مع توجهنا إلى عام 2026، يبدو أن مجتمع الألعاب يجهز نفسه لزيادات محتملة في أسعار المعدات بطرق مختلفة. بعض اللاعبين، المعروفين باسم "مجموعة غابي كوب"، يعبرون عن ثقتهم في بدائل مثل جهاز Steam Machine، ويؤمنون بأن أسعاره ستبقى معقولة حتى لو كانت الأرقام الدقيقة غير محددة. أما آخرون، فهم "نخبة مُحبي القوائم المتأخرة"، فيرون أنه لا حاجة للتحديث، ويرضون بملفاتهم الحالية والتدفق المستمر للأعمال الفنية المستقلة لتلبية أي رغبات جديدة في اللعب.
في الوقت نفسه، "الشعب الذي يحمي المستقبل" إما أن يكونوا مزودين بالأنظمة الجيل الحالي مثل PS5 وXbox Series S وXbox Series X، أو NS2 المتوقع، أو أنهم يسعون بنشاط للحصول عليها - مما يميز منهجيتهم عن أولئك الذين يعتمدون على معدات قديمة مثل PS4 أو Switch الأصلي. وفي المقابل، مجموعة "المتضررين من الظروف" يواجهون شراءات لا مفر منها بغض النظر عن التكلفة، بينما يخطط "جنود المقاومة" للتحديث في النهاية لكنهم ينتظرون الإصدارات المستقبلية مثل PS6، أو نسخة محدثة من NS2، أو الجيل التالي من Xbox، بدلًا من اتخاذ إجراءات مبكرة.
I was fortunate to have enough spare funds to futureproof my setup. Since I fully expected these price increases, I recently upgraded to a system with a 9070 XT and 9800X3D, choosing a 2K screen to make it last as long as possible. Now, I plan to relax and wait for the situation to settle down.
My previous PC could have lasted a few more years without issue, but I realized that if I missed this opportunity, I might not be able to upgrade for a long time.
قرأت التصنيفات المختلفة للاعبين ووجدت نفسي بين “فرقة المستقبل” و “التراكميين”، فأنا أملك جهاز PS5 لكن مكتبة ألعابي القديمة على PS4 لا تزال تستهلك وقتي أكثر. فكرة أن الأسعار قد تستمر في الارتفاع حتى ٢٠٢٦ تذكرني بضرورة ترشيد شراء الألعاب الجديدة والاستفادة القصوى مما لدي. هل يعتقد أحد أن أجهزة مثل Steam Machine قد تصبح حلاً عملياً أكثر في ظل هذا الغلاء المتوقع؟
I recently upgraded my AM4-based render farm with a 5950XT and will move the 5700X to my main AM4 computer. This setup should last me another three years. I may add another hard drive at some point.
I currently have an RTX 2080 and an i5-8700. I was planning to upgrade to an RTX 5080, but the performance results have been disappointing. Now I’m waiting for the RTX 5080 Super instead, though I’ve heard rumors that it might be skipped due to rising RAM prices. I hope that isn’t the case.
I’m not looking forward to it.
You won’t be alone in that situation.
I don’t find this reassuring, especially since my PC stopped working about a month ago.
I have a substantial backlog of games to get through, so hardware upgrades aren’t a priority right now. This doesn’t even account for emulation, which lets me enjoy additional titles.
Since indie developers typically work with standard consumer hardware rather than high-end systems, I can always explore that space when I want to spend time with a quality game.
Indie developers continue to release games for the PS4 and original Nintendo Switch. For example, Hollow Knight: Silksong is available on both platforms.
It makes sense because users already have the hardware, and older systems have more tools available for porting.
Indie games are often less demanding on hardware.
Yes, likely due to scope and art direction. A three-person team can’t realistically achieve a photorealistic look but can more easily optimize a stylized one.
Ironically, this means their game may stand out precisely because of its unique art style—doing more with less.
As a member of the backlog master race, I find that most major new releases are disappointing, and many aren’t even worth installing for free. Instead, I prefer to invest my time in innovative indie games developed by passionate and creative teams.
I plan to wait for a later version of the Switch 2 and play through my backlog in the meantime. There are plenty of recent games I’ve missed, and emulators can help with older titles.
Based on my understanding of Nintendo, their OLED revisions around 2028 will likely include:
– Minimal changes to CPU, GPU, and speakers, as Nintendo prefers to avoid complicating system support compared to PlayStation’s approach with the PS5 Pro
– Upgrades to battery life, cooling, and storage capacity
– The NS2 dock design will remain unchanged
One advantage for late adopters will be a more extensive GameCube library, since titles like Super Mario Sunshine aren’t yet available.
Timing-wise, this should work out well. A friend of ours got a Switch 2 early and has been acting as our canary in the coal mine.
Overheating and storage issues are often problems with new consoles at launch, and those are typically the first fixes addressed in later models.
Based on my experience, storage is a real limitation for the base NS2. I’ve avoided this by mainly collecting physical copies, but if you play mostly digital, you’ll likely need a microSD Express card.
Overheating generally only occurs when running demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077.
A better fan for the OLED model would still be helpful.
Note that the left side of the NS2 tends to be warmest since that’s where the CPU and GPU are located. There’s even a heat sink to help spread the heat.
What do you consider the best and worst aspects of the device in its current state?
Best:
– Backwards compatibility and free updates are excellent. For example, Bowser’s Fury looks stunning at 60fps, though you can still notice when textures switch to higher quality.
– Upgrade packs and NS2 editions are worthwhile if you already enjoy the base game.
– NS2 exclusives genuinely feel like a next-gen experience.
– The Joy-Con 2 controllers are a significant improvement over the originals, both in the new mouse mode and general use. However, a grip may still be needed for a flawless handheld experience.
– Load times are better than ever.
Worst:
– The L-button on my left Joy-Con broke. This likely isn’t a widespread issue, but it highlights the risk of being an early adopter.
– Battery life is a major downgrade compared to the OLED model.
– HDR in handheld mode is problematic. It seems HDR is only supported in handheld to ensure compatibility with a future OLED version. There’s also no option to toggle HDR on or off for handheld like you can for docked mode.
– Setting up HDR for docked mode requires watching YouTube tutorials to figure out.
– Pixel smearing hasn’t bothered me personally, but it could affect those who rely on CRT or OLED displays for visual clarity.
– The NS2 Pro Controller isn’t very appealing. I’m waiting for a special edition from a game I care about, but the NS1 Pro Controller still works well. Note that third-party controllers may require a firmware update for NS2 support.
I was planning to upgrade my RAM recently, but I discovered my motherboard doesn’t support DDR5, so I’ll likely wait another year or two. My Ryzen 5800x is still performing well anyway.
The GameCube is expected to be less powerful than the PS5, so I doubt it will meet many needs. Based on comments from LTT, I anticipate it will cost at least $700 to $800.
For those with last-generation hardware or those whose current-generation hardware has been damaged, upgrading in 2026 might be the most practical option.
It’s not really future-proofing if you just bought a new, fairly capable computer to replace one that’s nearly a decade old, which is exactly what I did.
Future-proofing essentially means having current hardware, especially considering how long cross-generation games are supported now.