Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick said game streaming could eventually reduce the importance of owning costly dedicated consoles. The comment matters because it points to a potential shift in how people access high-end games, from buying specialised hardware to playing through internet-connected devices.

The argument depends on streaming becoming reliable, affordable and widely available enough to deliver games without major compromises in quality or responsiveness. It is a long-term possibility rather than confirmation that consoles will disappear soon, and expensive hardware is likely to remain important for many players in the meantime.