Philstradamus gazes into his crystal ball: 18 gaming predictions for 2024

From new consoles to studio takeovers to a VR revolution and assassinations in Switzerland, 2024’s shaping up to be an exciting year. How do I know that? My magic crystal ball (which only looks like a light bulb illuminated with LED strips) told me so. Errors may very rarely creep into my predictions. To see how accurate last year’s were, check out the following article.

Switch 2 will be released, remaining (almost) unchanged

Nintendo always does things differently than you expect. Almost every new console they’ve released has been poles apart from the last. But not this time. No, this time, Nintendo will surprise us by shunning the surprise of releasing a completely revamped console. Not only will the Switch 2 be unveiled, it’ll also be backwards compatible. Switch 1 games will also run on the Switch 2, with a better frame rate and resolution. Any other new developments will mostly be limited to technical improvements. Sure, the Switch 2 will have the odd new gimmick. At its core, however, it’ll be a performance upgrade.

New 3D Super Mario and Mario Kart as Switch 2 launch games

Nintendo will launch the Switch 2 with two absolute smash hits. After a ten-year wait, it’ll finally release a new Mario Kart. And there’s more. It’ll also pick up the 3D Mario series again. After all, Super Mario Odyssey has been out for seven years now.

Apple will push gaming

It’s a tale as old as time. Apple has made many a half-hearted attempt at breaking into the gaming sector. Alas, these have fizzled out over and over again. This year, that’s going to change. Apple will either start its own game studio, buy one or present an exclusive AAA game. With ARM becoming ever stronger as a platform, more and more game developers will create or port games for Mac, too. One reason for this is my next prediction.

Windows games will become ARM-compatible

Microsoft has been trying to convert Windows to ARM for some time. The endeavour has been slow to get off the ground, but that might change in 2024. In the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm is launching a CPU capable of competing even with Apple’s M chips. As of this year, AMD and Nvidia will also have the green light to develop ARM chips for Windows. Until now, Qualcomm has had an exclusive contract. Microsoft will do its part by making more software compatible with ARM, with the new offensive focusing on games. Similar to what Apple’s doing with MacOS or what Valve’s doing with the Steam Deck, Microsoft will present a new way to easily port existing Windows games to the ARM version.

New Xbox will run on ARM

I’m not talking about the two leaked updates to the Xbox Series S and X due to be unveiled this year. I’m referring to the next generation of consoles likely to be a few years away. Watertight information will emerge this year confirming that Microsoft will swap the x86 platform for ARM. However, it’ll hold onto the two-model concept. The difference being that one console will only be able to stream games from the cloud.

Game mode for Windows

The growing popularity of Windows gaming handhelds such as the ROG Ally and the Legion Go has highlighted the weaknesses of Windows on portable devices. Microsoft has already revised the Xbox app for handhelds. The main issue, however, is Windows itself. That’s why Microsoft will present a slimmed-down version based on the Xbox design, explicitly designed for gaming.

Xbox will have the best exclusive games

When it comes to exclusive games for 2024, we’ve heard nothing but crickets from Sony so far. After Nintendo blew a load of its resources in 2023, it’ll hunker down for the Switch 2. At Microsoft, the studio acquisitions it’s made in recent years might finally bear fruit. The interesting candidates? Avowed by Obsidian, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Towerborne by the creators of The Banner Saga, Fable, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Replaced, ARK 2, Indiana Jones by Machine Games (no release date available yet) and a major update for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Valve will launch a new wireless VR headset

For the time being, the Steam Deck OLED has got things covered on the handheld front. So it’s time the five-year-old Valve Index was replaced. The new VR headset will be wireless and able to stream games from the PC in the highest quality. To allow standalone gaming, Valve will deploy the same trick it did for the Steam Deck. Proton-like technology will make games that don’t come in a version for portable headsets compatible.

The PS5 Pro will come out in autumn

Console lifecycles are getting longer, so it’s only fitting that Sony’s rumoured to be working on a augmentation. The PS4 Pro was released three years after the standard PS4. 2024 will mark four years since the PS5 hit the shelves, meaning the time’s ripe for an upgrade. Personally, I’d be stoked if this happened. It’d mean I could play GTA VI on it in decent quality until the even prettier PC version is eventually released.

There’ll be an alternative store on the Steam Deck for the first time ever

If you want to play games from Epic, Battle.net or similar platforms on the Steam Deck, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Other stores can only be installed on Valve’s handheld in a roundabout way. In 2024, an alternative store will officially be made available on the Steam Deck for the first time.

There’ll be a Hexen remake

Xbox boss Phil Spencer was recently spotted flaunting a T-shirt emblazoned with the cult fantasy shooter’s logo. Following the takeover of Activision Blizzard, the brand now belongs to Microsoft. Not only that, but retro shooters are in vogue. So what could be more fitting than a new edition of Raven’s Hexen?

No new Call of Duty will come out in 2024

That money-printing machine we know as Call of Duty has belonged to Microsoft since last year. However, the latest version, Modern Warfare 3, fell short of expectations. The single-player campaign in particular was ripped to shreds by critics. What’s more, the game sold 25 per cent fewer copies than its predecessor. To get the series back on track, Microsoft will give the studios responsible more time to work on a worthy successor. The company certainly has enough dough to absorb the loss.

There’ll be a Bobby Kotick Easter egg in Call of Duty

Bobby Kotick’s tenure as Activision Blizzard CEO came to an end in 2023 – a development most of the studio’s employees seem to be pleased about. Over the years, Kotick has become one of the most hated personalities in gaming. The developers will mark his departure with a suitably unflattering Easter egg in Call of Duty.

Sony will launch a new MMO

It’s no secret that Sony has commissioned countless live service and multiplayer games. Leaks have also revealed that an MMO set in the Horizon universe is in the pipeline. It’s apparent Sony’s making an effort to dominate outside the arena of single-player games too. That’s why we’ll see a brand new MMO set in the world of an existing PlayStation-exclusive game be released this year.

Sony will take over Ubisoft

With Microsoft fresh from the takeover of Activision Blizzard, Sony, too will go on the offensive to keep up with their rivals. This will affect the ailing Ubisoft, which, after releasing numerous mediocre titles, will be unable to resist a would-be buyer.

Skull and Bones will be a hit

I can hardly believe my eyes, but I see it clearly in my crystal ball. The pirate adventure, which has been postponed numerous times, will be a roaring success. It’ll finally be released in February and, contrary to expectations, won’t be a total flop. Fans will enjoy the lively sea battles, with the game proving to be a treasure trove for Ubisoft. But it’ll all come too late to change the course of my previous prediction.

Assassin’s Creed will come to Switzerland

Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe will reportedly be set in 16th century Europe. Traces of witch-hunting also lead back to Switzerland, which is why I reckon the country is due to make its Assassin’s Creed debut.

FIFA will introduce a new FIFA game, but it just won’t compare

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has already declared that the official FIFA games will always be the best football games on the market. Ever since EA and the football association parted ways, the game has ceased to be called FIFA, taking on the name EA Sports FC instead. FIFA will release its first self-produced game in direct competition with EA Sports FC this year. It’ll be torn apart by fans and critics alike.