Are you experiencing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), or console
envy when you look at all of the shiny new consoles that have been coming out
in recent years? I have moments when I am, but then I remember a few things. A
friend of mine recently asked what he was doing editing a magazine about the
Colecovision when the Sony Playstation 5 was coming out. My answer to him
follows. I think it’s good advice to many of us, including myself.
“You are having fun and saving a ton of money. Everything about the newer generations
of consoles is expensive. And really, other than fancy graphics, what does the
PS5 or the XBox One X have to offer that's any different from what has come
before in terms of a game play experience?
The most recent unique game play experience that I've had with a home console was the Nintendo DS's dual screens back in 2004. That was a total game-changer making all sorts of games possible for the first time. The bottom screen is a pressure sensitive touch screen, letting you use your finger or any sort of stylus you want to interact with it. The top screen is a little bigger and shows the main action while the bottom screen is available for other things that used to take you out of the action by covering it up such as maps, character inventory, puzzles, etc. In some games, it even gets used for touch controls, some of which go beyond just tapping and require you to swipe, write or even draw in order to achieve the game’s goals. It wasn’t until this year (2020) that smart phones might just possibly be able to offer an experience like this and the ones with the ‘foldable’ screen are going to cost a small fortune.
The WiiU did it one better by making your TV the top screen and your main controller the touch sensitive second screen and by being compatible with most of the Wii's motion control games. Then, the DS one upped it as well with the 3DS's glasses free 3D, another huge game-changer that along with Augmented Reality (which was sadly never really fully utilized by game designers) should have completely revolutionized video gaming again. It would have if people hadn't become infatuated with Google's silly Glass concept and now the equally silly idea of strapping your smartphone to your face and calling that Virtual Reality. Augmented reality in glasses free 3D games is truly amazing and something that I’m disappointed to see no other new console even attempting.
Microsoft and Sony tried to copy the Wii's motion control concept for a little while, but now they are back to just giving you faster performance and prettier graphics while you are back to sitting like a lump on the couch twitching buttons again. You are no longer being encouraged to get up on your feet to actually burn a few calories in the process of winning the games with this latest generation of consoles.
Even Nintendo has abandoned motion control and dual screens with their 'new' Switch which is nothing more than a tablet dedicated to gaming that has detachable, tiny controllers and that you can stick in a cradle to put the graphics on the TV. A total step backwards from the WiiU other than a faster processor and fancier video card.
Yes, you could take the massive rectangle that is the Switch with you and play it portable, or you could just play on your Android or Apple tablet that you already have.
Even Nintendo realized this and came out with the Switch Lite which is a tablet with built in joysticks and buttons. Now, you can leave your original Switch in its cradle where it belongs and take the Switch Lite with you.
But by going with the Switches, you've also given up the second screen and the glasses free 3D of the 3DS for prettier graphics, which is a poor trade if you ask me.
No, you are better off sticking with the classic consoles, really. I used to be one of those early adopter, gadget gurus, but I got tired of it along about the time that Nintendo gave up on the WiiU and the 3DS too soon without really innovating with the next console. I think that the New 3DSXL may be the last console that I ever buy brand new.
I find that my interests are turning back to all of the many, many games that I've yet to play on the consoles that are in the generations predating the 2000’s. The library of games for those systems is gigantic in some cases. I think I could spend the rest of my life playing their games without finding a burning desire to try another ‘brand new’ game console.”
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