Should I buy a PS4?

So my birthday is coming up, and I have only a couple of ideas for gifts. Either a bunch of Magic the Gathering cards to use with my son (we already have tons), or a PS4.

A few relevant facts: I own an Xbox One that my son uses, but I rarely do; I don't think it has much to add beyond my PC. I also own an original Xbox that I initially got to play Jade Empire. I have a backlog of over 1,500 games on PC, including games stretching all the way back to the C64 and Amiga that I have a vague intention to play someday. So, all that could argue that I don't really need a PS4, as I have plenty games anyway, so when would I have time to play it?

On the other hand, it seems like PS4 gets games that PC never gets. Off the top of my head, Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn and the only real baseball game on any platform, the Show. So would you say it is worth it to get a PS4? Do I have to may some sort of monthly fee like my son always wants to for Xbox Live? Also, I usually wait to buy games for PC until they are around $5 - I don't mind playing games late (most recent games beaten are Mount & Blade Warband and Zeno Clash). I assume PS4 games will be much more expensive. Also, I'm not enamored of traditional JRPGs. I do like genres beyond RPGs. I like FPSs but can't imagine trying to play one with a controller. Please assume I wouldn't buy any game for PS4 that is available on PC.

A quick search for best PS4 games on metacritic reveals the following as the only exclusives that I might be interested in: Uncharted 4, Last of Us, Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nioh, MLB the Show.

So what do you think? Would it be better to wait until Xmas? I have to admit it seems like a waste of money when I look at that list.

No, you should not buy PS4. If you ask about XBOX Scorpio next, my answer will be the same.

Fear not about some titles, the current climate is porting anything and everything onto PC, sooner or later you'll get your "fix".
Games won't escape anywhere and if are that good today, they'll just feel like tasting a superb old wine not cherished by it's targetted audience back in the day like Valkyria Chronicles.

While titles will become available on PC for sure, getting some console exclusive on another console won't happen. PC is simply a platform of it's own, it's not a competitor in console wars. So if you desperately want to play HZD, the only solution is PS4 as it'll probably never appear on xbox, but then again, it's one game, isn't the better option to borrow the console from some friend for a few days?

What should you buy instead? Not sure. I was prepared to say Nintendo Switch or VR set when I started to write this post, but it's all a too expensive toys.

On PS4:
Being the Devil's advocate, I think that the PS4 is a very good gift to yourself.
Hassle-free, lots of cool exclusives, fairly good price.
BUT.
The Playstation product is a bit of a complex choice between the vanilla and Pro versions.
Should you ever consider VR gaming, Pro is the way up (after a decent bank heist).
If you are on a budget, the original vanilla PS4 still a good choice.

On XBox:
The Xbox Scorpio is a big question mark. It should be more powerful than the PS4 Pro, yet Microsoft's game exclusive politics didn't went well so far (Recore, anyone?).
I think big budget AAA titles will be multiplatform anyway (except those rare technology showcase games like Horizon), so I guess the games truly utilize Scorpio's power will eventually be released on PC as well (Microsoft, helloooo!)

On Nintendo:
My personal favorite. The underdog who always gets the girl at the end.
If you enjoy playing family friendly games with your son, the Switch is an excellent choice (Mario Kart!!!!)
If you are curious about that Zelda thing (you should!), then the Switch is a must.
Otherwise a fair warning: the device is limited, and expensive, compared to the PS4 or an ordinary PC.

Well, start by forgetting about "need" - because you obviously don't need it.

That said, at this point in time - the PS4 Pro is the best console on the market, especially for the PC gamer.

It has the most and best exclusives - and that's all that really matters. Sure, it's superior to XB1 in terms of horsepower, too - but that's not all that important. It all comes down to the exclusives.

Personally, I must say it's been BARELY worth it. I don't play much on console - and when I do, I almost never bother to finish any of the games.

So far, the only game I've finished on PS4 would be Last of Us Remastered - but the game is so good that I consider it worth the entire console all by itself.

Other than that, though, YMMV. It really depends on your mindset and your gaming habits.

HZD is absolutely beautiful and a stunning accomplishment in technical terms. It's also a very, very good open world action RPG - but it's not THAT good, in my opinion. As a gameplay experience, I don't think it compares favorably to the best games on PC, but it's definitely on par with the best Ubisoft games - perhaps even better.

I've had PS Plus several times - but it's never been worth it. Why? Not because it's expensive - but because I've yet to see a single free game that I really cared about.

Again, that's subjective and YMMV. Do you already have a bluray player? If not, then it could be worth it for that reason.

Do you care about using it as a media center? If so, it's an excellent console for Plex.

My advice is to just go for it if money isn't a concern and you expect to enjoy some of what it has to offer.

If money IS a concern, then consider upgrading your PC instead.

You won't get (that) much when it comes to rpgs, but it has some real tempting xclusives, now and upcoming.
For Naughty Dog games, there is a cheap solution…youtube.
Been delaying this myself, too long, more an issue of some new game on PC always showing up.
Xbox makes for a great paper weight, so I hear.
Really, if you're not that enthusiastic about Sony's games, you should skip it.

The question to ask is would it be worth it for a few titles? Especially if you have the Xbone already.

If you really want to play the software titles, and there's nothing on the xbox you can't live without, then i'd say by all means sell the Xbone and get the PS4.

I personally prefer the PS4 because of the controller, the interface, the games, the streaming, etc.

Just remember that PS4 is not compatible with PS3 titles.

I would recommend seeing if there's a nearby store you can rent the console from (not sure if that's a thing anymore).

It really depends if you want to play videogames with your son.

If not I would get a PS4 over the PS4 Pro because the Pro has some heating/fan issues that takes ages to fix and they charge you for it if you have a problem. The game are great. Bloodborne is great if you like Dark Souls, HZD is great if you ever wanted a bow based open world rpg. And obviously sports games are great on it too.

If you want multiplayer games to play with your son, I would consider trying to get a Switch with Mario Kart and Snipperclips. Mario Kart has racing and battle modes, the racing I dont find too fun because it takes a bit of luck but the battle modes are great. Snipperclips is just a fun little game for multiple people. Both games support up to 4 people.

Snipperclips 4 player action:


Zelda is great but might not be for everyone even thought it has massive critical acclaim. I suggest watching an into video or two to see if you think you might like it.

EDIT: Dont get 1,2 Switch though, it's garbage at any price.

Think of it in terms of time, not money, if it's worth it for you. Are you going to have the time to really enjoy it?

That's why I haven't got one yet. There are a few games I'm curious about, like HDZ and FF XV, but I'm fortunate enough to have a lot of very good PC games in my backlog right now. If I purchased a PS4, it would more than likely collect dust most of the time in the near future.

If you do get one though, make it a priority to play The Last of Us.

Originally Posted by JDR13

If you do get one though, make it a priority to play The Last of Us.

JDR is trying to pull your leg here.

I have to admit I don't understand your sense of humor sometimes.

If money is no issue and you have the time, get the PS4. Its nice way to chillax(!) with family and friends. Not just the exclusive games, but there are still plenty of "split screen" and "couch co-op" games you can play. When my brother is over, we are playing Diablo 3 or some racing games etc. Its lots of fun so go for it!

Originally Posted by JDR13
I have to admit I don't understand your sense of humor sometimes.

Well, I thought you were joking, right?
It's a solid game, with best performances, cinematic direction and production quality…but outside of this, nothing really stands out: predictable storyline, decent( but unexceptional) main characters and very flawed gameplay ( that often really doesn't know what it wants to be).
For the actual "game" part, it's MP is actually a lot better.

Originally Posted by BoboTheMighty
Well, I thought you were joking, right?
It's a solid game, with best performances, cinematic direction and production quality…but outside of this, nothing really stands out: predictable storyline, decent( but unexceptional) main characters and very flawed gameplay ( that often really doesn't know what it wants to be).
For the actual "game" part, it's MP is actually a lot better.

Predictable storyline? Did you predict the ending or what happened to the girl in the introduction? Because I certainly didn't.

Last of Us has a relatively simple story - which is what Druckmann prefers - but the characters are absolutely superb, as is the presentation and it's full of very memorable moments and sequences. I can still remember shedding a few tears at the Giraffe sequence.

It's moving on a level that CDPR would kill to reach

Gameplay is solid, but I agree it's flawed and nothing too special.

Originally Posted by NewDArt
Predictable storyline? Did you predict the ending or what happened to the girl in the introduction? Because I certainly didn't.

Last of Us has a relatively simple story - which is what Druckmann prefers - but the characters are absolutely superb, as is the presentation and it's full of very memorable moments and sequences. I can still remember shedding a few tears at the Giraffe sequence.

It's moving on a level that CDPR would kill to reach

Gameplay is solid, but I agree it's flawed and nothing too special.

We heavily then see things then differently on that. Individual storylines like HoS, Baron and many others, I find hundred times more thematically compelling and bold, than entirety of Last of Us.
To me, their storylines feel extremely Hollywood stylized and "safe", similar to their characters.
Presentation though…that is ND's forte, their games are (relatively) short and focused, but extremely polished.

Originally Posted by BoboTheMighty
We heavily then see things then differently on that. Individual storylines like HoS, Baron and many others, I find hundred times more thematically compelling and bold, than entirety of Last of Us.
To me, their storylines feel extremely Hollywood stylized and "safe", similar to their characters.
Presentation though…that is ND's forte, their games are (relatively) short and focused, but extremely polished.

We certainly do and that's ok with me

I did find the Baron quest both moving and compelling, but not on the same level. Never shed a tear or really cared about the Baron, beyond sympathising with him at the end, especially given his demise.

For LoU, I was completely immersed right from the introduction. I can't say I recognise anything safe or "Hollywoodized" about it. I'm pretty sure a movie with that kind of structure and especially that kind of ending would NOT be a safe bet in Hollywood, quite the opposite. There's no way it would be funded with a lot of money. Much more like a smaller indie production, if anything.

Maybe you meant to say Hollywood as in it's a movie-like story, which I would agree with.

Also, I don't know what you mean by "their" storylines. I'm talking about Last of Us, not anything else. To me, there's a huge difference between the style of LoU and then the Uncharted games. Uncharted is much more Hollywood, for instance - more mainstream.

Typical Hollywood movies focus on the spectacle - not the characters, which is the opposite of Last of Us. Witcher 3 would do much better in Hollywood, especially these days.

Last of Us does have the advantage, though, because the entire world has been built around that one linear story - where as the world in Witcher 3 serves as more of a backdrop.

But we obviously don't agree, and that's ok.

I'm still impressed you found the story predictable, though.

While I wasn't particularly moved in that way by The Last of Us, I think it's a fantastic game overall and a must-play given that the PS4 doesn't exactly have a plethora of great titles yet.

It has one of the most convincing post-apocalyptic settings I've ever seen in a video game. That's reason enough to play it right there. I was constantly impressed at how detailed the world was, and that was with the PS3 version.

I'm starting to be persuaded (trying to skip any spoilery discussion above, as I like to come into games completely fresh). How many more exclusive games will come out on the PS4, before it is retired, do you think? If there might be a few more, that could be persuasive. I was also considering a PS3, so I could play a game like Demon's Souls, but they seem to cost about the same as a PS4! This is what I hate about consoles - the total lack of backwards compatibility and the risk that once the console breaks, I can't play the games anymore (unlike with a computer, where you just buy a new one).

I don't have a 4K monitor, so I can't imagine I would need the Pro, right? I watched a video about PS4 VR from October 2016, and it sounded like PC might be superior if VR actually becomes a thing. So just get the normal one?

Thanks for all your help, guys!

Originally Posted by JDR13
It has one of the most convincing post-apocalyptic settings I've ever seen in a video game.

What's exactly convincing in it? People lost hair (quality) because of radiation poisoning?

Originally Posted by Jaguar
I'm starting to be persuaded (trying to skip any spoilery discussion above, as I like to come into games completely fresh). How many more exclusive games will come out on the PS4, before it is retired, do you think? If there might be a few more, that could be persuasive. I was also considering a PS3, so I could play a game like Demon's Souls, but they seem to cost about the same as a PS4! This is what I hate about consoles - the total lack of backwards compatibility and the risk that once the console breaks, I can't play the games anymore (unlike with a computer, where you just buy a new one).

I don't have a 4K monitor, so I can't imagine I would need the Pro, right? I watched a video about PS4 VR from October 2016, and it sounded like PC might be superior if VR actually becomes a thing. So just get the normal one?

Thanks for all your help, guys!

If a console breaks, why not buy another console like when you buy a new PC when the old one breaks?

My feeling is that it will be another 5 years before we see a PS5 and given how successful the current ps4 exclusive games, you will continue to get lot more of them.

You don't need 4K TV to make the best out of the Pro. You can get better frame rates, visuals etc with Pro on 1080p

Yeah, definitely get the Pro. It doesn't make sense not to. You'll eventually get a 4K TV down the line anyways.