Need for Speed Leaves PS4 Owners in the Dust: Analyzing Unbound‘s Next-Gen Exclusivity

As a long-time Need for Speed fan, I was both excited and disappointed when Criterion Games announced that the latest entry in the legendary racing franchise, Unbound, would not be coming to PlayStation 4. As a content creator passionate about covering the latest gaming news, I set out to uncover the reasons behind this divisive decision.

Criterion Aspired to Bring Unbound to PS4…at First

In an interview with Traxion, Unbound Creative Director Kieran Crimmins revealed Criterion had initially hoped to develop the game for both current and last-gen systems:

"We started out thinking we could make the game work on past generation hardware, but as we progressed we realized that to deliver the experience we wanted, we needed to focus on new hardware."

This candid statement sheds light on a development journey many studios face when transitioning to emerging platforms. While their creative visions push the boundaries of what‘s possible, technical realities have to be confronted. For Criterion, their aspirations ultimately outgrew the restrictive ceilings of aging PS4 and Xbox One hardware.

Visual Showcase Demands Next-Gen Firepower

To truly understand Criterion‘s predicament in excluding PS4, we must examine Unbound‘s graphical showcase. The game leverages physically-based rendering, volumetric lighting, high-polygon car models, and extensive visual customization in its urban open world.

NFS Unbound‘s Next-Gen Visual Presentation

Bringing this visual splendor to underpowered PS4 hardware would have necessitated severe compromises Criterion was unwilling to make. Running at 1080p resolution and 30 frames per second, an Unbound PS4 port would have muddied their creative vision.

Racing Genre Sees Shifts in Cross-Gen Support

Gauging by industry precedent, Criterion‘s staunch next-gen commitment might seem surprising. Flagship racing series like Forza Horizon and Gran Turismo continued supporting Xbox One/PS4 even after respective next-gen sequels launched.

However, declining PS4 install bases and shifting market trends appear to be accelerating this genre‘s transition. With the latest Need for Speed, Criterion is planting their flag firmly in the future.

Unbound Gameplay Requires SSD Velocity

Raw computing horsepower alone does not account for Criterion limiting Unbound to modern consoles. Custom SSD solutions enable breakthrough gameplay experiences impossible in the PS4‘s era.

Unbound‘s expansive city leverages streaming asset delivery for seamless, high-speed traversal without traditional loading pauses. As Digital Foundry‘s analysis confirms, these near-instant loads illustrate the PS5 SSD‘s transformative impact. Subjecting PS4 owners to interminable load times would undermine Criterion‘s seamless gameplay vision.

Stunning Visual Fidelity Restricted to Modern Hardware

By committing exclusively to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and high-end PCs, Criterion empowered its artists and engineers to explode past PS4‘s constraints. Unbound‘s visual presentation simply would not achieve such striking fidelity on aging hardware.

Across the board, from texture resolution, shadow quality, draw distances and more, the gap separating PS5 and PS4 hardware is expansive. Check out this head-to-head breakdown:

The verdict is clear. Even highly optimized, a PS4 version of Unbound could never approach the stunning visual bar Criterion emphatically achieved on modern hardware.

Analysis of Excluding 106 Million PS4 Owners

Given the PS4‘s expansive 106 million install base, leaving these potential customers in the dust might seem shortsighted by Criterion. However, drilling into industry sales data suggests focusing on attracting next-gen early adopters instead could prove wise in the long run.

As this projection illustrates, despite its massive lead today, the PS4 install base will steadily decline moving forward while PS5 adoption accelerates. By stubbornly focusing on attracting next-gen PS5/Xbox Series X customers, Criterion is playing the long game.

Abandoning PS4 Owners Stings for Need for Speed Faithful

Despite Criterion‘s justifiable motivations outlined above, its decision to ignore the PS4 stings badly for devoted franchise fans unable or unwilling to upgrade consoles yet. Need for Speed boasts over 30 million lifetime players on PS4 hardware who now find themselves deserted.

With no timed exclusive arrangements confirmed, PS4 owners cling hope to eventual ports to their favored platform. Unfortunately, given Unbound‘s extensive utilization of new hardware, significant visual downgrades would likely be required to make this feasible.

The Verdict: A Short Term Loss but Overall Wise Decision

After analyzing Criterion‘s decision from technical, creative and business perspectives, they appear fully justified in Making Unbound a strictly next-gen exclusive despite frustrations this causes PS4-only players. By wholly embracing new hardware, they have charted an exciting new visual standard for the Need for Speed franchise moving forward.

While many developers straddle generational lines, Criterion‘s commitment represents a confident investment in the future. For Need for Speed fans, Unbound‘s brilliance on PS5 and Xbox Series X helps soothe the near term loss of PS4 support. When the install bases intersect in 2025, Criterion‘s forward-looking bet should pay off handsomely.

So while PS4 fans have much to gripe about now, in the big picture Unbound‘s sole focus on showcasing breathtaking next-gen visuals, innovative gameplay opportunities represents a wise realignment for the franchise‘s future.