Excited for Dragon Age 4? You might need a new console to play it

(Image credit: BioWare)

Dragon Age 4 is a highly anticipated game for many RPG fans, but those excited to play the long-awaited sequel may find themselves investing in new hardware in order to play the game when it launches sometime in 2023.

As reported by Destructoid, a listing posted to LinkedIn by one of Dragon Age 4's lead designers described the game as being in development for "PS5/Xbox Series X+S/PC," with both PS4 and Xbox One being the glaring omissions there. As such, it seems like Dragon Age 4 could be targeting current-gen platforms specifically to deliver smoother framerates and greater visual fidelity.

These findings line up with those of industry insider Jeff Grub, who claims to have "separately confirmed that EA is planning the game only for the new-gen systems." Grubb has proven to be a reliable source of info in the past, correctly predicting dates for Nintendo Direct presentations and as well as last year's PS5 reveal.

Analysis: Skipping last-gen is a very good move

If it's true that Dragon Age 4 is aimed solely for PC and current-gen consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, then we think that's a very good thing. Having fewer platforms to optimize the game for should (hopefully) lead to a smoother development cycle where compromises don't have to be made to accommodate for the less powerful PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

This also means we'll get to see the world of Dragon Age rendered in far more detail than ever before, and should mean that the game is a cut above cross-gen titles like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Cyberpunk 2077 in terms of visual fidelity.

Perhaps in 2023 and onwards, then, we'll start to see much less in the way of cross-gen titles. And while we're still excited for upcoming cross-gen games like Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West, we're ready for a generation that's fully unshackled from the consoles that came before.

As for Dragon Age 4 itself, we've got our fingers crossed that the game will be BioWare's big return to form. Between Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem, the once-beloved developer has had a rough go of things over the last few years, failing to capture the magic found in the halcyon days of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (a full remake of which is now in development), Jade Empire and Dragon Age: Origins.

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Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.