To buy, or not to buy? That is indeed the question. The next-generation consoles may have finally arrived, but whether or not now is the time to invest in one is far from clear. There are a lot of variables that need to be considered and some strong arguments for both sides.
While the might of the new machines is clear for all to see, the games that are currently available don't come close to pushing them to their limits. What's more, they don't come cheap and the cost of additional memory and controllers could potentially push that price up higher still. For those still on the fence, there's a lot that needs to be weighed up.
10 Buy Today: The Power
While most of the games releasing on the next-gen consoles will also be available on their predecessors, the sheer power of the Series X and PS5 means they'll not only look much better but also run at a far higher resolution on the newer machines. 4K at 60 fps really is a sight to behold and should be enough to tempt many into upgrading as soon as possible.
The new machines are the most powerful consoles ever created and have a lot more under the hood than those that came before them. The technical specifications of the consoles probably won't mean too much to most people on paper, but the massive step-up in graphical fidelity should be clear for all to see.
9 Wait A While: The Available Games
At present, there are fewer than 30 games available for each machine and many of these can be picked up on PS4 or Xbox One. Not only do players have to consider the price of a new console, but also the extra $10 that games for the new machines will cost. Given that they're more or less the exact same games, this price difference feels a lot like an early-adopter tax.
As time passes and support for the older machines wanes, the prospect of owning a PS5 or Series X will become far more compelling. As things stand though, big titles like Final Fantasy XVI, Halo Infinite, and God of War: Ragnarok are all still some way away. Until they arrive, there really isn't a need to rush when it comes to upgrading.
8 Buy Today: The Speed
Both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are lightning-fast, with considerably shorter loading times than their predecessors. For those who value their time or lack the patience for loading, one of the newer machines would probably be a worthwhile investment.
Additionally, the speed of the storage can also save quite a bit of time when it comes to booting up the consoles themselves and the quick resume function allows players to jump between games seamlessly. Being able to pick up exactly where one left off is a huge step forward and something that many will use on a regular basis.
7 Wait A While: The Price
Although they're far from the most expensive consoles ever released once inflation is taken into account, given what's going on in the world right now, the $500 price-tag may be a cause for hesitation for some. Those with money to burn likely won't be too concerned about the cost, but, for everybody else, it's a fairly sizeable amount.
Considering the recent history of PlayStation and Xbox machines, there's a good chance that a price drop isn't too far away. The price of the Xbox One had fallen by $150 within just one year of going on sale in the states (albeit as a result of the Kinect no longer being bundled with it) and the launch of the PS4 Slim resulted in the price of the original model of the PS4 being slashed by $100.
6 Buy Today: The Excitement
There's something special about being an early adopter of new technology. Experiencing what is undoubtedly a big step up in quality is an incredible feeling and knowing that there are only a select few others in the same position makes it all the sweeter.
The stock shortages may have made it incredibly difficult for players to get their hands on the new machines, but they've also helped to inflate the hype as well. It has reached a point now where people are celebrating actually being able to give Microsoft or Sony their money, which says a lot about how exciting it is for them.
5 Wait A While: The Technical Problems
Console launches haven't always gone smoothly in recent times. Early versions of the Xbox 360 suffered from the infamous red ring of death while many of the PS4s sold at launch had an incredibly annoying issue that saw the console randomly eject the disc during gameplay or when in standby mode. Whether or not the new machines have any major issues like these remains to be seen.
There have been early reports of both the PS5 and the Series X having problems, including controllers unpairing while playing certain games, corrupted save files, and coil whine. It's too early to tell if these are isolated incidents or the results of more serious design flaws. Sony and Microsoft will likely repair or replace any affected consoles, but this process could take several weeks and can be rather stressful as well.
4 Buy Today: The Backwards Compatibility
There might not be a lot of games available right now, but both machines offer backward compatibility. The PS5 is able to play virtually every PS4 game ever released while the Series X can play games from all previous Xbox consoles. Some of them are starting to show their age a little now, but quite a few have next-gen patches that improve performance.
Through this backward compatibility, players have access to hundreds of high-quality games, many of which they will not have experienced before. The new machines also offer a few visual upgrades too, most notably an upscaled resolution and something fairly similar to HDR.
3 Wait A While: Your Television
Having a machine that's capable of outputting games at 4k resolution and 60 frames per second is one thing, but owning a TV that's actually able to display them that way is quite another. Although 4K televisions are fairly common these days, not all of them have HDMI 2.0 ports. Fewer still have HDMI 2.1 ports, which will be required for anybody hoping to play at over 60 fps.
Given that a television typically gets a lot more use than a console, upgrading the former first probably makes a lot more sense for most people. Like the consoles themselves though, a television with HDR support, a 4K resolution, and 120hz refresh rates isn't going to come cheap.
2 Buy Today: PS Plus Collection & Xbox Game Pass
The PS Plus Collection and the Xbox Game Pass offer access to a wide range of games at an incredibly competitive price. The majority of them may be last-gen titles, but, for such a modest sum, it's hard to argue that it isn't good value for money.
There are more than enough great games on the platforms to keep players busy into 2021 and beyond, by which point more new games will have been added to the services. More importantly, perhaps, some of the big-hitting next-gen titles will either be available or a lot closer to release by the time players have gotten through everything.
1 Wait A While: The Availability
Having the right television, the money to spare, and the sheer desire to buy a next-gen console isn't quite enough. Given the scarcity of stock, acquiring one of the machines is a lot easier said than done. All of the big retailers are sold out and snapping one up during one of the brief windows when they are available is nearly impossible.
Scalpers do offer another option, but this will invariably be a far more expensive one – not to mention, potentially risky. With this in mind, waiting for retailers to get new stock is the safest and best option for those hoping to buy a new machine. If one has to wait anyway, why not just wait a little longer for some more games and maybe even a price cut?
