As you’re probably aware, the next generation of gaming is nearly upon us with the launch of Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One due sometime in November. Many places have already ceased pre-orders for these hotly anticipated consoles (click here for more about that) and many are being urged to make their orders if they want a console on launch day. I was one of the early birds and pre-ordered myself a PS4 a few days after they became available through GAME, my local store. Yesterday I cancelled that pre-order and here’s why.
PS Vita
A next generation handheld console is already available to gamers in the form of the largely underrated PS Vita. This device has been designed to work in harmony with the PS4 and will therefore endure for much of the next generation before it’s outdated. This means it will be getting lots of new game releases and maybe some cross buy titles with PS4 games. It’s a great little device that can keep you in the mix of new releases without actually jumping into the next gen, it’s also portable and multi-purpose as it can play music and movies as well as games. Support for the Vita is not about to cease, in fact it’s only going to get better, meaning now is as good a time as any to pick one up, it’s also nearly a third of the price.
Cross Platform Games
Similar to the aforementioned cross-buy games for the Vita, the next generation is also likely to see a fair few cross-platform releases. These are titles that are launched on both PS3 and PS4, often being a port from the former to the latter. This is because it’s pretty unlikely Sony will simply ditch support of their beloved PS3 and that many indie developers haven’t yet been able to make games for the PS4 leaving them to support PS3 with their releases. Titles such as Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag and Destiny are already proving this with their cross platform releases and it means that PS3 owners will still have the opportunity to play some next gen games. Of course they’re not going to be as graphically advanced but that’s a very small price to pay. Support won’t be dropped for a fair few years yet, so why rush into the next Gen?
Launch Titles
As it stands, the confirmed list of launch titles for the PS4 isn’t particularly overwhelming. Certain titles like Killzone: Shadowfall and Knack look awesome, but unless you’re into the sports or dancing the rest of the list looks pretty meager with a total of 16 games being confirmed for day one launch (see below image: Courtesy of IGN.com). At launch they’ll also be going to full price so if you decided you want all 16 of those games it’ll cost you the pleasant sum of £880/$1400 so in short, you won’t be getting them all. If you wait, however, thanks to Sony’s policies on used games, you’ll be able to pick up some titles for a reduced and pre-owned cost enabling you to own and play a few more launch titles. At least that’s my plan.
Teething Problems
One of the biggest reasons I cancelled my order was the first intelligent thing I read in an N4G.com comment section. In an article regarding PS4 pre-orders one soul commented “I’m going to wait for the dust to settle before I get a PS4, we all remember the YLOD and Red Ring of Death” and it hit me like a freight train. These consoles are being mass-produced, mainly from cheap parts. The last generation was literally riddled with launch day teething problems that all lead back to companies cutting corners at the production stage to meet demand. Melting solder connections, fired motherboards and malfunctioning disk drives, we’ve all heard the horror stories. The PS4 has an inbuilt power supply. Let’s be honest here, that’s going to cause some kind of problem regardless of what Mark Cerny claims. It’s an incredibly wise shout to let the kinks be ironed out before embarking upon such an investment, as after all, patience is apparently a virtue.
Expense
Even though all the above points are relevant and accurate reasons to cancel a PS4 pre-order they’re things a hardcore gamer can overlook. Something that simply can’t be ignored however is financial implications. The PS4 is launching for £350/$400, and you’ll obviously need at least one game so bump that figure up to £400/$460. Now that’s a very large sum of money if you’re not raking in a full-time wage, which I’m not. After only a short amount of research I found out that for the price of the PS4 I could go on a weeks holiday in Turkey all inclusive and still have £20 to get drunk at the airport. Or I could finally learn to drive? Don’t get me wrong, the price isn’t bad for what you’re getting, and considering the launch price of the PS3 it’s not a high asking price. But I didn’t buy the PS3 at launch, I got my PS3 pre-owned for £125. Letting some time pass, maybe open a dedicated saving account or sell a kidney, the PS4 isn’t going anywhere and you’ll honestly be better off for waiting until next year to fork out.
I didn’t make this decision lightly and it took a good month of evaluation to cancel my order. The next generation looks fantastic and everyone at BagoGames are very excited to bring you coverage of everything PS4 and Xbox One. To end this on a happy note, I put the deposit money towards Killzone: Mercenary for Vita so every cloud has a silver lining and all that. Are you giving the next Gen a bit of space or queuing at the midnight release for your console? Share you thoughts in the comment section below!
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