During the current console generation, my gaming platform of choice has been the Sony Playstation 4. I decided to pick one up some years ago because I’m a big fan of RPGs, especially J-RPGs. In that sense the PS4 has served me well, as I think it has the best selection available for those types of games. Sure, I missed some great Nintendo exclusive titles, like Xenoblade Chronicles, and Breath of the Wild, but I don’t really have that much time to play so it’s not a big deal. Besides, being able to experience something like (PS4 exclusive) Persona 5, totally makes it worthwhile having a PS4.
I also have played a lot of (team-based First Person Shooter) Overwatch since its launch mid-2016. And though I love that game, I haven’t played a single match during the whole year. The reason is that I have slowly become disenchanted with the PS4, and probably consoles in general. I’ve been wondering if maybe I should have gotten a nice gaming PC instead.
For starters, a lot of the RPGs I like have been released on PC, too. Even Final Fantasy XV got a PC release a year after it hit consoles. That means that games should not be the determining factor in selecting a gaming platform.
Then it’s the fact that most games on console prohibit the use of Mouse and Keyboard, forcing you to use the controller. This is not a problem for me, for the most part. The majority of games I like to play, like some western RPGs, all turn-based J-RPGs, and platformers, work great with a controller. But… have you ever tried playing a First Person Shooter, like Overwatch, with a controller? It’s awful! You can’t aim shit. (To be fair in the case of Overwatch, I believe it’s a decision made by Blizzard, not Sony.) Either way, if you’re playing on a console, you’re pretty much screwed in that regard, and tied to the controller for almost all games.
I’m so thankful for the Xim4, (a peripheral for connecting a Mouse and Keyboard combo to a console, for using them in games that prohibit their native support. It’s currently discontinued, replaced by the newer Xim Apex) That thing works almost perfectly, but it still not the same as if you could do it natively.
Finally, it’s the issue of cross-play, which is the ability to play with people using a different platform, for example, having a PS4 user play with PC, and Xbox users. This is starting to get better everyday, as the market has been really pushing for it for some years now. Still, not many titles have this option, and some companies, like Sony, have been less eager that others to allow it.
This is frustrating, as some of my friends are PC guys, and I can’t game with them, unless they get a PS4 or I get a PC.
Games like Final Fantasy XIV and Rocket League have allowed cross-play for a while, but the best example of a totally open recent game is the free-to-play Fortnite, and it’s probably part of the reason it has become so successful. Not only it has proven that cross-play can be a reality (with, for example, Nintendo Switch users being able to game with PC, Xbox, and even iOS, and Android users,) it also gives you the option of playing with a controller, or a Mouse and Keyboard setup, even in a console. Neat! It’s like OMG, how much open could it be? Still, it’s not perfect. When Fortnite was launched on the Nintendo Switch, Sony took a long time for allowing it to have cross-play between it and the PS4. They did not even let users share their Fortnite accounts between the two platforms, as they could do with any of the other ones. In the end Sony conceded because of too much public pressure.
I’m not really a fan of Fornite , but I admire the whole openness of it. I believe that kind of cross-play ability, and also giving players the option of selecting how to game, either with a controller, or Mouse and Keyboard setup, is the future of gaming, especially for consoles. I know that if it was already implemented in Overwatch on my PS4, I might be playing it right now instead of writing this.
With talks of the next generation of consoles for Sony and Microsoft already making rounds, i’m sure many gamers are contemplating these issues as a big deciding factor on which platform they will invest next. I definitely will be thinking about it, and I hope console makers are taking notes of it all and are willing to give gamers what they want.
