I see no reason for Xbox if you have a PC. I have xbox game pass on my PC and it sits next to my PS5 connected to an LG CX Oled. It's just a big xbox that plays pc games, mods, pays bills and all of the other stuff PC's do.

If you want to see Playstation exclusives just Google GOTY nominees every year for the past 12 years and you'll find 2 or 3 almost every year.

I prefer ps5. My PC has all of my Xbox games covered.

Also, series x only has 4 current gen only games that I'm aware of (2 of those are also on PS5 and one on is even on PS4). Meaning, you can buy a an old Xbox one for under $100 and play all of the same games as the Series X (obviously at lower quality).

Xbox One will play all but 4 of the same games as Xbox Series X and you can probably get one for $120.

Dark Souls 3. I can start a new character and just go beat the game in 3 or 4 hours.

I think that's the right call for your situation. It's a better system and it will likely be more affordable in the long run than the Series S.

That's right. You'll be a slave to digital sales if you have a console without a drive. Even when digital games are on sale, they're still more expensive than used (and sometimes new) physical copies are all year long.

Dark Souls 3 with DLC is 6 years old. It's $20 new at Walmart or you can pay $80 online. Just an example. If you look, you can find used physical copies of games under $10 at thrift stores, yard sales or even borrow/trade with friends or work colleagues. I found a stack of PS4/Xbox One games for $1 each at Goodwill over the summer. Digitally, they were each between $40 - $60 and I can sell/trade them.

Think about how long you'll have (and use) the console you're buying. In that time frame, you're likely to actually save money (and have a more powerful system) by having a console that accepts physical copies. I strongly recommend the PS5 w/ disc drive or Xbox Series X. If you have a PC, then I'd go with PS5 just because PC has access to all of the Xbox games.

I guess that depends on how much you're willing to pay. After trying and failing multiple times to buy one at retail, I finally gave up and paid extra. This was about 6 months after release and people were still selling them for $800+. I got mine for $650. This is just about $100 more than buying it from the store if you add tax so that was my comfort level but everyone's threshold for this kind of thing is different.

One thing I stress to everyone, whether you go Xbox or Playstation, always get a system with a disc drive. It will always be cheaper in the long run. Having the ability to buy, sell and trade used games will outweigh the $100-$200 upfront savings of going digital. You can find used games online, at yard sales, thrift stores, just about anywhere and they're cheap all year. If you find 2 games under $10 and those games are $60 digitally, then the $100 disc drive paid for itself. Over the life span of the console, a console with a drive will actually be cheaper than a console without one.

I'm pretty passionate about it. If you need any advice, just let me know.

Yeah I wouldn't pay $700.

For the PS4 Pro, you'll want to add for an SSD swap. It will reduce your load times on all of your games significantly. I did this with my PS4 Pro before getting the ps5. I still use that SSD as an external drive for my ps4 games since it maintains the super fast loading.

The cheapest would be a 500gb. I don't think the system would allow for (or you would want) any less. Those are probably around $50. $80 - $100 for a 1TB ssd. You would also need a USB just to pull the PS4 operating system off of the Playstation website.

This might sound really complicated but it's not. I'm an idiot with this kind of stuff but a few youtube videos showed me how easy it was.

No problem. If you haven't checked recently, you may want to. My area just got a ton. Saw some on the shelves at Target for the first time since they released.

And I only mention it because I see refurbished PS4 Pro's listed at like $350 because they're rare, too. At that point, you might as well get the PS5 if you can find one.

You can find decent deals on apps like Offer Up or on Ebay too.

Refurbished from Gamestop is fine. I still have a refurbished Xbox One from like 2016. I never play it but it still works. Did not get, nor did I need, the additional coverage.

A base PS4 is a fine system but the PS4 Pro is much better, especially if you swap the hard drive with an SSD (really easy to do).

Whichever platform you go with, if it's within $100-$200 of PS5 w/ Disc Drive, I'd save up for the PS5.

No. I would if I had a Series X though probably. Everything available on Series X is available on my PC or even my Xbox One. All of my Sony and current gen exclusives are on my PS5.

Discless will be more expensive over the course of the console's life span.

You don't have to agree with me but I'm not a liar. You could have just checked my post history.

Here's a few highlights from my last SL1 run.

https://youtu.be/OBfWdi-Zdgo

https://youtu.be/Pr1XcAP6UUg

Just roll and swing. Easy mode if you're leveling a character.

I played all of the originals on PS2/PS3 on the hardest difficulty as well as 2018.

Couldn't agree with you less. The old games were great but they ran their course. They were mainly button mashers with QTE's added as finshers. On the hardest difficulty, they required you to parry everything before button mashing. They were super fun and epic but they ran their course.

The combat system introduced in 2018 was way more innovative and the challenge at GMGOW difficulty was way more fulfilling. Ragnarok improves on that combat system in every way. I've played through every Souls game and Sekiro multiple times. I do SL1 runs and can beat DS3 in under 2 hours from character creation to finish without skips. Ragnarok's combat system is insanely more involved than roll, roll swing, roll, roll, swing.

Get a PC and keep your PS.

So after ps3 outsold xbox 360 then?

They stopped reporting sales numbers after PS3 outsold the 360, I think.

Most of the consoke unit numbers we see aren't from Microsoft. They're 3rd party estimates based on game sales.

No need for an Xbox if you have a PC already.

I'd recommend the PS5 disc model for you since it's a guaranteed upgrade. It will make your existing library better, add current gen exclusives AND you can sell your PS4. That should give you a head start on saving up for your VR. Also, they are still a bit difficult to get. This gives you the opportunity to put the stress of finding one on someone else.

Since you've never had VR, you run the risk of possibly not liking it. When you are counting on one or 2 big gifts every year, it sucks when you get one that turns out to be a bust. I'm not saying VR is a bust but it's possible that you may get bored with it after a few the or so. It's an unknown whereas the PS5 is a guaranteed improvement.

Sure thing. Good luck.

I went from a ps4 pro with an SSD upgrade to a PS5 and noticed an improvement. Mainly in framerate stability. It's just really smooth on the PS5. I'm assuming it's the same on the Series X.

Not at all. Well, a little if RDR2 is your only reason. I mean, if you got a ps5 you wouldn't have to repurchase the game.

I'm a PC and console gamer. I buy physical for console to buy, sell and trade. PC games can be had relatively cheap digitally year round but not on console. Periodic digital sales on console often don't even get as cheap as used physically copies are year round.

Ok so I've actually got both Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus Premium so I know a bit about this.

Game Pass Ultimate is $15 per month and it has around 470 games. Aside from the quantity, this service gives access to a number of games on the day if release. It's pretty awesome playing a new game the day it comes out without paying full price. This is $180 per year.

Now, PS Extra is $100 per year iif you pay all at once. Do NOT sign up for monthly payments or the price almost doubles. This gets you the same amount of games as Game Pass plus an additional 3-5 games every month and it's almost half the price. It also has almost all of the famous Sony exclusives. However, you don't have the day one releases. In my experience, the new Sony exclusives take about a year to hit PS Plus.

Ok so PS Extra is $120 a year and it adds another 300+ games. However, most (not all) of these games are PS3 games and are streaming only (can't download) and performance is hit or miss depending on the game and your internet. $20 for 300 games makes sense for me but it's not for everyone.

So, from the information youve given, I'd actually recommend a PS5 with a PS Extra subscription. This will give you a ton of games for $100 a year. And the PS5 Collection is a other 19 games on top of that. Real bangers, too. The digital ps5 is $400 though. Which is $100 more than the Series S but it's a more powerful system.

I usually recommend going for the PS5 with a drive though. It can play ps4 and ps5 games and I can't tell you how many times I've found cheap or even free used games that would have cost me $60 digitally. Yard sales, thrift stores even trading with friends and co-workers are all places to find games.

However, if you do intend to play games very sparingly, I think the best recommendation I'd give would be the digital PS5 with PS Extra subscription. I know you were looking at the $60 Essential sub but that extra $40 on the year gets you 400+ games. The total package at $100 for the year averages to about $8 a month.