A reader explains why they went three decades without ever owning a PlayStation console, while listing all the other formats they’ve owned instead.
I hope you’re sitting down as you read this because I’m going to shock you, well assuming you haven’t already keeled over from seeing the headline. But it’s true: I have never owned a PlayStation console. I’ve played one, of course, I’m not a hermit. However, I’ve never bought one or had one in the house. Not out of any hatred for Sony but just a combination of coincidence, indifference, and poverty.
Nevertheless, I am willing to prove, after 30 long years, that I have nothing against Sony, and I have pre-ordered a PS5 Pro for myself. I’ll get into my various reasons in a moment, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that one of the most important is that I enjoy the irony that my first PlayStation console will also be by far the least popular – at least according to popular opinion on the internet.
But first, my reasons for having got this far, while still claiming myself to be a video games fan. Well, the reason I didn’t get the original PlayStation is because I had a N64 instead and felt perfectly happy that I had made the right choice, given the quality of Super Mario 64 and Zelda and the obviously inferior graphics of the PS1.
It didn’t pass me by that the PS1 was much more popular though, but while I still convinced myself I’d made the right choice I probably would’ve gone for the PlayStation 2 next, as it clearly didn’t have much competition. I got trigger-happy though and ended up getting a Dreamcast instead and when that died early and, more importantly, I moved in with girlfriend, my interest in gaming drifted for a few years.
I did get an Xbox 360 though, primarily because I was interested in Mass Effect, and was very happy with that as a console. You can probably guess what’s coming next but that led me to buying an Xbox One, a decision I very quickly regretted. I realised I’d picked the wrong horse, but I had the choice between a Switch and PlayStation 4 and ultimately I was more drawn to the Nintendo games – since I hadn’t owned a Nintendo console since the N64 days.
I’m very happy with the Switch, and interested in what the Switch 2 turns out to be, but I am now ready to get a PlayStation 5 as well. Back in the day I couldn’t afford to get two consoles at once and, for me, there was never enough appeal in the PlayStation games to go that extra length.
I played things like The Last Of Us and God Of War at a friend’s and they didn’t really grab me, I expect because they’re more the sort of thing you want to play relaxed on your own. I will give all the obvious classics a go now though, hopefully in their superior PS5 Pro forms. I’m especially looking forward to Bloodborne.
Anyway, I hope this explains why I have made the seemingly strange choice to not get a PlayStation until now. I realise the PS5 Pro is not much of an improvement on the original but since it’s my first PlayStation of any kind I figure I might as well start at the top. I’d ask for game recommendations but to be honest it’s kind of obvious at the moment. I just hope they’re all work the wait.
By reader Kitney
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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