When will 6-cores become mainstream for gaming?

[Fixadent]

When will 6-core processors become the mainstream for gaming, just how quad cores replaced dual-cores 8-9 years ago back during the days of the old Core 2's.

 

[constantine_99]

next year perhaps, as the line-up are already here
it'll all depends on whether the devs had the urge to optimize their games for multi-core CPU or not, if they don't optimize it, we can't say anything

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Soon, Cannonlake and Ryzen both have their "middle" CPU with 6 cores, so probably upcoming soon.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

10/5/17

 

[USAFRet]

"mainstream"
2020

 

[feelinfroggy777]

I guess that depends on your definition of mainstream. Is mainstream mean mainstream availability. If that is so then it is now. If mainstream means a most users have 6 cores or more then it will be awhile. According to steam hardware survey quad core CPUs have only in the last several months several months crossed the 50% user base.

 

[little_me]

As was already mentioned, it doesn't really matter what core count computers have, it matters what Dev's want to do.
It also matters what their game engine supports. They wont develop new engine for just increased core count.
For big companies, consoles are big enough market that their core count dictates game's core support.

As was noted, new line-up will have more than 4 (8 to be exact) so they might jump from 4 to 8.
Then again, old xbox one had also 2x4=8 but half of them were reserved for system operations and only 4 for game usage.
Is same repeated on new xbox one x? maybe, maybe not... no specs given yet.
I would assume that 1 to 2 of said cores will be reserved for system usage to make the underlying things work well and rest (6?) could well be usable for games.

New games/engines need to be developed though so as UsaFret said, likely in 2020 or so? earlier ones will likely be in 2018 or 19 but it wont be commonplace.