I had forgotten how expensive console games are…
Discussion
I've been a PC Master Race gamer since the start of COVID but after finally getting a 4K OLED telly I caved on my resistance to PS5 and ordered one, principally for the UHD disc player and ability to play the library of PS4 games I have from my PS4 Pro.
Good points: I've got the new Slim model and it oozes build quality. The weird design isn't so bad when the console isn't behemoth size and they have tidied it up ever so slightly too. PS4 back-compat is very good and the bigger titles have patches to improve them on PS5, some even have upgrades available (free or otherwise) to PS5 version if one exists. UHD playback is good, as is BD playback. The system handles HDR really well, unlike a Windows PC. It's nice to be able to use a suitable m.2 SSD as internal expansion and it handles external USB3 drives well too.
But ....
My God, the prices of games! It's a real shock after being able to pick up bargains all over the place on the PC. And its not like they are giving the console away either - after three years the 'Slim' model is actually more expensive than the launch price. Unprecedented. And the lovely slick interface seems to be utterly focussed on selling you games and services at every opportunity. I'm still sore that they won't just support PS1/2/3 directly,either.
All in all, it's a nice companion to an expensive TV but I just feel the overal cost is prohibitive and you could 'lose' all your games if their next gen isn't compatible should you want to upgrade. I will likely live on my supply of PS4 games and PS Plus 'Essentials' monthly releases. Actually, Sony seem to be getting stingy with PS Plus .. it's not a patch on good old days of PS3 when you got top titles and at one stage I was getting good Vita, PS3 and PS4 games every month (up to six games). Hmm, Thank goodness I'm not a parent to a teen with a PS5.. that could get expensive quick.
Good points: I've got the new Slim model and it oozes build quality. The weird design isn't so bad when the console isn't behemoth size and they have tidied it up ever so slightly too. PS4 back-compat is very good and the bigger titles have patches to improve them on PS5, some even have upgrades available (free or otherwise) to PS5 version if one exists. UHD playback is good, as is BD playback. The system handles HDR really well, unlike a Windows PC. It's nice to be able to use a suitable m.2 SSD as internal expansion and it handles external USB3 drives well too.
But ....
My God, the prices of games! It's a real shock after being able to pick up bargains all over the place on the PC. And its not like they are giving the console away either - after three years the 'Slim' model is actually more expensive than the launch price. Unprecedented. And the lovely slick interface seems to be utterly focussed on selling you games and services at every opportunity. I'm still sore that they won't just support PS1/2/3 directly,either.
All in all, it's a nice companion to an expensive TV but I just feel the overal cost is prohibitive and you could 'lose' all your games if their next gen isn't compatible should you want to upgrade. I will likely live on my supply of PS4 games and PS Plus 'Essentials' monthly releases. Actually, Sony seem to be getting stingy with PS Plus .. it's not a patch on good old days of PS3 when you got top titles and at one stage I was getting good Vita, PS3 and PS4 games every month (up to six games). Hmm, Thank goodness I'm not a parent to a teen with a PS5.. that could get expensive quick.
Yup, do you have the disc version? YOu can pick up second hand games that way usually at a discount and now and again find a bargain in the ps store. But yes, new games at 90 is madness IMHO.
Saying that, once Horizon Forbidden West is on the PC, I will be splashing out the 50 or so to get it.
Saying that, once Horizon Forbidden West is on the PC, I will be splashing out the 50 or so to get it.
Todays prices of £50 plus for a game are nuts and I rarely but games on launch now for the same reason. I waited for like 9 months when the last FIFA came out and paid £19.99 and waiting for EA24 (or whatever it called now to have a similar deal).
Just picked up Robocop Rogue City for £20 as it went on sale from Argos for £35 and I had £15 worth of Nectar points saved up. Playsation Plus is another annual cost of console ownership I have a gripe about I don't want to play the catalogue. Why don't they have a cheap no frill option for 'online access' to play games..
Just picked up Robocop Rogue City for £20 as it went on sale from Argos for £35 and I had £15 worth of Nectar points saved up. Playsation Plus is another annual cost of console ownership I have a gripe about I don't want to play the catalogue. Why don't they have a cheap no frill option for 'online access' to play games..
lizardbrain said:
Am I being nostalgic or did I pay £45 1995 money for Firefox on the snes?
In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
Yep, the console was like £150 when it came out so each game was a third the cost of the console. Consider how much more you get now with open-world games like GTA or Red Dead etc, hour for hour it's better value now than ever. In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
I agree with OP though, I don't buy many games a year (maybe 2?) and it seems next time the next COD or Forza comes round it's jumped up in price.
I got the disc version (wanted it for UHD disc playback for the new TV).... But not really going to bother picking up new games on the PS5 unless they are 100% PS5 exclusive and I really want them AND they are on a sale. 
As for older PS4 games I can surely source PC versions on PC, cheap, anyway.
Many of the Sony console exclusives end up on the PC after a while so I'll get them there too, when the price is low. I'll probably continue to do most gaming by streaming (either from my PC or the cloud) to the TV.
If I have the game already in my Playstation library though I'll play on PS5 ... I actually had a ton of stuff that I had bought for PS4 and there's a lot of PS Plus games that I collected. I just won't be paying top dollar for new ones. The PS5 is a good gameplay experience and pairs very well with a nice modern TV set - just at a steep price.
As for older PS4 games I can surely source PC versions on PC, cheap, anyway.Many of the Sony console exclusives end up on the PC after a while so I'll get them there too, when the price is low. I'll probably continue to do most gaming by streaming (either from my PC or the cloud) to the TV.
If I have the game already in my Playstation library though I'll play on PS5 ... I actually had a ton of stuff that I had bought for PS4 and there's a lot of PS Plus games that I collected. I just won't be paying top dollar for new ones. The PS5 is a good gameplay experience and pairs very well with a nice modern TV set - just at a steep price.
lizardbrain said:
Am I being nostalgic or did I pay £45 1995 money for Firefox on the snes?
In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
Turok the dinosaur hunter was £70 in the late 90s too. In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
I have been a Xbox gamer since the 360. During one of the lockdowns I bought a digital only PS5 & was shocked how expensive the games are.
Unlike Xbox, Sony don't allow third party sellers of digital games, so you're stuck paying full price. With Xbox, at least you can use a digital store to buy games for £40-50
Unlike Xbox, Sony don't allow third party sellers of digital games, so you're stuck paying full price. With Xbox, at least you can use a digital store to buy games for £40-50
lizardbrain said:
Am I being nostalgic or did I pay £45 1995 money for Firefox on the snes?
In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
Probably, yes, this is 1992:In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
Yup, do you have the disc version? YOu can pick up second hand games that way usually at a discount and now and again find a bargain in the ps store. But yes, new games at 90 is madness IMHO.
Saying that, once Horizon Forbidden West is on the PC, I will be splashing out the 50 or so to get it.
Saying that, once Horizon Forbidden West is on the PC, I will be splashing out the 50 or so to get it.
lizardbrain said:
Am I being nostalgic or did I pay £45 1995 money for Firefox on the snes?
In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
I always think this. I'm not entirely sure why people complain about it now. Games are longer, generally have way more content, take way more to produce, have way more people involved. Honestly the credits on something like Tomb Raider 1 are really quaint. It would make no sense for AAA titles to be any less than they are, to me.In real terms it seems they were more expensive then.
It was good enough value when I played each game to death. These days game pass subs seem to suit my attention span better
I do tend to buy a game and play it to death though, I'm not one for trying lots of games a little bit. So I guess that would get expensive in that way. But over a year, I don't think I spend any more on games now than I did 20 years ago
See if any of this is useful to you.
I trawl Amazon and amazon warehouse for good deals, as well as Gumtree and CEX. Facebook market place occasionally too.
On Amazon I search for PS5 games and list them lowest price first, work my way through them and decide if any of them are worth picking up. I am entirely anti buying any brand new released PS5 games unless it was Elden Ring and the DLC whenever that appears. Everything else is bought at a time when the value seems far better. I'm interested in Lies of Pi and Lords of the Fallen and just waiting till they feel like a good price. Lords has already dropped sharply but Lies is holding relatively high for now.
Also one PS3 fat backwards compatible and you have the entire PS1 - PS5 library available to you.
I've shared a pic of my current collection for any ideas. I also have Elden Ring but thats on the Souls display shelf..
I trawl Amazon and amazon warehouse for good deals, as well as Gumtree and CEX. Facebook market place occasionally too.
On Amazon I search for PS5 games and list them lowest price first, work my way through them and decide if any of them are worth picking up. I am entirely anti buying any brand new released PS5 games unless it was Elden Ring and the DLC whenever that appears. Everything else is bought at a time when the value seems far better. I'm interested in Lies of Pi and Lords of the Fallen and just waiting till they feel like a good price. Lords has already dropped sharply but Lies is holding relatively high for now.
Also one PS3 fat backwards compatible and you have the entire PS1 - PS5 library available to you.
I've shared a pic of my current collection for any ideas. I also have Elden Ring but thats on the Souls display shelf..
I really don’t get this.
How many hours have you spent on a game?
If you rack up just 100 hours in a game at £100, it’s £1 per hour, what else can you do these days to keep yourself entertained for £1 per hour?
Games are not expensive, although I won’t touch anything made by EA as they are just regurgitated rubbish.
Do PlayStation not have a similar system to Xbox where you get loads of free games for £x per month (including live access).
How many hours have you spent on a game?
If you rack up just 100 hours in a game at £100, it’s £1 per hour, what else can you do these days to keep yourself entertained for £1 per hour?
Games are not expensive, although I won’t touch anything made by EA as they are just regurgitated rubbish.
Do PlayStation not have a similar system to Xbox where you get loads of free games for £x per month (including live access).
Welcome to the console business model. Sell the console below cost and charge for everything else.
Want access.tp online services, that'll be extra. Controllers, need an external drive because the inbuilt one only holds 2.5 games now theye a few hundred GB each. Fork that cash over.
Add to that the fact that games start out £10 cheaper on PC and go on sale far sooner.
Console manufacturers need to make up on their losses from selling consoles somehow.
With PC gaming, the cost of entry is higher as the hardware isn't subsidisesd, but once you're in you can recoup the extra cost pretty quick, within 2 years if you buy two games a month, faster if you only buy games on sale. Cost of entry is higher but TCO is lower.
Want access.tp online services, that'll be extra. Controllers, need an external drive because the inbuilt one only holds 2.5 games now theye a few hundred GB each. Fork that cash over.
Add to that the fact that games start out £10 cheaper on PC and go on sale far sooner.
Console manufacturers need to make up on their losses from selling consoles somehow.
With PC gaming, the cost of entry is higher as the hardware isn't subsidisesd, but once you're in you can recoup the extra cost pretty quick, within 2 years if you buy two games a month, faster if you only buy games on sale. Cost of entry is higher but TCO is lower.
captain_cynic said:
Welcome to the console business model. Sell the console below cost and charge for everything else.
Want access.tp online services, that'll be extra. Controllers, need an external drive because the inbuilt one only holds 2.5 games now theye a few hundred GB each. Fork that cash over.
Add to that the fact that games start out £10 cheaper on PC and go on sale far sooner.
Console manufacturers need to make up on their losses from selling consoles somehow.
With PC gaming, the cost of entry is higher as the hardware isn't subsidisesd, but once you're in you can recoup the extra cost pretty quick, within 2 years if you buy two games a month, faster if you only buy games on sale. Cost of entry is higher but TCO is lower.
Except within two years your PC will require upgrading to be still playing the newest releases at the max settings. Along with the hassle of getting some games to run with the correct drivers etc etc. Want access.tp online services, that'll be extra. Controllers, need an external drive because the inbuilt one only holds 2.5 games now theye a few hundred GB each. Fork that cash over.
Add to that the fact that games start out £10 cheaper on PC and go on sale far sooner.
Console manufacturers need to make up on their losses from selling consoles somehow.
With PC gaming, the cost of entry is higher as the hardware isn't subsidisesd, but once you're in you can recoup the extra cost pretty quick, within 2 years if you buy two games a month, faster if you only buy games on sale. Cost of entry is higher but TCO is lower.
Don't get me wrong, PC has a lot of advantages over console but you need to commit more time and more money than with a console IMO. For a casual gamer, console hands down every time.
C5_Steve said:
Except within two years your PC will require upgrading to be still playing the newest releases at the max settings. Along with the hassle of getting some games to run with the correct drivers etc etc.
Don't get me wrong, PC has a lot of advantages over console but you need to commit more time and more money than with a console IMO. For a casual gamer, console hands down every time.
That old nonsense. Don't get me wrong, PC has a lot of advantages over console but you need to commit more time and more money than with a console IMO. For a casual gamer, console hands down every time.
I build my gaming PCs for 5 years. Consoles don't last much longer as both MS and Sony are releasing a new model every few years. My last PC cost me just over £1000 in 2021 and isn't showing any signs of age.
A PC costs more at point of entry but costs less over all. Buy two games a month's and that's £240 a year you're saving on that alone, before we get to paying for online services which are free on PC.
Also forget dodgy VPNs, if you really want to argue that PC gamers can just use CD key sites without a VPN.
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