The Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5)

[Macalicious2011]

Have you checked ram, storage and video card prices lately? PC's are becoming much more expensive as well, so the price gap between consoles and PC's will likely remain.

Yes, PC parts are more expensive but many PC builders give you discount on components if you buy an entire tower from them rather than RAM, SSD or GPU individually.

Playstation Plus will likely go up in price over time. Another overlooked aspect of PC is that games are much cheaper. Steam, Epic and EA stores sales are frequent. You can often buy games for a fraction of what they cost on console. The games also scale as your PC improves. Therefore you don't have to buy remasters or the latest versions. You can also use old peripherals with your PC like my PS4 Pro controller and 360 controller. This can easily save you a few hundred dollars per year.


I use them to play Xbox, PC and Switch titles on my PC. So it's like 3 platforms in one. More expensive than a console but great value. However out of all three consoles, Switch, Xbox and PS5. I think the PS5 is currently the best proposition.

 

[keksikuningas]

I had a moment of FOMO but then remembered that I barely play games on my base PS5 (less than 100 hours since start of this year) and it doesn't seem likely that GTA 6 will run at 60 on the Pro. I think I'd rather build a PC once prices stabilize. The only big release I am looking forward to is FF7 Part 3 which will release simultaneously on all platforms.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I had a moment of FOMO but then remembered that I barely play games on my base PS5 (less than 100 hours since start of this year) and it doesn't seem likely that GTA 6 will run at 60 on the Pro. I think I'd rather build a PC once prices stabilize. The only big release I am looking forward to is FF7 Part 3 which will release simultaneously on all platforms.

My uneducated guess is, probably 4K @30FPS and maybe 2K @60FPS with certain features disabled and that's for the Pro.

 

[slitherjef]

So, finally got around to setting the thing up, my sister coaxed me into doing so tonight. Got the disc drive installed, made an account ( 🤮) while the system was updating. Found a nice spot for the console to sit. Got a few basic settings set. Thought I told it not to auto update games, but when I put the Tony Hawk 3+4 disc in the drive (it told me to while it was updating the system) it took a while and I guess it downloaded updates for it at the same time. Thought I turned this off...

After a bit while the game was installing, it said I could go ahead and launch and start playing so I did. Only could do free skate or something else while the rest of the install happened so opted to free skate. More clicking through more EULA garbage but finally got to attempt to play and wow... Totally not what I expected... In fact the game didn't even finish it's install before I ejected the disc and deleted it from the system. Not the game I remember from the PS 1 era.

So turned the system off and now pondering the decision. I've been out of the loop so much I'm not even sure what I expected. Going to sleep on things for now. Got the outer worlds 2 I can try later on I guess. Also my sister got a gift card for the system, I haven't redeemed yet, trying to figure out what next. My sister is really trying to nudge me and coach me for the system. She really wants me to get into the system, she loves hers and uses it a lot. I'm unsure now and wondering if I once again screwed up with a purchase 😖

Last console I got I think was the 3ds XL and PS3 slim or super slim. So quite possibly a shock with these newer consoles and games. Maybe I've put grown some of the stuff I'm trying to get back into and need to try something a little different.

 

[maflynn]

I can't see how buying a console makes any sense at the price points they're currently at now. I'm happy to have one, so this doesn't impact me right now, but there's no way I'd consider a new console (when they come out in a couple of years) if they're just as expensive

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I can't see how buying a console makes any sense at the price points they're currently at now. I'm happy to have one, so this doesn't impact me right now, but there's no way I'd consider a new console (when they come out in a couple of years) if they're just as expensive

Agreed! There's another underlying problem with next-gen consoles. The internals were probably locked in a couple years ago. If these consoles are delayed for whatever reason, the gap between consoles and PC's will only grow larger and trying to justify paying either $1K+ for the XBOX hybrid or PS6 will be harder to justify.

Supposedly rumors have it that the Nvidia 6000 series will offer double the performance and AMD may try again with an RDNA flagship. We'll see how it all plays out but as the former Sony CEO said, the "console era is coming to an end".

Nintendo seems to somewhat insulated from this as they have their IP's to sell and don't need the best hardware to run it.

 

[Taustin Powers]

With my massive PS4/PS5 backlog and very little time for gaming, I will be perfectly happy with the PS5 lasting another ten years. 😀 I mean, the games look and run fantastic on it, what else would I want?

 

[Ethosik]

Supposedly rumors have it that the Nvidia 6000 series will offer double the performance and AMD may try again with an RDNA flagship. We'll see how it all plays out but as the former Sony CEO said, the "console era is coming to an end".

I highly doubt it. NVIDIA doesn’t care about gamers anymore and AMD only has around 5% market share. Why would NVIDIA give us more power instead of require us to use all their AI slop technologies?

 

[maflynn]

I highly doubt it. NVIDIA doesn’t care about gamers anymore

They only care to add AI slop into DLSS 5

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I highly doubt it. NVIDIA doesn’t care about gamers anymore and AMD only has around 5% market share. Why would NVIDIA give us more power instead of require us to use all their AI slop technologies?

That's the rumor/speculation from TechPowerUp and Tom's HW that the 6090 could gain 35% performance and double RT performance vs the 5090. There's also a rumor that AMD could introduce a next-gen card with performance close to the 5090. Those are just rumors which may or may not come true. Way too early to tell.

They only care to add AI slop into DLSS 5

DLSS 5 appears to be just as polarizing as Liquid Glass. I maybe in the minority but I actually liked the DLSS 5 demo. I thought the faces looked more real and lifelike with DLSS 5. Again, that's just me and no doubt others say differently. But I am actually looking forward to seeing DLSS 5 in games.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

Good articles that can affect the entire industry.

Higher Hardware Prices Are an Existential Threat to Video Games as We Know Them

If the next generation of players can’t afford to play video games, then the next generation of gaming is no longer guaranteed.

www.ign.com

Rising Prices Mean We’re Stuck with PS5, Series X - Next-Gen Console Watch - IGN

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan peer into the future of gaming, only to see the same consoles we're playing today being used possibly years from now. With all models of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox having received several price hikes over the years, and...

www.ign.com

 

[venom600]

Last console I got I think was the 3ds XL and PS3 slim or super slim. So quite possibly a shock with these newer consoles and games. Maybe I've put grown some of the stuff I'm trying to get back into and need to try something a little different.

The experience you're describing started with the PS3, so it shouldn't have been that much of a shock. There's always retro gaming, though that is getting more expensive everyday too. You can get a retro handheld that plays older games for far less than a new PS5. I have uh... four. You can go the rom route or you can go legit with something like an Analogue console or Evercade.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I’m so happy that my limited gaming desires are totally covered via emulation on my Mac, including PS3 games!

 

[th0masp]

Actually broke the seal and got it out of the box and found a space by the TV for the system. My sister did grab the drive for me, haven't gotten it attached yet and I'm actually wondering if I should just go digital (I do have 2 physical games for it already and I suppose the drive doubles as a blu ray player since those are being phased out). But since games are installed anyway, most require Internet connection, many need updates and patches I'm not sure.

Hopefully I can get the system set up in another day or so when I'm feeling better and work is not as hectic.

My sister also picked up a vertical stand. Wondering if it's better to use the stand or lay the system flat.

Also realizing I picked a horrible time to start becoming interested in computing and gaming and most consumerist stuff 😵

The disc drive has the advantage that you can wait around for the inevitable competition between retailers and make use of price drops for reasonably new releases whereas on the PS store you are at Sony's mercy and may pay full price even years down the road.

E.g. in my region I could order a Death Stranding 2 disc from a retailer for as little as 37 Euros including shipping - or pay 80 Euros for the digital variant from the official store. Same edition.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I’m so happy that my limited gaming desires are totally covered via emulation on my Mac, including PS3 games!

I have a drive dedicated to PS1/PS2/PS3 games as well as Wii/Gamecube/GBA/3DS/Switch

 

[venom600]

I’m so happy that my limited gaming desires are totally covered via emulation on my Mac, including PS3 games!

Do yourself a favor and never get into retro handhelds. They are an addiction. There's a meme in the retro handheld community that everyone covets them, buys them, spends enormous time setting them up and then places them on a shelf to never use.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Do yourself a favor and never get into retro handhelds. They are an addiction. There's a meme in the retro handheld community that everyone covets them, buys them, spends enormous time setting them up and then places them on a shelf to never use.

I’ve learned a version of this with buying the official Nintendo retro Bluetooth controllers.

I have all of them and I’ve played about 10 hours total, ever, with them.

It’s amazing how much of it really was a function of the age I was at in life originally. Just not interested anymore.

 

[1rottenapple]

I’m so happy that my limited gaming desires are totally covered via emulation on my Mac, including PS3 games!

I honestly just got a ps3, and i was also given a 360. I was in school and starting my career during that time period and I missed so many games. So lock and load I have uncharted 2, and 3, plus battlefield bad company.

I really did not like gaming on the ps4. There were so many software updates that in the times I had time to play i turned it on and I had to do an update. At least with the ps3 there's no updates and it's not even connected to the internet. What a joy.

 

[1rottenapple]

Do yourself a favor and never get into retro handhelds. They are an addiction. There's a meme in the retro handheld community that everyone covets them, buys them, spends enormous time setting them up and then places them on a shelf to never use.

That is so true. I have about 15 GBA games and I never break it out and play them ugh. I even have an analogue pocket ugh. I just have a few more games to buy and I am set lol. Fzero, metroid, tactics. And I can stop the nonsense.

 

[snipr125]

I paid £250 (£150 with a work voucher) for my Xbox One series S brand new during covid lockdown, and then about £380 on Amazon black Friday for my PS5 Slim just after it was released. Have had plenty of gaming pleasure out of them, but just feel sorry for people buying the exact same devices now.

 

[MacBH928]

I’m so happy that my limited gaming desires are totally covered via emulation on my Mac, including PS3 games!

which mac are you using and how well do the ps3 games run on them?

 

[venom600]

That is so true. I have about 15 GBA games and I never break it out and play them ugh. I even have an analogue pocket ugh. I just have a few more games to buy and I am set lol. Fzero, metroid, tactics. And I can stop the nonsense.

It's always just a few more man... then you can stop right? 😂

 

[salamanderjuice]

I honestly just got a ps3, and i was also given a 360. I was in school and starting my career during that time period and I missed so many games. So lock and load I have uncharted 2, and 3, plus battlefield bad company.

I really did not like gaming on the ps4. There were so many software updates that in the times I had time to play i turned it on and I had to do an update. At least with the ps3 there's no updates and it's not even connected to the internet. What a joy.

PS3 games had plenty of updates. And if you wanted them to happen in the background you had to pay for PS+! You also couldn't start an update and then play something else. You just had to wait. Gran Turismo 5 basically rebuilt itself after an update which I remember taking forever. These days since the newest PS3 games are already 10ish years old you aren't constantly bombarded by updates.

That said I do also prefer the PS3 to the PS4. Something about the latter is just so sterile and boring.

 

[turbineseaplane]

PS4 was a real dud to me, compared to PS3.

I still get some wonderment with my PS3 when I fire it up and realize it’s 20 years old!

It feels “before it’s time”.

 

[th0masp]

PS4 was a real dud to me, compared to PS3.

I still get some wonderment with my PS3 when I fire it up and realize it’s 20 years old!

It feels “before it’s time”.

That was a terrible console IMO. Surely Playstation's worst. Loud, bulky, rubbish controller, features originally advertised went away quickly as Sony scrambled to bring down the cost of the unit. Hardware suffered from YLOD a few years down the line.
Xbox with a big head start and easier to develop for and Sony promising every year that the current year would be when PS3 gets into full gear - for three years straight. And it hit right when games started to look all blurry, brown, blooming and post-processed to the max.

Good things about it were the interface - adapted from the PSP - and I think the suspend function featured first in that generation (also on PSP). Couldn't live without suspend anymore.

PS4 was best IMO.
And I don't even know why I own a PS5 other than for cross gen racing games like ACC running better. They messed up the interface too, didn't they? I can't quite get used to it and everytime I boot up the PS4 it all feels so natural.