Nintendo Switch 2 and PC are the only formats I’ll buy next gen

A reader explains why the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S have convinced him to give up both next gen replacements in favour of a PC.

I can’t say I’ve ever paid much attention to Gamescom before, but this week certainly had quite the milestone moment: the point at which Xbox officially gave up being a console maker and went third party. The first time that’s happened in the games industry since the Dreamcast in 2001.

Of course, Microsoft didn’t present it that way but I’m honestly not sure what they thought they were doing, by announcing the release date of Indiana Jones And The Great Circle on Xbox and PC, and then immediately saying it’ll come to PlayStation 5 a few months later. So incompetent has Microsoft seemed lately I’m not even sure they realised what a huge mistake that was, since it immediately removed any reason for PlayStation 5 owners to want to get an Xbox Series X/S.

I’ve heard some suggest they’re looking for a quick way out of making consoles, while still saving face, but looking like an idiot in front of the whole world, and announcing you’re working on a next gen console before Sony does, sure doesn’t sound like that to me.

I’ll be honest though; I’m not really interested in what Xbox does. I haven’t bought one of their consoles since the Xbox 360 and all they’ve been doing the last two generations is proving I was right to ignore them.

PlayStation is a more difficult issue because while they’ve also been on the stupid sauce this gen, they at least still make games I’m interested in and have an ecosystem I’m firmly rooted in. I haven’t properly liked any of their games since Returnal though, even though Spider-Man 2 and God Of War Ragnarök were fine.

In theory I am still interested in their first party exclusives though and will definitely be getting Astro Bot when it comes out. However, their attitude this gen – their lack of explanation for what they’re doing – has, like Xbox, put me off them in a big way. To the point where I don’t want to be paying massive amounts of money to get a PlayStation 6, and certainly not a PS5 Pro.

Then we have Nintendo who, in direct contrast to Sony and Microsoft, have been excellent this generation, to the point where the Switch has become one of my favourite consoles ever and one of the most successful too. They got over the problems with the pandemic much quicker than the other two and their line-up for this year is great, even though many would’ve understood if it wasn’t.

I will definitely be getting a Nintendo Switch 2, no questions asked. Even if it does turn out to be Frisbee-shaped with five control sticks. Even if the Switch 2 is much more powerful than the first though it’s always going to be compromised in terms of graphical power, there just isn’t any way around that when it’s also a portable.

The obvious solution to this problem is getting a gaming PC. I had one in the early 2000s, when PC exclusives were still a thing, but I happily gave it up for the more hassle-free experience of a console. Obviously, things are more complex now though and Sony and Microsoft seem intent on making their consoles as irritating and complicated to use as a PC.

On top of that, they’re releasing all their exclusives on them, so I really don’t see any reason not to just get a PC instead and do away with the consoles entirely. It’s more expensive at first but not by much and after that you never need to spend the same amount again, just gradual upgrades.

I don’t particularly want to do it. I’d rather just stick with two or three consoles and no PC, but I don’t feel that really makes sense anymore. Xbox and PlayStation have mishandled this generation so badly it’s not even funny and I hope they realise that their actions are not only turning people away from them but from consoles in general.

By reader Grant