I wonder how long it'll be until we start seeing component upgrades made available for future home consoles given that Microsoft and Sony are now to be selling x86 based consolised PCs dressed up and marketed as consoles.

Why go through all the eyewateringly expensive marketing costs and risks of launching a new console every six to seven years when instead they could in a couple of years' time offer consumers an improved GPU to purchase, for example.

Design the motherboard so that the GPU is socketed for the purposes of easy removal and replacement. The usual downloadable from PSN/XBL firmware updates would take care of installing the upgraded component part. Existing games would maybe run with higher frame rates (patches possibly needed) and new games would still run on stock hardware but feature improved graphics for those with the upgraded GPU.

They could do the same with the CPU and RAM too, perhaps. As long as all games still run on stock hardware then there'd be no consumer confusion with potential game compatability issues.

The base console would become ever cheaper to buy over time, as is the norm, while a variety of component upgrades, all simple to fit, would allow for it to be upgraded for those who want it. That way the quality gap between console and PC gaming wouldn't again extend to the huge chasm it now is with PS360 relative to a half decent gaming PC. Such a thing may even tempt some folk away from Steam and back to console gaming...

Just me thinking aloud. Anyone here have any thoughts on any of the above?