Next Gen Launches and Experiences

A new age of console gaming has finally launched over the past few weeks and we have seen both Sony and Sony bring their new consoles to the market. As I write this, both my Xbox One and PS4 weep as they are put to rest for now because there really isn’t any reason to keep them set up. One of the biggest generational differences this time around is the access to an existing library. We are in a digital market of console gaming and I have preferred this over physical mediums for a number of reasons. But it did feel a little weird saying goodbye after almost a decade (well 7 years) to consoles that surprisingly held up without much issue. Certainly by standards of the Microsoft I was happy to bid farewell to issues such as the RROD many years ago.

But the experience of getting a new gaming console is vastly different today. Launch day wasn’t about going to the store or attending launch parties. It was all about trawling online and grabbing a pre-order and then waiting for the courier to arrive with my goods. Given the current state of the world and looming pandemic, I would say the launch of these consoles are well timed and demand is increasingly high. Stock issues are apparent and we see scalpers moving consoles for a handsome price already. With bot buying and scalpers at the helm, it can feel frustrating but my advice is to await patiently and not over pay.

I’ve mentioned this before but missing out on launch day isn’t as disappointing as one might think. In fact, it may let you decide if you really want to plunge on a new system just yet or wait for the various kinks to come to light. The PS5 hasn’t been without its problems nor the Xbox but for now they remain as relatively lower cases and don’t require replacement of hardware. I found myself sitting with my console and perhaps one of the biggest improvements I must comment on today is the UI, especially in Sony’s case. Responsiveness and speed of loading into games is a luxury that cannot be overlooked. Creating party chats, switching between applications and getting more time with what matters in a time constrained world is ever more valuable to me. So while it might be sad that we’ll see less of those loading and saving screens, we gain in other areas. But I’ll say, games are huge now so be sure to invest in a good internet connection too!

Lockhart Tech Blogs