Why do we need game consoles and the PlayStation 5 in particular?

The year is 2023. The computing power of computers is enough to play comfortably at all screen resolutions. "PC hardware has long surpassed consoles.

A gamepad is not an exclusive console accessory. No one is preventing you to connect it to your computer, enjoy the game, reclining on the couch. So why are consoles in demand? The fact that to put together a gaming computer - it is not only expensive, but also somewhat expensive, it requires a certain level of knowledge and time.

Of course, the world is full of experts who can only by the name of the video card, which it has the amount of video memory, what its frequency and core frequency they will also remember. But all this is crutches, and the end user does not want to bother, he wants to play. What could be easier than to take everything at once, buy a "pseudo-gaming PC", connect it to a TV and play a game? Without the hassle of overclocking the processor and graphics card, drivers, and sometimes the purchase of water cooling, because it does not always come with the kit right from the factory? This is where the object of our today's consideration - Her Majesty the PlayStation 5 - comes into play...

First impression

PlayStation 5 is sold in a stylish white and blue box. When you take the weighty box in your hands, you will mentally thank the suppliers for the convenient plastic handle.

Note: on the box you can barely notice the inscriptions "8K" and "4K at 120" - these symbols will please any gamer. Sony didn't lie here, you will indeed see 120 Hz in 4K, but not in all games. 120 frames per second in 4K resolution can be seen in the re-releases of cult games of the last generation, in no one known rally simulator WRC 9 and Sackboy a Big Adventure. The latter is better to look closely, because Sackboy a Big Adventure - one of the leading games Sony, and also one of the best adventure games for those who are unfamiliar with gaming. You won't have this game for long, but its very presence warms the soul.

Inside the box the buyer will find the PlayStation 5 console itself, a smart gamepad, a two-meter USB Type-C/Type-A cable, an HDMI cable, a network cable, and a manual, which is read a little less often than the license agreement before installing games and software. And, of course, a stand for the console itself - a trifle, but nice. Recall: the stand previously had to buy separately. In the case of PlayStation 5 stand is especially important, because "Five" is cooled by coolers, which are located so that the place the console vertically, you block the path of air, and the console would be hotter, standing on the floor. And now let's look at the "stuffing"...

Технические характеристики PlayPlaystation 5

- Processor - AMD Razen Zen 2 8-core up to 3.5GHz

- Videomemory - AMD Radeon RDNA 2

- RAM - 16GB GDDR6

- Hard Drive - 825GB SSD

If these figures don't tell you much, I'll put it simply: it's not bad for 2023, but definitely not the top values. With these specifications any game will pull: some at high 60 FPS, some at medium. On colsols, all games run in perfect balance between graphics and performance.

The gaming industry relies heavily on the console market, so there is no need to worry about performance. After all, gaming consoles are good for this - you buy and play without thinking about system requirements. Sony exclusives - the main motivator to buy the console, but with them the situation is ambiguous. On the one hand, Last of Us, God of War, and Uncharted are all worth paying attention to the console. On the other hand, all of these games have long been ported to PC, so for a sense of premiumism to PlayStation 5 is no longer worth turning to. At this point, Sony doesn't have any trump cards that the Xbox or PC can't cover. That's why the PlayStation 5 is often rented, goes through all the games of interest, and returns to the service.

As a long-time PC gamer, what does the PlayStation 5 have to offer me?

Imagine the following picture: it's nighttime outside, you are playing a horror game. All the sounds fall silent, and your gamepad starts vibrating in time with your heartbeat. One brief blink. Some creature flies out onto the screen and attacks you, the gamepad vibrating like crazy. The game tells you to press R1 and R2 to break free from its grip.

You hammer the buttons, and those buttons fight back!

Yes, the R1 and R2 buttons became more difficult to press, and not because the buttons are stuck, this is a new feature of the PlayStation 5.

And so the monster is defeated, you've fought back, it's all over. Now do you see where I'm going with this?

No, perhaps the hint is not transparent enough.

Imagine the same game situation, but on the PC-version: the same night, the same monster jumps out of the bushes, it is even better drawn, the graphics on the top PC is significantly better, but ... You are likely to sit at the monitor, controlling actions with a mouse and keyboard.

And now the million dollar question? What is it that gaming consoles offer that PC gaming doesn't, or is so difficult to achieve?

The answer is: immersion and involvement in what's happening on the screen - that's the first thing. And the second is that consoles have local multiplayer - an indispensable thing for parties. Crunch with friends on the same screen in some Mortal Combat - it is priceless.

PlayStation 5 gives these feelings, but the competitors of PS5 do not slumber, Xbox also has something to say about it. You'll find out which one is better in the next episode...

The reasonableness of purchase

The story of the semiconductor crisis in the summer of 2022 played a cruel trick on the PlayStation 5, but the same story benefited customers. At the time, there was an artificial shortage of SSD drives for the PlayStation 5. The shortage drove the price tag of the console from $600 to $800 or even $900. Because of the inflated price, the PlayStation 5 began to be bought up in droves, resulting in a surplus - an oversupply and a lack of demand. Mountains of PlayStation 5s are lying around in warehouses, and the seller has been forced to slash the price significantly. The PlayStation 5 now costs even less than its Xbox Series X competitor, which may seem like a tempting proposition... ...The second thing about the PlayStation 5 is the PS Plus subscription, which has recently become even better than the legendary GamePass on the Xbox console. PS Plus has more than 800 games, while GamePass has about 200. The quality also decides: PS Plus has a lot more famous titles and masterpieces of past generations, while GamePass has... Atomic Heart. But don't be fooled, you won't be satisfied with just one subscription. If you prefer premium quality games like Resident Evil 4 Remake, you're going to have to shell out a pretty penny for PlayStation 5. The cost of games from Sony has long been a depressing meme. It makes sense to buy a PlayStation 5 with a monthly income of $2,000 or more, otherwise you're not buying all the goodies. What the VR helmet is worth - it's so good, but the price bites.