It probably won’t preorder the PS5, but if search traffic and social media are an indication, many of you plan to do so. As such, I can only assume that an even greater number of you are on the fence.
Want to grab a PS5 on launch day and enjoy the next generation of consoles starting on day one? Or do you want to wait and see if the PS5 is really worth the cost of entry? (And remember, the entry fee can be $ 500 or more.)
You’ve probably already heard a dozen arguments why you need to preorder the PS5 in the second it can, and another dozen that tells you to wait until 2021, or the inevitable redesign, or heat death of the universe. Instead of repeating all the arguments, I surveyed the Tom’s Guide gaming team to see if we could distill the discussions. With that in mind, this is the best reason why you should pre-order a PS5 as soon as you can, and the best reason why you can miss it for now.
Why should you order a PS5?
I’m not a big advocate of pre-order consoles, or any tech for that matter. But my colleague Adam Ismail presented a very good argument for choosing a new console on launch day that is simple and elegant.
“If there’s a launch title that speaks to you, and you know you’re going to want it from day one, then you should preorder,” he said. “Otherwise, you will have a hard time getting one.”
It seems almost self-evident, and yet it is an extremely good argument. Suppose Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a PS5 exclusive launch title, as it appears to be the case. If you don’t pre-order a PS5, you may not have a chance to play until 2021.
There is a possibility that PS5 supply could meet demand, of course, as Sony has automated a large part of its manufacturing processes. On the other hand, history suggests there is always a shortage of consoles at launch for one reason or another, and relying on the PS5 to counter the trend would pose great risk.
Look at it this way: Suppose the PS5 comes out on November 20. Let’s also assume that it runs out instantly and that refills are infrequent, as has been the case with any other console launch from the NES. Everyone will want a PS5 for Christmas, which means you won’t be able to get one in December. January is when replenishment begins in earnest. That means you could get a PS5 in February.
If you really died from playing Spider-Man: Miles Morales, three months is a long time to wait for the privilege. And a three-month window assumes that the PS5 won’t be unexpectedly popular, like the Nintendo Switch, which took about six months to stabilize its supply chain.
We don’t know exactly what the PS5 release library will be yet, but we should learn much more in the coming months. If there’s a game you really want to play, go ahead and pre-order a PS5. It may not be necessary, but why take the risk?
Why shouldn’t you order a PS5?
The most important reason not to reserve a PS5 at launch is this: There will be very few exclusive PS5 games at launch, at least from what we’ve seen so far.
When the PS4 and Xbox One were released, the vast majority of games available for any platform were also available on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Likewise, most of the launch window titles on the PS5, from action / adventure like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, even RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077 and sports games like Madden 21 will also be available on current generation consoles.
There is no denying that these games will be seen, and maybe even played, better on the PS5 than on the PS4. But will they play better “$ 500-on-Day-One”? Probably not. Also, it’s not like buying the current generation version of a game will block you from a next generation update. Conversely, many companies offer free PS5 updates if you buy a game on PS4. Unfortunately, there is no unified warranty like Microsoft’s Smart Delivery system. But we should get more concrete details on free updates as the PS5 release approaches.
No matter how many games the PS5 launches, history tells us that relatively few of them will be exclusive titles. Consider that the PS4 launched with 20 titles; Precisely one of them was a true PS4 exclusive. Also consider that the only exclusive title was Knack, which was a boring and forgettable slog. The truth is, as long as you have a PS4, Xbox One, or PC, you’ll be able to play 99% of the games you want to play for months after the PS5’s release. As such, there is no rush to get one.
This calculation could change if the PS5 has a massive library of system-exclusive titles on the first day, of course. But neither the PS4 nor the Xbox One accomplished that particular trick, making the PS5 more likely to follow suit: one or two true exclusives, with a vast majority of launch titles available on other platforms. Running to buy a next-gen console for a library of current-generation games seems counterintuitive.
PS5 Pre-Order Perspective
If you’re hesitant about pulling the trigger on a PS5 pre-order, my goal here isn’t to convince you. Similarly, if you’re determined to pre-order a console, the second Sony says “wow,” I don’t want to convince you. God knows that money is tight for many people right now, and God also knows that most of us could have a little fun.
However, if you’re just not sure if you need a PS5 as soon as it comes out, let this article be your soul-searching. Is there something you need to play right away? Go ahead and get one. Are the games you want to play programmed for a system you already have? Keep what you have. That’s the advice I’ve used for the past three generations of consoles, and it still hasn’t misled me.
