Roundtable: Our Thoughts On The Current Console Cycle

Graydon Webb – The Contrarian American/Game Pass Guru

Forgive me for making this seem like a biased list toward all things Xbox, but I cannot tell a lie: Xbox is knocking it out of the park this generation. The guys in green can seemingly do no wrong, and I really want to give a ton of kudos to Phil Spencer for turning the ship around. Even just watching that 20th anniversary celebration of Xbox and seeing them embrace the memes of the Kinect era, the company knows how far they’ve come, and they have grown from their mistakes.

PlayStation, on the other hand… I gotta say, I have never been so disappointed. PlayStation was the king of the eighth console generation. Every exclusive they touched turned to gold. The PS4 ushered in a brand-new era of video games, changing how we see “interactive experiences,” all the while giving the fans what they want. But now, whether it’s the lack of enticing exclusives, the abysmal PS5 restocking practices, the underwhelming PS+ offerings that have nearly convinced the VGU writers before me to cancel entirely, or the immense size of the damn console, the PlayStation 5 has left such a bad taste in my mouth.

This console generation is at the point where I simply cannot fathom wanting a PS5 right now. I’ve seen so many friends lament their inability to add one to their cart, or even find a retailer willing to restock them. But I will openly say that I have never once attempted to purchase one in its first year, and the thought of that is bittersweet. Sweet for my wallet, but bitter for my nostalgia. I’ve been a PlayStation kid all my life! Save for the PS3, I owned every iteration during the height of their popularity, and the PS1 shaped me into the gamer I am today. I hate to see this company fall from grace as it has and continue to spiral downward.

I must say, however, I wish no ill will on any of the companies in this console race. I even own a PC now, and I respect PC gaming for what it is (I mean, did you see our Back 4 Blood video? The PC graphics look insane compared to the Xbox!) I won’t even get into the Switch, as most of its exclusives don’t entice me, nor do the persistently high prices of Nintendo games. Not to mention its lackluster OLED upgrade, meant to divert attention from the secret 4K version we all know is coming. But I even welcome that! I will happily purchase a 4K Switch, and you know what? I will happily purchase a PlayStation 5 for Horizon Forbidden West. I decided that yesterday, actually.

But all in all, I think if you want a console right this second? Go for an Xbox, no matter the series. Game Pass is indisputably the best thing to ever happen to the games industry, and until we get some high profile “changing the game” exclusives, it’s the best way to sit back and enjoy the awesome world of video games we live in.