🎮 Do you like playing games on modern consoles?

[FireHazard51 | 2,176]

Came across this old drawing from @T-Pac and made me question how many of us Sages are "modern" gamers.  

Also as an open question, what about modern consoles do you like compared to "retro" consoles.

[FireHazard51 | 2,176]

I love the comfort of the latest controller design.  I like how a lot of my games are digital so it's easy to see what is games I have to play without getting off my ass.  I also love the graphics of modern games.  Even the retro styled games are still better looking I think.  Art/media just gets better in general with time so go figure I love the new stuff.  Not to say old stuff doesn't have any value.  But I think it's foolish to say there is nothing good about modern gaming.

[Tanooki | 5,257]

Glad to see the old Casual Cart name pop up again, so much better.

I voted both above, that's an easy one.  Below though Switch + NONE, because there isn't a PC option which basically is what the MS/Sony offerings are, just less gimped and that's what I use.

I mostly just do the older now, easier and faster to just pick up and play and get value for my time, but when the right thing pops up on Switch/PC I'll get it and make time.

 

The one thing I guess I like about the modern consoles, more often than not they can save wherever whenever, and often you have some re-cap or straight up list of what was last done so if you can't play often you're not screwed.  Couple those things with the ability to just fire something up fast without going fishing for media (GoG/Steam mainly on PC) it makes the barrier to start even less effort and more likely to bother.

There still are good bits about modern gaming, but unlike in the past, often it's best to wait awhile while they get all their inane game finishing patches out, if not some bundle deal that's less than the original game was with the missing content.  I would not suggest, Switch aside, buying a new game immediately anymore on a console, PC since it's background noise, there's little harassment.

[Tabonga | 2,533]

It has always been the  games* rather than the platform for me.  I currently play mostly switch - it has an amazing variety of SRPGs  (my favorite genre)- something that frankly all of the older consoles were sadly deficient in (although what ones there were often outstanding - I never did figure out why the Sega CD had three top notch ones out of such a small US library).

I did recently play through some of the games on the Genesis Mini 2 - was really fun even though they are older games.

I don't mind more or less straight ports of older games but when they jiggle the original around (not in appearance but in gameplay)  it is disappointing.  Advance Wars Reboot got a few things right but missed the mark on much more.   Langrisser 1/2 was also a disappointment since they couldn't just leave the gameplay alone.

*The old Nintendo vs Sega gig always baffled me since both (in various incarnations) had good games - but maybe I had the advantage of being a (credit) card carrying adult when I got into gaming so I could indulge myself (within limits).

Edited November 5, 2023 by Tabonga

[Ankos | 595]

I'm more into playing newer games on my computer than on console, but I enjoy both. I think it is pretty rare for someone to only like game genres that stopped getting zero representation whatsoever

[CT | 225]

I enjoy playing retro games on modern consoles. Wireless controllers are very nice.

[Brickman | 4,312]

Where's the option for PC and Steam Deck? I use both of those and prefer them over PS4/5 and Xbox, although I do own a PS4 which is busy collecting dust. I have to say that I prefer Switch and the Steam Deck the most because the comfort and easiness of powerful portable gaming is amazing. 

I play both old and new games as both bring different things and experiences. 

[FireHazard51 | 2,176]

1 minute ago, Brickman said:

Where's the option for PC and Steam Deck? I use both of those and prefer them over PS4/5 and Xbox, although I do own a PS4 which is busy collecting dust. I have to say that I prefer Switch and the Steam Deck the most because the comfort and easiness of powerful portable gaming is amazing. 

I play both old and new games as both bring different things and experiences. 

I'll list PC when they do physical releases of games....  

Spoiler

Bit of oversight on my part to not include PC games.  But I'm more interested in seeing what consoles people play/have.

 

[Link | 2,951]

Yes I do.

[Brickman | 4,312]

36 minutes ago, FireHazard51 said:

I'll list PC when they do physical releases of games....  

  Hide contents

Bit of oversight on my part to not include PC games.  But I'm more interested in seeing what consoles people play/have.

 

Fair enough. I think you should include Steam Deck though. It's a hybrid console like the Switch.

[FireHazard51 | 2,176]

4 minutes ago, Brickman said:

Fair enough. I think you should include Steam Deck though. It's a hybrid console like the Switch.

Steam Deck is just a portable PC just like ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, or etc.  Steam Deck may be the first but the market already has multiple alternatives because it's just a portable PC.  I just watched a video of a gaming store in Japan where there were multiple brands of portable PC gaming devices just like the Steam Deck because it's so easy to mimic it.

[DefaultGen | 5,961]

I’ve pretty much fizzled out on modern consoles. I’m just playing Nintendo exclusives. I’m not a huge fan of AAA games and consoles are all the same now. There’s no other console or era of PC games that feels quite like a Sega Master System with its unique color pallet and audio hardware compared to say NES or Turbografx. Every console now is just a PC. When consoles add unique features like the Wii U screen or whatever the hell is in joycons to make them $80, we just ignore it and demand more games with Xbox-controller control schemes that are identical across PC and 3 consoles.

[Brickman | 4,312]

15 minutes ago, FireHazard51 said:

Steam Deck is just a portable PC just like ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, or etc.  Steam Deck may be the first but the market already has multiple alternatives because it's just a portable PC.  I just watched a video of a gaming store in Japan where there were multiple brands of portable PC gaming devices just like the Steam Deck because it's so easy to mimic it.

So maybe Steam Deck/portable devices option? 

The Xbox and the PS5 are essentially walled in PC's. And if you don't mod your Steam Deck it is the same.

XBOX and PS both have digital only devices and I don't think I can name a XBOX exclusive off the top of my head and PS are slowly heading that way or having timed exclusives then porting games to PC.

Times have changed and devices like the SD and ROG will be playing a bigger part in gaming as the years go. Not sure why you wouldn't add it to the list, it is literally answering your question if you play games on a modern console and what modern console do you own.

[Rhuno | 190]

I do play some modern games, but in general there are a lot of aspects I don't enjoy with it. I'm not big on open world games which is where so much of the industry is going. Then there are the patches and updates; it feels like every time I go to play a game on the Xbox, I first have to wait for a long download. Lastly, the games are overly complicated and too long for my personal position.

I'm not saying these things are inherently bad, but my gaming time is fairly limited so I prefer something quick and simple. Take Contra, for example: run and shoot. You can have the complete experience in less than 30 minutes and it's a blast to play.

The Switch is my favorite of the current consoles. As the industry moves more towards digital-only releases, I've probably purchased my last Xbox (Series X) or PlayStation (PS 4). If I'm going the digital route, I'll play on PC.

[FireHazard51 | 2,176]

24 minutes ago, Brickman said:

So maybe Steam Deck/portable devices option? 

The Xbox and the PS5 are essentially walled in PC's. And if you don't mod your Steam Deck it is the same.

XBOX and PS both have digital only devices and I don't think I can name a XBOX exclusive off the top of my head and PS are slowly heading that way or having timed exclusives then porting games to PC.

Times have changed and devices like the SD and ROG will be playing a bigger part in gaming as the years go. Not sure why you wouldn't add it to the list, it is literally answering your question if you play games on a modern console and what modern console do you own.

Portable PC is still a PC.  And no, Xbox and PS are not PCs.  Just because a console has SOME games ported to PC doesn't mean they are PCs.  Sony is porting games to PC because they realized there is a MASS market they can tap into without really damaging their console base sales.  You calling a PS5 just a PC is as ignorant as our parents growing up were in calling every console under the sun a "Nintendo".  SNES and Genesis are similar but they are not the same.

If consoles are just PCs then they will stop making hardware and just make software like SEGA.  

[Tanooki | 5,257]

31 minutes ago, Rhuno said:

I do play some modern games, but in general there are a lot of aspects I don't enjoy with it. I'm not big on open world games which is where so much of the industry is going. Then there are the patches and updates; it feels like every time I go to play a game on the Xbox, I first have to wait for a long download. Lastly, the games are overly complicated and too long for my personal position.

I'm not saying these things are inherently bad, but my gaming time is fairly limited so I prefer something quick and simple. Take Contra, for example: run and shoot. You can have the complete experience in less than 30 minutes and it's a blast to play.

The Switch is my favorite of the current consoles. As the industry moves more towards digital-only releases, I've probably purchased my last Xbox (Series X) or PlayStation (PS 4). If I'm going the digital route, I'll play on PC.

That's my thing right there.

Harassing updates/bs with consoles which add wait.

The wait my time doesn't allow for, nor would I want it to, so I need something quick.  It's why largely I've just been doing Famicom and a few NES/SNES games as I find them local lately.

Switch is the only modern system I own, it's unique and has unique games, but the other guys just have outdated walled garden BS PCs with hoops and limitations, so if I'm doing digital or digital/download it'll be the PC as it's better for it.

[Hammerfestus | 4,208]

I play the occasional RPGish game and a bunch of rocket league on PS4 and I have a Switch that never gets used.  I hate the fragility of being able to just play a damn game on modern systems.  Software updates, system updates, policy updates, loading loading loading, not enough space on my hard drive, can’t find the hard drive, I wonder if it’s the cable or the hard drive, online subscription expired, you want how much so I can play battlefield 1?, wait why am I logged out of my PlayStation account, hey my password‘s not working, I wonder how long I’ll be on hold for this, fuck this I’m just going to play Klax.

[Brickman | 4,312]

56 minutes ago, FireHazard51 said:

Portable PC is still a PC.  And no, Xbox and PS are not PCs.  Just because a console has SOME games ported to PC doesn't mean they are PCs.  Sony is porting games to PC because they realized there is a MASS market they can tap into without really damaging their console base sales.  You calling a PS5 just a PC is as ignorant as our parents growing up were in calling every console under the sun a "Nintendo".  SNES and Genesis are similar but they are not the same.

If consoles are just PCs then they will stop making hardware and just make software like SEGA.  

The steam deck unmodified is exactly the same as a Switch/PS5/Xbox. It has a branded interface with an exclusive set of games (steam). The only difference is the Valve doesn’t care if you modify it and make it easy for you to do so.

Also, modern consoles are essentially PCs with custom software. You’re the ignorant one, not me. I don’t care if you don’t want to face the fact that they are.

Leaving off PCs and portable devices from the list is stupid because a lot of modern gaming is done on those devices.

[Gloves | 12,582]

A PS5 is comprised of an SSD, an AMD GPU, an AMD CPU, and some RAM (primary parts).

Modern consoles are 100% just PCs with custom software that runs on boot.

[DefaultGen | 5,961]

3 minutes ago, Gloves said:

A PS5 is comprised of an SSD, an AMD GPU, an AMD CPU, and some RAM (primary parts).

Modern consoles are 100% just PCs with custom software that runs on boot.

Well at least you don't need to install games to a HDD or download things online on consoles, you just put the disc in and go.

Wait you WHAT?

[FireHazard51 | 2,176]

2 minutes ago, Gloves said:

A PS5 is comprised of an SSD, an AMD GPU, an AMD CPU, and some RAM (primary parts).

Modern consoles are 100% just PCs with custom software that runs on boot.

And Quest 3 runs on a Snapdragon so it's just a cellphone.  A modern electronic device is often a combination of hardware AND software.

[Gloves | 12,582]

3 minutes ago, FireHazard51 said:

And Quest 3 runs on a Snapdragon so it's just a cellphone.  A modern electronic device is often a combination of hardware AND software.

You were so close with your first sentence. Phones today are just small mobile computers with the ability to connect to cellular networks for making calls.

[T-Pac | 8,443]

This hobby would be too overwhelming for me if I didn't set boundaries to my interests, and luckily I'm only interested in classic games (99% of the time, at least).

That being said - I prefer to play my classic games through modern means. Clone consoles and emulation with save-states and custom controllers. 

[T-Pac]

[Sumez | 3,214]

9 hours ago, FireHazard51 said:

Also as an open question, what about modern consoles do you like compared to "retro" consoles

This is an easy one - absolutely nothing. 

I like utilities with a single purpose, and my ideal console is one I insert a game into, and the title screen music will be playing while my finger is still on the power button. I don't need them to do all kinds of other things, and I don't really need a menu system either. And I especially don't need achievements. 

Oh actually, I guess that's one thing I like about newer consoles - wireless controllers and the ability to turn them on remotely. I just don't like the tradeoffs for that. Especially the input lag. 

I'll play video games from any generation though. I don't have any reasons to favorize

Edited November 6, 2023 by Sumez

[Sumez | 3,214]

9 hours ago, FireHazard51 said:

Art/media just gets better in general with time

While I obviously agree it makes no sense to dismiss modern games, this statement is just absurd to me.

Do you truly believe that all (or *any*) types of art/media generally just improves with time? I've never seen any evidence of that for any sort of creative output. There are so many factors (commercially especially) that are bound to affect art negatively over time, that you could never reliably make such an assumption.