PlayStation 5 has been with us for two years. Let’s take a look at what’s been happening in the gaming world over the past 24 months. Smaller and smaller acquisitions, new announcements, subscription competitions and, of course, new games. The cucumber season lasted longer than usual, but the end of this year is bearing fruit. We are currently waiting for the powerful Callisto Protocol, because no one doubted the quality of this production, right? Meanwhile, the PS5 comes in two versions, with and without drives. What are the advantages of having this latest model?
Tradition above all?
Five, maybe six years ago, I didn’t get to games from digital distribution. Then it started to change. Mainly thanks to the tempting promotions that regularly visit the PlayStation Store. It started with the sale of oriental pearls. After all, buying Okami for such pennies, in an updated by modern standards edition, looks interesting. It is not the first time that Sony decides to sell a model without a drive. Once upon a time there was such a pocket, it was called PSP. It did much better than its successor, PlayStation Vita. We’ll tell that story next time. Years later, the company decided to release the PSP Go, a version of the console that didn’t support UMD drives. At this point we will not write that the proposal was successful. She quickly fell from the circulation of the media.
The reveal of PlayStation 5 in two versions proved to be a predictable move. Sony, however, did not behave like the competition, which released two, in fact, different devices. The difference between Xbox Series X and S is not just limited to size and the issue of having a drive. For many commentators, this was a signal that we would not soon see ruggedized versions of the Sony or Redmond consoles on the market. How much of that is true, we’ll find out over the next year. From an obvious perspective, I definitely didn’t consider PS5 Digital. For one simple reason: the games, and the possibility of collecting and possibly selling them. This is an advantage that no other topic can surpass for me. Indeed, even the heavily discounted prices of games in digital distribution. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter at all.
Faced with the mighty complications with the availability of PlayStation 5 in stores, many customers have even decided to purchase a driveless model just to get the hardware. I’ve always been convinced that patience pays off. Yes, current console prices are higher than they were on release day, but let’s take a look at the games themselves – these aren’t free. However, in the case of PS5 Digital, there’s probably only one right option, which I’ll discuss in more detail, if you’re still here, and my entry doesn’t make you yawn. Ah, I forgot to add that the PS5 is no longer the “number one” in the list of scalpers.
Was it supposed to be cheaper?
When digital distribution entered the world of consoles, I expected a slightly different twist. In the Sony family, it all starts with the PlayStation 3. I continue to argue that in terms of community building, first, network solutions and services, this is a very important system in the history of the brand. Meanwhile, game prices have been written in superlatives. Moreover, it has been calculated that the removal from logistics and distribution costs would have had a positive impact on the digital price list. How it is, everyone can see after years. The pricing of electronic editions appears to be an anti-consumer policy. It was better until Sony restricted the ability to share accounts. Back in the days of the PS3, there were even discussion forums where contributions were made towards the purchase of a title. For 1/4 the price we could buy a large stock or a turkey, so for pennies.
Today such a perspective does not exist. So, buying a game for the full amount in a store, for example PlayStation, is a terrible expense. The content-heavy editions of Call of Duty are a real hit here, unfortunately in a less affected light. Now, being the owner of PS5 Digital, what alternatives do we have if we can’t see a few hundred zlotys a month for the game? There is probably only one solution. It’s called PlayStation Plus Premium, even if it’s a perspective that is accessible to fresher gamers. Sony isn’t too eager to share editorial news at first. The current catalog has an average of 700-800 titles to consult. Otherwise, only promotions remain. In a word, these are not good times to have a PS5 without a drive. Let’s face it, I’m a staunch traditionalist and to many people my approach seems archaic and stereotypical. Eh, if only the PS Store prices kept the level of Steam, today I would probably write differently.
Does owning a PS5 Digital make sense? jas always, it’s a matter of perspective. Today, many users prefer to play on a subscription basis, as demonstrated by Xbox. I can’t imagine having a console without the ability to run the game on a disc, even though some developers today practice putting as little data on the disc as possible. The case of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 says it all. We download the game in the background until the tank is filled with almost a hundred gigabytes of data. Only a portion of the content is on the disc. If you were a subscriber, the console version wouldn’t make much difference. However, tradition always prevails. What’s your approach?
