Will today's consoles still be playable in the future?

[gbpxl]

Once Nintendo abandons support for the Switch and they stop manufacturing them, what happens in the future when the batteries no longer work decades from now? This is even a problem for the controllers, as they too have a battery with a finite lifespan. Obviously Nintendo doesn't want you to play 30-40 year old consoles that barely work anymore, but I'm sure most of us here will still want to be able to play these games with our grandchildren or at least pass them down so they can play them in the future.

I can't speak for the technology of the Series X/S and the PS5 because I don't own them but usually when I buy media and hardware, the goal is to keep them working for as long as humanly possible.

And the fact that I have to charge my Switch before I can play it really sucks. I hope Nintendo releases a docked-only mode of the Switch for people like me who don't care about portable gaming.

[Steve W]

Well, that's the problem. The more advanced the hardware becomes with each generation, the more components that have the capacity to fail. Not to mention machines that were manufactured cheaply like the early versions of the Xbox 360 that are guaranteed not to last into the future. Machines like the Dreamcast, with its faulty capacitors that kill the controller ports, or the laser that goes out on the PS1, they're all built to die eventually since they have moving parts. But the great thing is, there are all sorts of people out there coming up with solutions to aging hardware. Like replacing the CD drive on a PS1 with a memory card. True, there's a difficulty curve to installing new hardware into old machines, a little intimidating if you aren't proficient at soldering (like me), but at least these options are out there and we seem to be getting more and more of them as time goes on. I personally am not going to worry about it, with backwards compatability and virtual stores (not to mention emulation) there's always going to be a way to play old games.

[Gameguy]

Modern systems are basically disposable, people will just play the games through emulation in some form. They're basically just PCs at this point.

[calthaer]

Modern systems are basically disposable, people will just play the games through emulation in some form. They're basically just PCs at this point.

...but with games that cost a lot more than PC. That's why it's Steam all the way for me these days.

[Raconteur]

Machines like the Dreamcast, with its faulty capacitors that kill the controller ports....

Whoa, first I hear of this! Can you please provide some more info on this – like some guides on how to fix it before its too late! Thank you

[gbpxl]

Whoa, first I hear of this! Can you please provide some more info on this – like some guides on how to fix it before its too late! Thank you

I never heard of it either and I think like the Xbox clock capacitor, the issue is somewhat blown out of proportion. How many Xbox or Dreamcasts have actually been ruined because of bad capacitors? Versus capacitors ruining Game Gears for example

[Steve W]

I bought a couple of Dreamcasts years ago in my heavy thrift store hunting days, and neither one of them had working controller ports. I read that it was a common problem, but apparently not common enough. Maybe I'm just cursed.

[Gameguy]

...but with games that cost a lot more than PC. That's why it's Steam all the way for me these days.

I still don't see the value in buying digital only games, especially games with DRM like Steam has. If a game is available as freeware and the developer has a donation option for those who liked the game, I would respect that more. I rarely find modern games that interest me anyway so I tend to stick to older games.

I bought a couple of Dreamcasts years ago in my heavy thrift store hunting days, and neither one of them had working controller ports. I read that it was a common problem, but apparently not common enough. Maybe I'm just cursed.

I never came across a Dreamcast with a bad controller port, not yet at least. I did come across one that would randomly reset because of how crappy the power supply board interfaces with the rest of the console, I was able to fix it but that's how I view the reliability of the Dreamcast. I sold off my Dreamcast stuff years ago and haven't looked back.

[Nz17]

I bought Dreamcasts years ago in my thrift store days, and neither one of them had working controller ports. I read that it was a common problem.

Actually, from what I know, the Dreamcast is not the problem. The problem is that certain 3rd-party controllers try to circulate the wrong volts / amps / watts, causing the fuse in the controller port to fail, or the controller's wiring is damaged.

How to fix a non-working Dreamcast controller board problem:
http://blog.kazade.co.uk/p/dreamcast...right-way.html
https://mmmonkey.co.uk/dreamcast-con...1-replacement/
https://www.dreamcast.nu/en/how-to-f...t-not-working/

[YoshiM]

If the current trend of new hardware for old consoles is any indication, I think modern gamers don't have much to fear. If there's an audience that wishes to play these "future retro" systems, there will be people that will make the hardware to work with it. Adapters that lets your Xbox 1080 controllers work with your Series X or a wireless controller dongle to make your Nintendo ShroomStation's Tactile Squish Ball controller work with your Switch. And if not adapters, new pieces to make your old pieces work like new.

I think the biggest concern will be when some games that require some sort of server to connect with and phone home/update/etc. Will the e-titles be preserved or will they just disappear into the ether like they never existed? Or what about games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons where the cartridge was bare bones and the rest of the content was downloaded later? The hardware will probably still work, but you won't be able to play a lot of games without their day one fixes or content. Ouya was lucky that its servers were preserved and are now running thanks to enthusiasts, but they weren't a company as tight fisted as the likes of Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft.

[gbpxl]

I may have asked this already, but are there physical Switch games that you can buy that will not be playable until your firmware's been updated? Like if I have a Switch that I bought in March 2017 and it's never been connected to the internet, could I play any and all physical Switch titles that've come out in 2021?

[Gamevet]

I may have asked this already, but are there physical Switch games that you can buy that will not be playable until your firmware's been updated? Like if I have a Switch that I bought in March 2017 and it's never been connected to the internet, could I play any and all physical Switch titles that've come out in 2021?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of games that won’t even run without a download. Really, it’s to the point where the discs and carts of the current systems is nothing more than a fancy form of a digital copy. Games are getting too big for physical media to hold.

[Steve W]

It's the shutdown server thing that angers me. A game fails to take off, they shut down the servers, and the game is no longer playable. I hate online multiplayer games anyway, and the amount of games for modern machines that no longer work because they took down the servers is getting bigger and bigger. That's one reason I stopped buying modern game consoles, the trend to go primarily online multiplayer with a shoody single player campaign tacked on as an afterthought. I want to be able to play a game 10 or 20 years from now, that's not a thing with online multiplayer games. They're supported for a while until something new comes along and steals its spotlight, and the game peters out. Then you have a nice looking drinks coaster that you paid $60 for.

[gbpxl]

It's the shutdown server thing that angers me. A game fails to take off, they shut down the servers, and the game is no longer playable. I hate online multiplayer games anyway, and the amount of games for modern machines that no longer work because they took down the servers is getting bigger and bigger. That's one reason I stopped buying modern game consoles, the trend to go primarily online multiplayer with a shoody single player campaign tacked on as an afterthought. I want to be able to play a game 10 or 20 years from now, that's not a thing with online multiplayer games. They're supported for a while until something new comes along and steals its spotlight, and the game peters out. Then you have a nice looking drinks coaster that you paid $60 for.

game industry is supported by people who think "long-term" means a year from now

[Gameguy]

That's one reason I stopped buying modern game consoles, the trend to go primarily online multiplayer with a shoody single player campaign tacked on as an afterthought.

Pretty funny since I mostly see you posting finds where you buy nothing but modern console games that are basically all designed this way. You just posted recent modern console game purchases less than 2 hours before this post.

The newest home consoles I have are the PS3 and 360 but I basically never use them and rarely ever buy games for them. There's maybe just a handful of games on these systems that interest me. I'll only buy newer consoles if I come across them cheap at some point, probably bundled with enough games that the console works out free if I sell off the extra games. Otherwise I won't bother. I view them the same way as modern developers do, they're disposable, the games will just be upgraded or remade for the next generation of modern consoles that replace them.

In any case you bought Doki Doki Literature Club which is actually pretty good. Basically it was originally created to be a parody of crappy dating sims made by someone who mostly dislikes those games, only it ended up being good enough to stand on it's own as a unique horror game. I watched a playthrough of it online as that's how I mostly experience modern games. The original version was released as freeware.

[gbpxl]

Pretty funny since I mostly see you posting finds where you buy nothing but modern console games that are basically all designed this way. You just posted recent modern console game purchases less than 2 hours before this post.

The newest home consoles I have are the PS3 and 360 but I basically never use them and rarely ever buy games for them. There's maybe just a handful of games on these systems that interest me. I'll only buy newer consoles if I come across them cheap at some point, probably bundled with enough games that the console works out free if I sell off the extra games. Otherwise I won't bother. I view them the same way as modern developers do, they're disposable, the games will just be upgraded or remade for the next generation of modern consoles that replace them.

In any case you bought Doki Doki Literature Club which is actually pretty good. Basically it was originally created to be a parody of crappy dating sims made by someone who mostly dislikes those games, only it ended up being good enough to stand on it's own as a unique horror game. I watched a playthrough of it online as that's how I mostly experience modern games. The original version was released as freeware.

There's a game on the PS3 I can't remember what it's called but the game was online multiplayer only, so now it's just a beer coaster since they shut the server down. it might've been a flight sim type game I think? hawx maybe?

[Gameguy]

There's a game on the PS3 I can't remember what it's called but the game was online multiplayer only, so now it's just a beer coaster since they shut the server down. it might've been a flight sim type game I think? hawx maybe?

Only one? Seriously there's numerous games like this, I could try looking into specific titles but it doesn't really matter what the title is. Even if a server is shut down there can always be unofficial fan servers set up, Everquest is like that with fans only wanting to play the older version of it. The thing with Everquest is that you still need the official discs to use the fan patch, but only one specific version of the game works with the patch so that's the only version that still holds any value. It feels like there were dozens of different releases of Everquest, so all but one are essentially worthless.

Most likely game discs could still be used if fans cared enough to keep games running, but I feel there won't be enough demand for these games for fans to bother running unofficial servers. People will just stop caring about playing these games. Personally I never cared to start with.

[Steve W]

Pretty funny since I mostly see you posting finds where you buy nothing but modern console games that are basically all designed this way. You just posted recent modern console game purchases less than 2 hours before this post.

The newest home consoles I have are the PS3 and 360 but I basically never use them and rarely ever buy games for them. There's maybe just a handful of games on these systems that interest me. I'll only buy newer consoles if I come across them cheap at some point, probably bundled with enough games that the console works out free if I sell off the extra games. Otherwise I won't bother. I view them the same way as modern developers do, they're disposable, the games will just be upgraded or remade for the next generation of modern consoles that replace them.

I hadn't collected games in years since eBay resellers cleaned al the thrift stores out, and was only finding games in retro game stores. I got a functional Wii in 2019 and I collected loads of games for that but didn't play hardly any because everything that looked fun had horrifyingly inaccurate motion controls to make them unplayable. When I bought a PS3 at the beginning of 2020 my collector's drive kicked in hard. I obsessively hit all the non-GameStop game stores around Dallas on almost every day off to find games. I really became addicted to collecting, and since buying that PS3 I've bought an Xbox 360 and a PS4 but I haven't found much of interest on the 360 but the PS4's library is fascinating. I buy the ones that interest me with the thought that I'll get around to playing them eventually. But when it comes down to it, I just play Unreal Tournament 3 on the PS3. There's something about the game that totally clicks with me, I've loved the Unreal Tourament games since the Dreamcast and there's something comforting about getting off work and spending an hour blowing off steam with a rocket launcher. The gameplay suits me so well that it's nearly all I play. I try to play other games but either I don't care for the controls or it turns out to be fairly dull or has bad game mechanics that ruin it for me. I still buy games hoping to find that addictive game that'll break me away from UT3. Still haven't found it yet.

There's a game on the PS3 I can't remember what it's called but the game was online multiplayer only, so now it's just a beer coaster since they shut the server down. it might've been a flight sim type game I think? hawx maybe?

There's Defiance, which was based on a "meh" SyFy Channel series that was online only during the run of the show, and I imagine it's dead now. There's also MAG, which all servers shut down for it a long time ago and is completely useless now. I don't know the status of DC Universe Online or World of Tanks Online so I don't know if the PS3 versions can still work.

[Tron 2.0]

. I don't know the status of DC Universe Online so I don't know if the PS3 versions can still work.

Dunno on the PS3 version of dc universe still has online but the game got plenty of ports to modern consoles.That being ps4,xbox-one,switch and microsoft windows.

[Gameguy]

I hadn't collected games in years since eBay resellers cleaned al the thrift stores out, and was only finding games in retro game stores.

I don't blame you, it's been the same way for me as I can't remember buying vintage games for years. I posted a picture of game prices at thrifts near me, $17.99 for a loose sports Gameboy Color game. At another thrift last week they had 2 loose SNES games, dirt common bad titles for $9.99 and $12.99, all untested and final sale. I just found it funny how you mentioned you stopped buying modern consoles but I only ever see you post pictures of buying modern games for them.

I did find a couple Sega AC adapters recently but haven't tested them yet, that's the only vintage game stuff I remember finding in ages. If I see DS Lite chargers it's rare now, though I also don't go to thrifts as often currently. I've been staying home more because of the pandemic. I've been buying more items related to movies and VHS tapes, in a way I figure I should look now as it'll only get harder soon. Several thrift locations don't even bother selling VHS tapes anymore.

I do have a Wii as well, I don't even consider it the same generation as the 360 or PS3 as it's not HD, so I tend to forget about it. I basically only thought to own it for emulation, which I haven't got around to yet. I have a couple of Wii titles that I haven't bothered to play yet, I dread using motion controls and the games that interest me the most I haven't come across yet.

I hardly play games anymore, but I've been looking more into PC games than consoles too as it's easier to find stuff. Freeware titles can be pretty great. Besides emulating games as I haven't bothered with that, otherwise I could pretty much play every classic game I'm still hoping to find.