The Thursday letters page pits Steam Deck vs. Asus ROG Ally vs. Lenevo Legion Go, as a reader loses faith in the developers of Battlefield 6.
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Skipping ahead
Well, I guess we know what 2025 is going to be all about now; not just Switch 2 and GTA 6 but PlayStation 6 and probably next gen Xbox too. I don’t know anyone that wants the last two but already we’ve got leaked specs for Sony’s new machine and even if they’re not real it won’t be long before we know for sure.
The question after that is when will Sony announce it officially? The PS5 Pro was leaked years before it was announced, so I don’t think Sony like to be rushed. But if specs are being leaked now, I don’t see it coming out any later than 2027.
Looking back Sony started talking about the PlayStation 5 in spring 2019 and then released the specs in October – just over a year before it was released. If they follow that same pattern for a 2026 launch then they’d start talking about it early next year, but that really seems too early to me. So, I’m going to bet on a 2027 release.
If we do start getting announcements early next year though, perhaps in an attempt to counter the Switch 2, I don’t think they’re going to go down as well as Sony thinks. If PS5 Pro got a backlash just imagine how it’s going to be when people who haven’t even upgraded from a PlayStation 4 yet realise there’s yet another console coming out. They’ll end up skipping a whole generation.
Barnsley
Reading the signs
Sounds like Nintendo is not messing about with the Switch 2, if the story about how much stock they’re getting ready is true. There’s not much you can draw from that except that they’re confident and it’s probably not that expensive as a console. You don’t start stockpiling something that’s going to be super expensive.
Nintendo are many things, but they know when they’ve got a hit on their hands and they know when they’ve got a flop. They dropped the Wii U like a rock when they realised it wasn’t working out (which I’m sure they knew from the start really) and didn’t waste any extra resources on it, as they immediately focused on something else.
If Nintendo wasn’t sure about the Switch 2 we’d be able to tell, not just in terms of the stock but the advertising and the launch games. If all that is looking good when it is finally announced then they’re probably right to be confident about it.
Goldache
Footery Extreme
Regarding Chris’ portable PC pickle, there are a few things to bear in mind. Firstly, I’d say to pay attention to the processors in the ROG Ally and Legion Go. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the current top of the line and offers real performance boosts compared to the Steam Deck, but the non-extreme versions don’t seem to be well reviewed compared to Steam Deck.
Some earlier ROG Ally devices also had issues with the micro SD cards being damaged (melted in the slot I believe) so look out for that. The safest option is probably the newer ROG Ally X but that comes at a premium.
I can say that the Steam Deck has been great for me and given I mostly use it to play PlayStation 3/4 era games I’ve never been disappointed with it. If your son is looking to play more modern games at anything other than low quality settings/~30fps the more powerful Ally or Legion Go is the way to go (but also don’t expect high-end gaming PC equivalent performance).
One area of consensus is that Steam Deck benefits from better support from Valve and a nice console lite interface, whereas the Windows-based devices can be more footery. Let us know what you decide!
Magnumstache
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Third option
In regards to the Steam Deck vs. ROG Ally debate, I have a fair bit of first hand knowledge in regards to this, as I was fortunate enough to own a Steam Deck, which I have since traded in for a Lenevo Legion Go.
Firstly, there’s a number of options in regards to the Steam Deck. Firstly, the OLED vs LCD. The OLED is the better option, as it comes with a better battery and more storage and the screen is said to be considerably more vibrant. In this respect the OLED Steam Deck also beats the Rog Ally, which has a shorter battery life and an LCD screen, which is much less bright.
The Steam Deck has an interface that is easier to use than most other handheld devices and a little more in keeping with a console experience. The ROG Ally, on the other hand, is said to be a little less so. However, do be aware that even on the Steam Deck you will need to alter the graphical settings for certain games to run well.
The advantages of the Rog Ally are that it is more powerful and therefore theoretically more demanding AAA games will run better. It may also have a longer shelf life for this reason. The ROG Ally will also play games from storefronts other than Steam, such as Epic Games, as well as Games Pass and Windows games. This is technically possible on Steam Deck but requires some slightly advanced tinkering.
If you are considering the ROG Ally may I slightly complicate matters and suggest the Legion Go; it has the same processor as the Rog Ally, so performance is similar and can also play Windows games, etc. However, it has a bigger 8.8 inch screen capable of higher resolutions, so games look great. Also, you can detach the controllers like a switch and also it has a controller than can function as a mouse.
The RRP was more at launch but these days it seems to be around the same price as the Rog Ally.
Worth keeping in mind with both the Rog Ally and the Legion Go, is that the battery will only last around two hours when playing very demanding games, whereas the Steam Deck OLED version is said to be much improved over the Rog Ally and even the LCD Steam Deck. This doesn’t matter too much if, like me, you intend to play in bed where you have easy access to a plug but will be a factor if you will play for more extended sessions on the move.
In summary, the Steam Deck is slightly more user friendly, a better screen and battery (In the OLED version). The ROG Ally and Legion Go have better performance and can play Game Pass games, etc. and the Legion Go also has a bigger, higher resolution screen, detachable controllers, and one that will work as a mouse.
matc7884
Out of contention
I don’t think Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree deserves a Game of the Year nomination, never mind win.
I love Elden Ring as much as anyone. And Bloodborne is easily my greatest of all time. So I’m not a FromSoftware hater.
I actually think Hidetaka Miyazaki Is the heir apparent to Shigeru Miyamoto.
Obviously, the games they directed/lead the design on are very different, except for in one very important way. They both have made a name for putting out games of exceptional quality.
With that said, I don’t think Shadow Of The Erdtree is all that great. I think it was released before it was ready.
That’s a very different thing to saying a Ubisoft or EA game released too early, but no cut scene when you enter the Lands of Shadow or for Renalla support this. As does the base game talismans not working on incants, spells, and wot not from the DLC.
The map verticality is just plain confusing. I’m on my third playthrough and I still have to google how to get to the Hinterlands and deal with Shadow Keep, just from a ‘Where the eff am I?’ kind of deal.
The map also has a lot of absolutely nothing. No items or enemies. Areas that only exist for the purpose of making the map larger.
Comparing Shadow Of The Erdtree to The Old Hunters puts it into an interesting perspective. FromSoftware are a safe pair of hands for expansions but their DLC is not all created equally.
The Old Hunters isn’t just a really tight gameplay experience, which adds some of gaming’s most iconic bosses and weapons – pizza cutter go brr – it also expands on the lore built in the base game.
You can’t say any of that about Shadow of The Erdtree. I’m not saying the expansion is bad. I am saying it isn’t worthy of Game of the Year. Not by a long way.
P.Ella
Problems with Portals
Since getting a PlayStation 5 with a PlayStation Portal, I’ve used the Portal a lot. I have to say its streaming quality is really, really good. It’s also got a really nice screen that is a decent size.
However, everything else about the thing ain’t that great! Nothing to the extent that you wouldn’t use the thing, it’s just possibly the worst designed device out there.
I know some people didn’t like what it looks like, but I actually did. That was until I realised it’s the most impractical thing to keep anywhere. It’s not going to fit in cases of any description and the shape seems designed to get caught on stuff.
Next is the controls. There’s a reason no other handheld device has the thumbsticks there and while you get used to it, it’s just not as nice to hold as the others. It is essentially just a regular PlayStation 5 controller, but the extra length and weight make a big difference when you’re trying to hold the thing in one hand and keep your thumb on the thumbstick.
Lastly, and this is trivial but annoying. It feels like they purposefully tried to hide the power and volume buttons along the top. Unlike the Switch or Logitech GCloud, which have them on the top edge, they’re recessed behind the screen. The white back panel is also slightly higher than them so when you press over the screen it blocks your finger from actually pressing the buttons.
I’d still recommend the device, but only really because it’s got a decent screen and is cheaper than all the others. If PlayStation 6 really is a handheld (which I would welcome) I hope they up their game with hardware design, because this really does feel like just accepting a lot of negatives just for a good screen.
Tim
Second opinions
Playtesting Battlefield 6 for a year, or whatever they’re doing, is all well and good, but is no one else worried that the developers themselves don’t know whether the game is good or not without asking fans? Why couldn’t they work out that Battlefield 2045 was a dud themselves? And why do they need a year of asking everyone they can think of to know if the new one is good or not?
I don’t know who’s left that used to work on the original games but I’m going to guess it’s very few if anyone. In my opinion, the new game should have either been farmed out to a completely different developer or the franchise just laid to rest for a while. If Battlefield 6 doesn’t work out, are they going to do two years of testing for Battlefield 7?
Goreman
End of the line
With just over a month to go before 2024 comes to end, we’ve had the release of two games that, in some gamers’ eyes, have ruined the two series’ going forward forever.
Those games are Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown and Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. Games that had been years in the making, after fans had wished to see a new entry in each series.
In fact, I was one of those who was about to buy an Xbox Series X just so I could play one of those games but after an extremely poor launch with connection issues and content that made Test Drive Unlimited a Test Drive Unlimited game left out, I decided to put my saved pounds towards the Swiitch TwU.
Then a month later, a new Life Is Strange game is released.
Fans of that series had been wanting a new game set in that universe for sometime, including me, with some of them wanting two characters bought back.
Not me though!
Bringing back a character already beloved by many is always a risk due to ruining what made people like them in the first place.
And now, here we are post-launch of both games, with fans unhappy with either game. I know it’s hard to please everyone, especially gamers, but their grievances are genuine.
Why do so many developers/publishers run this risk?
The obvious answer is to make money off of nostalgia.
But is the negativity worth it?
As regards Solar Crown, gamers have said that this release has killed the Test Drive Unlimited franchise off forever.
In fact, the only benefit from Solar Crown’s bad start is that all the Test Drive fans have started talking about and sharing the love they had/have about its predecessor, Test Drive Unlimited 2, which is not what you want when you have a brand spanking new product just released.
LeighDappa
Inbox also-rans
RE: DS games. You forgot Bangai-O Spirits. Amazing game.
Rave
GC: It was on our short list, but we still think of it as a Dreamcast franchise – especially as Spirits doesn’t make any particular use of the DS’s unusual set-up.
RE: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Was really looking forward to playing it, but once again Microsoft fluffed it with the release. Such a shame that it mostly runs off the cloud, with wait times of up to two hours just to access the servers. Don’t think I’ll be playing it unless they let me download the entire of the game.
Seismicbow
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The small print
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