Do you think new consoles will have SSDs?

[kazaam]

I was reading a thread here where someone was bitching about load times and I am curious if you think the new generation of consoles will have SSDs.

[zerocool84]

No, still too expensive per gigabyte compared to standard spinning drives, multiply it times millions, it's a lot of money with not a big enough return. Plus, long load times are more of a cause of the dvd/blu-ray drive and the system itself than the speed of the hard drive.

[KaOTiK]

No way. They are trying to keep costs down as it is and this is a spot that it is an easy decision to stick with a standard hard drive. As zero pointed out, per gig SSD is way to expensive still next to a standard HD.

[BrightCandle]

No chance. They aren't going to be cheap enough for the next generation of consoles. A console is derived from an entry level PC combined with a moderate GPU. There is just no way they will put a $100 SSD in a box that is probably targeted to sell at $300.

[dagamer34]

They may have flash storage like the Wii U, but they won't have an SSD controller.

32GB of storage is maybe $20, lets not be distorted by Apple upgrade pricing.

[RedRooster]

I'm the bitch, and would pay $100 extra dollars for a similar sized SSD. Even that wouldn't help enough though, like zerocool said.
I'm trying to think of a game I've played where the second you start the game it took you straight to the menu instead of all that splash screen crap. I remember one being awesome for that.
I haven't tried installing a game to a USB key on XBox yet, does that help with any speed at all?

[BenSkywalker]

32GB of storage is maybe $20, lets not be distorted by Apple upgrade pricing.

That is a bit over half a full BluRay disk. 250GB, which is currently a small HD for consoles, should be well below the minimum for next generation. I have several games that wouldn't install on a 32GB HDD if it were empty.

I'm the bitch, and would pay $100 extra dollars for a similar sized SSD.

If Sony does things the way they did this generation you will have that choice.

[Dumac]

Originally Posted by BenSkywalker

250GB, which is currently a small HD for consoles, should be well below the minimum for next generation. I have several games that wouldn't install on a 32GB HDD if it were empty.

Huh? Do you download all your games instead of going disc-based?

Are that many games purely downloadable on the PS3? I have the OG 60GB and never felt constrained really.

[mmntech]

Yes with a but. They'll be made available for base model consoles, for game saves. The problem with SSDs is you trade low cost & storage space for performance. The price for standard drives has dropped to a dollar per gigabyte, which is still significantly more than a hard drive, which are pennies a gig. Especially in larger capacity drives.

Hard drives do a good job at archival work and are ideal for games, due to their large capacity. You trade performance for space. Load times are still faster than optical discs. Sony is already pushing simultaneous digital releases for all new games (not sure about MS), so it will likely be the norm for the next generation. I think you'll see the install option spread to counteract the low performance of optical drives.

My fear is that Sony decides to abandon off-the-shelf drives for a proprietary solution in the Orbis. Being able to upgrade your own drive with any 2.5'' model is a big plus with the PS3. You can even use an SSD in it now if you really want to. I've heard of people getting good results.

[zerocool84]

Originally Posted by Dumac

Huh? Do you download all your games instead of going disc-based?

Are that many games purely downloadable on the PS3? I have the OG 60GB and never felt constrained really.

We'll need even larger hard drives for the next round of consoles.

[Sureshot324]

I'm hoping they will have 500+GB hard drives and the option to purchase ALL games from PSN/Xbox live.

[cmdrdredd]

Originally Posted by Dumac

Huh? Do you download all your games instead of going disc-based?

Are that many games purely downloadable on the PS3? I have the OG 60GB and never felt constrained really.

Most releases on the PS3 these days have a day 1 digital version. Kind of like Steam on PC. Xbox not so much.

I'm thinking that they'll try to push digital a bit more with the next consoles either by offering exclusive features to the digital package to sweeten the deal or giving them a slight discount.

BTW: My PS3 has a 1TB HDD.

[kazaam]

I just wish digital wasnt so fucking expensive. It stays at MSRP for the most part.

[RedRooster]

Originally Posted by kazaam

I just wish digital wasnt so fucking expensive. It stays at MSRP for the most part.

If it was 50% of MSRP, I would most likely be all in on digital distribution.
$60 for something thats worthless when I'm done with it is no good. Unless they can figure out a way to gift your license to someone else. That'd be cool.

[American Gunner]

Originally Posted by RedRooster

If it was 50% of MSRP, I would most likely be all in on digital distribution.
$60 for something thats worthless when I'm done with it is no good. Unless they can figure out a way to gift your license to someone else. That'd be cool.

I agree with you on this. Why am I still paying $60 on a digital game when they don't have the cost of a disc, case, manual, and shipping it to a store?

[cmdrdredd]

Plus like was said, with my disk on Xbox or PS3 I can let my friend borrow the game and play it so he doesn't have to buy everything or vice versa.

[KentState]

Originally Posted by American Gunner

I agree with you on this. Why am I still paying $60 on a digital game when they don't have the cost of a disc, case, manual, and shipping it to a store?

They already stopped including the manual and games are neutered for resales with online passes. That's the goal of the gaming companies. Maximize profits and prevent resale.

[Xellos2099]

digital will NEVER work as long as service provider and super capping us. Can;t do much with a 150 cap