems.
The different machines had their strong and weak points (the Spectrum couldn’t handle colour clash well and that’s why many of its titles were monochrome) and the games on the systems reflected that. Scrolling screens that covered a whole level were more commonplace now, not just single screen affairs.
Pilotwings on the SNES (Nintendo)
16-Bit Generation – Mega Drive, SNES, Atari ST, Amiga
More colours, more sprites on screen, and fancy new tech such as Mode 7 on the SNES gave the players a genuine leap forward of what could be achieved on screen. Up until this point, you’d often have magazine adverts outrageously trying to sell you ‘arcade perfect’ conversions of the latest game, when in fact a cursory glance at the screenshots showed it was anything but.
However, I’d argue that Street Fighter 2 on the SNES was the first game that could actually make that claim. The arcade wasn’t in our homes yet (unless you were rich enough to afford a Neo-Geo), but it was getting closer.
Tomb Raider on PlayStation (Crystal Dynamics)
Crystal Dynamics
Fully exploring new dimensions – PlayStation, N64, Saturn
We certainly had usable 3D way before this generation, but it was with the advent of dedicated graphics cards on PCs and more powerful consoles, such as those mentioned above, when the third dimension really came to the fore. Admittedly, some of the titles don’t look great now, but the gameplay of the likes of Super Mario 64 and Metal Gear Solid still shine through. The move from pixels to polygons was here to stay.
The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 were built to handle 3D graphics from the ground up, whereas the Saturn was still more of a 2D machine (although it did have some notable 3D titles) and suffered as a consequence.
GTA 3 on PlayStation 2 (MobyGames)
Sega’s last stand and a new giant enters the fray – Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox
Whereas the previous gen introduced the foundations of 3D to many titles, this gen refined it, built on it, and added a layer of sheen. It’s difficult to measure the graphical improvements from one generation to the next but to my mind the leap from the original PlayStation to its immediate successor was one of the biggest. The more powerful machines also allowed more complex AI, dynamic worlds, and longer fields of view for players to explore.
Gears Of War on Xbox 360 (MobyGames)
The HD Generation – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii
Previous systems experimented with online connectivity, but it was here where it gained mass adoption, mainly due to the increased roll-out of broadband technology at the time. A further boost was that high definition TVs were starting to make their way into people’s living rooms at the same time, something these consoles had the inbuilt capability to deal with.
Whilst not as ground-breaking as the change from black and white TV to colour, the change from standard to high definition was still significant in the improved fidelity and visuals for gamers. Colours popped, edges smoothed, and lighting effects became more pronounced and noticeable.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild on Nintendo Switch (Nintendo)
Another fidelity leap, divergence of strategies – PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, Switch
Although it took decades to transition from SD to HD, it was only a few more years before 4K (or ‘ultra HD’) gained mainstream attention, but even the most ardent videophile would admit that leap forward didn’t have the same impact. However, graphics now were extremely impressive and allowed developers and artists to fully realise their ideas and it could be argued that games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 have yet to be bettered, even 10 years on.
Nintendo had already taken a conscious decision not to compete on graphical grunt alone and this was evident with the launch of their hybrid console, the Switch. Titles such as Super Mario Odyssey, Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still look gorgeous though, reminding us that clever and imaginative art styles shouldn’t be burnt on the altar of raw power.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PlayStation 5 (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Forgotten Generation? – PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
Now I am being a tad mischievous with this title, especially as the PlayStation 5 has continued to sell very well since launch. However, this article is primarily about visual improvements between console generations and, to date, I can honestly say I struggle to see any material difference between this generation and the last. In the first couple of years of a new wave of consoles this is understandable, but we’re over four years into this cycle (which is traditionally over halfway through a console generation) and still not much in the way of a difference.
We’ve heard and read about new buzz words and phrases, about SSDs, RTX, AI and machine learning, just as Nvidia launch their near £2,000 graphics card, but have we reached the oft mentioned law of diminishing returns coming home to roost? Personally, I’d be happy with the current state of affairs if the £500 we were paying for the consoles and £60 for the games used the increased power for discernible changes in physics models, AI, etc. rather than going for tiny improvements in graphical fidelity.
We’re at interesting juncture in gaming and I don’t see the crash that some are predicting as a result of the spiralling development costs. Hopefully it will be more of a pivot to something different. Maybe a new console launch in the next few months will throw up some light…
By reader TheTruthSoul (PSN ID)
How video game console generations got less impressive with time – Reader’s Feature
