Not a question of loyalty (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
A reader explains how they choose between PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and how it has nothing to do with any sense of loyalty.
I’d like to say a few words in respect to the many (and increasingly tiring) criticisms of Sony for their silence on future game releases and odd focus on hardware.
It’s nearly three years now since the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and I’m still on the fence about which one of the two to purchase. As someone who is fiercely disloyal to brands (assuming neither company employ slave labour) my interest is only in what helps inform which will deliver the best library of games to complement my Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 360.
The thing that sets this generation apart for me is the aforementioned: that in three years now there is still no compelling reason to buy a next gen console (if you own a PlayStation 4 at least). Sure, there are some good exclusives on the PlayStation 5 (although many of those are cross-gen) and Xbox Series X but nothing (in respect to my tastes and judging by reviews) great or at least compelling.
Except maybe for Baldur’s Gate 3 and some promising games on the horizon, there’s nothing so far from a third party developer either, that I can’t play on the PlayStation 4, to make me want to rush out and buy one. Even then it’d be hard to decide which.
There’s a further complication with Sony, that makes me hesitant: that they’ll likely upgrade the PlayStation 5 in the next year with a Pro version. While I trust Phil Spencer as much as the leaders of the two main political parties, he has at least stated that Microsoft has no such plans. There are no rumours of an upgrade as far as I know. And, frankly, I’d prefer it if both companies stuck with what they have.
It’s also worth mentioning that while I really enjoyed The Last Of Us and Uncharted 4 on the PlayStation 4, unlike some of the Switch exclusives I’ve never felt compelled to buy a PlayStation for the exclusives alone (nor Xbox for that matter). The reasons I bought a PlayStation 4 over an Xbox One is plain enough: the number of quality exclusives, third party priorities, and Microsoft’s notorious policies at the time of release – such as online-only.
Is Microsoft’s business model any better now? Well, if the question was asked, which is worse, Microsoft or Sony? My answer would be that they both are. In other words, there’s no compelling ethical reason for buying a PlayStation 5 over an Xbox One. Not like the choice between battery and free-range eggs.
I have no doubt Sony will eventually turn out some great exclusives. But if Microsoft prove with Starfield that they can do the same, with Game Pass and some pretty exciting third party games out now or imminent, it’ll be very tempting to buy an Xbox Series X before year’s end.
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So, it comes down to this. I want a console that isn’t going to be upgraded within a year of purchase and that can play the latest third party software with a balance of quality exclusives. In these respects, Sony’s silence does matter to me. Or at least it will if sites like GameCentral consider Starfield a masterpiece and nothing is shown by Sony to get me excited enough (I couldn’t be more disinterested in Spider-Man 2) to hold off a while longer and not scratch that itch.
I’m sure Naughty Dog do have some exciting games in development, it’s just that it’s difficult to get excited about something you haven’t seen or heard anything of when, whether first or third party (though nothing to distinguish between the two in this respect), I have seen and heard about games coming out on the Xbox Series X that do look exciting.
It’s not a question of entitlement but logical deduction and from everything that can be deduced, the balance is starting to tip in Microsoft’s favour. If others are starting to feel the same, Sony does have an issue. That said, people are perversely loyal when it comes to brands, so whatever Sony do they’ll probably win this generation but not by the margins they might have done. Their business certainly isn’t in jeopardy as some seem to think.
By reader Ciara
he reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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A reader explains how they choose between PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and how it has nothing to do with any sense of loyalty.