Entertainment
Games Inbox: PS4 as the best console ever, death of Xbox One, and best couch co-op Switch games
Best console ever? (pic: Sony)
The Friday Inbox discusses how much the PS4 should cost when it is re-released, as a reader tries to imagine the PlayStation Game Pass.
To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Top Station
Like everyone I was surprised to hear the news that Sony is bringing back the PlayStation 4, albeit in a limited form. I do feel the console is being underrated though, even if no one is outright dissing it. I get that it’s hard to get perspective at this point, but I would say that it is a top contender for the title of best console ever.
It has hands-down the best exclusive line-up outside of a Nintendo console and there were never any serious hardware issues. In fact, there were no problems at all. I think the closest it came to having a scandal was that Sony didn’t like cross-play much. Which considering how things are going now with PC gamers is beginning to seem like they had the right idea.
Seriously, it’s a console without a flaw and tons of really amazing games and you can see that reflected in the sales, which make it the second-best selling home console of all time (behind the PlayStation 2). I’d consider the SNES as an equal, and perhaps the Switch when it’s finished its life, but those are the only two I’d even say come close to the quality of the PlayStation 4.
Wotan
Aiming low
Do you think that there will be a PlayStation 4 price drop to accompany the increased production of PlayStation 4s? I ask because of the recent topic of whether the PlayStation 4 is better value than the PlayStation 5. At full retail price of £250, it certainly is not.
Considering the PS4 is roughly 1/4 the performance, with less storage, that’s magnitudes slower; it’s quite expensive when compared to the PlayStation 5. It wouldn’t surprise me if Sony’s production cost for each PlayStation 4 is less than half its retail price. In that regard, it’s actually a bit of a rip-off. I would also wager you could build an equivalent PC to the PlayStation 4 for the same price or less if you look on eBay for old parts.
I’m sure there’s things that go into a product’s valuation I’m unaware of, but anything above £175 for a PlayStation 4 feels like a bad deal to me.
Dan T
GC: It seems one of the primary reasons for its comeback is to have a low price rival to the Xbox Series S, so we’d imagine they’d want to undercut its £250 price point.
They don’t make ‘em like they used to
I obtained my PlayStation 4 on launch day, after forgetting to cancel my pre-order in time. It is still working perfectly to this day. I’ve upgraded its internal hard drive but the original one is still going strong in an enclosure attached to my Xbox Series S.
I just want to praise the quality of it, as it’s so rare for me to have a console last so well with regular use. I got through more Xbox 360s than hot dinners.
When I compare gaming over the last eight years to, let’s say eight years from 1992 to 2000, the rate of change seems to have slowed dramatically. Playing on a PlayStation 4 now is almost the equivalent of using a SNES in 2000, except it would be a SNES which could still run current games like Half-Life.
It’s probably going to break now.
EvilMoomin
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Couch potato
I’ve had a Switch for just over a year now and think it’s a fantastic piece of kit. I’ve recently purchased another controller (the first one is playing up with Joy-Con drift, so I’ll need to get it looked at) and I was wondering if people have any recommendations of four-player games that you can play whilst sat on the settee with your mates?
At present I’ve got Mario Kart 8 and Streets Of Rage 4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate seems like it would be a good shout but I’m wondering if there are any other good suggestions.
As I say, it’s just to have a laugh in the same room together like back when I used to play GoldenEye 007 on the N64, or even further back Micro Machines on the Mega Drive. You could have eight players on that!
Torro
GC: You can have eight players on Smash Bros. too, if you can organise it. In terms of other games though some of the obvious suggestions are Overcooked 2, Cuphead, Rocket League, Diablo 3, and Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime. It’s not a party game but Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a sadly underrated co-op experience.
PC gone mad
I agree that the PlayStation 4 seems good value at the minute, with the current gen stock shortages to continue. Added to the rumours Sony are about to launch their own Game Pass equivalent I can see why they might have restarted production on the older console.
I would be tempted to get one myself (especially as my last Sony console was the PlayStation 2!) if not for the fact I’ve already played Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone on PC. I’ll also be picking up God Of War at some point.
I do worry these welcome PC ports will cease if they affect the numbers of people joining the planned new PlayStation ecosystem.
Conor
Rest in pieces
As someone that’s always been an Xbox fan more than PlayStation, and owned all the consoles, I have to say I really don’t feel sad that the Xbox One is no more. It really was not a good console and the software support was really poor, only really kicking into gear when the Xbox Series X/S forced everything to be cross-gen.
I’m only talking about the original console when I say that though and I would say that the Xbox One X is excellent, and it’s a real shame they couldn’t have led with that as I think things would’ve been very different if they had.
Obviously the Xbox One had to fail so that Phil Spencer could get the job as boss of Xbox, which is great as I think he’s a far better leader than Sony’s Jim Ryan. But that whole mess basically wasted the whole generation and it’s only now, after his policies have had time to take effect that Xbox is able to turn itself around.
So farewell Xbox One. You won’t really be missed but you served a purpose and things are looking much better now for your descendants.
Crispen
No fate but what you make
With S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 now confirmed being delayed until November it seems that this year is going to play out similar to the last, PlayStation will dominate the first half with Xbox coming in strong at the end.
Fanboys of either side will of course claim their box won.
Russell
GC: December, actually. We agree 2022 will probably be similar in terms of delays but the fortunes of PlayStation and Xbox are impossible to guess at the moment.
More: Gaming
Hard Pass
Interesting news about Sony asking retailers to phase out PS Now cards. It makes lots of sense to merge PS Plus and Now together, but I am interested in what people predict Sony are going to offer in its place?
Personally I think it’s unlikely Sony are going to match the Game Pass offer of putting all exclusives day and date on their subscription service. That’s what I would like to happen, but I don’t see that from Sony, after upping the price of their exclusives to £70 a pop this gen, are they then going to make them available for something like £15 per month?
If that was to be an offer, I think it would be significantly more expensive than Microsoft. Now I also think Sony’s exclusive track record is far better than Microsoft’s, and so they might be able to justify to themselves a price difference, but the thing is… I don’t think the general public (i.e. social media) will see it that way, and anything significantly more expensive will send the Twittersphere into a bigger Sony-based meltdown than they had over an average game not getting a sequel.
I feel Microsoft have put Sony in a very awkward position by offering such tremendous value with Game Pass. It feels to me like they are stuck between having a well-received good value offer, but losing revenue; or making their version more expensive than Game Pass to maintain revenue, but the new service being more negatively received.
In the game of chess Jim Ryan and Phil Spencer are playing, I certainly don’t envy Jim having to make the next move.
Henshin Agogo
PS: I forgot my prediction! I think they will merge both services and announce better third party support for games via the subscription service, so copying what Microsoft do with having agreements in place for day and date day one releases. I think they will also commit to putting the Sony exclusives on the subscription service, but only after an exclusivity period where you can only buy it at a premium price first (essentially copying what movies do with theatrical releases and then watch at home releases).
I also predict it will go down badly and there will be a glut of Reader’s Features declaring the end of times for Sony and how the PS5 will get thrown in the cupboard, and I will enjoy reading them all.
Inbox also-rans
I wonder how many non-US based users will stop using Wordle after the Americanised favour was used on Wednesday?! It has certainly lessened my desire to play every day!
Jonathan Foley
I know this is an early question indeed but do you have your review copy of Elden Ring yet? Also, do you know when the embargo is up?
Matt
GC: It’s more than a month away from release, so it’s far too early to say (and we probably couldn’t say even if we did know).
This week’s Hot Topic
For the first Hot Topic of the year there’s only one obvious question to ask: what upcoming new game are you most looking forward to?
The official release schedules for the year are already looking busy, particularly in the first half, but try and make sure that whatever games you talk about are either currently promised for 2022 or have a good chance of being released in the next 12 months.
Try to explain why you’re looking forward to the games so much and why you feel confident in their quality. Do you think 2022 will be a good year for video games and what are you looking forward to that isn’t just a new game release?
E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk
The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
MORE : Games Inbox: PS4 value for money, Red Dead Redemption 3 in 2030, and Days Gone DLC
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