It was just last console generation when people would proudly state “I bought a PS4 just to play this game”.
Now, with this current console generation attempting to appeal to the widest audience yet, it makes it more difficult to reason why you should buy a console purely for the games it offers.
So, what do consoles offer besides games? And which of the current-gen consoles are worth buying for their gaming library alone?
What Do Consoles Offer Besides Games?
In the past, you bought games consoles for, well, the games. While this is still true—you obviously need a console or a gaming PC to play video games—the idea of buying a certain console purely for a game you can only play on that console is weakening.
The vast majority of games are cross-platform, meaning you can play them on a PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, (and sometimes Switch). That being said, there are still strong console exclusive games, especially for Sony and Nintendo’s consoles, but you might see that waning in the coming years, especially from Sony.
So what other reasons are there to buy a console besides the games?
Affordability and Convenience of Consoles
One big thing consoles offer is convenience as well as packing relatively powerful specs at an affordable price point.
Even if you could play the same game on PC, the time and money you would save by playing it on a console would be significant. Yes, you could have arguably the best experience on PC, but you could see it as diminishing returns with the increased price.
While deciding between the PS5 and Xbox Series X is still a tough choice to make, there’s no denying that both consoles offer both convenience and affordability. The Switch offers this as well, but it’s slightly different due to how unique it is.
Services Unique to That Console
Another feature that consoles will differ on is how you can play games.
It goes without saying that you can buy games, both physically and digitally, on current-gen consoles. However, each console offers a set of unique services.
Sony offers PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. Microsoft, Xbox Live and Xbox Game Pass. Nintendo, with the PS Plus and Xbox Live equivalent, Nintendo Online and cloud streaming on select games (look for the “Cloud Version” on the Nintendo eShop). Each platform also has its own digital store with unique features.
While we can play PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass on PC and therefore lose console exclusivity, you should still compare PS Now and Xbox Game Pass, especially if you’re only looking to play on a console.
Depending on what kind of gamer you are, you can spend a lot of your time can be spent on these services, either gaming with friends using a multiplayer service, browsing digital sales on the store, or streaming a game you’ve had your eye on for a while.
Backward Compatibility
Switch aside for a moment, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S both offer backward compatibility, allowing you to play your last-gen games on your current-gen console, with some games receiving some welcome improvements thanks to the upgraded hardware.
Here, you can enjoy previous console exclusives unique to your chosen console. While the PS5 is playing catch-up with Microsoft’s current-gen consoles, it’s nice to see backward compatibility on both platforms.
A Unique Ecosystem
Each platform also offers its own ecosystem, which gives you reasons to stay, such as playing with your friends (if they have the same console), ease of transferring save data, saved trophies, and compatible controllers.
If you’ve been a lifelong PlayStation fan, changing to Xbox might feel strange, whilst changing to a Switch could be a completely unfamiliar experience because of the uniqueness of Nintendo’s console and vice versa.
While you could welcome the change, you might also decide that the new ecosystem feels cold and leaves you detached, which could detract from your gaming experience.
Looking at the Big Three—Which Console Should You Buy Purely for Its Games?
With each platform—the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch—do the games alone justify buying these consoles? Let’s take a look.
The Xbox Series X
While you’ll find games that are unique to the Xbox Series X when thinking about consoles, the problem is that the vast majority of these games are also available on PC (i.e. Microsoft Windows).
Sure, you can say to your PlayStation friends “you can’t play this game on your PS5”, but is it really a true exclusive when you can pick up that same game on a PC?
While Microsoft has got some great IPs, and acquiring Bethesda makes the Xbox Series X (and PCs) more tempting to Sony and Nintendo fans, it’s what the console offers in Xbox Game Pass, Game Boost, and great system specs at an affordable price that make it a console to buy.
Answer: No. While the Xbox Series X is a console you should still consider buying, the main reason, sadly, isn’t for its games.
The PlayStation 5
The PS5 is in an interesting position. It’s got a line-up of potential smash-hit exclusives coming along (thinking about God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West), and with backward compatibility and its own Game Boost feature, some PS4 exclusives look and play just wonderful on PS5.
We know Sony for its outstanding exclusives—games that you can only buy on its consoles. Titles such as Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, or Marvel’s Spider-Man made gamers say “this game is the reason I bought a PS4”.
While this trend can still carry over with the PS5, things are a bit more complicated than with the PS4.
First, Sony will still support the PS4 alongside the PS5 for a few more years, meaning that the PS5’s gaming library might not stand out till around 2025. These Sony exclusives might—and probably will—feel like a different experience on PS5 than on PS4, but it would be great to see some true console exclusives that show off what the PS5 can do, such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal.
Second, Sony has made some of its exclusive titles playable on PC. Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Detroit: Become Human have all had this treatment, and it makes you wonder if this might be a trend for the future.
PlayStation Now also showcases hundreds of Sony’s excellent games, but you can also use it on PC. No console required.
In that case, buying a PS5 could give you “early access” to an exclusive—but you might see it on PC in a few years.
Answer: Yes, for now. There’s a great chance that the PS5 will have a stellar gaming library. Given the quality of Sony’s exclusives, these are games you do not want to miss. The only questions are when will this gaming library come, and will these games come to PC in the future?
The Nintendo Switch
We can’t really compare the Nintendo Switch to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, which is its strength—it’s a very unique console.
From its design and functionality to the games, the Switch gives you a gaming experience you won’t find elsewhere. The Switch’s games are also almost completely unique. Aside from some ports, there are some sensational games that you can only play with Nintendo’s console.
Answer: Yes. The Switch offers a gaming library that you won’t find elsewhere, along with a unique console and Nintendo’s trademark top-quality standards.
You Should Buy a Current-Gen Console After 2021
While the choice of games is a big reason for you to buy one console over another, sometimes a console specializes in what else it can offer.
Each current-gen console gives you something different. But currently, the PS5 and the Switch stand out as consoles you should buy for the games alone. The Xbox Series X isn’t as strong in that department, but it leads in other areas, such as backward compatibility.
As games become more or less exclusive, brands make acquisitions, and services expand, whether you’re buying a games console for the games can be harder to answer. Hopefully, over the next few years, your choice should be clearer to make.