The PS5/Xbox console war transformed into a race to inferiority

The ninth generation of video game consoles kicked off with the usual celebration of bleeding-edge tech. But the last five years have also seen hardware-makers rapidly expand their focus to include cheaper hardware at lower price points, including cloud gaming services, handhelds, and even less-powerful consoles. While there are many overlapping reasons for this phenomenon, two big ones are the resurgence of handheld gaming and the transition from traditional console setups to gaming ecosystems. Some of the best surprises of this generation have emerged from looking backwards and sideways, instead of always and only forward.