This console generation seems skippable

The best thing about this gen so far is the rise of handheld PCs, like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. I mostly play on the Deck nowadays, while the PS5 gathers dust.

My steamdeck makes me feel like I've gone 3rd party. It's affordable and can run about 90 percent of releases. Plus indies and it's not locked down by anything.

I think this is by far the worst generation for gaming.

Obviously from a technical standpoint, it's great. Fast loading times, better performance, graphical prowess. But in terms of the quality of the games, it's dire. I honestly don't understand why I was in such a rush to buy a PS5, because most of the games I've enjoyed have had PS4 versions, so whilst I may have experienced that better performance and graphics etc, I didn't really need to buy a PS5.

The reason is PC part prices. If you want an affordable in on modern gaming, you get a PS5 or Xbox. Yeah, you can get used parts, change settings, upsampling, upgrade down the line. But tell that to the person who just wants to buy a machine that lets them play games, hard to convince people to likely go through a bigger hassle, pay more, and have to assemble, set it up, and manage it themselves. I own a gaming PC and an OLED Switch, and if a friend asked me, I‘d tell them to just get a PS5. I would‘ve said something different five years ago.

95% of the games I play are on pc. With mods. Faster load screens. Better debugging by the community.

The 5% of games I don't get to play "new" will inevitably be developed for pc - by the companies themselves or some smart fan.

I figure consoles have another 25 years max before they are totally obsolete tech.

I disagree with not owning one.

If you have a 4k 120hz, VRR tv, then you really are missing out when playing games.

And the speed of the PS5 loading, along with Xbox series quick resume features, make gaming feel much more instant like it used to in the snes days.

I liked the price point of the PS5 vs getting a solid gaming PC.

Returnal is one of my favorite games of the last few years.

Demon's Souls is a delight for the eyes, as well. And I loved being able to replay such a classic PS3 game, even if Bluepoint modified the art direction from the original in certain ways.

FF16 was incredible, I don't care if they trimmed down the jrpg elements

Sony seems content sending many of its exclusives over to PC after a few years, which I'm grateful for. So if you've got a PC I wouldn't see a huge need for a PS5.

As someone who skipped the last generation... I think this one is way better.... Because it's fully backwards compatible. Since I got a PS5 I've gone back and played many games I missed. Meanwhile the only game for the PS5 I play is GT7. And since I've loved every GT game, it was worth it for me. I expect that GTA 6 will be the next PS5 game I actually get.

You're right in that exclusives are becoming less and less but I still think it's worth getting a PS5.

If you have the wallet for it I think the perfect setup is owning a switch for party games and Nintendo exclusives, a PS5 for Sony exclusives/general couch gaming and as your media machine, and a PC for all the rest.

Ps5 definitely has some great exclusives that imo make the system worth it, not to mention the graphical upgrades and how quick it is compared to a ps4.
-Ghost of Tsushima is a beautiful game, with a great story and gameplay, performs so much better on PS5 -Spiderman 2 -God of war Ragnarok -Horizon zero dawn -Gran Turismo

I use my PS5 for most of my games over my gaming PC, just more comfortable for me. Also I still like that you can get lucky if you go to a GameStop and find used physical copies of expansive games at a discount.

I have also always recommended owning an Xbox/PlayStation as a media device as well. Sound and image quality usually surpass your smaller basic steaming devices or built in smart TVs. Compared to my ps5, my ps4 crawls through the menus and loading screens. One of those things that you won't notice until you upgrade.

Having said all that, I wouldn't get the "pro" model, unless you have the cash and want to game in like 8k or some bs

PC has always been better anyway

The last console I got was the 360 halo three special addition. Been on PC ever since.

Which as we all know makes me superior.

PS5 is nice if you can't afford a PC capable of 4K or Ray Tracing for the games that are on every system ($500 for a machine capable of high fidelity gaming is a good value; couldn't build a PC for that price with the same capabilities atm).

It might be more worthwhile if the exclusives for it weren't able to be counted on 1 hand. There's very little to warrant buying a whole system if you're only interested in the exclusives.

Let's put it this way. Split screen was a mostly console exclusive feature before some genius decided to kill it off. Locking multiplayer behind a pay wall at some point was also the stupidest idea I've ever seen.

Most new titles for consoles are exactly as enjoyable on PC. The experience is almost identical. Companies prefer it this way too.

They can make a nice exclusive and release it for PC 2 years later to reap double the profit.

The above has me thinking that consoles are becoming a niche. I'd just get a steam deck for portable gaming and a play pass for the exclusives not yet available on PC.

For what it’s worth I love the ps5. The ps5 controller absolutely reinvigorated my love of gaming. I know some pc games are getting the adaptive triggers but I do not think it compares.

My partner and I got a PS5 when they became available and only played a couple of games on it. It mostly collects dust now. I'd attribute a lot to PlayStation's games becoming more available on PC.

As someone with a PS5 since launch... Not really.

I've owned every PlayStation generation since the original. I don't consider myself a Sony stan, but with the exception of the Xbox 360, I've felt each generation of the various PSX's have had a better lineup for my tastes. (Halo is great, though)

This time around, not so much. After three years, I have purchased five titles for my PS5. And, by FAR, the game that gets the most play is my PS4-version of Minecraft, so my kids can play multiplayer.

If you've got money to burn, I'd recommend a Steam Deck + Dock and a Bluetooth controller of your choice instead. Most of the same games will run on either platform, with the advantages of PC gaming - mods, forward compatibility, access to the MASSIVE Steam store and library...

Alternately the Switch has had a great lineup of first party titles - as usual. Just pickup a pro controller too, the "joycons" develop drift so fast it's not even funny. Every single joycon I've purchased (six pairs over five years) has developed drift in under a year. I know I can get them repaired, but at this point, I'm over it. Just buy a pro controller and have done with it.

(If anybody is curious, my five PS5 titles are

• Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Spider-Man 2
• Sackboy's Big Adventure
• Jedi Survivor
• Diablo IV

All but one are available on PC. I bought the Spiderman games before the PC ports arrived. Jedi survivor had a bad port at launch and I really wanted to play it. And Diablo IV I was able to pick up used for cheaper than the PC price. ...let's just say that after hundred plus hours in D3, I'm glad I didn't pay full price for D4.

I do also pay for PlayStation Plus, where I've downloaded and played a few dozen indie titles, all of which are also on PC.)

It's worth it just for my PS4 library not punishing me with a ten minute wait every time I die. The loading entirely changes the experience and enables punishing gameplay to be far less frustrating, in the same way Celeste can have harder sequences and be less annoying than something like Mario at the same time.

But the controller features are insane as well.

I'm really enjoying my Xbox Series X with a Gamepass subscription. I've played a much wider variety of games than I normally would have.

You're right though, the jump between generations is getting less and less noticeable. N64 to Gamecube was like night and day.

PS5 and a Steam Deck aren't massively different in price. Building a PC can be relatively the same price during sales depending on your expectation. And then the games on PC are so much more often cheaper, that it saves a lot of money on that front.

Over the last few years, I have bought countless games for Steam at a few bucks or less that were $20+ on PS.

And that's not even getting into how garbage Sony customer service has been for over a decade when you need them.

I might regret wasting money on a PS5. I play Steam Link or Steam Deck more than anything today, and this is likely my last console Gen. Steam also has controller configuration settings that make playing older games so much nicer. Some games I never thought I'd comfortably play with a controller can be modernized very well with enough tinkering.

The Nintendo Switch is an appallingly slow and clunky piece of handheld. Nintendo hardware is slow and their UI, eshop, and general software designs suck. They are immensely restrictive about game saves, ownership, and transferring things to new systems, and their stuff is needlessly pricey.

I don't even bother with Xbox. PC for that.

I haven't seen the point in anything but PC ever since the PS4 came out. You get worse hardware and less games.

PS4 and Xbone was the first generation I skipped. I always waited to see what console I was going to get first but then that whole gen just came and went before I knew it. I kind of wanted a switch this gen but I could never justify it to myself.

I got the PS4 Pro having not bothered upgrading from a PS3. At this point there was so many good games to play. I was so impressed I got the PS5 a year after launch. I'm really disappointed as the games have lackluster compared to my time on the PS4.

Honestly the only console that I see is worth having is the Switch. Other than that I play on the PC and now Steam Deck.

PS2 was good, PS3 was skippable. Xbox 360 was good, Xbox One was skippable. Can you guess when I got a PC? Lol. The Switch was the perfect console to pair with the PC in my opinion, but then I got a Deck...... So, no, no reason to get any of the new consoles unless you just absolutely need to play the new Spider-Man game right now.

No. Honestly. I own one, but I haven't been able to play it for reasons relating to my work and I've got a lot of buyer's remorse about it too. That really sucks, but I really don't feel like I have missed out on much as far as gaming goes.

My gaming laptop has been more than a viable alternative. I really wish I hadn't been so impulsive with the purchase of my PS5. I genuinely feel like it wasn't worth all the struggle it took to get it, and the financial loss/burden/degradation that it caused.

I've been considering selling it, for some time now, but I'm having trouble committing...

I'd love to hear your stories/advice, for any of you in a similar situation.

I don't have a current console gen (if you discard the Nintendo Switch) but I don't want to skip it, I want a PS5 but granted I am not sure I'd get it if it wasn't retro compatible with the huge backlog of PS4 games that I have... Even the Xbox with the game pass is feasible to me (something impossible to think for me, I have always been a Sony and Nintendo user).

I don't think I've played anything exclusive to the PS5. Not worth buying in my opinion.

I have played stuff exclusive to the switch, I mostly dislike it though. I'm not sure why, I think it's that they don't compete because they have us with their catalogue and I dislike their business practices, selling gimmicks and vaulting content. Especially given most of the switch games are port of Wiiu games then it probably is skippable.

I'd agree, should have skipped.

I gotta be honest I am waiting for the inevitable PS5 Pro because nothing is out this gen that interests me and the AAAs are mostly duds at this point, something we saw a lot of last gen. Industry is due a large adjustment.

If Sony brings Demons souls remake to pc then I'll agree with you. I'm still holding out for that one.

I already skipped the ps4 and instead built a PC, as you can see from my avatar Sony doesn't have anything to offer me anymore since japanese third parties started porting everything to PC and they closed down japan studio.

Also the PC version is often not censored or at least has a patch.

I play some Xbox SEX but I bought a PS5 on a whim when I had a (then-)rare chance in 2022, and it's still unopened in my closet.

I just assumed it's because I'm busy and wished I had more time. But now that you mention it, not a lot of must-play games. Even Elden Ring on Xbox, I could've played on PC just fine.

When the new FF7 remaster episode comes out I'll probably set it up then.

Steam Deck is the MVP of this Gen, for sure.

I think as someone who enjoys being in the zeitgeist of gaming. The switch is still kind of non debatable. It has way too many varied and strong first parties. While Sony doesn't have as many. Most of their game release within the GotY range currently so also worth it.

If you are a normal gamer. You are correct in some way. Realistically I may recommend Xbox in favour basically only for gamepass. It's cheaper than a PC post graphics card gouge and is less scary to newcomers. Their gamepass is also slightly better.

I'm waiting to see the switch successor. I have used mines like a lot. That, and my Retroid Pocket.

I think if console is your way of gaming then upgrading to a PS4 or XBSX is alright.

Personally I only bought an XSS because it was relatively cheap last year (plus Gamepass with the £1 upgrade offer) but I'm done with future consoles now. PC gaming doesn't have to expensive so that's the way forward for myself.

As a lifetime PC gamer, I wholeheartedly agree. There were many console games I had been envious about in the PS2, PS3 or PS4 era. Now? Nope, nothing. Partially because the industry got so bad I'm hardly interested in most new games, but the exclusives are pretty much non-existent in the genres I'm interested in.

Really comes down to what you’re looking for.

The PS5 is just a PS4 with new design and a bit better performance. No Exclusives because the developers know, that on pc they can just plug in a controller and have the same feeling ( And even on a handheld, aka Steamdeck... ). My recommendation:

A handheld PC ( SteamDeck ( my favourite ) or the ROG Ally )

Differences:

Steamdeck: 2 Trackpads are really great! You can easily work with games that are mouse heavy. ( I use it for shooter games ) Fully customizable buttons ( literally everything, with even sub menus, alternative modes, community layouts etc... ) Joysticks are on the same height. Linux, less overhead and longer gaming sessions. ( You can tinker more on linux than on windows, but valve did a great job on not locking you in so you can easily install any OS that runs steam ;D ) Repairability is the best! ( Valve has a cooperation with IFixit with replacement parts ) Upgradeability is easy ( For example bigger storage, better thumbsticks ) They hear to the community of gamers and repairers. Pausing games is so easy ( Just press the power button and it saves the game where it is and saves power ) Its back again in under 5 seconds.

( Just to note those "Gamepass" Games can be easily installed if you just install windows on the steam deck if you want it )

ROG Ally: No trackpad ( so only controller optimized games ) Windows ( A lot of overhead but best compatibility with games. ) ROGs software is sometimes a bit clunky but usable. Joysticks are not on the same height. You can plug a external GPU with a proprietary plug. ( Literally a GPU in a box with some extra costs, but it improves performance on some gpu intensive games )

I mostly game on consoles, but we're multiple years into this generation and there still isn't anything I'm interested in that isn't on PS4 too.

However, I'll get the next Nintendo console. The switch was more than worth it. A steam deck could work too, I guess, but I liked quite a lot of Nintendos exclusives.

I'll admit, since most games are playable on the ps4 instead, currently it does make some sense to skip ps5.

The only ones I can think of that I wouldn't have missed are Returnal and Spiderman 2, but returnal is pretty difficult and not for everyone. I wouldn't have missed Spider-man 2, but I loved the first one. It's pretty short but amazing.

That being said, I love the speed and graphics of the PS5. Worth it to me for that.

I own a ps5, a switch and Surface Go 1 running Linux for administrative work. It’s my perfect combo.

For sure, I’m mostly playing Ps4 games on my ps5, but I wouldn’t be able to play demanding games on my ps4.

Newer games aren’t available on ps4 and I hope it’s gonna be a really long generation as I hope they’re not gonna try to make us upgrade to a ps6 in a few years. I don’t really care about crazy graphics anymore as I think we’ve reached a really nice point and AAA games are already so expensive to produce.

I kind of only play on the PlayStation 5 as the switch is for my kids.

A Steam Deck could also be a nice replacement for my Surface Go as it would allow me to play some PC strategy games.

I abandoned consoles in after the 7th gen (360/PS3 era). Like you said, with exclusives being few and far between, I see no reason to own anything other than a PC. Every game I want to play eventually comes to the platform; even Switch exclusives run at full speed, and upscale to 4K rather nicely.

I'll wait and see what Nintendo announce, but it's likely that I'll be skipping this gen too.

There are very few AAA games that actually interest me right now. I have little reason to get a PS5 and even fewer reasons to buy an Xbox Series console. If hell truly freezes over and the Switch successor turns out to be a far more powerful console with better online capabilities, then I just might buy it.

I haven't found a compelling reason to not just build a solid gaming pc, then buy a Chromecast and steam link to it.

Latency is quite low on a wired connection, I can stream 4k to my TV, and I can use an Xbox controller. You literally couldn't tell me the difference most of the time.

I'm rocking an 11th gen Intel i9, 4060 ti, and gigabit network wired between PC <-> chromecast.

Just make sure you get the latest chromecast that can handle 4k streaming though!

Not to wire ethernet into a chromecast, you need a USB c adapter, those dongles that take in USB C power, ethernet, etc. It has a single fully functional USB c port, so you can also connect wired USB and all the jazz to it if needed.

Sometimes, it bothers me that this community has been taken over by the pc gaming bros. I guess it's reflective of lemmy as a whole. After the burst of new users, you got a lot of diversity systemwide.

But that's gone again now, and we are just left with the overly technical people who are going to circlejerk about the same things over and over.

Lemmy just didn't stick, and this is what we have left.