Question about what console to get

I am a very on-again, off-again gamer, having had various consoles down through the years right back as far as the PS1 the original Xbox.

I play very rarely, as in I might play solid for a week, every evening for a few hours and then not play again for many months. The last console I had was a Xbox 360 which I only dumped a few months ago so I'm looking to get something new and I'm looking at the Xbox series X or the PS5.

I am not into playing multiplayer games and prefer to play alone with stuff along the lines of Bioshock, Mass Effect, Assassins Creed etc.

Just wondering if I could get some advice as to which console might be the better option or will it make any difference?

Also, whats availability like these days for these consoles?

Potential-Monke

Having had the PS5 since launch, and the XSX for a month, going on the fact that you don't want multiplayer and prefer single player games, I find it hard not to recommend the XSX simply because of Gamepass. Even a Series S with Gamepass is excellent if the best visuals are not important, simply because of the value you get. You'll miss on on Sony Exclusives (unless you also game on PC, Sony eventually throws the scraps to the PC players), but if that doesn't bother you, the XSS or XSX if you want the extra oomph and physical disc features. Oh, and I believe UBisoft+ is coming to Xbox so you get the Ubi games now too (Tom Clancy, Assassins Creed, Riders Republic, Watch_Dogs, etc) but I'd also imagine it's like EA where you need the Gamespass Ultimate for inclusion, otherwise it's a monthly/yearly fee.

Saying that, I still prefer the PS5 because I feel that it's a next step forward, instead of just moar powa as MS have done. Some people don't like it or don't feel the difference, but I think the DualSense is a genuine step forward and when used properly adds an extra level of immersion, games like Astro, Returnalt, R&C all make excellent use of it, and I can only see it getting better as more developers get used to it. Plus it looks like it may be the only console VR available once PSVR2 comes out, and that looks beefy too.

Finally, PS5 is still harder to get. People are walking into store picking up the XSS for a while, XSX for the last couple of months or thereabouts (I believe), but PS5's are still a bit harder to get. Personally, XSS/XSX feel like really powerful consoles (in comparison to previous gens), whereas I feel the PS5 is trying to make a genuine step forward, and it's power is yet untapped.

At this point I wouldn't consider a Series S, the extra 200 for the X is worth it for the extra power but more importantly the extra storage. With the size of games these days 500gb minus system overheads is not a lot if you are going to hopping between a lot of games with gamepass.

PS5 has arguably better exclusives in terms of single player games certainly to me, but 3 of those game will set you back about the same as 3 years worth of gamepass ultimate if you buy it right, so if you are playing on and off that would be a way to go with a huge library of games ready to go. Don't like the game? drop it and play something else.

There are the Dragon Age games there , and the remasters of the mass effect games. If you liked BioShock you might like stuff like Dishonored.

The list of whats currently in Gamepass is here https://www.xbox.com/en-IE/xbox-game-pass/games

I loved the Forza Horizon games, and I wouldn't usually bother with a racing game.

Gears of War is up to it's 5th game now and that's there too along with all of Microsofts 1st party titles and I think pretty much all of Bethesda's since <S bought them.

Much appreciate the info folks, a lot of good stuff there.

From what ye are saying, it sounds like an Xbox Series X, with a gamepass might suit me best. I just spent a few mins reading up about the gamepass and it sounds like it allows me the option of dipping in and paying for a month or two, d/l'ing a few games, play away and then cancel until I feel the urge to play again. As I understand it I wouldn't have access to those games when I stop the gamepass unless I bought them outright but that wouldn't bother me too much due to the frequency I'd be using the console.

Game Pass is the future.

Grumpypants

If you get 3 years worth of Xbox gold ( can be picked up for under 150. Then sign up for game pass it will convert 1-1. So you get 3 years of game pass for 150 instead of 450.

You can also stream games to the console to save downloading or updating. Handy if you just want to test something out. You can stream to your phone too. I was playing Halo infinite in bed on my phone last night.

With Game pass you can even stream to the older Xbox one X. If you can get one cheap. The game still runs on a series X in the cloud so you get Gen 5 games on a gen 4 console.

But be mindful the Series S is newer and only 300 euro. So unless the Xbox one X was under 200 it wouldn't make sense.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058226562/question-about-what-console-to-get

On again off again gamer here too. All the way back to Spectrum 48K, my little rubber keyed goddess. After PS2 I lost interest in console gaming because gaming on a screen in 2D can only take you so far in terms of immersion. Got a PS4 a couple of years ago and used it intermittently, mostly for watching netflix.

After all that... I got an oculus quest 2 a few weeks ago. Now I am playing table tennis every day, boxing my way to health and world glory, jet packing around til my legs go wobbly, visiting the deep sea and outer space in 3D 360 etc etc Completely immersive and an entirely new experience, ideal for the jaded or on again off again gamer IMO.

tl;dr consoles are so 20th century.. get a vr set. :)

recyclops

I have found that my recommendation of the series X with game pass has gone down well with friends and family and a fair few have jumped ship from other consoles and not looked back.

Having a zelda, last of us etc every 3/4 years just isn't worth sticking to one console or the other and gamepass has opened most up to different genres etc that they now give a go at because its risk free, the other series they like they pick up and game spending has dramatically decreased for some.

As an owner of all consoles its a no brainer for anyone to go series X now until Sony/Nintendo get their finger out and stop fiddling about with fancy buttons and handhelds. They will eventually do it put track record so far on both has proven it won't be a patch on gamepass.

Grumpypants

PS5 does come with a bunch of free PS4 games. All belters.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Battlefield 1

Bloodborne

Call of Duty Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Days Gone

Detroit: Become Human

Fallout 4

Final Fantasy XV

God of War

inFAMOUS: Second Son

The Last Guardian

The Last of Us Remastered

Monster Hunter: World

Mortal Kombat X

Persona 5

Ratchet & Clank

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Until Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437986#Comment_118437986

I thought that was for PlayStation Plus only?

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437986#Comment_118437986

Those aren't free games, you need plus to access them and that's €60.

Edit: already pointed out above.

Potential-Monke

60 quid for 20 excellent games plus all the other games you get throughout the year, makes no sense not to get Plus. Would everyone still say Gamespass is excellent if they all paid full price for it? It's the same as Now/Plus/Netflix/Prime, once you've played the games/watched all the shows you're interested in, it becomes just another service you pay for. Yeah, games day 1 is a big draw, but not all day 1 games are good. It is good value, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can't see it being financially viable in the long run.

Will be interesting to see how Spartacus holds up to it, but I think Sony have already confirmed no day 1 games will be included, which reinforced my belief that a Gamepass service, in its current form, isn't financially viable. Sony have been at it a bit longer than MS, and haven't had the huge resources of money to just throw at the problems. But they've always more or less won (PS3 is debatable, but it did outsell the 360 so....), and I truly believe that PlayStation want to evolve gaming, whereas MS are just "MOAR POWAR!!!! GIVE US MONEHS!"

I have a feeling that Microsoft know a thing or two when it comes to making money... just a hunch.

Optimalprimerib

Do you need to get a ps5 or xbox series if you are only popping in and out? Both consoles are still painfully difficult to come by in the shops. Would the older gen console scratch that itch? I reckon there may be a few stuck up in the attic of your gamer friends that you could get for next to nothing.

Potential-Monke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118453584#Comment_118453584

They're certainly quite good at buying out competition anyway...

Tech_Head

Have experience of both and would recommend the Xbox over the PS5.

Gamepass will be the major decider. There’s a few other perks like streaming games but it doesn’t sound like you’ll need it. You won’t need this right now but Microsoft (currently) doesn’t charge to upgrade the visuals / performance of games and Sony does. Feels like a bit of a cash grab from Sony

The DualSense is nice and you will notice it’s extra features when playing a PS5 game. That being said, you won’t miss them when playing an Xbox game.

recyclops

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118453705#Comment_118453705

Thats the key as nice as the dual sense is you dont miss it, except the big giant map button I do miss that, my friend was talking about touch pad but at the end of the day its a big giant map button and it always will be

Dublinandy3

Before the series X I was retro all the way, still am and own most of the old consoles from 8 bit upwards.

However, at the start of last year I got the Series X and it's just amazing, especially with Gamepass.

Probably because I'm getting on in life I never play multiplayer, and the Gamepass games suit for that. Someone earlier in the thread said would Gamepass still be good if you paid the full price. Well I was too lazy to do what was needed to get the discount so have been paying full price for 12 months now and don't regret it, I'd probably happily pay more.

What's also great is that you can play the majority of the games on your mobile too without downloading via the cloud. So if you're stuck somewhere or someone is watching something on the tv you can still pick your phone up and have a little game.

For me the series x with Gamepass is just the pinnacle at the moment.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118453658#Comment_118453658

And quite good at making money. One of the best companies in the world at making money. The second richest company in the world, when measured by market capitalisation.

In the very least, I'd say they know what they're doing. Probably more than you or I do.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118453887#Comment_118453887

And some say only Sony are interested in "evolving gaming". I think GamePass is the biggest evolution in years!

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454164#Comment_118454164

And I think Microsoft know something about Subscription Services. They're basically moving everything over to one because guaranteed monthly income trumps and hoc income.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118453603#Comment_118453603

Yeah I thought about doing, even looked at the price of a few secondhand ones.

Ultimately I decided against it. The price doesn't bother me a whole lot as I'm more interested in longevity. The main reason I chucked the 360 was because it was getting more and more difficult to source games for it.

If I go for latest gen ahead of last gen then there's a better chance of still getting the same level of service (game availability / releases) 10-15 years from now.

From that perspective, it makes more sense to me to spend the extra now.

RocketRaccoon

Something you may not have looked into is the Google Stadia. Much cheaper than the other 2, obviously not as many games but still a fairly large catalogue. I have one aswell as the ps5(and a switch) and in fairness, it has gotten a bit of usage since I got it before Christmas.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454344#Comment_118454344

I don't know much about it, but I keep hearing that it's "on the way out". Is there any truth to that?

DeSelby83

Very debatable if it's on its way out. It's 2 years old and number of games in increasing....but it's Google so who knows.

You can sign up and try it out on a browser, it has some free to play games like destiny that you could test out for your connection etc.

I think if you click on the link below you should skip the "sign up for a free month of Stadia Pro"

https://stadia.google.com/games/destiny-2

awec

Stadia would be a cheaper up front cost but Xbox with Gamepass will give you waaaaay more.

Gamepass is the best bang for buck out there right now.

RocketRaccoon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454717#Comment_118454717

I got it just before Christmas for €22. Managed to get 6 months of their subscription for free too so you won't find me complaining.

It's handy for work, I have it installed on my tablet so just bring that and the controller with me for quiet evenings.

Potential-Monke

Ah, but what percentage of Microsoft is the Xbox division. If we're going to include all of MS, then we need to also include all of Sony. The only figure I can find, is that Xbox, Windows and Surface is 29% of revenue, and Windows is a massive one so... Look, they obviously know how to make money, usually by having the ability to spend a crap tonne to make it work/buy out competition. I'm pretty sure I also read today that Phil said that transaction sales are also around to stay:

"Transaction is bigger than subscription", he says. "Subscription is growing faster, just because it's relatively new. And with Game Pass, we were one of the first movers in that space. But the transaction business is very large. We still sell physical discs." So in his own words, while it's growing, it won't replace transactions.

It's a personal feeling, but I feel Sony are interested in innovation and progress, MS just want to make money, and do so by throwing loads of it at stuff until some sticks. I still can't see Day 1 games on Gamepass being viable, unless there is little competition and everyone has Gamepass, which won't happen.

Also, I do miss the DualSense when playing on the XSX. It's very different, the haptics are leagues ahead of the rumble imo. I tried out Rocket League on both, and even though RL doesn't have official DS support, it still felt better than the XSX controller. More natural, and this will decide which system I play games on. If a game is releasing on both, I will get the PS5 version. But it's all personal preference, and a lot of people decide with cost rather than preference imo.

I still think XSX and Gamepass is the best value right now, I just think the PS5 is better overall due to the DualSense, the upcoming PSVR2 and what feels like a genuine attempt to make games more immersive.

So Microsoft don't know how to make money? My point is refuted I guess.

I play my Series X every day almost while my poor old ps5 and it's €80-90 games gathers dust. The controller is cool though. 👍

Potential-Monke

Jesus, it's just an opinion people!

But yes, the DualSense is amazing.

DeSelby83

Personal preference but I really dislike rumble in my games on all consoles so the dual sense is just a gimmick to me. I think quick resume is far more innovative and next gen feeling. But I'm sure both consoles and their features will start to meet in the middle as the generation goes on.

Going back to the original point I'd say get a series S and gamepass.

SuperBowserWorld

Have a Switch + various other Nintendo stuff and XSX. Never had PS.

My opinion ...

XSX has seamless upgrades/cloud saves/brilliant 3 year cheap xbox ultimate deal/cloud gaming/pretty good exclusives so far. XSX is super cool looking. It is excellent hardware.

PS5 has some super exclusives and games that really make better use of its hardware (vs XSX). Will get one one day when the price drops, they are readily available and a less ugly model comes out.

Switch has some truly brilliant (but expensive and never really on much of a sale ) first party games; is portable. Family friendly.

I too turn off rumble after a while as it annoys me and I also think it'll reduce the lifespan of the controller.

What I do miss from Switch on XBox is gyro assisted fine grain aiming. I believe that's on DuelSense; but still not many games use it.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457736#Comment_118457736

If you really think a massive corporation like Sony is interested in 'innovation and progress' and don't just want to make money you really need a lesson is economics and capitalism. Sony are as bad as MS.

Serbian

I think it's possible to make a decision here without getting too deep into either companies philosophy or business plan. Realistically, both consoles are very good with advantages over each other. I happen to have both a PS5 and an Xbox Series X, I use them both pretty regularly and they solve different problems for me.

The way I see it, you won't be disappointed with either console, but Sony's main advantage is that PlayStation exclusives are way beyond anything you will get on the Xbox. If you have not played games like The Last of Us, The Last of Us 2, Uncharted 4, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Spider-Man (surprisingly good game) and maybe Deathloop (coming to Xbox at the end of the year), then I think a PlayStation 5 would be a better buy for you right now. They are among the best games ever made in my opinion, and you have hundreds, maybe thousands of hours to get through them, with sequels of at least God of War and Horizon: Zero Dawn to come.

If you have played through most / all of those games, then the Xbox will be a better value buy for you. There are less exclusives (e.g. Forza racing games, Gears of War, Halo, Microsoft Flight Simulator), and are of lesser quality than PlayStation, but Game Pass will open you up to a very large library of games for a relatively modest investment. There are loads of 10 - 20 hour games on there, so that's especially good if you like to dip in and out of games rather than follow 40+ hour long story narratives.

I have traditionally been an Xbox gamer myself, and for me there are two personally subjective benefits that keep the Xbox as my primary console.

The first factor is that games that are released on both consoles are far cheaper on Xbox than on PlayStation. Now, you may look at the stores for each console and think that they're actually around the same price, but you can very easily buy any game for Xbox in the store for cheaper countries such as Brazil and Turkey using gift cards for that store, and you don't have to mess around with a VPN. Take a look at this site and compare the prices if that's something that might interest you. Using a current example of a popular game, you can get FIFA 22 for €46 on Xbox Brazil, or €70 on PlayStation. The savings are significant. If you want more details on how to purchase games using this method, PM me, it's not difficult.

The other benefit is the Xbox Elite controller. It's very pricey for what it is, but I love it. Obviously this is subjective, but for me the PlayStation 5 controller is awful, I hate it with a passion, but I've also been spoiled with many years of the Elite controller. This almost certainly doesn't make sense for you based on your situation, but thought I'd mention it anyway.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460391#Comment_118460391

I think if you like "movie games" like The Last of Us, which are basically games where the objective is to reach each cutscene and where your actions in game have no impact on the narrative, then I would recommend Sony.

But here's the thing, I can't stand games like that. I prefer games where your choices matter, such as Bethesda and Obsidian. And those games are on Xbox from here on.

So it really does depend on your taste.

But if the op is just a casual gamer, then the Series S and Game Pass is just a no brainer, which also includes EA Play (op likes Mass Effect) and soon Ubisoft is coming.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460443#Comment_118460443

The Last of Us was good but I really felt that I was only working towards my next QTE and cut scene as you say.

Now over the last few years I'd class the following as Sony's big games for PS4 and the ones you often see mentioned as worth playing.

Horizon Zero Dawn

God of War

Spiderman

Ghost of Tsuhima

Days Gone

Death Standing

What do they all have in common? Open world games. Sony have definitely been focused on this area and I feel a lot of them are very samey.

Arcadeheroes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118457736#Comment_118457736

The Raging Bile Duct

While I can understand Potential Monke's point that Gamepass in its current format doesn't look like it could be sustainable in the long term, at present it is fantastic value and it does wipe the floor with what Sony are offering at the moment. I have a PS5 and a library of nearly 500 games sitting there so I'll stick with the PS for now but if I was buying a new console now and had no real games library in any format to speak of, I think you'd be mad not to go with Xbox and Gamepass at the moment.

Hopefully Sony do try and do something interesting with this new 'Spartacus' service they are developing.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460391#Comment_118460391

That's some great info, much appreciated. Have to agree about the PlayStation controllers, I always disliked them.

Someone else mentioned Google Stadia which I'd forgotten about completely however after being burned in the past where Google shut down various services I don't think I can safely rely on them for something I'm planning to use for the next decade

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460616#Comment_118460616

The PS1 and Dualshock controllers were awful but the Dualshock 4 and onwards have been pretty great.

The Raging Bile Duct

The new Dualsense is a fantastic controller, especially when you play something like Astro's Playroom that takes full advantage of it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118460956#Comment_118460956

Yeah that's really impressive.

recyclops

It really was the best experience I had with the ps5, shame it was on the first day I got the console.

Potential-Monke

People still take my opinion too seriously. Yes, Sony want to make money, every company does, but at least they're trying to innovate, that's what I'm getting at. That's why I prefer them. Christ...

radius345

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118436607#Comment_118436607

If you are a casual gamer then you should definitely consider Google Stadia (cloud gaming service). You can literally play it anywhere (phone, tablet, iPad, TV, laptop etc) and you won't find cheaper.

You only need a Gmail account to get started and they have a subscription service (which you don't need to sign up for) for a tenner a month that currently gives you over 40+ games. You can cancel the sub at any time but if you resub you will get access to all the games you've played.

Obviously you can buy any games you want in addition to the sub service.

Also has Ubisoft+ so all their games are available for an additional fee.

I am very similar to yourself, casual gamer that just wants to pick and play when I get a chance, this suits me perfectly and is so so cheap.

A few caveats - it obviously does not have the PS or Xbox exclusives and is lacking a bit in AAA games but still has 250+ games to choose from including AC games, Resident Evil Village, Dirt 5, Hitman games etc

Also need a minimum of 20Mbps broadband for it to work properly (or 4G coverage if playing on phone)

https://stadia.google.com

Xbox GamePass also has a cloud service with hundreds of games on offer and with the recent acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard (and probably more to come) it's a no brainer. Stadia doesn't even come close to this.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118494466#Comment_118494466

For a tenner it's worth giving it a go, I'll try it so, cheers

I doubt you'd be disappointed with PS5 or Series X but I'd lean toward Series X and get the Game Pass stacked up. Ton of games on it and more being added to Cloud Play so can just jump right in. Series S I thought looked a decent option but seeing some of the games released on it, the visuals are pretty poor and it's only going to get slower. I can see MS getting a lot of flak within a few years if/when they pull the plug on it.(For new games, MS are better than most for maintaining legacy stuff)

Has anybody here accustomed to Xbox controllers gone over to PS5 and if so - how do you find the controller?

While I'm tempted to go over to Playstation for this generation of consoles, I'm still a bit hesitant about the PS controller with its symmetrical analog sticks. That said, I'm hearing some good reviews about the Dualsense, though I haven't actually tried it yet. Is the DualSense comfortable for people accustomed to Xbox controllers?

recyclops

Ah you get used to it fairly quickly I bounce between the two frequently enough.

The DS is quite good, giant map button is excellent and haptics are fine but you get used to them quickly enough. My biggest gripe is only one battery and having to have the thing plugged in during a big session can be quite annoying and it's actually stopped me playing a game a few times.

Potential-Monke

I was PS before Xbox, but the 350 was the choice during that era. Didn't get the One so the Series X controller (which I believe is basically the same as the One) is my first experience of Xbox since the 360. It's grand. That's about all I can say about it. Nothing special, but it does what it does well. Buttons, both face and shoulder, are harder on the Xbox, so I prefer the DualSense to that, especially after long sessions. My middle finger starts to get sore after a couple of hours of Horizon, but never on the DualSense, due to the flatter triggers.

But i'm coming from DualSense to Xbox, so I'm already biased. I think the DualSense is amazing, and with games that really utilise the features, it's night and day to me. Some people don't like it, but feeling the rain in Returnal, the different feedback from the guns in Ratchet, every single second of Astro... It's a game changer to me, and a true next-gen feature in my book. There's no competition between the 2 controllers, DualSense has won hands down, and we still haven't experienced the best of it yet, with Sony saying DualSense software updates will make it even better, and changed to suit developer needs.

And yes, definitely miss the touchpad on the Xbox controller, find myself thumbing at empty space looking for the map/menu. I also prefer the symmetrical sticks, feels more natural to me, but I'm PS since the first one so I'm more used to that arrangement. Battery hasn't really been an issue for me, I get 8 solid hours usually, and with the features on the DS I'm happy with that. Can always pick up a second if it gets to be an issue, but hasn't yet, I'm usually finished just before it dies. Have the official charging dock, so it sits there charging in between sessions, so no longer a problem at all. I think you'll get used to it quickly, and might even prefer it.