I probably won't get one this year because of the pre-order mess and the fact that I'm not someone who does the line up thing. I'll get one when I can walk into the store and get it no problem.
And that will probably be the PS5, because I've enjoyed the PS4 the most this gen. If anything PS4, is my favorite console since the PS2. It's just given me plenty of amazing games.
I see myself as primarily console gamer. I have a good PC set-up that I use mostly for....FFXIV. I usually use my PC to replay games I liked at better performance or things like Civilization or MMOs that are just better on PC from a pure gameplay input level.
At the end of the day, I enjoy console gameing for the conveince and simplicity. Even in the days of discs being useless and day one patches, I know(mostly) what I'm going to get when I put the disc in with little real change. At least thats the story for most of the type of games I play. With that I get to enjoy the couch, the big tv, and the surround sound audio system with little input on my end. I also still mostly buy my games first run and physcial, beause I'm a nerd and enjoy physical media. This could all change as I get older and life changes. I've already seen little reason to buy and keep physcial comics thanks to my ipad. I'm getting more use to just using the digital copy instead of my blu rays, but I still like having physcial copes of movies I really like.
So with that said when I compare what Microsoft and Sony offer I'm not really thinking about the PC. For example to me Quantum Break is still an Xbox game. Gears 5 was the big xbox exclusive last year and so on. Though, obviously I'd play Break on my PC now. I could have played Gears 5 on PC, but the One X provided a great version of the game. Too bad the game was rather mediocre.
I feel like that highlights my problem with xbox. I just don't care about what MS offers. I bought the One X, it's a great system. Powerful and quiet with lots of utility over the PS4. When I can I mostly buy third party games for it. Red Dead 2 was great on the One X and I hope Cyberpunk is good on it. The BC with titles such as Final Fantasy XIII has been nifty as well. But at the end of the day espically in 2020 the Xbox might as well be the Switch in how much I don't use it. In 2020 I played on the PS4, FFVIIR, Ghosts of Tsushima, Last of US 2, Persona 5 R, Sakura Wars, Ys 4, Trials of Mana, and many more. Some of these titles are on the PC or Switch, but a lot of them are just on the PS4. Either 3rd party or published by Sony. I also bought a VR and had titles like Iron Man Vr, Astro Bot, and Blood and Truth to play. Which are for sure not on the Xbox. PS4 to me has just been a platform with so much stuff. I'm not saying games like Last of Us or Ghosts are amazing world shattering games, but they are things that to me as a game enthusiast I want to play to at least see what they are about. I understand, but don't 100% agree with the criticism that Sony 1st party lacks diversity and is just overly cinematic games that are all the same. I feel like that is a very reductive and shallow criticism, but I also have to admit I do like cinematic games. I do like the high budget single player games that Sony has pretty much built as thier bread and butter. I also like the Japaenese supprt that still supports Sony even if they should really focus more and more on the Switch and give the PC a bone. In the end to me the PS4 has given me everything I'd want.
MS on the other hand has done nothing. I don't feel anything really ever took advantage of the One X. I have found MS first party so lacking. Gears and Halo are tired series at this point and giving them to developer factories has not given them any spark of life. Outside of that it's been pretty meh lower budget stuff like State of Decay and whatever that pirate Rare game is. I haven't really gotten strong single player focused stuff out of them and 3rd parties are really the ones offering anything of note. Like it's not like MS has a big multiplayer title thats going to take me away from stuff like CoD or Battlefield. Do you even remember that bad arena fighter game by Ninja Theory? I sure don't.
In general MS first party has been so dreadful this gen. I mean it's been shit since the Kinect, but wow can I not believe how bad it has gotten. While Sony has continued to build it's expertise, MS did nothing. Why should I be excited about another Xbox?
Because of the developers they bought? Well we have to see what fruits they bring, but I mean why should I be excited by Ninja Theory, a developer I'm not really sure has ever made a really good game. Compulsion Games? Dude, why would you by the developer of We Happy Few, a game so disappointing that it's forgettable. Double Fine? Yeah I guess they have their fans, but it seems like it's taken forever to just get out one platformer and in the end I'm not a fan. I guess it will be nice to see whatever Fable is and Forza is ok if you like racing games. Obsidian is really the main studio that I'm happy to see MS fund. I did'nt care about The Outer Worlds, but it's still a promising studio and despite Sony's games being rife with bland rpg level up mechanics, they don't really make wrpgs. Yet, in the end I don't really see anything worth getting hyped about. I see MS trying to play catch up and Sony further crafting what they have been building for years.
Yes I know MS has gamepass, but I've already said many times why gamepass does nothing for me. Maybe one day it will. I doubt it though. I don't see how it can support first run high budget single player games really. I don't see third parties willing to miss out on the revenue they get from full priced sales. You're not going to see Capcom, Square, and so on put new Resident Evils or FFs on there until they are satisfied by how much they have sold first run. Those aren't tillites I'm waiting for to hit gamepass. Yeah, MS first party will be on there, but I think MS first party is incredibly weak. So gamepass is pointless to me.
So for the kind of gamer I am, PS5 is the main choice. Honestly, I may just skip Xbox this gen. I can play Halo on my One X. If they have something super strong by year 2 maybe I'll get one. But I don't believe in MS. I have no faith they are going to offer me much.
And PS5 is going to have Final Fantasy XVI, so I have to get it.