Ken Levine, the creator of BioShock, recently shared his views on new gaming hardware and pointed out that the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and Valve’s new Steam Machine are not big technological jumps. “Look at, say, the Switch 2 and even the new Steam Machine coming out. Those are not massive technological upgrades. That wasn’t their strategy. I think people are realising we’re hitting a bit of diminishing returns with that,” Levine explained that his team avoids ultra-realistic graphics because it is expensive and does not age well, preferring stylized art that lasts longer like in BioShock. He believes real innovation comes from strong stories, artistic choices, and meaningful player decisions rather than raw power, and his new game Judas uses this approach, similar to the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. “If you have the right art director and the right approach, you don’t need to be on the cutting edge of technology all the time.”