Why Tekken 8 skipping old-gen consoles is the best decision Bandai Namco could have made for their upcoming title

Tekken 8 is perhaps the biggest takeaway from last night's State of the Play event, where several new projects were displayed. Fans have been excited about it ever since a cryptic teaser was dropped at the recently concluded EVO championships. It hasn't taken long for Bandai Namco to confirm what they are working on, and fans are pretty happy.

Viewers witnessed a special fight between two iconic characters in the series. It was then revealed that the fight was taken from the single-player campaign, which will be there in the game. Given the seven-year gap between the upcoming release and Tekken 7, fans have been expecting significant changes in the graphics and associated parts.

They have certainly not been disappointed, and one key point was the developers' emphasis on the superior hardware available today. Following the display, it was realized that Tekken 8 will not be a PlayStation exclusive and will be available on PC and Xbox.

However, one notable miss is the older-generation consoles, and the consensus is that Bandai Namco will skip the dated devices. This might upset some fans, but it's the correct decision in the larger context.

Disclaimer: The official availability of platforms could change based on development.

---

Tekken 8's decision to go the current-gen route will pay Bandai Namco more dividends in the long run

When the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 were released towards the end of 2020, they were dubbed the next-gen. Since then, a more excellent supply and changing times have meant these devices are taking the place of what's now considered the older generation.

Interestingly, Tekken 8 seems to have considered the age and limitations of devices like the Xbox One X and the PS4. Some of them will be a decade old by the time the next Tekken game is released. Bandai Namco hasn't yet announced a release date, but expectations are around the second half of 2023.

The developers' adjustments are the biggest issue with releasing or maintaining a game in two different generations. Earlier in September, CD Projekt Red announced that Cyberpunk 2077 would get all significant updates on newer consoles and PCs only.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that did release on old-gen consoles, but it appears that the developers have realized the need to ditch the older devices to optimize future content properly.

Gotham Knights are one of the most hotly-anticipated games to be released in 2022. Its developers have already decided to ditch the older consoles, and they did face resistance.

But the community has backed their decision as they feel it's a better way forward. Tekken 8, in comparison, could come out a year later than Gotham Knights or even more.

Some games on the other end of the spectrum have suffered as developers have wanted to support all the consoles. Halo Infinite recently came into the crosshairs after 343 Industries decided to cancel the split-screen co-op.

Many users believe it's being done to prevent mishaps on the older hardware of the previous consoles. Ditching them could have prevented 343 Industries from dumping features that fans want.

2022 has primarily seen games for both generations of consoles. Big ticket entries like Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West have followed, and the trend will continue for the likely feature.

However, Tekken 8 has gone down a different path, and the showcase explained the reason behind their decision. They have gone with a new engine, a significant upgrade from the one that powers Tekken 7. Given all these factors and the possible release date, Bandai Namco has gone with the right plan on paper.