There’s a rallying cry growing in fever on every game announcement for PS5 or Xbox Series X. So many people keep mentioning that games don’t look like the future. More specifically, fans are consistently arguing that they don’t see anything that looks like next-gen graphics. Well, that’s because they don’t happen overnight. While I’m excited about the new power these consoles bring, I think we need to recontextualize the case for what the next-gen consoles can do.

It’s not to say that we won’t see games on these consoles that will blow us away. In fact, a 2021 release could look consistently better than a 2020 game on Xbox One or PS4. The matter isn’t about power; we know the consoles can bring the heat. It’s all about how games are made. If you haven’t read Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, I think it’s a great place to start. Games are a major force of labor and patience. Some of that patience includes learning how to harness the power of new consoles.

Essentially, last week’s PS5 event showed one game I think looks significantly better than current-gen titles: Horizon: Forbidden West. Even then, the game looks like it could likely run on a PS4 Pro. So, why don’t we see breathtaking graphics like we imagined?

There are two reasons and the first is easy. We have seen the most significant graphics jump we’ll see for the next decade. It occurred in the jump from the Xbox 360/PS3 to the current-gen consoles. This jump included the move from 1080p and 30FPS to 4K and 60 FPS. That’s a massive jump, and even 4K isn’t fully harnessed now. That said, the jump in graphics won’t look that much more incredible in the new console generation for a few years. This is why we have a second reason: developers need to learn the tech.

In 2022 and 2023, the games will likely look next-gen. Just give developers some time to learn how to harness these technologies first. Then, we’ll see things that look unbelievable. Unreal Engine 5 is going to be a big part of that. So, if you feel down about the future of gaming right now in terms of meeting your expectations, you’re just a little too early. Enjoy the process of a new console cycle without psyching yourself out about what’s next-gen or not. Just go along for the ride and play good games. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

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