Having two different versions of a console isn’t exactly a new thing. Way back when, we got the PS1 console, which functioned as a smaller version of the beloved PlayStation, and nowadays, we have the PlayStation 4 Pro and the Xbox One X.

Those consoles act as amped up versions of the PS4 and Xbox One, respectively, but they only offer increased performance and don’t function as completely separate standalone consoles. Among all this, there have been rumors of Nintendo Switch Pro console, so it’s a trend we don’t expect to see go anywhere any time soon. Now, industry analyst Michael Pachter is telling us what we may expect in the new generation from Microsoft — which he thinks will feature two different takes on the same system.

“I expect a dumbed down console, like the Steam console, where it’s download only, and there’s no hard drive or disc drive. So I think there will be a streaming device, like a $100 Xbox console that doesn’t run in 4K or 240 frames per second. And then I think there will be a more expensive $400 console that supports 4K, 240 FPS, virtual reality. I don’t know if there will be ‘models’. I don’t think you’re going to get completely different devices.”

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So what about Sony? Will they follow suit? Pachter was less clear on that, but it does sound like they may also be skewing toward the two-console route as well.

“Whether Sony does it, I think they will probably have that 4K and 240 FPS device that’ll support PSVR. Whether they have a PlayStation Now device that is streaming only, I don’t know. Maybe there will be two each for PlayStation and Xbox, but I would be surprised if there were more than two, and I’m not sure whether Sony is committed to doing that.”

I find myself a bit torn on this idea. While part of me thinks this could make the next generation more accessible than ever before (resulting in increased software sales), a part of me wonders if the performance of those lower versions will be good enough to warrant buying. We’ll have to see how it all shakes out, but we could be entering the most competitive generation yet — one where Nintendo is no longer the lowest-priced competitor…and that will be very interesting.

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SOURCE: Gaming Bolt