Buy a Gaming Console for Nearly Half a Grand?
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I see a lot of people are keen on buying PS5s and Xbox Series X consoles, they cost like £480 and that's not counting an additional controller or the games (they're like £70 now or something).
Personally, I have a Wii (backwards compatible with GameCube), PS2 (with memory card hack to play backups), PS3 (hacked to play backups, too), and an Xbox 360 (official, no hacks here), and that's not including my 3DS, DS, and Vita (thinking of selling since I never use it) as well. Oh, and free games on PC (Steam, Epic, EA, Ubisoft, GOG) so there's plenty I got.
Gaming just doesn't interest me that much (but it's fun to have hacked consoles for extra features) so I wouldn't buy a pricey console, anyway.
I think if you want value from your gaming then PC is where its at. Free games on Epic and many other services plus abandoned games and emulators plus lots of mods that add new levels and graphics to old games and perhaps most importantly no charges to play games online. I just feel its the best option nowadays especially as I'm not keen the way games are going I like scripted single player games but multiplayer is becoming the norm which I'm not so interested in.
I've heard talk of a PS5 Pro model so soon the PS5 will be a lesser console compared to the Pro model.
I do love my PS4 and Xbox One though but I'm not planning to get a PS5 until the consoles and games are very cheap which could be 3-4 years away.
BonzoBanana Playing OutRun HD on PS3 reminded me of the good ol' days and the only reason I can play the game is due to the console being hacked (or if I had bought it back then, except I didn't know).
Sega seems to have split with Ferrari in terms of renewing the license so no OutRun for PS4/PS5/Xbox Series.
If there's a game I really want to play - and that's seldom nowadays - I'll wait 6 months or so until the price is lower.
I also sell the games on completion, so the overall cost is not too bad.
blacklabrador I must admit I like re-visiting old games. I'm often playing the Half Life games, the Fallout games and Skyrim. I can't resell PC games because they are tied to services like Steam so in that way a physical console game does add value in that you can sell the title when you have finished playing. However most of my steam games I've only paid a couple of pounds for. Rarely do I pay more than £10 for a game. I paid £11 for No Mans Sky.
I think it depends how much time and how much enjoyment you get from it, same as most things.
I would love an Xbox Series X at some point, I don't agree with 'hacked' items as this is taking money that would likely otherwise be paid for.
I would choose to buy a £500 games console over having cigarettes or alcohol which people can spend loads on, sometimes hundreds in one night. Others will spend a lot on doing up cars or constant decoration change or renovations, sometimes technically devaluing things. Others will spend a lot on days out and experiences, where I would love to explore free areas. Even the cinema can cost £20-£30 per person for 1 viewing, I would get much more out of having a console.
If you don't have a smart TV you could use your console for most of the TV apps too and other things. Some people stream their gaming in-fact making themselves money.
I would rather play for the disc versions too, over the digital only. Yes they are around £100 more, but you can sell the games on, borrow friend's or exchange games when you no longer want them, unlike digital copies, so the extra £100 would pay for itself.
I rarely go away, never abroad, I don't smoke, drink, go on many days out, rarely go to the cinema, don't do much else (wow I sound boring! 
) so I would pay a little extra for any hobbies I enjoy. (Should always look for a good deal, cashback or voucher too though!!)
I don't need the newest things, phones I tend to get people's old ones when they upgrade, if they are going to discard it or I'd buy a phone outright and get a cheap sim only contract.
Nope but I'm not a gamer that plays on consoles. Oh and the child are into games that pc based. I'm a gamer but into geolocation games like munzee and geocaching
The PS5 is so expensive. My son is getting into gaming and wants a gaming laptop or PC for Christmas but I have no idea what I should be looking for or if I should just buy a regular PC.
Midnightflower Christmas planning already! Your son might change his mind in six months or so.
Pjran I wish he would, but I don't think he will unfortunately so I've already started saving. I'm just clueless when it comes to gaming and computers.
Midnightflower I’m sure your son and his friends will point you in the right direction.
Pjran l'm looking forward to when he can but I don't think he knows enough yet. I will have to do some research, ask for advice and hope for the best.
Midnightflower Gaming laptop is very expensive vs desktop pcs for the same level of performance plus they are typically not upgradable and easy to lose or be stolen. They are also easy to break. Also gaming laptops with good performance don't have great battery life.
BonzoBanana thank you that makes sense, is there alot of difference between a gaming PC and a regular PC other than graphics? I'm keen on him having a computer as I hope it might help him gain a good understanding of them but I'm clueless when it starts getting technical.
That’s the going rate these days especially if you want something like a ps5 . Be a while before they drop to a decent price or maybe a good Black Friday deal
I am not a gamer, but my son is and he has paid more than that for a graphic card. What he pays for his gaming system which he builds himself is eye watering, but to him it's worth it as he plays a lot online with friends he has made all over the world. Some he has met up in person.
Not sure if you class this as a gaming console 
beccatavender There are PC gamers who always want the fastest rig and pay through the nose to get it but the beauty of PC's is you don't have to do that. There are many cheaper options which still run the latest games with a lower resolution and less detail but the gameplay remains the same. It's like most things the sensible money is somewhere in the middle of pricing which offers good performance and good value.
BonzoBanana My son is very much about the speed, but then he plays World of Warcraft, and the graphics are important to him, with the amount of time he spends online, I think he sees it as a good use of his £, he is very techy so does tell me the specs, but my eyes just glaze over 
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