The PlayStation 5 was released almost two years ago, but here I am still using a 7-year-old PlayStation 4. And to be clear, it’s not the PS4 Slim, and it’s not even the newer and more powerful PS4 Pro. My console is the basic 500Gb OG PlayStation 4 my wife got me in 2015. It has gone through some upgrades, though–an additional 1GB of external storage to install more games and a GoW decal to hide how old and rough the console has become. So why have I refused to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 yet for someone who calls himself a gamer?
Taking your time before buying a newly launched product is often a good move
If the PlayStation 4 and several other similar products taught us anything, we should already know by now that there might be potential issues when it comes to newly launched products. The first version of the PS4 was launched in 2016 and was followed up by two different models about three years later. While the PS4 Slim was a lot more compact and needed less energy to operate, the PS4 Pro was a more powerful console that proved to be an improvement over the original.
it’s only two years after the release of the PlayStation 5, and news has started flying around that Sony plans to release the Pro version of the console soon. This will likely be released next year or early 2024, according to rumors. Although Sony is yet to officially confirm this, it is a huge possibility this is going to happen considering how console product launches often go.
As it stands, I think I might just wait to see whatever improvements they’re planning to make in the next release. Of course, I’m willing to wait.
I’m not even done with the PlayStation 4
My PlayStation 4 still has loads of unfinished games waiting to be completed. There are even free games I got through PlayStation Plus that I never downloaded. There are dusty physical discs sitting on my shelf and even more in my PSN library. There are game downloads worth over 1TB I don’t even plan to re-download.
God of War was released four years ago, but I’m yet to complete the story. I bought Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019 but the only person who actively plays is my daughter. GTA V, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja bundle, Call of Duty: WWII, Deadpool, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Mafia III, Sonic Forces, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End are some of the games I’ve sworn to finish on my PlayStation 4 before purchasing the PlayStation 5.
However, having lesser time to boot up the console and play makes this seems like the goal of a lifetime. There is another reason I haven’t seriously considered upgrading to the PS5 yet and its my iPad!
Mobile games have gotten really good on the iPad
Although mobile games have a bad rep for shady advertisements and horrible microtransactions designed to rob you of your next mortgage payment, we cannot refute the fact that they have gotten really good over the years, especially on the iPad. This didn’t start recently as I’ve always been a big fan of mobile games right from the days of Java games on feature phones. Nokia introducing Symbian games on the N-Gage platform was quite ahead of its time and was supposed to be the game-changer. Fast-forward to 2022, we have console games ports and awesome graphics on Android and iOS devices. Bloom, anti-aliasing, FOV slider, and several other graphics features that used to be console-exclusive have become commonplace on AAA mobile games.
Getting the iPad Pro in 2017 sort of made mobile my primary gaming platform. Single-player games like the Infinity Blade series, GTA and Max Payne ports on iOS were so great that you would want to play them over and over. PUBG Mobile came out really strong and I remember playing this at every chance I got. Then came Call of Duty: Mobile in 2019! Now it appears every console game publisher wants to have a strong mobile presence. Apex Legends is already on mobile; Battlefield and Warzone Mobile have already been through alpha tests, and it’s not ending there.
Basically, what I’m saying is that I have as much fun playing on the iPad as I do on the console. However, the mobility advantage you get on mobile gives it an edge. Mobile games are always with you, whether you lying on the couch in your living room or you’re waiting for your wife at the salon.
Getting the PlayStation 5
Despite all these reasons, I will eventually get the PlayStation 5, but I will be sticking with the PlayStation 4 a bit longer. I do not plan to transfer all these old downloads to a new console. The much anticipated Modern Warfare 5 will be released this October, and it might just be the deciding factor. Who knows, I might not even have to wait for the PlayStation 5 Pro I’ve already set my eyes on. After all, it’s nothing but a rumor at this point.
