Console design has come a long way since the days of the horrendous Atari Jaguar. While gamers have historically cared more about performance than aesthetics, the latest generation of modern gaming consoles from Sony and Microsoft have prompted polarized reactions regarding their looks.
Polarizing Designs of the Latest Generation
Whether it’s due to the sheer bulk of the PlayStation 5‘s white plastic exterior or the Xbox Series X looking like a mini fridge, it’s safe to say that we haven’t seen a console generation looking this ugly for a while. Not even the Xbox One’s old VCR design appeared as aesthetically displeasing as this gen’s hefty designs – which says a lot.
With Nintendo still holding on to the tried and true design of the Nintendo Switch – at least, for now – all eyes are on Microsoft and Sony’s consoles. The recent announcement of a Slim series of consoles from Sony, together with the supposed leaks of a redesign, cylindrical Xbox Series X, raised more than a few eyebrows from gamers worldwide. Not online were the “slim” consoles noticeably bulkier than in previous gens: they were also “uglier.”
The Quest for Better Cooling
In PlayStation’s case, the chunky design was attributed to the need for better cooling solutions. The ninth generation of consoles is considerably more powerful than its predecessors. These consoles offer some of the best bang for the buck for consumers, with ray-tracing capabilities right out of the box that puts them almost in the same league as much more expensive gaming PCs.
Still, the fact that the PS5 needs a separate stand for laying flat on its side tells us all we need to know about modern gaming console design. It doesn’t get much better for the Series X either, with its inexplicable green grill adorning the top of the console and messing with its “monolithic” design. The only modern gaming console that more or less gets a pass in terms of design is the Xbox Series S, and it still looks like a Bluetooth speaker.
Different Design Philosophies
Perhaps the worst part of the new trends in console design is how both parties took entirely different approaches to what makes a console feel “unique.” While Microsoft seems focused on making increasingly brutalist designs, Sony tries so hard to do the opposite that it becomes unwieldy. A PS5 sticks out like a sore thumb wherever you put it – something that not even the “Slim” model seems to have fixed.
The question, however, is why these console designers made these consoles the way they are. The easy answer, as we briefly mentioned, comes down to more effective cooling. Perhaps a more pessimistic conclusion could also be that console manufacturers seemingly understood that gamers simply don’t care if their consoles are unattractive as long as they play the latest games at optimal settings.
One way or another, however, we can agree on one thing: the design of these modern gaming consoles, particularly the PS5’s, is nothing if not instantly recognizable. A look back at the PlayStation 4’s design will tell you all you need to know about why Sony might have been willing to take some risks with this gen: it came to a point where essentially every PS4 looked like the same dark slab.
As for Microsoft, well, they always do things their way. Their boxy designs have been a trademark since the first Xbox – with the Xbox 360 being the clear outlier. It will be interesting to see if the rumours about the cylindrical Series X turn out to be true, as it could spark a wave of changes for Microsoft’s design language.
The Future Of Console Customization
With the Nintendo Switch’s focus on its Joy-Con variety and the PS5’s interchangeable faceplates, the next generation of consoles might see a renewed interest in user customization. While this gen may be a bit uglier than the one before, at least we can see it as a stepping stone as the manufacturers strive for a new identity for their well-established consoles. Either that or the tenth generation of consoles will look like avant-garde art pieces.
Do you think that modern gaming consoles are uglier than previous generations? Here’s what the PS6 could look like according to AI.
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