GamesViral tweet about the jump from PS2 to PS3 has the retro gaming community debating what the “most significant leap in gaming history” really wasWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesViral tweet about the jump from PS2 to PS3 has the retro gaming community debating what the “most significant leap in gaming history” really wasWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
One question has gotten the retro gaming fandom up in a tizzy, and now the community is trying to decide what the biggest generational leap in gaming history really was.
Jumping from PS2 to PS3 did give us a lot of things, like easy access to online play, downloadable games, and (marginally) high-definition graphics. But as Digital Foundry’sJohn Linneman notes, there was a big cost: “We went from 60 FPS being the norm to it becoming a rarity. Even 30 FPS solid was uncommon that gen.” If you’re concerned with performance, the PS3 was a step back. Never mind the fact that the PS3 had a substantially smaller library than its predecessor, and despite its powerful for the time hardware, many multiplatform games ran much better on the competing Xbox 360.
That leaves us with a big question: what actually was the most significant leap in gaming history? Never mind the five PlayStation generations, what about console gens as a whole? If you scroll through the responses to that initial tweet, there are a lot of votes for the move from 16-bit consoles like the SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive into the 3D era, and a fair few arguments that gaming peaked in the PS2 era. (Given thegraphical leap from the PS1 to the PS2, that one’s pretty strong.)
But there’s a dark horse candidate that I’ve found particularly intriguing: the leap from GBA to PSP. Yes, we’re talking about handhelds from two different manufacturers, but these platforms released just four years apart from each other. The GBA offered lovely 2D graphics roughly on par with the SNES, but those visuals were nearly a decade out of date even at the time. The PSP, in contrast, was nearly on par with contemporary consoles.
Not even close. That goes to the GBA to PSP. You will never see THAT type of gap ever again.People genuinely didn’t consider handhelds having similar capabilities to consoles. The PSP evened out that gap. https://t.co/vWZNAEHekzJanuary 6, 2024
Not even close. That goes to the GBA to PSP. You will never see THAT type of gap ever again.People genuinely didn’t consider handhelds having similar capabilities to consoles. The PSP evened out that gap. https://t.co/vWZNAEHekzJanuary 6, 2024
Game Boy Advance to PSP in the space of four years, and there will never be anything on that level again https://t.co/XpQnlvQEG2January 5, 2024
Game Boy Advance to PSP in the space of four years, and there will never be anything on that level again https://t.co/XpQnlvQEG2January 5, 2024
Perhaps the largest leap in visuals I can remember - going from GBA to PSP was absolutely insane at the time. Ridge Racers on PSP felt like jumping two generations ahead! https://t.co/L433iOD9L6 pic.twitter.com/i8G42cdXbOJanuary 5, 2024
Perhaps the largest leap in visuals I can remember - going from GBA to PSP was absolutely insane at the time. Ridge Racers on PSP felt like jumping two generations ahead! https://t.co/L433iOD9L6 pic.twitter.com/i8G42cdXbOJanuary 5, 2024
I don’t know whether the pace of technological advancement has truly slowed or whether we’re just in an era where games already look so good that it’s tough to be wowed anymore, but it’s nice to remember a time when new gaming generations genuinely felt like generational shifts. Even if some of those shifts were bigger than others.
This does still make me want to revisit some of thebest PS3 gamesof all time.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”