Home Gaming Friday Debate: The PS4 is too dominant

Friday Debate: The PS4 is too dominant

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Sony FFD

Remember when people were saying that consoles were dead? How wrong those people were. With each generation, consoles continue to thrive, and this one is no exception. The PS4 has sold phenomenally well, and even the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch are performing nicely. With more power than ever, games that were previously PC exclusives are making their way to consoles, so even PS4 or Xbox One gamers can play The Sims 4.

But one console is definitely dominant this generation. It seems that PlayStation can do no wrong with the PS4 – people continue to buy it and globally it continues to outsell the Xbox at a ridiculous rate. The Nintendo Switch is shattering all expectations for sales, but that doesn’t mean those numbers come anywhere near the PS4. It’s most people’s second console, with the primary one being a PS4 (or maybe Xbox One) and secondary being a Nintendo Switch, or VR setup.

It’s clear that the PS4 has “won” this generation’s console war. With so much focus on PS4, though, are many gamers missing out? The Nintendo Switch has some truly stellar games, to the point where Geoff is more happy and excited talking about Zelda Breath of the Wild than he is about Horizon Zero Dawn. Sure, he’s wrong, but that doesn’t change the fact that someone who is purely focused on the PS4 is missing out on some truly stellar experiences on other platforms.

Most people can’t afford multiple gaming platforms, and while PC still reigns supreme in many senses, the PS4 is the increasingly popular among hard core and more casual gamers alike. But without any real competition from other consoles, is Sony being allowed to pretty much get away with anything they like? Is the PlayStation 4 simply too dominant? And what could this mean for the next generation of consoles?

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Critical Hit as an organisation.

Last Updated: July 28, 2017

53 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief

    July 28, 2017 at 10:42

    A GAMING RELATED FFD????

    WHAT YEAR IS IT?

    Reply

    • Magoo

      July 28, 2017 at 11:19

      It’s… almost about gaming. 😛

      Reply

    • miaau

      July 28, 2017 at 11:43

      Ah, there you are. Yes, I think a number of us remember your comment from last week.

      Hmm, not the biggest feat, remembering something from a week back, but still. It shows we care or something. mostly something, I think.

      Reply

  2. Ottokie

    July 28, 2017 at 10:52

    2017 is the year of the Switch!

    Reply

    • HvR

      July 28, 2017 at 11:00

      *snaps fingers*

      Reply

    • miaau

      July 28, 2017 at 11:41

      I am trying to fathom all the meanings you could have here.

      Like a switch hitter in baseball., leading with either left or right hand? Right, right?

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        July 28, 2017 at 12:17

        Maybe he’s seen the light?

        Reply

    • HairyEwok

      July 28, 2017 at 11:53

      Thinking the same….. Months after its initial release in Japan and people are still queuing up to buy it in the thousands.

      Reply

  3. Original Heretic

    July 28, 2017 at 10:52

    If Xbox can bring out some awesome exclusives, they’ll get more sales. Especially with their more powerful console coming out.
    And honestly, I don’t really care what anyone says about this console being better, PC being PC, blah blah bullshit.
    If you enjoy your gaming, then you’re good to go. Regardless of platform. Except mobile gaming, cause that’s just…just…
    No, there are no words to describe that horror.

    Reply

    • miaau

      July 28, 2017 at 11:40

      Do I get Quantum Break? It looked awesome everywhere and yet I still have not bought, even at just under R400 on a recent sale…..

      the fact that it had huge hype, some good reviews AND THEN went quiet on the internet very quickly is telling…..

      They need Exclusives that keep headlines up and playing and talking for a few months after release. Remember Dragaon Age Inquistion: a lot of sites, for months afterward, had articles on the game and new things to do and see and guides and stuff, including this one. Front page stuff. And that game reviewed lower than Quantum Break.

      Reply

      • Original Heretic

        July 28, 2017 at 11:47

        QB looked awesome. It was one of those games I wished I could have played. Right now, the only XB games I wish I could jam are Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3.
        Otherwise, I am very happy to game on the PS4.

        It’ all about having fun, man. I’m not going to sit in a corner and cry just because I can’t jam the latest Zelda game, or some of the awesome game coming out on the Switch in the near future.

        Reply

        • miaau

          July 28, 2017 at 11:48

          I want Forza Horizon 3 so badly, but the sodding price on Xbox One will not come down. And paying R1000 or more for a game…. No, not me.

          I will wait and be patient. I wonder if I can blame my ADHD for an impulse purchase…..

          Reply

          • Original Heretic

            July 28, 2017 at 11:51

            Yah, agree, that’s way too much to pay for a game. I refuse to pay more than R800. Which means I sometimes wait months for prices to come down.

            FH3: that Hot Wheels expansion! Damn, that looks freakin’ amazing!

          • miaau

            July 28, 2017 at 12:00

            FH3: that Hot Wheels

            Hmm, totally.

            Forza Motorsport has limited tracks and gets boring quickly. FH3, hmm. wow

    • R1ker

      July 28, 2017 at 12:14

      Maybe this would be a bad time for me to admit that i am hooked to clash of clans at the moment

      Reply

  4. justlikemo

    July 28, 2017 at 10:53

    Yeh PS always rocked, still have my ps3, kids now play with it, PS always topped the charts, second was always nintendo ( more friends fun option), xbox a third choice, if at all. Still always remain a PC gamer as a first choice.

    Reply

  5. Sageville

    July 28, 2017 at 10:58

    I’m starting to wish for an olive branch in the console war…

    I would really like to see cross platform multiplayer where I can play with all the mates, regardless of platform…

    Reply

    • Original Heretic

      July 28, 2017 at 11:02

      Would be great, but doubtful that it would happen.
      Think it was Gavin who pointed it out a month or two back, that if cross console play happens, come huge pro gaming tournaments, it’s going to become a stage for console vs console. And if the same console ends up being in the finals consistently, it’s going to skew public perception.

      Reply

      • R1ker

        July 28, 2017 at 12:18

        I would actually say for tournaments the consoles must stay grouped. But for casual play it would be great if they could cross platform.

        Reply

        • Original Heretic

          July 28, 2017 at 12:41

          Agree 100%.

          Reply

    • Guest

      July 29, 2017 at 08:34

      I would rather die than have anything to do with the inferior Xbone crap console. They’re getting what they deserved cause they arrogantly thought that they’re ruling the console market.

      Reply

  6. HvR

    July 28, 2017 at 11:01

    I would be carefull too call it over and PS4 for the win.

    This time last generation it showed the 360 as sure winner before the PS3 resurgence.

    Sony has been making more and more dodgy decisions the last 3 years leaving the door open for M$.

    Reply

  7. Magoo

    July 28, 2017 at 11:07

    @Admiral_Chief:disqus Close one!

    Reply

    • miaau

      July 28, 2017 at 11:37

      Hmm, but he is suddenly commenting a lot less.

      I wonder, new job or something like that?

      Reply

  8. Fnuik

    July 28, 2017 at 11:13

    Talking about the PS4, just received a email stating ps plus membership will cost more.
    – Annually, the price will change from R 749.00 to R 899.00 per annum.
    – Quarterly, the price will change from R 219.00 to R 349.00 per quarter.
    – Monthly, the price will change from R 99.00 to R 109.00 per month.

    Reply

    • HvR

      July 28, 2017 at 11:16

      That crap and region blocking that made me hold out and and switch back to PC.

      $60 x 13 = R900, welcome to Playstation South Africa maths

      And try to contact them for explanation; have logged dozen messages and mails over the last 2 years I was still PS+ member AND NOT A SINGLE REPLY.

      Reply

    • Ottokie

      July 28, 2017 at 11:22

      Good thing they come on sale a lot for the yearly packages here and there if you keep an eye out. But my PS+ is now cancelled, I only use the PS 4 for SP story driven games and no multiplayer.

      Reply

  9. VampyreSquirrel

    July 28, 2017 at 11:32

    nope, though I love my PS4

    Reply

  10. Sageville

    July 28, 2017 at 11:35

    I’m relooking at this topic given PS+ increasing it’s pricing, I think that dominance thing will disappear…

    Reply

    • miaau

      July 28, 2017 at 11:36

      The price increases do not seem so high to me? based on @Fnuik99:disqus below, R10 a month more if on monthly.

      Xbox Live is R169 a month…..

      Reply

      • Pieter Kruger

        July 28, 2017 at 12:56

        Buying monthly is insanely expensive! I can get a 12 month sub for Xbox live now for R47p/m.

        Reply

        • miaau

          July 28, 2017 at 14:15

          yah, totally. EA a well

          Reply

  11. miaau

    July 28, 2017 at 11:35

    Hey, A gaming FFD? How to respond?

    As someone who owns and plays games on the Xbox One, I have sometimes wondered if I am missing out, as a result of the PS4 dominance. Are some games simply not coming or coming late to the Xbox One? Perhaps, yes.

    I still have a great choice of games, with new ones coming out a lot. I hope that does not change. However, as a non PS4 gamer, I do not actually know what games I am missing out on. (and I do not have time to research that). In other words, it is not important enough for me to check, which, on the whole, I think, means that the PS4 dominance has not too badly effected me.

    As to owning both: I can afford to buy a PS4, but my gut instinct and my natural “less is more”, especially with gadgets, prevents me from doing that. I do, however, need either a smart TV, a media player, or, on the outside, a new gaming console to provide Netflix . YouTube et al to the bedroom based TV (Saturday mornings, with the kids, watching stuff, is nice relaxing family time). Now that the PS4 can do those things, do I get one for that TV? But at that price, I can buy a dedicated smart TV… So, why own two? If I was single and did not have family commitments (time and all that) I would not hesitate and would buy both.

    Also, my wife and I must both agree on the larger purchases and convincing the non-gamer of this…..

    Reply

  12. BakedBagel

    July 28, 2017 at 11:38

    I would like to ask a question

    If the xbox was the dominant console, Would you have said the same?
    “Is the xbox TOO dominant”

    My bet is no 🙂

    Reply

    • Magoo

      July 28, 2017 at 11:41

      Yeah, it would be “Is the xbox ONE dominant”

      Reply

    • miaau

      July 28, 2017 at 11:47

      Hmm, I, in this do not agree with you at all. And we normally agree with each other 🙂

      I think those people, running this site, have over the years shown a commitment to balance. AND they have taken money from Microsoft to write articles, review Xbox One S and they were very upfront about that AND the fact that THEY kept editorial rights (writes?).

      Some other BIG sites, not just gaming, present actual paid for ads in the style of newspaper articles. There is even a word for it, cannot remember. Last Week Tonight did a piece on this.

      Reply

      • BakedBagel

        July 28, 2017 at 12:51

        Every person has a bias, some big some small, Ive got no problems with biases tbh, as long as you show the other side aswell (which is what CH does, very well) but i was just questioning the wording of it. Would they find a problem if the xbox was as dominant as the PS? If it was on the other shoe, would the wording be the same?

        I play PC, first console was the PS. Ive just noticed over the years that CH tends to lean on the MS side, and thats 100% okay. Whatever the reasoning is, They do atleast report on Sony’s side as fair as possible, maybe with a tad less fluff 😛

        Reply

        • miaau

          July 28, 2017 at 12:53

          Fair enough

          Reply

          • BakedBagel

            July 28, 2017 at 12:56

            Hey, if MS pays the bills then more power to them 🙂

  13. Gerhard

    July 28, 2017 at 11:54

    I started of with a PS1 and currently game the PS4. Love games and just glad there is choices like Nintendo and Xbox. I think the next generation will not be as succesfull for Sony. Personally I like my PS3 more and did everything I needed from it. I call my PS4 the data monster. When you are online to go to Playstore or whatever, it will download updates for games I played 6 months ago. Even with all settings off. In short if it was not for some games like Uncharted, I would not have bought a PS4.

    Reply

  14. For the Emperor!

    July 28, 2017 at 13:24

    “what could this mean for the next generation of consoles” – It means hopefully that MS will not have their heads in their arses for the next generation. Look, I switched back to PC because some awesome strategy games came out and that upgrade cost me a lot. I also realised that more and more of my “best on console” games were coming to PC, so it seems for the next 5 years at least that is where I am at. Do miss my consoles though…

    Reply

  15. CodeDisQus

    July 28, 2017 at 13:26

    As a single player gamer, they deserve all of the success, Sony played it smart from the beginning and they continue to do so. They focused on what the gamers want, Games and lots of them, and good ones too. On the PS4, you can’t find just about any type of game you want, on the X1, that’s not the case. Microsoft had the money to get games like that but they aren’t. It’s quite baking really

    Reply

  16. Chuckles von Clausewitz III

    July 28, 2017 at 16:44

    Arrogant Sony has always been the worst, they’re best when they’ve got their backs to the wall. Hopefully Nintendo can bloody their noses. It certainly won’t be the Boney X squad. Their incompetence is legendary.

    Reply

  17. Guest

    July 29, 2017 at 08:33

    As a former PS1, xb arcade, xb360 and now a PS4 owner, I’m glad the ps4 is doing so well. The Japanese have showed the Western world how it’s done and quite frankly I had a very bad experience with xbox admin in the past. I was given a 2 week communication ban for fowl language after I retaliated, which i accepted at the time. Then after the ban expired, they wrongfully banned me for another 2 weeks, not realizing I was punished twice for the same transgression. Numerous interactions later didn’t deliver any positive results and I subsquently sold my Xbone crap console and immidiately bough a ps4. I obviously wrote them a stink email and used all the fowl language in the book availabe, which I felt was justifiable and inform them that they’ll be eating of my shoes in future. And how right I was with xbone struggling in the console market compared to the superior PS. So fk them, i don’t give a damn lolololol!!!!!!

    Reply

  18. Chuckles von Clausewitz III

    July 30, 2017 at 12:50

    On the other hand, 4k means NOTHING if there are no games for the Boney X Oner. Microsoft executives needs to stop “powdering their noses with cocaine” and sober up. Facts over Feels, yo!

    Reply

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