PS5: why am I putting off buying one and why you should too

I have been an avid console gamer since 1986 when I received the NES as a gift. I’ve been hooked ever since and was an early adopter over the years of many consoles, even importing Japanese versions of systems and games by mail, long before the Internet made purchasing virtually anything around the world easy with just one click. in a mouse.

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The PlayStation 5, however, is one that I’m not lagging behind, just delaying my purchase. And as I will illustrate with my reasons below, fellow players can find themselves in a similar paradox, perhaps even sharing some of the same reasons.

Before we dive into this, I want to add a disclaimer: the purpose of this article is not to understand a war or an argument based on what is right or wrong, but to illustrate a few reasons that may suit gamers looking to move their games. to the next -generation console realm.

In no particular order, the reasons are as follows:

1. The case of the missing console

A big problem for the next generation of consoles in recent releases has been availability at launch. Although historically, gamers queued in lines that make Black Friday seem diminutive for the latest and greatest consoles and games, systems from previous years were widely available to those who would brave the lines, or know someone who would get their console the right way. first day .

SEE: Best PS5 Accessories: Where to Buy All the Goodies for Sony’s Next-Gen Gaming Console (TechRepublic)

I remember doing this with the Japanese release of Sony’s PlayStation 2, along with two launch games, when a friend of a friend was able to secure one for me in Japan. He stood on “quite a long line,” he said at the time, but also noted that in the particular place he went, “anyone who wanted one could score once they crossed the line.”

Those days are largely gone, some of them being resellers looking to make a quick buck (more on that later), but some of it comes down to production levels that are affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. And while my experience with getting the PS2 from day one does not match other experiences, for me there is something decidedly different about my previous acquisitions and today’s gaming market.

2. Many games, little time

This is not a direct problem from the PS5 as it is more of a problem I have with work / life balance. Simply put, there aren’t enough hours in a day to balance commitments in my personal life, multiple job responsibilities, and juggling a ton of games. Unfortunately, something has to give, and sadly these days, games have moved to the back burner.

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I still enjoy it though and have been known to really get into certain games quite a bit, like Zelda: Breath of the Wild or God of War. My current accumulation of PlayStation 4 games is around 30. They are mostly brand new games that are still sealed, waiting to be consumed and enjoyed. And while I know the PS5 is backwards compatible with PS4 games, taking this into account against the other reasons on my list, again the urge to run out and get a PS5 feels more like a shove than a shove.

3. Speaking of games, where are they?

This is one of the biggest reasons I decided to go for a new console in general: what next-gen games are available at launch rather than what are coming to market. I can honestly tell you that speaking of aesthetics, all the new games look amazing. That being said, my taste in gaming isn’t set in stone, but I tend to lean towards more RPGs, adventures, and fighting for the most part. The PS5 launch launch line really only appealed to me with two games. Okay, maybe more like a re-released game and a quasi-DLC game.

SEE: Xbox Series X and Series S restocking: where to buy this week (TechRepublic)

That’s not cool and it certainly doesn’t turn down those leave-what-you’re-doing-and-track-a-PS5 feelings. If he Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales The game looks somewhat like the previous Spider-Man game released on the PS4 (and on my aforementioned to-do list) – and I’m betting it is – I’ll be done when I get a PS5. But even the developers admit that it is not a complete game like its predecessor. The souls of the devil It’s the other game I’m most excited about at launch, but I’ve played it before and again nothing that yells “Go get this now” how to say, The world of Super Mario was on Super Nintendo or the aforementioned Zelda: BotW it was on the switch.

4. Don’t feed the trolls

Considering the lack of time and the relative scarcity of the PS5, I’m not above paying some kind of premium to be able to get into next-gen games. Unfortunately, I’ve done it before with the PS2 in 2000, the PS3 in 2006, and more recently the miniaturized retro consoles from Nintendo, the NES, and the Super Famicom, respectively.

SEE: PS5 problems: trying to beat a bot, scammer or scalper and get a PlayStation 5 (TechRepublic)

But I can’t justify paying 150% or more over the MSRP, just to be among the first to enjoy the PS5. As much as I love games, I prefer to “work smarter, not harder,” and that statement applies to other parts of life besides work. For me, procrastinating represents spending that extra money to get more games instead of lining a reseller’s wallet.

I am also a collector of many different fandoms and I understand the premium pricing model and how it goes into getting the items you want with certain added touches. For example, paying an additional fee to have a comic rated or certifying someone’s signature as the deceased, Stan “The Man” Lee is understandable for the time and effort invested in getting certified, but not twice as much! price!

5. It’s about the Benjamins

I’d be remiss if you didn’t factor in pricing as it’s, well, such a determining factor in gaming. After all, it’s not just about spending the $ 500 plus tax on the console, there is the $ 70 per game (because, the games also increased by $ 10 this generation), add to that the cost of accessories such as additional controllers, virtual reality (VR) headsets, charging cables, and downloadable content (DLC). In total, taking into account taxes and shipping, typical spending on the PS5 with drive, some games, extra controller, and replacement cables, the average starting cost is close to $ 1,000.

SEE: PS5 Replenishment: Best Buy is the place to buy a PlayStation 5 this week (TechRepublic)

In the future, games will still cost a minimum of $ 70. Possibly more with a variety of editions available, some include detailed statues of your favorite characters, but they cost hundreds of dollars. For some, the initial investment is equivalent to a rent or mortgage payment. Ongoing game purchases can represent the cost of monthly utilities or internet access. Waiting a while will only serve to lower the prices of the console itself when Sony inevitably redesigns it in a slimmer profile with a smaller footprint. Also the cost of games will be drastically reduced in no time.

6. First world problems

As any technologist will tell you, the first release of any product is generally plagued with bugs or inconsistent issues that affect performance. While this can vary greatly by product, the PS5 hasn’t been excluded from some pretty serious issues that plague early adopters at the hardware and software level.

SEE: PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Why won’t I buy the PlayStation 5? (TechRepublic)

Speaking of hardware, there have been reports of console overheating, which is never good for any computing device. Other reported issues are drivers not loading or not communicating properly, digital games are uninstalled without warning, random crashes causing the system to crash gloriously, and the most serious one causing consoles to crash (or that cannot be used).

Again, these types of problems occur with all computing devices, although they are often more prevalent during the initial launch of a console and much less during subsequent releases when the manufacturers have fixed the problems. Software problems are also common during initial releases of game software. Most of those issues can be fixed with future software patches, some of which require day-one game-size downloads to fix issues that could break the game, such as those widely evidenced in the recent Cyberpunk 2077 game.

7. Back catalog galore

Sony’s PlayStation game catalog has a rich and immersive history of hundreds of top-tier AAA-rated console games that have been available since the first PlayStation console was released. 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the initial launch of PlayStation in Japan in 1994. There are many gems in those almost 30 years! Looking back to more recent times, the PS4 has a wide variety of quality titles that many gamers would find completely enjoyable.

And since the costs of any PlayStation console and its respective games are quite low to moderately low (especially with upcoming holiday sales), there is plenty of time to kill between the initial launch of the PlayStation 5 and the next few months when production lines are expected. . To balance, more games will be released that can further take advantage of the powerful underlying hardware that the next generation brings, and perhaps, prices will start to fall, making it a win-win for all console gamers looking to catapult them. themselves in the next generation.

Whichever style of play suits you best, we are all gamers looking to have fun with our chosen hobby. As long as we enjoy what we’re playing, little else matters beyond that.

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