Revisiting an Opinion: Are Next Generation Consoles Worth it Yet?

The Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 are excellent home consoles, both with their own various pros, and only a few major cons. When we reviewed them back in November 2020, GamesReviews came to a pretty solid conclusion on both – outstanding, at times mind boggling consoles that you really don’t need just yet. After a few months, has my opinion changed? Not much, although the benefits of the newer consoles is more evident day after day.

What we do know is that playing video games is great. But should we prioritize new consoles over old? When it comes to straight up console exclusive titles, the lists are still very small. Both systems are being dominated by re-releases of last generation games with a new coat of paint. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s not really a system seller for someone who might not currently have the financial stability to just drop 600+ on a new system. In that regard, I think you are probably still OK sticking with your Xbox One X, or your PlayStation 4 Pro.

But there are other arguments to make. Those load times are mind boggling good – I went back to play ARK: Survival Evolved on my Xbox One X the other day, and the load times for that title are excruciatingly long. After the holidays, I really began to take for granted the super fast load times of the PS5 and Series X, but was jolted back to reality when I booted up that One X and ARK. For someone finding it harder and harder to find time for games because of competing priorities, I really don’t have time to wait for longer load times. And lets face it – those load times can make a huge difference, over a free hour of gameplay.

The inclusion of quick resume on Series X is also a blessing – jumping between matches in FIFA, races in Forza, and perhaps a quick trip out on the ice in NHL 21 is snappy, and again, time saving. While the feature isn’t working all the time, it’s much more of a hit than a miss.

Next generation consoles have games coming, exclusive to the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. Do you NEED to upgrade right now? Probably not. Are there enough benefits to justify it? 100%, yes.