16 votes

What are your thoughts on the next gen consoles from Xbox and Playstation?

We are almost in a new generation of consoles and was just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on each offering. Some questions to prompt (but feel free to just share what's at the top of your mind):

Have you preordered a system?

Which system do you think looks best to you and why?

How will these systems impact gaming on PC?

Would you get the digital or disc version?

Will these consoles affect Nintendo's plans?

Has Microsoft re-claimed any of their lost momentum from the Xbox One launch?

What features are most important to you?

If you aren't planning on buying at launch, is there something you are waiting for?

20 comments

  1. cain
    Link
    I haven't preordered and won't get one for a while, if at all. But, I think this generation really depends on what you are looking for in a console as both have their pros and cons. If I were to...

    I haven't preordered and won't get one for a while, if at all. But, I think this generation really depends on what you are looking for in a console as both have their pros and cons.

    If I were to get one I think it would be an Xbox since I already have Xbox gamepass for PC and that service is one of the most worthwhile prescription services I've ever seen and only getting better by the day it seems. So the Xbox as a gamepass machine would be a great budget option for anyone. While I see the PS5 having better exclusives like they have for the most part on the PS4.

    As far as you questions...

    I'd go digital over disc, don't think I bought anything not digital since the PS3

    PC gaming should benefit as always from a new console generation, the better consoles get the better games get developed for console as well as PC

    10 votes
  2. twisterghost
    Link
    I preordered a PS5. Or, rather, my neighbor and I spent all evening both trying to preorder, and he managed to get two orders in, of which I am buying from him. I also managed to get a preorder in...

    I preordered a PS5. Or, rather, my neighbor and I spent all evening both trying to preorder, and he managed to get two orders in, of which I am buying from him. I also managed to get a preorder in eventually, but it was a bigger bundle that included some extra stuff I didn't care about, so I canceled it.

    I'm getting the PS5 physical version. I barely use disks but there is a really nice independently owned game store down the road from me, and if they survive COVID, I'd love to continue to patron them and maybe get a few games there.

    That said, I'm mostly in it for the hardware upgrade over the PS4. To be honest, not many announced PS5 games have me frothing to get the system just to play the games. It looks to have decent-to-good backwards compatibility plans for PS4 games, of which I have a decent amount that I've yet to finish playing, so I'm looking forward to playing those games on better hardware.

    I switched from a gaming computer to a productivity focused laptop recently, so I've been leaning hard on my PS4 for bigger games. I otherwise have a Switch. I'm semi-debating if I would get an Xbox this time around. I've never had one before. I got the trial of Game Pass with streaming, and want to see if that feels good. Otherwise I figure I'd rather shell out for a good gaming PC again sometime if I wanted to specifically play games that Xbox had and not PS5 (since theres a lot of PC/Xbox overlap if not on PS5).

    10 votes
  3. [3]
    meatrocket
    Link
    I'm not exactly responding to the actual questions of your post, but I just wanted to mention how this upcoming console generation actually has me excited as a PC gamer. The last generation was...

    I'm not exactly responding to the actual questions of your post, but I just wanted to mention how this upcoming console generation actually has me excited as a PC gamer. The last generation was really needed after the PS3/360 lasted for so long, but they didn't actually have all that much power, and they needed up-specced refreshes well into their lifecycles to keep up.

    This generation is advertising features like hardware accelerated raytracing, 3D audio, high refresh rate, even fundamental changes to game engine design thanks to their standard NVMe storage. The actual hardware specs are impressive to me, too - 8C/16T Zen 3, much bigger GPUs than last gen, and actual attempts at letting these chips flex their legs (TDPs are roughly double last gen, IIRC). These specs, for the price point, can't be beat with a new PC, at least not without looking for used parts. I'm excited for the normalization of this kind of performance and technology - especially 3D audio and high refresh rate gaming - and their eventual impact on the rest of the tech space. Maybe a wider consumer base for high refresh rate displays will make them more affordable. Maybe PC component manufacturers will drop prices of their mainstream offerings to compete with this console generation's performance per dollar (looking at the inflation of GPU prices the past few years).

    It's a good time to play video games.

    7 votes
    1. [2]
      Icarus
      Link Parent
      I got by with an old machine for so long, so I definitely feel you here. When the last systems came out, my machine was still way better than the OG systems. I'm excited too, but will likely wait...

      I'm not exactly responding to the actual questions of your post, but I just wanted to mention how this upcoming console generation actually has me excited as a PC gamer. The last generation was really needed after the PS3/360 lasted for so long, but they didn't actually have all that much power, and they needed up-specced refreshes well into their lifecycles to keep up.

      I got by with an old machine for so long, so I definitely feel you here. When the last systems came out, my machine was still way better than the OG systems. I'm excited too, but will likely wait a year or two to upgrade my PC in the hopes that the PC tech will come down in price enough to make a future-proof machine viable for the remainder of the generation. One feature that I hope comes to PC is suspend/resume. It is the only feature that I really wish PC players had so I could keep a game and its play timer minimized while I work in between sessions.

      4 votes
      1. meatrocket
        Link Parent
        I'm in a similar spot as you. I'm hopeful about both desktop Zen 3 and the RTX 3060. My 4690K will rest some day. :) As for suspend/resume, I think about how when you put a PC in sleep mode, the...

        I'm in a similar spot as you. I'm hopeful about both desktop Zen 3 and the RTX 3060. My 4690K will rest some day. :)

        As for suspend/resume, I think about how when you put a PC in sleep mode, the current system state gets stored in memory while the PC is in a low power mode. Maybe someone could mirror that with a game? Duplicate the game state in memory, or write it to disk for a longer term suspension? I'm certainly no senior dev, but to my understanding, that's more or less how save states in emulators work. Obviously the memory requirement for doing that on a SNES ROM is orders of magnitude lower than any game from this century - but Microsoft pays some pretty smart people to do some pretty smart stuff. I'd wonder how such a feature would work on PC with older games not made with such a feature in mind.

        3 votes
  4. [3]
    mrbig
    (edited )
    Link
    I would if I had the money. The Xbox. Sony doesn’t have a presence in Brazil anymore, and games for us are ridiculously expensive. Xbox games are usually much cheaper, and the game pass will be a...

    Have you preordered a system?

    I would if I had the money.

    Which system do you think looks best to you and why?

    The Xbox. Sony doesn’t have a presence in Brazil anymore, and games for us are ridiculously expensive. Xbox games are usually much cheaper, and the game pass will be a great way to get lots of games on the cheap. My friends will probably get Xboxes down the road, and I wanna play with them.

    Would you get the digital or disc version?

    Digital. It’s just much cheaper to get games that way.

    Will these consoles affect Nintendo's plans?

    No. Nintendo lives in its own little bubble. Maybe their next console will be cartridge based, they can do anything :P

    Has Microsoft re-claimed any of their lost momentum from the Xbox One launch?

    100%

    What features are most important to you?

    Cheap games and being on the same platform as my friends.

    If you aren't planning on buying at launch, is there something you are waiting for?

    Price reduction.

    edit: plus, I bought the PS4 because of the exclusives only to dislike almost all of them. I seem to have weird preferences, so betting on specific upcoming/hyped games is not a good strategy.

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      Tardigrade
      Link Parent
      How bads the price for you with the exchange rate?

      How bads the price for you with the exchange rate?

      1 vote
      1. mrbig
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        The Xbox Series X or PS5 disc version, converted to Brazilian Real, with import tax and shipping, would cost about R$ 4000. That’s R$ 3000 more than the monthly minimum wage. Microsoft may sell it...

        The Xbox Series X or PS5 disc version, converted to Brazilian Real, with import tax and shipping, would cost about R$ 4000. That’s R$ 3000 more than the monthly minimum wage.

        Microsoft may sell it at a loss here, like it is doing in other places. But that will still be a steep price for most to pay. The same is true about the cheaper versions.

        Sony won’t sell here at all, all consoles will have to be directly imported.

        2 votes
  5. 0d_billie
    Link
    Nope, I've never been an early adopter when it comes to consoles, and I don't plan to start now. I like there to be a bit of an ecosystem of games about before I take the plunge. Although with...

    Have you preordered a system?

    Nope, I've never been an early adopter when it comes to consoles, and I don't plan to start now. I like there to be a bit of an ecosystem of games about before I take the plunge. Although with that said, the Xbox Games Pass makes it a way more tempting proposition!

    Which system do you think looks best to you and why?

    I've (by sheer chance) alternated consoles for each gen since the PS2, and as luck would have it, I'm now all about the Xbox Series S. £250 for a console is a steal, and I as I don't like having too much physical media lying around. I've never cared about being able to play on the highest settings, so the lack of 4k doesn't bother me. I just wanna run around in a cool Cyberpunk universe for a few days.

    Has Microsoft re-claimed any of their lost momentum from the Xbox One launch?

    I feel like PS4 won the console war for that generation before Xbox was even out of the gate (amongst my circle of friends they never really recovered from the "always online" and "no second-hand games" debacles). Xbox seems to be the front-runner at the moment, at least to me. Although the range of exclusives available for the PS5 are looking much better. Microsoft are definitely looking better than they were at this point in the last generation, but whether they'll "win" remains to be seen.

    If you aren't planning on buying at launch, is there something you are waiting for?

    Reviews, a better idea of what games are available, and a list of things people actively dislike about the Series S and Games Pass as a service. Whether I take the plunge and buy a new console any time same is a toss-up. I'm about to move house to a place where I won't have a TV, so buying a console will also require buying a decent TV, which will significantly ramp up the price.

    4 votes
  6. KilledByAPixel
    Link
    Probably will buy a PS5 eventually, but I like to wait until there is a game that I HAVE to play. Right now I don't see anything in the launch lineup that is that interesting to me. Also there are...

    Probably will buy a PS5 eventually, but I like to wait until there is a game that I HAVE to play. Right now I don't see anything in the launch lineup that is that interesting to me. Also there are often problems with the first run of hardware and I still have a giant pile of PC and PS4 games to work on.

    The analogue pocket will probably be my next system purchase as soon as it becomes available again...

    https://www.analogue.co/pocket

    4 votes
  7. Akir
    Link
    This console generation is looking increasingly unappealing to me as time goes on. Since modern consoles are basically glorified PCs, the only thing really keeping me on is the exclusives. Those...

    This console generation is looking increasingly unappealing to me as time goes on. Since modern consoles are basically glorified PCs, the only thing really keeping me on is the exclusives. Those effectively don't exist on Xbox, and they are too far between on PS4, and when they do happen they vary widely in quality - God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and perhaps also Death Stranding were definitely system sellers, but I would not even consider buying a PS4 after the disappointment of Knack and boring games like The Order 1886. And now with two of those system sellers being released for PC, there really isn't much reason for me to stick with Playstation.

    Beyond that, I really don't want to deal with another mid-generation hardware bump. Even though I know I'm getting the same game for the base hardware, it makes me feel like I'm missing out. And there's nothing that will make me believe that it's worth spending the money to effectively buy the same console over again.

    One thing that has really changed for me personally is that I just don't seem to be interested in collecting modern video games in the same way I do my older games. Overall, it just seems like modern games don't have the same kind of risk or inventiveness like they used to - even indie games seem to be getting more safe, though that's probably more of a function of the big gaming companies abandoning everything that isn't mobile or AAA and the rise of 'big indie' (e.g. Devolver Digital). I've learned that one of the things that appeal to me the most is when games have these really great ideas or exceptional sound or graphics, but have either crazy direction or a major flaw in them. I get bored easily with most modern games because they're constantly giving you more of the same thing - I need gameplay that throws me a curveball every once in a while.

    In other words, modern games are missing the fundamentals of why buying games is fun for me. Retro games are like pieces of intricate art that are reflections of the inner thoughts and feelings of the people who made it at the time they were making it. Modern games tend to be the product of design by committee and they change over time. And because they are changing over time, even if you have a physical version of the game, you're generally not playing that version of the game. And so there is no real reason to physically own them anymore.

    This is not to say that modern games are not worth playing - far from it, really. I can find indie games that match what I like to play, and there's something to be said for games I can play to just kind of zonk out and stop thinking for a while. But the thing is that they are more likely to be found on PC and they are very hard to discover.

    4 votes
  8. Erik
    Link
    I haven't pre-ordered either one. I gave up doing consoles at launch, they rarely launch with must play titles anymore. And price drops don't take too long to happen. I'll probably wait for...

    I haven't pre-ordered either one. I gave up doing consoles at launch, they rarely launch with must play titles anymore. And price drops don't take too long to happen. I'll probably wait for whenever the next big BioWare game comes out and that will be what gets me over the edge.

    The PS5 looks like an easy choice for me. I buy these things for their exclusives, since I keep a gaming-level PC and always pick-up whatever Nintendo puts out, I need to make sure I can play exclusives I like. Microsoft has heavily implied that all their "exclusives" will also come to PC (outside of Halo, which I do not care for), while PS5 already has complete exclusives on the horizon. Add in that stuff like the Persona series has typically been Sony exclusive and I doubt I'd find much on the X-Box I couldn't do elsewhere. I think if I were younger, I might do the X-Box since I probably wouldn't have a gaming level PC and the game pass is probably easier to sell my parents on than buying games.

    Disc version for sure. I use my system as my blu-ray player, so I'd like to save the space in my entertainment center by combining things. I also enjoy getting physical releases for a variety reasons (loaning out old games, keeping collectors items, having access to back libraries, etc).

    3 votes
  9. stu2b50
    Link
    Didn't preorder one yet, but I'll probably grab a PS4 Digital soon after launch. I skipped PS4 Pro, so it'll be nice to just play current PS4 games at a real resolution. I'm planning on...

    Didn't preorder one yet, but I'll probably grab a PS4 Digital soon after launch. I skipped PS4 Pro, so it'll be nice to just play current PS4 games at a real resolution.

    I'm planning on maintaining my current setup (PC + PS4 + Switch), so with Microsoft being pretty willing to allow PC releases I don't see much reason to go for Xbox. I do think, though, that the subscription financed Xbox Series S is an incredible introduction to games. It doesn't cover all the games I want, but I also spent more than $2500 on this shit, so fair's fair.

    At this point in my life, it's mostly just exclusives that I care about.

    3 votes
  10. nothis
    Link
    I guess there's an appeal to being an early adopter but I bought a PS4 like 2 years ago and am enjoying catching up, playing one top-tier AAA game after the next. I honestly don't care about...

    I guess there's an appeal to being an early adopter but I bought a PS4 like 2 years ago and am enjoying catching up, playing one top-tier AAA game after the next. I honestly don't care about 4K/60fps for most games and it seems that is the primary appeal of these new consoles (although over the years, I'm sure clever uses of raytracing and photogrammetry assets will give next gen games a boost in visual quality that goes beyond that). The most gaming I do is on the frickin' Switch, so that says something.

    There usually is a minor hardware fix about 2 years in, so I'll probably wait at least for that before I consider a PS5. I dislike the way Microsoft is buying their way out of their lack of exclusives but I assume that means the next few big Bethesda releases will not be available on Playstation, which sucks. Realistically, though, that's still just 2 or 3 exclusives I'll care about and still puts the PS5 ahead. Maybe I'll return to high end PC gaming, it seems there's a few GPU developments that genuinely feel like a new generation and in a year or two, they might become affordable.

    Lastly, my bet is that we'll see one of the longest cross-gen phase in console history. Play it in 1080p on a PS4 or in 4K on a PS5, that sort of thing. It does not seem like they even care about selling hardware, anymore, it's just a way to give options to graphics nerds. They honestly probably lose a lot of money per unit sold, these specs are insane.

    3 votes
  11. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. Tardigrade
      Link Parent
      With the fact I can use controllers on my pc I don't really see a need apart from the switch for group stuff and that's kinda pointless at the moment.

      With the fact I can use controllers on my pc I don't really see a need apart from the switch for group stuff and that's kinda pointless at the moment.

      1 vote
  12. Pistos
    Link
    If I were to choose between the two, I'd go with PS5, because I guess Sony's hooked me as a loyal consumer all the way from PS2 (maybe even PS1). However, earlier this year, I happened to get a...

    If I were to choose between the two, I'd go with PS5, because I guess Sony's hooked me as a loyal consumer all the way from PS2 (maybe even PS1).

    However, earlier this year, I happened to get a computer powerful enough to consider gaming on, and so I've been using Steam (under Linux) and have been very satisfied up to this point. I've let my Playstation online (PS Plus?) subscription expire. Having just spent on beefy PC hardware, at this time, I cannot justify a major triple-digit expense, plus annual online subscription. For me to consider a PS5 in the future, there'd have to be some really amazing game that I just could not resist. Perhaps Battlefield 6. But, even then, it's possible I'd be able to play that under Linux anyway, which I'd probably prefer.

    A couple things I like about PC gaming:

    • One unified device for both gaming and non-gaming. Can browse links from games, export screenshots and screen recordings. Can switch windows quickly and easily.
    • Game sales seem to be much better than found on Playstation. Most of my games were obtained for under 10 dollars. Great value efficiency.

    Console gaming has its pluses, though, I'll admit. A no-nonsense, no maintenance device. Just start playing. Integrated on-demand historic screen recording (last N minutes). Cheaper than a good same-era PC because the console itself is a loss leader for the games.

    I've always preferred buying discs to hedge against the fallout of getting one's account hacked, but if they are making the delta a whopping 100 USD premium just for the disc feature, that makes me balk. I guess it makes sense because digital downloads cost the industry a lot less.

    2 votes
  13. JXM
    Link
    I usually sit out the console launches because the prices drop pretty rapidly after that and there aren't too many games that I can't wait a little while to play. Nothing revolutionary there. I...

    I usually sit out the console launches because the prices drop pretty rapidly after that and there aren't too many games that I can't wait a little while to play. Nothing revolutionary there.

    I did get an Xbox One S on launch day because it was the cheapest way to get a 4K Blu-ray player at the time and I got a good deal on a TV/Xbox bundle. Before that, the last time I got a new console on launch day was the PS2 back in 2000 (which came with a free copy of The Matrix on DVD).

    From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I think the PS5 looks pretty awesome. The Xbox X/S/whatever are just boring black boxes. From a utility standpoint...the PS5 could be a problem. It's massive and weirdly shaped, so you can't put it in any sort of A/V stack. It has to go on the top.

    I think the divide between the digital only physical media models will be the most interesting thing about this generation. If the discless models significantly outsell the ones with disc drives, I can see this being the last generation to support physical media.

    Sony's strategy seems like a good idea, give two models with identical performance - the cheaper one just lacks a disc drive. I think if the discless model gets down to $299 in a year or two, it could be a massive success. Sony could brag about how you don't have to choose lower graphical quality to save money.

    2 votes
  14. hamstergeddon
    Link
    I tried to pre-order the All Access xbox, but that didn't pan out. The interest-free financing being rolled into a Live subscription is really appealing to me though. They're both kind of the same...

    Have you preordered a system?

    I tried to pre-order the All Access xbox, but that didn't pan out. The interest-free financing being rolled into a Live subscription is really appealing to me though.

    Which system do you think looks best to you and why?

    They're both kind of the same as far as I'm concerned. They've got similar specs and neither has exclusives I'm super passionate about. The All Access stuff is just enough to pull me over to xbox and the Zenimax purchase is just icing on that cake.

    Would you get the digital or disc version?

    Disc, just in case. I pretty much exclusively buy digital these days, but I never want to be in a situation where I see a game at a good price at Gamestop or wherever and not be able to play it because I don't have a blu-ray drive.

    Will these consoles affect Nintendo's plans?

    Nah. Nintendo's been doing their own thing with little regard for what Sony/MS do since the Gamecube and I don't think that'll change. That we've had 3 generations of online gaming now and Nintendo still hasn't produced a decent solution tells me they don't care.

    Has Microsoft re-claimed any of their lost momentum from the Xbox One launch?

    They certainly haven't tanked the hype with invasive and anti-consumer crap the way they did in the lead up to the XB1.

    What features are most important to you?

    Gaming itself, streaming service availability, and a pipe-dream feature would be being able to natively run PC games on the xbox, but that's not going to happen :(

    2 votes
  15. sron
    Link
    I think it's potentially quite interesting. Xbox has by far the best overall package - better hardware, Game Pass, better backwards compatibility with games and peripherals, better design... But...

    I think it's potentially quite interesting. Xbox has by far the best overall package - better hardware, Game Pass, better backwards compatibility with games and peripherals, better design... But Sony is coming into this with the bigger name and better reputation having "won" the last generation. And while the Series S is the cheapest option its a bit of a step down from the X - Sony has the cheapest way into "next-gen" gaming by about £90 as hardware wise the all digital edition is the same as the one with the disc drive. Except the disc drive.

    I think Sony will end up doing better. But if it were my money it'd be the Series S.

    2 votes
  16. Ellimist
    Link
    After multiple attempts across multiple retailer websites, eventually I was able to preorder a Series X Oddly enough, the PS5. Don’t know why though. Maybe it’s got just enough of a futuristic...

    Have you preordered a system?

    After multiple attempts across multiple retailer websites, eventually I was able to preorder a Series X

    Which system do you think looks best to you and why?

    Oddly enough, the PS5. Don’t know why though. Maybe it’s got just enough of a futuristic look to it. That being said, neither of the new consoles can hold a candle to a well built custom PC

    How will these systems impact gaming on PC?

    Quite a bit, I think. The crown for Raw Performance will still go to PC with the new RTX 3080s offering the best 4K frame rates at a reasonable price.

    However, if the Series X delivers true 4K at a legitimate 60 FPS, that’ll certainly start to challenge PC superiority. It won’t supplant PCs as the go to for high fidelity/high frame rate gaming. The X will just start to narrow the gap and is a better value from the hardware side.

    Quite simply, you can’t game at 4K/60FPS on PC for the same price as what the Series X is offering. A 4K GPU starts with a 700 dollar 3080. Now that might change once the 3070(gonna be offered at 499) hits and we see what that GPU is capable of. It’s supposed to offer better performance than a 2080Ti which was last gens 4K card. But even then, the X is still a complete 4K/60FPS system whereas a 3070/3080 require additional hardware.

    Would you get the digital or disc version?

    Disc. As much as I appreciate the convenience of digital, I still like having a disc. And since the prices of digital only go down during a sale, I may as well get the full kit and kaboodle

    Will these consoles affect Nintendo's plans?

    Doubtful. Nintendo seems content to be the little brother of the consoles. They live in their own niche world that’s largely unaffected by what PlayStation/Xbox/PC do.

    Has Microsoft re-claimed any of their lost momentum from the Xbox One launch?

    I’d say so. I’d go so far as to call it a remarkable turnaround from how badly they were getting blasted for the original X1 features to now.

    What features are most important to you?

    Consistent 4K/60FPS. I’m very much one who likes to ogle the scenery of his games. My favorite games are RPGs so give me a console that lets me indulge in the beautiful visuals many RPGs offer.

    I enjoy many different game types on consoles. Sports, shooters.....but they rarely match the highest levels of visual awesomeness offered by a high quality RPG.

    If you aren't planning on buying at launch, is there something you are waiting for?

    I’m buying at launch but I’m also waiting for the RTX 3070 and AMDs newest CPU/GPU offerings. I’m planning out a new PC build to game on a 1440p or maaaaybe 4K Ultrawide. More likely the 1440p though. Easier to hit the higher frame rates and I’ll have an easier time staying under budget

    1 vote