Ps5 pro / Xbox series X X conundrum

I know I won't be able to afford a new console at launch (nor will I probably be too interested in the initial games).

I could probably manage to get one the following year but then we get into territory of worrying about getting one just before a possible a PS5 pro version launches.

Anyone else feeling this conundrum of not wanting to buy before the better version is released?

Not really but that's probably because it feels so far off. I did by a PS4 slim but that was mainly because I thought I'd broken my original.

@arcitee: Always, but you only live once. Is a few years of not having it worth the money? Do you have a previous console to trade in? I think backwards compat is more of a focus in this gen, so you've gotta think your current console will rapidly lose value as well, meaning the actual savings you'd see is diminished.

@north6: "always, but you only live once" is such a great response to worrying about getting the right console at the right time lol.

@arcitee: I mean I think about that every gen. I'd imagine the price of current consoles will drop faster this generation than previous generations due to the focus on backwards compatibility, and potential performance increases, so consider sooner rather than later.

Here's a review from LTT that is pushing me at least in favor of, if not at launch, ASAP doing a PS5 upgrade path that's outside of the normal Sony sphere of influence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ehDRCE1Z38

Not really, I expect it'll be a good amount longer than 2 years for upgraded boxes to come out. When a PS5 exclusive comes out that I want to play, I'll be buying one and the same applies for any upgrades. I'll Probably just get the Xbox games on PC.

I'm still waiting to see exactly what they improve on and what the new hardware focuses on.

If I can buy a new Xbox and still access all the games I've purchased over the years that's a big selling point. One box, all my games. I'm hoping the PS5 can come close to offering something similar but I'm wary.

I have the privilege to have the means to buy a PS5 at launch (I have the means, but will I have the ability?) But, even if I had to delay my purchase for up to a year I would probably still buy a PS5 instead of waiting for a Pro. Sony has never really revised a console in less than 2 years & 10 months. So, even if I waited a year, would I really want to wait two more on top of that? Not really.

The pragmatic part of me see it this way: If I buy at launch I get to enjoy the system for those three year until the revision. When the worthwhile revision arrives I can then assess 'that' on its own merits, not based on my original delayed purchase. There is a risk with early adoption, but there is a risk with any adoption too -RRD was no less like with a 360 purchased a year or two after launch.

Both the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X were announced a long time before they launched so it's not like you're going to get an old one and then immediately have the new thing available. It will be at least many months between your purchase and the time the new box drops even if they announce it that afternoon.

I think if you're not interested in the initial games then there's no reason to get one at launch. You can wait and see until there are games you are interested in and then evaluate both your finances and what seems to be happening then. There could be a price drop, or they could announce the upgrade schedule further in advance; there are tons of possibilities. I wouldn't sweat it.

There's always going to be fresh new tech around the corner. Even if you only use the older version for a year or two that's often enough for me personally to get my money's worth. If it costs $500 at launch and you play 500 hours a year and use it for three years that's like 33 cents an hour (obviously the games also have a cost but games always cost money), which is pretty reasonable in order to have a better experience. Leisure time is so limited, if someone told me they'd give me 33 cents an hour not to play the newest stuff but to play stuff I was less interested in I would not take that deal.

There's always something new on the horizon. You can delay waiting for a Pro, but by the time that comes out you can wait til the PS6 arrives.

At some point you just gotta live in the present. Worst case, you can do a trade in after 3 or 4 years for an upgrade if that comes to pass.

I usually lean towards waiting for the "redone" version of a console whether that be slim or a power upgrade. PS4 was the first console I bought at launch and I regretted not having the pro in the long run. I'm not a big fan of buying multiple versions of consoles so I'm willing to play the launch titles later if it means Im happier with my console in the long run.

No, I don't like waiting and always want the base console first. That said, it's not as if I knew that an Xbox One X or PS4 Pro was going to come out when the base consoles came out, and we don't yet know (we can presume that it'll happen) that some years down the line there'll be more powerful versions of the consoles, but yeah, I don't care. I don't like waiting, especially more than a year, and I'm sure the jump for the Series X and PS5 with the new games, or the then current-gen versions will be enough of a jump for me to justify getting them. If those upgraded consoles do come at some point, then I may get those if there's a good reason to. There'll probably be enough new games that you can only play on next-gen, by the time new iterations come out, and I wouldn't want to wait for the possibility of a new version of that console to play those.

I don't think it is necessarily a given that there will be a "pro" version in the next generation. This time around it was 4K that drove it. Although 8K is on the horizon, it looks like it will be pretty expensive, and there are diminishing returns with doubling the resolution time an time again.

To my eyes, the leap from HD to 4K had far less of a wow factor than SD to HD. Unless you want an absolutely massive TV, I'm not sure 8K will be worth the upgrade for many.

These new machines are sounding pretty capable, and could well last the distance for a generation. What I can see as being more likely is a revised version with a much bigger SSD. This would encourage customers to buy more games, after all.

Personally, I'll be jumping in straight away. If they do get a boost three or four years down the line, then so be it.

@cyberbloke: I'm pretty sure that Xbox is planning on going to incremental upgrades like a PC rather than new 'generations.' That's what Series X implies to me anyway. We'll see. I suspect that both Sony and Microsoft will do mid generation upgrades again. There's always new stuff to push, like VR and improved visuals even if not a focus on 8K, and it seems like it's a profitable path.

All the more reason to stick with what I have (Switch, PS4 Pro, and a PC running with a 9900K and a 2080 Ti) if mid cycle upgrades are going to be a thing.

I should point out that the base PS4 is a gosh darn workhorse of a console, and I feel great sticking with my launch model (minus the fan noise). I imagine if there is a half step PS5, precedence indicates that you’ll be fine with the launch console.

I'm hopeful that this next series of consoles will be more PC like in terms of settings. Newer revisions of hardware just allowing for more PC-like options for quality settings. Upgrade when the new features are worth the spend.

Most of us will likely be tied to TV/Audio updates. Like my 4K TV predates HDR! Most HDR sets don't support higher refresh rates. And on it goes for audio codecs

@navster15: I still think the launch PS4 is fantastic. No issues with it, and I don't get this fan noise issue some people talk about. Also, I recall a few games the GB crew has complained about on a launch PS4 where I didn't notice ANY issues (like God of War 2018).

For the OP, the PS4 pro was 3 years after the PS4 launch. The Xbox One X was 4 years after the Xbox One launch date (I don't think the S is worth using as a comparison, but that was 3 years as well). So, if you're worried a year in about a possible half step console, then the question is are you ok waiting 3+ years to move to the next gen of consoles?

I think for me it'll hinge on what the launch lineup for the PS5 looks like. If there's even one title that is must have (Horizon Zero Dawn 2 for me) then I'll probably buy it day one. The differences between the consoles themselves and the upgrade from generation to generation is becoming more and more blurred. It's definitely made me pause about even buying one at launch.

I recently bought a PC to play cooperative games and chat over discord with my friends during the quarantine and its been great! I used to roll my eyes and scoff at PC gaming and the master race crap but now with Xbox Game Pass for PC and the windows store, I probably will never buy another Xbox console. I'll grab the PS5 because I enjoy Sony's first party IP output.

I definitely consider myself fortunate to have the financial means to buy the console I want at this moment in time. The world is on fire and pulling apart at the seams. Protests over racial injustice, the covid pandemic, and an economic depression will make the selling and marketing of a luxury console ($500?, $700?, who knows?) this fall unappealing and impossible for many. Maybe I'll just continue to donate my time and money to the people and causes that matter right now. Who knows what the world is gonna look like in November?

@thehende92:

I'm always sort of sad that the whole PC master race stuff is so prevalent that it actively turns people away. Like i get it, i've been on the schoolyards too where we all try to point out what the best choice is with limited money, but it's sad that this fanboy behavior and the perception it creates works beyond that schoolyard as well.

Personally i've grown up with PC's & consoles (PS1,2,3) and generally had a good time with all these platforms. I think Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft and PC's all have shown us that all of these options are worth considering on their own merits and that whatever one you choose, you will generally have a good time and not feel like you got screwed over and made a big mistake.

It's sort of amazing how many posts you can find on the internet of people that try to steer others to the 'best' option, but you hardly see posts of people buying one system and having an awful time. Naturally somewhat because people don't like showcasing that they made a mistake ,but i genuinely also believe that there are just 4 good to great options on the market. The swiss-army knife of a PC, with all it's applications 1 click away & support for all kind of controllers, software and hardware. The Playstation with it's grand AAA-exclusives. The Xbox with it's gamepass & amazing backwards compatibility. The switch with it's portability and exclusives... If you know what kind of player you are, you'll probably find a console that fits you the best. All that schoolyard fanboy bullshit really shouldn't matter, and probably drive more people away from PC while they think they are actually promoting the PC and putting it in a good light.

I also imagine that AMD being involved with the Sony & Microsoft consoles was very important in AMD's rise from mediocrity into the company that now has a very strong lineup of products and has surpassed Intel's offerings for almost all usecases right now. Which is exactly what you want to see as a PC-user, one company making sure the other needs to step it up. Yesterday i rewatched Mark Cerny's PS5 tech talk, and he specifically mentioned that AMD's new RDNA2 chips are quite malleable when it comes to which features it has and that certain features that Playstation requests & co-develops with AMD, can then also be used by AMD for the PC market if it makes sense to do so. Cerny mentioned that the focus on 3d audio was an internal desire at Sony, so i imagine if we end up seeing major improvements in regards with raytracing to create positional audio on our PC's, or are selecting the hearing-profile that fits our own ears the best, Sony had a hand in advancing that.

Unlike the schoolyard, these companies are not declining to work with eachother because 'Your team suxxxx compared to my team!'. Without AMD, these consoles would not have the capabilities that they have and without the consoles, AMD wouldn't be able to compete with intel and develop the amazing processors we enjoy today. We should be happy with all these big players in the industry making gaming better for us all and increasing the amount of people that want to game.

The Xbone and PS4 weren't really big and beefy at launch to begin with. The new consoles at least have new tech inside like the ssd hard drives. That plus being pretty powerful out of the box, I wouldn't be surprised if they wait closer to 3 years for a "pro" verison.

You mean, the amount of time that Sony waited for the PS4 Pro?

So, on the surface both the new xbox and the ps5 would be more powerful than my pc and potentially cheaper to buy than a worthwhile pc upgrade - this has made me consider a new xbox on release should have the money. I didn't get an xbox one or ps4 but I have much more invested in the 360 and pc/xbox cross platform than sony stuff so I'd quite like a machine that makes a load of that easier to access. With how the last gen went, I am more on the fence than ever about waiting for hardware upgrades a couple of years in but it seems that Microsoft at least seem to want stuff to work across the board more and as my TV also sucks (it's as old as the 360 launch, it's outlasted three 360s so I appreciate the work it's done) everything looks pretty muddy anyway so I might just settle for looking at the first good bundle a few months after launch.

You may wanna hold out for a Xbox One X when the new xbox drops and get it cheaper as many of the 360 games are backward compatible for it

If you're fine with the risk of all your games being spoiled for 3/4 years, go for it

Xbox Series X X?

That would be the worst console name ever 😓

@mrgreenman: That had crossed my mind, certainly when I think about how many more people this time during an upgrade will have less reason to hold onto the old box with the potentially better backwards compatibility that will be there from the start and likely more people will be needed more funds to go towards it what with global issues we've seen the last few months. I almost get the impression having an Xbox One X for the first 18months at least might just be like having the entry level version of the new one (which is also a marketing issue that they are currently trying to manage, or embrace, depending on what they think will make them more money).

@stantongrouse: Unless I have misunderstood their marketing, wouldn't any Xbox One be like having an entry level version of the new one to start? I thought they said all Microsoft published games would also have an Xbox One version. You won't get 3rd party games on both necessarily, but I'm planning on getting the PS5 anyways. Combine that with all Microsoft published games drop on Game Pass (which I have), and I have zero reason to get a Series X for the first 18 months (and possibly ever).

@ginormous76: Yeah, I think that's what they are aiming for, it's just that even a lower price Xbox One X is quite the financial commitment so I might just get the one that lasts the longest for the least amount of money. To be fair, I mock my PC, but it's running most Xbox One level stuff okay for the moment, I just get a bit caught up in the hype sometimes.

The financial commitment is weird for us Canadians. When the ps3 came out the Canadian dollar was strong so it was barely more expensive than the ps2, but currently with sales tax if the ps5 is $500 it will cost me just under $800 without any games...it might take me to two years into the system for that.