The Magic’s Not in the Box Anymore—It’s in the Bars
“Check out the graphics.” That was the catchphrase of every gamer from my generation. I grew up playing video games, and I owned hardware from nearly every major console generation released—at least until I had kids.
Back then, upgrading your hardware wasn’t optional; it was required. If you wanted to experience the most popular games, you needed the newest console. I still remember buying a Nintendo 64 just to play GoldenEye. Honestly, I don’t even think I owned another N64 game besides GoldenEye—well, maybe Mario Kart. But here’s the thing: it was worth it. At the time, the graphics and gameplay in GoldenEye felt revolutionary. It didn’t feel like a waste; it felt like a leap forward.
Actual gameplay footage from GoldenEye 007 (1997)
But now, when I watch my teenage son and his friends play, I notice something different. I’ve never once heard them say, “Check out these graphics.” In fact, most of the games they spend hours on are 8, 10, even 12 years old. And it’s not just anecdotal—industry data backs it up.
When you look at the games they’re playing, they might not feature the latest in modeling, shading, or ray tracing—but they’re more than good enough. The visual leap between new titles just isn’t as striking as it used to be, and the urgency to upgrade hardware for better graphics has largely faded. Most of these games are multiplayer experiences where connection trumps everything. For someone playing Fortnite on a ten-year-old PC or Clash Royale on a budget iPhone, a fast, stable internet connection matters far more than a top-of-the-line graphics card ever will.
And this trend goes far beyond gaming—gaming is just one example. I’m old enough to remember the shift from tape cassettes to CDs, then to MP3s, and eventually to streaming. Over the years, I’ve seen friends and family pour thousands into audio hardware as each format became obsolete, just to maintain a quality listening experience. Now? For most people, a Spotify subscription and a reasonably priced wireless speaker deliver an experience that’s more than good enough. Once again, it’s connection over hardware.
The same applies to video. The so-called streaming wars seem to have ended with Netflix as the clear winner—but now Netflix faces a different challenge: competing for time and engagement against platforms like YouTube and TikTok. And what do all of these services have in common? A reliance on connection. The service that delivers those bits and bytes to your home is far more critical than the screen you’re watching them on.
Sure, a new phone display that lets you “see through time” might be incredible from a tech standpoint—but it's overkill when you're just watching someone dance on TikTok or squinting at a 2-inch-tall Millie Bobby Brown on your commute.
Are ISPs the Next Tech Giants?
As connectivity increasingly takes priority over hardware, telcos and ISPs are suddenly in a strong position to become even bigger players in tech. Apple built one of the most valuable companies in history by delivering sleek, high-performance devices that felt like magic. But that model is losing steam. The hunger for the latest, greatest hardware is fading. You don’t need Apple’s newest miracle device to chat on Snapchat, play the most popular mobile games, or stream Stranger Things—but you absolutely need fast, reliable bandwidth.
So how do they win?
The telco or ISP that comes out on top will be the one that takes a page from Apple’s playbook—not by building shiny hardware, but by making connectivity feel effortless and reliable. Right now, using and interacting with many 5G or Wi-Fi services often feels like wrestling with a printer in the ‘90s. Nothing works the way it should. “Why won’t this page load when I’ve got full bars and 5G?” “I spent three days setting up a mesh Wi-Fi network—it worked great for a week, now I have to reset it every other day just to keep it stable.”
Sure, there are probably solid technical reasons for these problems—but most people don’t care. And younger users especially have zero patience for troubleshooting. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, older generations tend to blame themselves when something doesn’t work right away. Younger generations blame your service.
Apple succeeded by creating hardware that just worked. If telcos and ISPs want to lead the next era of tech, they’ll have to do the same—by building connectivity, services, and experiences that feel intuitive, and, yes, magical.