Geek Babble– What I Want From the Current Generation of Gaming Machines
The current console generation (the ninth generation for those of you keeping track) kicked off nearly two years ago. I’ve personally not picked up either console for three reasons. The first one is that I don’t believe in being an early adopter, a sentiment shared by my fellow staff members– especially Drew. I’d be remiss if I didn’t share this still relavant video with you all. The second reason is that I’m waiting for slimmer, cheaper versions to come along. The final reason is that there aren’t any must have games for the current consoles. I figure I’ll eventually dip my toe into the current generation, but there’s absolutely no rush two years in. In fact, I may take a different route altogether in the near-term.
When it comes to gaming, I’ve never been an early adopter. The closest I’ve gotten is when I picked up the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS within a year of their original North American release dates. Every other system I purchased as an adult was at least two years after their original releases. (This doesn’t include consoles or handhelds given to me as a gift.) I especially came to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 systems quite late. I didn’t get a PS3 until 2011 and a PS4 until 2017. I was especially happy with my decision to wait on a PS4. By the time I was ready to buy, I found a Black Friday special at GameStop. It was $200 for the 1TB slim model. Remember, the original PS4 launched at $400 with only a 500GB hard drive. Having the revised versions of consoles gave me a taste for waiting. Doubly true for the PS3 where I had an original phat model, watched it succumb to the “Yellow Light of Death,” and ultimately paid Sony $100 to replace it with a slim model.
In this case, I wouldn’t be waiting for a better price. The pandemic ushered in major supply shortages for both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. Scalpers selling both consoles for double or triple their MSRP didn’t help matters either. By the time the supply of consoles finally stabilized, Sony decided it was a good time to increase prices for most places outside of North America due to continued shortages and rapid inflation. I’ve pretty much given up on the idea of buying a PS5 or an Xbox Series X for less than $500. At the very least, I could wait for revised models without a price cut. Said revised models now may or may not be coming in the form of pro models in the near or mid-term future. Of course this is just a rumor.
Even if new slim or pro models were to materialize, I’d still have a major problem with the lack of exclusives. Almost every game I’ve been interested in has launched on a console I currently own. The only exception has been Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade— and if you read my 2021 Summer Flame Day entry, you’d know exactly how I feel. A year and a half later, my sentiment hasn’t changed surrounding this DLC title. The only other PS5 exclusive title that has my attention is Final Fantasy XVI, but that’s not slated until 2023 and a eventual PC release could be possible. On the Xbox side, there’s not a single exclusive I want. Plus, Microsoft is committed to Smart Delivery for the time being. Whatever new games I buy on the Xbox One, I can upgrade to for free on an Xbox Series X in the future. The only console worth fawning over for exclusives is the Nintendo Switch, which will be six years old in March.
Speaking of the Switch, who knows when a successor or even a pro version will be released? I upgraded to a Switch OLED last year and gave my original system to a friend. While the OLED has been pretty nice, the performance of some games has been shameful. While playing Shin Megami Tensei V there were times I feared the game would crash given how it stuttered so badly at times. Granted, some games are better optimized than others, as I’ve had no issues with Monster Hunter Rise. That said, a handheld form-factor isn’t a great trade-off when performance can be shoddy. Thanks to my experience with SMT V, I’ve decided to limit my Switch purchases to mostly exclusives or games that won’t be too resource intensive. I’d love to see Nintendo refresh their hardware sooner than later. The Switch is overdue for at least a mid-gen upgrade beyond better battery life and a prettier screen.
I’ve had two years to mull my options over, and I’ve decided on a non-console option for the short-term. Three years ago I built a new PC and it’s more than capable enough of playing games that can run on the PS4 or Xbox One. I’m not interested in running my games on the highest settings, which means I don’t need or want top-of-the-line hardware. 1080P gaming is good enough for me at the moment. I’ve decided to invest the money I may have saved up for a new console into a new graphics card (GPU) and more RAM.
Now is an excellent time for a GPU upgrade thanks to cryptocurrency moving to a proof-of-stake algorithm, the glut of used GPUs meeting a supply of new GPUs retailers want to offload, and a new generation of graphics cards arriving. I don’t have my eye on the ridiculously sized and priced beast that is the NVIDIA RTX 4090. No seriously, some versions of the card itself are almost as big as a PS5. (I’m not completely sure it would even fit into my full-sized PC case.) Of course I was never considering the RTX 4090– what did I just say about being an early adopter of new consoles? The same obviously applies to other technology. I actually have my eye on the much more reasonably-sized and priced AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (maybe an RX 6650 XT). At most the card would cost $100 to $200 less than a PS5 or an Xbox Series X and allow me to play newer games without the bottlenecks my current RX 580 would likely run into.
Remember my issue with Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade? The PC version is available and it would allow me to play that version of the game without buying an entirely new console. Fortunately, Sony is interested in the platform as they don’t see it as direct console competition. I’m also willing to bet Final Fantasy XVI eventually makes its way to PC. At the end of the day, my computer could be a viable way to experience newer Sony games until a PS5 slim is released. I’ve few issues with the Xbox Series X as it is now, so I’ll pick that up whenever a handful of exclusives grab my attention. (Or I could also play those games on PC.) Nintendo’s going to Nintendo, there’s no need for next generation consideration any time soon.
I suspect PC gaming will be playing a larger role in my life for the foreseeable future. Even after the current generation of console gaming finally eschews cross-generation games.
About The Author
Angela
Executive Editor | Angela has had an addiction to video games and cartoons since she was young and impressionable. She enjoys writing long articles about these subjects and whatever else catches her eye. Mastodon
