It seems not a day goes by without a new story about PlayStation 4. Most articles are idle speculation simply trying to grab views, but behind it lay a myth, that at five-years old the PlayStation 3 is gathering dust and a new console is due. It is true that the PS2 lasted six years before the release of PS3, so maybe the PS4 is just around the corner. But I’m not ready to put down my Sixaxis just yet, and here are five reasons why!

1. It is still being pushed

PS3 launch titles look like Neanderthals compared to the supermodels released today. The graphics have come a long way as have the amount of content that developers are able to cram into the games. Most thought that Uncharted 2 pushed the PS3 to its graphical breaking point, but I would argue Uncharted 3 has once again set a new boundary. Think about the animation on the burning chateau; it nearly melted my eyes! The graphics of PS2 games got better right up to the end; God of War 2, Okami and Final Fantasy XII proved that. So, there is no need to release a newer, more powerful console until developers max out this one.

2. What would the PS4’s Innovation be?

The original PlayStation launched alongside the release of a new format capable of holding more information: the CD. That was superseded by the DVD, and then came the PS2; the Blu-ray led to the PS3. I’m no expert, but can anyone think of a massive breakthrough in format since the Blu-ray? 3D is supported by the PS3, and there are no other new breakthroughs in TV screens. For those who see the future of gaming in the form of more interactive controllers, you can get a Move, but personally I see it more as a gimmick.

Now if I was to speculate on the next generation of consoles, it would be this: they will have huge hard-drives and rely solely on downloading games straight from the internet. This is possible now; in fact that is primarily how the Vita works. But it won’t enhance your gaming experience; it will just be a pain in the ass. Having to wait ages to download games 50GB+ in size, only for someone else in your house to reset the internet at 99%, and causing a ‘Download error’, forcing you to murder them, will result in a lengthy prison sentence. No one wins apart from the smarmy guy with the PS3 and their instant playing discs!

3. Price

Remember when the PS3 was released? I gave up two birthdays and 2 Christmases to pre-order the Â£550 console with 2 games (and an Adam Sandler Blu-ray which I’d have paid another Â£100 not to own). This year, the Vita is released for between Â£230-280. Unless you are Bill Gates, the release of another console will equal no disposable income. Sony would either release PlayStation 3.5 or PlayStation un-a-4-dable, both of which would be damaging to their revenue streams.

4. PC games aren’t far ahead

It seems a strange point until you think about it. PCs can be constantly upgraded; new graphics cards and processors are released all the time. This has meant in the past that if you want to see what the next generation of console games will look like; check the cutting-edge PC games. Look at Half Life 2, it was far ahead of any PS2 game, and was restricted on the Xbox release because of the console, resulting in shoddy frame rate. Only when the PS3 and Xbox 360 were released did we have a platform capable of experiencing The Orange Box. At the moment, PC games are yet to release a game that is so far ahead it couldn’t run on a PS3. Therefore, there is no need for a PS4.

5. The best is yet to come

Great games are made when developers are concentrating on how to make the most innovative gameplay experience, not when they are grappling with how to work the thing. In the unlikely event that I’m wrong about my first point and the PS3 is now being utilised to its maximum potential, I see no reason to move onto the next console. When the PS3 was released, developers worldwide were crying about how difficult it was to make games for it. The result was that we got crappy ports from the Xbox 360 that were next to unplayable. Anyone try Overlord 2? It was like playing the world’s first stop-motion videogame.

Consoles are always best in their twilight years. Unburdened by previous trials and errors, developers are able to stretch their creative muscles. Gamers are able to experience games online with a huge following, and, best of all, no one has to sell their soul to be at the cutting edge.

This article was written by Tom Burton.