Intentionally limiting your platforms?

BossLackey

BossLackey

Gold Member
Regardless of why, I'm prone to overwhelm and choice paralysis when it comes to...well, a lot of things, but it includes video games.

Now that I'm an old man with disposable income, the number of video games I have access to are nearly unlimited. Between PC, PS5, Switch, and Steam Deck (not to mention myriad legacy consoles), bases are well and truly covered.

Despite having several, I've never been much of a handheld gamer, and despite loving PC gaming, I'm already on my PC for 8-10 hours a day for work and more for other hobbies.

Because of this, I've been limiting myself to the PS5 for the most part and I've gotta say, it's made me happier for it. It's become my designated game machine and I can disconnect from work, don't have to fret over frames and temps and I can't be distracted by a browser and Discord and Teams and al that.

Feels like what gaming used to be for me. It's nice.
 
As much shit as Sony gets the PS5 is a really great system. The library is so far beyond what I ever thought was possible on console. The controller is epic. The store is not bad and they have worked out how to do good sales. The multimedia works good enough. The image on a modern OLED is wonderful. The graphics are stunning and most game creators have figured out that we like 60fps. It's hard not to like it. The only way you could say it is bad is by comparing it to some other device. Comparing it to nothing is like comparing the world to empty space. Entertainment for a lifetime.
the-power-of-the-sun-in-my-hand-v0-aygbflbs40rc1.jpg
 
Last edited:
The only system I intentionally staying away from is xbox, but not because I think theyre bad but because I've already put $1000's into pc gaming and I have no reason to go back to that console.

At least with ps and nintendo i have games that i cant play (legitimately) on my pc.

Granted for all intents and purposes my preferred combo is PC + Nintendo
 
PC+Playstation used to be non negotiable for me. PC is my primary platform and I loved the exclusives PlayStation got.

At this point all PS third party exclusives are multiplatform, and even Sony's first party games hit PC, so I don't think I'll get a PlayStation going forward. I've become extremely big on Nintendo in the Switch era, and I love the Switch 2 so far, so I expect I will be PC+Nintendo going forward.
 
I'm mainly a PC gamer and always have whatever new Nintendo and Playstation product in the market

Right now apart from PC, I have Switch 2 and PS5. PS5 is of course collecting dust until Death Standing 2 launches and the Switch is getting rocked right now until the end of July with DK Bananza

I'm already limited and it feels good. Its not like PS and Switch will have games for me every month
 
Nintendo is my primary, Playstation and Steam Deck are my secondary. I expect Steam Deck will fall off quite a bit with Switch 2 being a much more capable device now, and I don't plan to get the next PlayStation for myself ever really, maybe down the road for my boys but definitely not at launch.
 
I've been playing in PC for 35 years, my last console was a Playstation 2. I dont have the time nor the desire to maintain several gaming systems at once and PC provides all I need.
 
BossLackey said:
I'm already on my PC for 8-10 hours a day for work and more for other hobbies.
Click to expand...
That's exactly why I will never touch a PC again for gaming. I don't have the time, patience or the enthusiasm to put together and maintain a PC like I used to. For close to 15 years I used to do that and it was fun until I had to use a PC for 8+ hours a day, every day. I don't even troubleshoot the PCs at work anymore, I just let someone else handle it.
I just want to play some games once in a while and a console is perfect for that. I picked PS, but any of the other ones would have been just fine imo.
 
I used to be like 70% console/30% pc up until this gen, now I only use my consoles for unoptimized AAA games and steam for everything else. I work from home doing tech support so i too hate being at a desk to game. I built a htpc, installed the steam link app on it along with emulators up to the switch. I havent had any problems streaming. I dont have the latest greatest $1000+ gaming pc setup either, it's pretty mid range. I really dont want to be limited to the PS library or 30fps. Games are cheap and plentiful on Steam, some arent even on consoles.
 
I'm trying to reduce overlap. PC covers the vast majority of games, but doesn't get Nintendo games. PS5 games come to PC a year or so later and now I'm at the point I'm fine just waiting as Sony's output isn't enough for me personally to warrant owning a dedicated system any more. So for the time being, I'm going to be gaming on PC and Switch 2.
 
I like collecting old consoles and playing their games on a CRT.

Aside from that I have a nice enough PC, so I see no reason to get a PS5 nor an Xbox. A Switch 2 could be nice but maybe down the line, current games don't do it for me.
 
Yea I did the same a while back. Just got rid of my steamdeck, sold some of my PC parts and now I just have my PS5. I don't even have the time to play all the games there as it is.
 
I intentionally stay away from Playstation, so your story doesn't surprise me. Which leaves me with Xbox and maybe PC in the future, nothing else needed.
 
El Muerto said:
I used to be like 70% console/30% pc up until this gen, now I only use my consoles for unoptimized AAA games and steam for everything else. I work from home doing tech support so i too hate being at a desk to game. I built a htpc, installed the steam link app on it along with emulators up to the switch. I havent had any problems streaming. I dont have the latest greatest $1000+ gaming pc setup either, it's pretty mid range. I really dont want to be limited to the PS library or 30fps. Games are cheap and plentiful on Steam, some arent even on consoles.
Click to expand...
"now I only use my consoles for unoptimized AAA games"

I love unoptimized AAA console games too, hidden gem of gaming :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
I'm quite the opposite. I play on almost everything, and I'm still using a lot of the old consoles to clear out the backlog. I used to buy a lot of games and just let them sit on the shelf until I got around to them, I've made a lot of amendments to my purchasing habits since then. In a way I'm glad I made those investments, because I can literally go years without buying a new game and I'll have things to play across dozens of platforms.
 
PC exclusive since 360/PS3. PS3 is still going strong ~20 years later though, I use it for watching Prime and films etc. It still gets updates sometimes. I had two 360s and they both died.
 
As a minimalist I would love to, but I've never been able to. Maybe one day? I currently have every current platform and still commonly use my 60GB PS3 and Vita.

I've always been jealous of people like Colin Moriarty that only play on a single platform and don't really care.
 
Last edited:
There are some consoles I never really cared to own, but I wouldn't limit myself for its own sake. Buy what you enjoy and play what you like. I have a backlog but I treat it like a library, and hopefully one day I will have enough free time where running out of good games is a problem again.
 
Same here - well, sort of. I don't feel the choice paralysis you do. But I am a one-console guy. I've bought a second console half a dozen times, then within 6 to 12 months, I always end up selling it back. I just don't feel the need for two consoles. One is enough.

If I were a more voracious gamer, I would feel differently, but I'm not. Most of what I want to play comes to PS5, and what doesn't, I can do without.

As for choice paralysis, the author of The Paradox of Choice recommends that as a strategy, so you're on the right track. Personally, I'm so picky with games that I don't feel an abundance of choice, so that's not an issue for me.
 
Last edited:
I'm always PC first, unless the game doesn't allow you to save anytime.

I absolutely HATE the feeling of not being able to stop a playing session because I need to get to the point where I can save my game. So, if a game doesn't allow me to save anytime/anywhere I'll forego PC for PS5 Pro and its ability to sleep/suspend play.

Switch 2 is reserved for first-party games and 3rd party exclusives.

My Xbox Series X is essentially console Gameplass only, along with X360 emulation.
 
More choices the better imo. Although I get bored of games easy so end up moving on to play something else quite often so it helps in my predicament.

With that said I'm PC 99% of the time. I'm not paying to play online ever again.
 
Last edited:
I'm Steam and Switch 2 now, got 99.9% of my bases covered. Once Switch 2 starts to break that magic barrier of taking 15% of PS 3rd party sales, all hell will break loose.
 
BossLackey said:
Because of this, I've been limiting myself to the PS5 for the most part and I've gotta say, it's made me happier for it.
Click to expand...
I can't do, there are Nintendo games that I absolutely do not want to miss out.

So for me PS5 + Switch 2 is the perfect combo....Switch 2 for 1st and 3rd party exclusives while PS5 for mutiplatform games that dont come out on Switch 2.
 
PauloRoberto said:
I strangely agree... Given im a backend developer (god F* damm it, 20 years of xp...), the last thing i imagine is staying in front of my pc to play something after work (i work at home).
Click to expand...
That's one of the reasons I love going to the office which thankfully is one 20 minutes bus ride from my home. I couldn't sit for 8 hours in front of my computer and then game either. The office provides a very different work environment and I cannot stand staying inside all day
 
I get it Boss. I don't limit myself with video games because I am a gaming whore and get passed around by pretty much any gadget that will play games. However, I have been pairing down streaming services. I hardly ever watch anything new because of choice paralysis. I usually end up on Adult Swim, FXX or Comedy Central watching reruns of various animation. Oh, there is the theme for Futurama now. :LOL:
 
My gaming time is predominantly spent on PS5 Pro and Switch (now switch 2). I occasionally play Xbox Series X when there is a game that piques my interest ( I don't subscribe to gamepass). After spending my long work days in front of a PC and multiple screens (14) I do not want to go home and game on a computer.
 
I like not having too many choices. It's sort of like going to a cabin on your vacation and all you have there is a NES and a small CRT TV. You'll happily play it because it's all you've got and you realize how much fun it is. My biggest challenge is staying focused which is why I prefer to have just one new console, maybe two, at most at any time and the other one is always from Nintendo. So yeah, I can absolutely relate to that overwhelming feeling.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Are current controller designs limiting games?
39
1K
Kabelly replied
Limited Run Games gets caught intentionally selling CD-R's then covering their tracks
2
57
5K
Lunarorbit replied
Revealing the DualSense wireless controller – Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Limited Edition
News Hardware Platform 
36
558
Gamer_By_Proxy replied
Rumor: Microsoft to limit playtime of Fortnite when using xCloud
Rumor Platform  2
82
7K
semiconscious replied
Nine Sols has sold over 800,000 copies across all platforms
Sales-Age 
30
548
Simpdimples replied
Top Bottom