PS5 can still be a great console but it won't be because of Sony - Reader's Feat
A reader suggests that Sony's peculiar attitude towards the PS5 does make sense and it's all to do with what more casual gamers want and expect from a console.
I read with interest a recent Reader's Feature that talked about the PlayStation 6 being a chance for Sony to wipe the slate clean and start again, hopefully more in the style of the PlayStation 4. I think that they are probably right, in terms of Sony's reputation for first party games, but I think we need to remember that that is not the be all and end all of consoles.
One of the reasons the PlayStation 5's sales have not suffered, despite Sony's poor management, is that it has had virtually no competition from Xbox. There are already almost no current gen exclusives of any importance and sales are so bad for the Xbox Series X/S that it wouldn't even matter if there were.
With the Switch unable to play current gen games this has led to the PlayStation 5 being the undisputed market leader for triple-A games, without raising a finger and despite not having even half as many quality first party games as last gen.
What this means is that if you played a triple-A game on a current gen console then the odds are it was on the PlayStation 5. Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate 3, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Resident Evil 4 remake, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Monster Hunter Wilds, Deliverance: Kingdom Come 2, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Call Of Duty, EA Sports FC… if you've enjoyed a big budget third party game this gen you've probably done it on the PlayStation 5.
This is where I feel there is a bit of a disconnect between what hardcore gamers think of Sony's current attitude and them not realising that it has had little to no impact on their success. Most people don't actually buy consoles for their exclusives (Nintendo excluded) which is probably one reason why Sony felt comfortable reducing their output.
I'd love to know what the exact stat is, but it wouldn't surprise me if fully half of all PlayStation owners only buy one to play EA Sports FC and Call Of Duty/free online shooters. Which also explains Sony's push for live service games, which is not necessarily foolish in terms of the idea, just incompetent in terms of how they've executed it.
For many people PlayStation is video games and even though games like The Last Of Us and God Of War get a lot of attention, which probably makes people feel better about owning a PlayStation 5, they're still only a drop in the ocean compared to the sales of multiformat games with vastly less critical acclaim.
The opposite is true too. Returnal might have won a Bafta and been GC's favourite PlayStation 5 game, but it barely sold a million copies. No one played it and most PlayStation 5 owners have probably never even heard of it (I loved it, by the way).
So I think that's why Sony is happy to be aloof and uncommunicative, because they're winning by basically doing nothing, so why say anything to draw attention to it or upset people? It might be maddening to us gamers that they won't acknowledge the change in policy, but from their point of view that can only be a bad thing. More Trending
As far as the average gamer is concerned the PlayStation 5 is a good console with great games, it's just their criteria for what makes a great game is very different from more hardcore gamers. Likewise, their idea of whether a console is value for money or not is different. They never wanted the PlayStation 5 to be anything more than it is and they're not disappointed at all.
By reader Rankin
The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email.
MORE: Star Wars Battlefront 3 needs to have these new features - Reader's Feature
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Games Inbox: Will Nintendo games ever come to PC?
The Monday letters page worries that it's being priced out of buying a Nintendo Switch 2, as one reader is disappointed by Elden Ring Nightreign. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Outside influence While I'm sure the Xbox website listing Xenoblade Chronicles X was some kind of mistake, I'm not sure the idea that Microsoft has talked Nintendo into supporting the PC can be completely ruled out. Microsoft has been trying to get influence over Nintendo for decades, including two separate attempts to buy them, so I can absolutely imagine them nagging and coaxing them into supporting PC. I'm not saying they've convinced Nintendo but think of what they could offer them. Maybe free use of their servers for streaming or sharing the cost of making new games, now they're more expensive on Switch 2. Doesn't sound likely but I think you could say that for a lot of things that have happened recently, which is basically what the Reader's Feature about PlayStation 5 was getting at this weekend. So I wouldn't rule out Nintendo games coming top PC at some point. I agree that Sony seem to be out of the conversation at the moment and are not influencing gaming the way they used to, whether the PlayStation 5 is selling or not. Even if Microsoft can never compete with them on even ground, I still feel they'd like to see Sony taken out of the picture and this way they can use someone else to do it. Manson The plan worked I had no intention of getting Elden Ring Nightreign because of it being multiplayer-focused but it's still disappointing to find out that it was a cheap cash-in and that it's popular anyway. FromSoftware are one of the developers I respect the most right now, but this is really disappointing to me. My theory is that they 'owed' Bandai Namco another Elden Ring game and so they knocked this out quick, with less care than usual as to whether it was any good or not. And people still bought it. I shouldn't be bothered, if it doesn't affect me, but it doesn't sit right with me. Especially as we still haven't got a single-player game to look forward from them. Stolz Lasting reputation I finally finished Astro Bot (it has the best Christmas level as free DLC) and the Horizon Zero Dawn planet made me pick up that game on the cheap. It's really good and I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying it, as I heard bad things about it I don't play games for storylines and I only really need a reason to go from A to B, but I'm still enjoying it so far with the lost industrialised world, etc. I'm only about four hours in but I can see this being one of my 50+ hour games. I also read that Aloy is annoying, but I don't know where that comes from unless something happens later on. Simon GC: Horizon Zero Dawn has always been thought of favourably, although Aloy and the other characters have a reputation for being a bit boring – rather than annoying. Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Old-fashioned pleasures Just seen that two shops are opening at midnight for the Switch 2 launch. For those who are going and have never had the chance to do a midnight launch you're going to love it and I do mean it. The waiting outside, saying, 'Come on, hurry up!' every three seconds, then getting to the door of the shop and trying to see how many more is in front of you. And then being next to be served and then walking to the counter, waiting for them to scan the Switch2 box. Hearing them famous words, you have never heard: 'cash or card? Them putting it in a bag and saying thanks, while handing you the bag. Getting out the shop as quickly as possible, before trying to get home as fast as possible to start the process of setting it up and download the updates. I promise you're going to love it, it's how gaming was and how it still should be. You're all going to love it. David Physical source Just in case anyone still wants a physical game, Vinted is a pretty good source. I've filled my shelves with Xbox One and Xbox Series X games for some very reasonable prices. Just recently I got Doom and Prey for £3 plus P&P. Dead Island 2 for £8. Haven't had any bad experiences yet. I'm using it to get all of the Call of Duty games for as little as possible, got the World War game for two quid, I think. I like playing through the story campaigns. Does Vanguard have a story to play through? Bobwallett GC: Yes. Black Ops 4 is the only mainline entry without a campaign mode. Full comment I know GC has been good enough to pass on issues with comments being rejected in the Underbox but it's still very difficult to know where the issues are and benign comments to not be rejected, like this one under wetbandit's Sunday feature: I think you're mixing up backwards compatibility and Switch 2 upgrade patches. Nintendo is responsible for ensuring Switch games are backwards compatible with Switch 2 and it's an ongoing exercise. That Modern Vintage Gamer video is a month old and he's using the official Nintendo list from the 15th April. It was last updated on the 27th of May and the list of games with no issues or issues that will be fixed at launch or shortly after has grown by 40%. Everything else is marked as under investigation. Like any other console it's up to the devs to offer a native Switch 2 version if they want and if it will be free or paid for. Nintendo and Sony both offer free upgrades on some games where the work is minimal. Charge an upgrade fee of around £10 for others and more if there's some extra content/new DLC with the new native version like Kirby or GoT on PlayStation 5. In short, back compatible on Switch 2 works like other consoles. The only games that are flat out not playable are two of the Labo games, where the Switch 2 doesn't fit the accessories. Then there's a few games like Ring Fit that need Switch Joy-Cons, but they are back compatible with Switch 2, as is the Pro Controller. Also, the console is £395 and its price was meet with mild pleasant surprise. Not so much Mario Kart World. Simundo The bitter end It's crazy to me how long games to make nowadays. Cyberpunk 2 might not even be out this decade and that's the norm now. I can't think of anything else creative that takes this long to make. A movie is two or three years at the maximum and usually less. I guess there would be some serious books that take a long time to write but a lot of that would not be entirely full-time, I would've thought. And even then it still might not be as long. How many people making these games actually stay for the whole thing? Or do they feel they should always see it through to the bitter end? Rosco Priced out I won't be getting a Nintendo Switch 2 next week, not because I'm not a fan but because I just don't feel I can afford one. I'm a traditionalist and prefer physical copies of games, at least when it comes to big releases anyway, as I feel they deserve a place with my other games on the shelf. I would definitely want Mario Kart World and that, along with a Switch 2, wouldn't leave me with much change from £500, certainly not enough to purchase another game anyway. I bought the Xbox Series S because I thought it was reasonably priced at £250, and I certainly wouldn't have given the Xbox Series X a second glance at £450 if that would have been the only option. For the time being I will stick with my original Switch, while I'm picking up cheap games for less than a couple of quid. Although I do expect Nintendo to start squeezing customers like me out of that oasis sooner rather than later. They are just a business after all. I wish them luck because I've never hated Nintendo even when they were at some of their lowest ebbs. I went out and bought their products because I enjoyed them. Unfortunately for now at least, my mind says yes, but my bank balance says no. I hope it does do well but then again if it doesn't, maybe I could afford one. freeway 77 Inbox also-ransIs GC planning on reviewing Nice Day For Fishing from Viva La Dirt League/Team 17? Thanks, I read you every day. Tomithy GC: We've never heard of it till now, so we're not sure. It's going to be a busy week. Oh look, another day another U-turn from Microsoft. So they suddenly found out that Steam Deck and co. don't really sell that much and so their new idea is to *checks notes* focus on Windows. Really, what was the point of Xbox? Dandy More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ 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 via email or our Submit Stuff page, 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: Are you getting a Nintendo Switch 2 next week? MORE: Games Inbox: When will the new Tomb Raider be revealed? MORE: Games Inbox: What review score will Mario Kart Worlds get?
