Final Fantasy 16. God of War: Ragnarok. Halo Infinite. Fable.
These games are on different platforms - the first couple on PlayStation 5, the second on Xbox Series X | S. - but they have two things in common. First, they're all console-exclusive. Second, you won't be able to play any of these games until at least next year.
And that means you won't have to buy a PS5 or Series X until next year. It's hard to see now, as the hype surrounding two major platform launches two days apart is slightly overwhelming.
Both Microsoft and Sony spent 2020 in a Brinks manner game that apparently focused on which company could say the least longest on his next generation console. The standoff ended on September 9th when Microsoft announced the Xbox Series X launches on November 10th for $ 500, along with the less powerful, digital-only, $ 300 series S. Sony followed a little over a week later and revealed that the PS5 will hit stores on November 12th and also costs $ 500. The digital-only version costs $ 400.
Pre-orders for both consoles sold out immediately in September and October, and it's been a situation like the Hunger Games to secure one ever since. Now social media feeds are flooded with people opening their shiny new Xbox and PS5 consoles. Unless you are a new console owner, the feelings of FOMO may grab you.
But don't feel bad - you don't need a PS5 or Xbox Series X this year.
Elusive exclusives
For the first time, Microsoft and Sony have different approaches to their upcoming consoles. Sony hopes to regain its PS2 success with a catalog of games you can't play on Xbox Series X. Microsoft has his game pass, a Netflix-like subscription service, and Project xCloud that lets you play Xbox games on your phone. It is Turn the Xbox into a service.
While it really does feel like we're about to literally be on the verge of a breakthrough era, for now, the excitement surrounding the two consoles is about which philosophy will work better. But you don't play philosophies - you play games.
And which games are worth buying at launch? I think the top selling launch games for Xbox Series X are Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which will be available on both last generation consoles and Fourteen daysthat is already available on everything (Up to Epic recent legal spit with Apple and Google, This is). Exclusive are thin: there is the Falconeer, Tetris effect: connected and for a few months Yakuza: like a dragon. Lean selection.
The PlayStation 5 has one a couple more Incentives. Ratchet and Clink: Rift Apart is exclusive to PS5 and will likely be fun. Demon's Souls is certainly spectacular, but it's also a remake. Then there's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Great Adventure. These were originally marketed as PS5 exclusives, but will also be available for PS4. We thank Sony for looking after their 100 million+ PS4 customers, but that makes the urgency to buy a PS5 boring.
So the selling point of both companies seems to be not the games you can play on next-gen consoles, but the fact that certain games will look like better on next generation consoles. This is evidenced by the mountain of "startup games," which are previous generation games that have been tweaked with 4K resolution, smoother textures, and faster load times.
When to buy
There are a large number of millions - who buy one or both consoles as early as possible. Like buying a $ 1,000 phone if a $ 400 is enough, that's perfectly fine if you're willing to pay for the enjoyment. But it is a pleasure.
Investing in a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X | It's worth it if one of the two platforms offers some excellent exclusive products. We will most likely be well into 2021 before this happens.
Sony's console looks more promising in this regard. Final Fantasy 16 may be a couple of years away, but God of War Ragnarok is slated for next year and will likely be stellar. There's also Gran Turismo 7, although there's no release date yet. Master Chief will be very important to Microsoft. Halo Infinite, originally slated for launch, will now be released sometime next year. Fable and Forza Motorsport are two other exciting exclusives, but we don't know if they'll be out next year or beyond.
If you've skipped a generation of consoles and want to get back in the game, the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S are ideal ways to do so. Holiday 2020 titles are best played on these consoles, as are reworked versions of PS4 / Xbox One classics that will be available on launch day PlayStation Plus collection and Xbox Smart Delivery respectively.
But for everyone else, ask yourself: How much are you interested in faster load times and improved graphics? Because Assassin's Creed loads quickly and looks amazing on the console you already own too.
