By: Stephen Duetzmann, editor in chief
The release of the PS4 and the XBOX One are fast approaching. Is it worth the cost of upgrading now? Or is it ok to wait?
I spent some time last week talking about the differences between the Xbox One and the PS4. A lot of readers shared their opinions, but several of them asked me whether the upgrade was worth it.
As a result, I thought I would take the time today to say, “Maybe.”
Look. Video game consoles are luxury entertainment devices. They are not (no matter how much we might try to say they are) necessary for our basic survival. As a result, I find it really difficult to stand here and define upgrading as a “necessity” for everyone. Instead, the decision to upgrade is going to be a unique decision for everyone who has to make it.
Some people “need” to get the next new toy right away. Those people don’t need a reason. They probably won’t even think much about it and that’s ok.
But, there are a number of legitimate reasons for waiting.
First, we can’t ignore the cost. These machines represent a fair amount of value. They will likely be a large part of our entertainment for multiple years. BUT, there is still a significant up front investment. No one would be skipping monthly bills to buy one of these things (I know some people will… but they really shouldn’t.)
Second, the previous generation of consoles is still alive and kicking. Many of the biggest titles of this holiday season will be launching across next and current generation hardware. This means that holding off on upgrading doesn’t really prevent you from experiencing much right away. Some of the bigger console exclusives will come out in 2014 so holding off will be less attractive than.
I can’t tell anyone what to do, but I can say that my family and I are going to wait. There just aren’t enough games that are exclusive to the next generation consoles to justify the price right now. We’ve got our eyes on Skylander’s Swap Force and Lego Marvel Super Heroes, but both of those games are going to be able on the systems we already have.
What are you planning on doing?