This week both the Microsoft Xbox Series X and the Sony PlayStation 5 consoles will be released to the world. After much anticipation and intrigue as to what the next generation of consoles will bring to the fold, the public can learn those answers themselves. Everybody is extremely hyped for this week.
Well…everybody except me I guess.
As the old guy who has been playing video games since the age of three, I’ve learned that it is important to wait and see before rushing to buy a brand new video game console. It doesn’t mean that I will never purchase these consoles in the future but I am in no hurry to do so now. There are several reasons why that I will explain to you all. Who knows? You might gain some perspective from this. Not to mention, if you weren’t lucky enough to pick up these consoles right now you probably shouldn’t feel bad and will be thankful for picking them up later on.
So, here are my reasons why I never buy consoles at launch:
1.) There are likely to be faulty tech issues that need to be fixed down the road
While a video game console will usually run well there are moments when something can go amiss with the initial edition of the consoles. Microsoft Xbox 360’s “Red Rings of Death” is a notorious example of a faulty machine released at launch. The incident cost Microsoft over $1 Billion and it was a major embarrassment to the company. They were able to bounce back from it but it was one of the moments that warned gamers to be mindful of when they buy a new console that may have some imperfections that would have to be fixed down the road.
2.) Initial feedback from consumers is important so that you are aware of the console’s strengths and weaknesses
Public feedback is important. There may be details about the new console you might have missed out on or misheard. The console may have issues of running certain games. Maybe the memory is so low that it fills up easily and it is best to wait for specialized hard drives for video games to come out before you can expand the memory on the machine. For example, a lot of people are reporting the brand new PS5 and XSX’s memory storage runs out pretty quickly. Not to mention people have been having issues downloading their games via the online stores. These issues will eventually be corrected for future shipments as the manufacturers look to improve the consoles.
3.) There are still games from the previous console generation that still need to be played
The next gen games aren’t fully here yet. Only a few of them have actually been released on launch but most of the games that came out such as Yakuza: Like a Dragon or Spider-Man: Miles Morales can be played on this generation of console games as opposed to only the PS5 and XSX. Plus you still have other upcoming games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Nier Replicant Version 1.2247 that are coming out for the PS4 and Xbox One. So it’s not like you NEED to get the new consoles to play those games.
4.) The “real” next gen games aren’t out yet
As I mentioned before, most of the games that have been released as launch titles are not truly next gen games. The ones that are being developed with the next gen in mind haven’t been released yet. Games like Deathloop, Final Fantasy XVI, Halo Infinite, or Resident Evil: Village are developed with the next gen consoles in mind. It’s best to wait for those games that will likely take advantage of the hardware’s capabilities. That’s how we’ll know how truly “next gen” these consoles are.
It’s hard to be patient but it probably will be in your best interest to do so. If you feel you can’t wait then by all means go for it and try to purchase those new game consoles. As for me, I’m in no hurry to do so. The PS5 and XSX will be around for the next few years. So I’m content waiting for the right time to purchase them.
