Even though Sony and Microsoft keep straddling the generational fence by discussing how many upcoming titles they have that will still be playable on Ps4 and Xbox One, the last generation of consoles is slowly reaching its end. Graphics and load times are the most talked-about features, but the lobby sizes of upcoming Riders Republic and Battlefield 2042 are proof that "next-gen" has already become current-gen, and last-gen is about to be obsolete.
Ubisoft and EA are both looking to push the bar of what the new systems can handle with their respective titles. While the two games may be very different, they share some similar features; stunning visuals set against massive landscapes with insane player counts. While Riders Republic drops in September on all console generations and Battlefield does so the following month, both will be launching two very different games, as PS4 and Xbox One have half the player count of current-gen versions.
For anyone who doesn't remember, this mimics a similar occurrence with the previous console generation transition. Battlefield 4 launched in 2013 on Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles with only 32-player lobbies. A month later, the game dropped on the newly released PS4 and Xbox One consoles with the full 64-player experience. The experiences were completely different, with the previous-generation versions feeling like empty maps. While Battlefield 2042 will have a much higher player count, both it and Riders Republic will play completely different with the differences in place.
Riders Republic & Battlefield 2042: Why Player Count Matters
On its own, the number of players in a game means very little. While Warzone and Fortnite may each feature 100+ player lobbies, other iconic franchises like CS:GO and Overwatch make equally impressive experiences with a dozen players or less. It isn't the sheer number of the lobby size that matters. Battlefield has historically had 64-player lobbies on PC, so 64-player lobbies on consoles don't sound that bad on the surface.
While Riders Republic is built for the increased player count, Battlefield 2042 will be building separate maps for both versions of the game. This is a good move on DICE's part, but both games in their own ways will still differ considerably on Xbox One and PS4 compared to the current-gen. So either way players on last-gen won't get the full experience the developers are bringing to PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The discrepancies in player counts are neither an issue nor something for either developer to be blamed. It is simply an indication of changing console generation. Just as Battlefield 4 marked the transition of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation, so too does Battlefield 2042 and now Riders Republic mark the end of the Ps4 and Xbox One generation. While this is especially unfortunate given the limited availability of the consoles, it doesn't change the fact that games are moving forward.