Sony released the PlayStation 5 in 2020, launching (alongside the Xbox Series X) the ninth console generation. And yet, despite a desire to buy a PS5 as soon as I could, I stuck with my trusty PS4 for a further four years, only upgrading to the PS5 in 2024.
Why did I finally take the plunge and buy a PS5? And why did I do it at that particular moment in time? There are many and varied reasons…
1 The PS5 Can Play PS4 Games Anyway
One reason I held off from upgrading from a PS4 to a PS5 was the number of PS4 games I still had to play at the time that the PS5 was launched. I had around 30 PS4 games that I had bought but never played, plus hundreds of titles acquired from being a PlayStation Plus subscriber. So, upgrading felt unnecessary.
However, four years on, I have whittled those games down to a handful that I still have yet to play and actually want to play. Plus, I realized that since the PS5 is backwards-compatible and capable of playing most PS4 games, not upgrading for this reason was entirely illogical. So why not buy a PS5 and play the remaining PS4 games on it rather than on my aging PS4?
2 My PS4 Hardware Started Struggling
Playing into the above is the fact that my PS4 hardware had started struggling. The disc drawer was sticking, meaning it was taking a while to open and close it. And the noise from the fan while playing a game was horrendous to the point that I had to increase the volume on the TV to hear any in-game dialog.
This wasn’t wholly unexpected. After all, this was an original PlayStation 4 purchased in 2014, so it had served me well for 10 years. All hardware has a finite lifespan, and this just happened to be the time to put my PS4 out to pasture.
3 The Price of the PS5 Wasn’t Going to Drop
I’ve been a gamer for over 30 years — and early console generations tended to follow a pattern. The price of entry would be high at the start, before dropping off as the manufacturer lowered the price of its hardware in order to sell more software. Unfortunately, this no longer seems to be the case.
Part of me was holding off from buying a PS5 in the hopes that Sony would drop the price. But not only did that not happen, the PS5 actually got more expensive to buy in some territories. And with the PS5 Pro costing a whopping $700, the only real way to save some money is by buying a pre-owned PS5. So that’s what I did.
4 There Are More PS5 Games Worth Playing
We’re several years into the ninth console generation, and while pickings are still relatively slim, there are now more PS5 games worth playing. When the console was launched, the number of must-play titles was very underwhelming, so I would have been stuck playing the aforementioned PS4 games I had saved up. However, now, there are some legit bangers available on the PS5.
A related point to this is that PS5 games can also be bought more cheaply now. Buying a AAA game on release day still means dropping $70, but most other titles can be bought relatively affordably. I still buy used games on disc, but even digital copies can be purchased for a fair price during online sales.
5 The SSD and Faster Loading Times Were Appealing
Even if I end up spending the next year mostly playing PS4 games on my PS5, the SSD and the faster loading times that that leads to means I won’t regret upgrading my hardware. When long loading times were the norm, we all made do with them. But now that there’s an alternative, they bug me more than they should.
A related point is the bump in visuals and performance the PS5 gives to PS4 games. Some are impacted more than others, but even the slightest bump in how good a game looks and how well it plays make me pleased that I finally stumped up the cash for a PS5.
6 This Console Generation Is Halfway Through
Another reason why I felt that this was the perfect time to upgrade to a PS5 is that this console generation is halfway through. In another article, I sought to answer the question of how long will this, the ninth console generation, last. And my best guess based on a number of different factors is eight years.
This would mean that both Sony and Microsoft would be looking to release new hardware (and not just upgraded versions of the current consoles) in 2028. So, in 2024, it was starting to feel like I had missed the boat on this console generation — and that if I didn’t upgrade sooner rather than later, I may as well skip it altogether.
7 I Made Some Money Selling My Old Consoles
The last reason why I have now upgraded to a PS5 is that I was finally able to justify the cost. And the money I used to buy a PS5 came from a rather unexpected source. Being a gamer for most of my life, during which time my gaming habits have changed considerably, means that I had some old hardware sitting around doing nothing. And it wasn’t until I looked into the prices that these old consoles were commanding online that I realized I was sitting on a potential goldmine.
By selling a Game Boy Advance, a Sega Master System, and a PlayStation 2 (along with a handful of games for each), I was able to rack up enough money to buy a PS5 with a couple of games. The result being that my house is now less filled with old tech I no longer use, and someone who will actually appreciate these old consoles can enjoy them.
I’m not suggesting everyone needs to upgrade to the current-gen consoles, whether that’s the PS5 or the Series X. However, for me personally, the time was right to do so, and I now have several years ahead to play the latest and greatest games before I need to worry about what comes next.
