this gonna create a war it’s depends on you price, what games you want, and portability
xbox series x is more expensive than ps5, but ps5 is more expensuve than xbox series s
and if you want portability steam deck can offer that to you, and play a ton of games from the steam
Hey, thanks for creating this instance and I hope it grows!
Here’s a brief review of the consoles I own at the moment. I dabble heavily in homebrew, so I’ll only discuss discontinued consoles here:
Nintendo 3DS XL
The 3DS era of consoles were something else. Boasting backwards compatibility to Nintendo DS titles as well as 3D graphics (of which I’m not really a fan, so I turn it off most of the time), it was a great proposition on launch, but an even better proposition today.
*The e-shop was shut down March 2023, leaving owners absolutely no way to buy and download games. Normally this means that you’d have to resort to buying increasingly expensive game cartridges, but homebrew saves the day again. *
Installing custom firmware difficulty: 6/10, just follow the guide word for word and you won’t have any issues.
Tools needed: Micro SD, screwdriver, WiFi
E-shop replacements: hShop (downloading a game is about as simple as scanning a QR code)
Why mod?: Save backup function, custom themes, free Pokémon bank type app that supports all generations of Pokémon games up to 3ds titles, previous Nintendo handheld console emulation, backup owned games to SD card
Notable games: Pokémon, Rhythm Thief, Bravely Default, LOZ: Ocarina of Time 3D
Notable cons: deleting games will require you to figure out the game ID in the directory, which takes a bit, but is painless enough
PS Vita
The PS Vita followed the success of the Sony PSP, but ultimately fell short due to the lack of titles being ported for this console and the seeming lack of marketing. There’s also a home console version called the PlayStation Vita TV that’s functionally the same, but needs to be connected to a screen and a dualshock 4 controller.
That being said, the PS Vita has seen new life in homebrew, where there remains an active community of fans that continue to develop custom ports of games for the PS Vita. The Vita continues to be regarded as one of the must haves for rhythm game enthusiasts, along with its predecessor, the PSP.
I won’t be able to comment on the modding here, as mine was pre-modded, but guides should ensure everything is fine.
Why get this now?:
- download games directly from Sony’s servers
- easily add custom beatmaps and songs into Taiko no Tatsujin (seriously, it’s just pasting it into an easily accessible folder. You won’t find any easier way to do this, trust me.)
- Emulate the PSP and PS1 (with Adrenaline)
- Further emulation is possible (like GBA and such) but I haven’t experimented with that
- a must have if you enjoy visual novels - all danganronpa titles are available, and the portable form factor makes it easy to take out and play here and there on the go
- play fanmade vita ports of games you love
- custom themes available
- modded vitas also allow you to use Bluetooth to connect to earphones AND external controllers (I used a dualsense). Controllers will stay paired to the vita and can reconnect by pressing the PS button.
- supports game streaming from PS4s
Notable games: Gravity Rush (a must try imo, featuring a new kind of “flying” mechanic that makes excellent use of the vita’s gyroscope), Danganronpa series, Disgaea 3, Atelier Series games (you can emulate from Mana Khemia onwards - this series was the first Atelier game available in English), Vocaloid Project Diva, Bastion
PS4 Pro
Have you tried playing a AAA game you thought would run fine on your PC, only to get 2 frames a second and all kinds of issues?
Well, my laptop can’t really support AAA games, and a console kind of “just works” for games released for it, so when homebrew came out for the PS4, I got one.
Latest moddable version: should still be v9.00 at this time, so updated PS4s are out of luck. Follow the guides if you wish to DIY
Tools needed: USB flash drive (small capacity is fine, but needs to be empty and dedicated to the PS4 as you’ll need it to boot into the jailbreak every time)
On top of being able to back up your old games, there are still new titles for the PS4 being released so you don’t have to feel too far left behind in the new games cycle.
2nd hand game prices for the PS4 are also down with the PS5 being the current console, so you can get great games on a budget!
Why get this now?:
- Cheaper, but still keeps up with some of the latest releases (bless Sony releasing some games for both PS4 and 5)
- Games work - given that games are optimised for the standardised PS4, they work, and you shouldn’t expect massive performance issues, which can happen with PC gaming. It’s not a PC, but shit just works and sometimes that makes it worth it.
Notable games: Horizon Zero Dawn & Forbidden West (Sony exclusive, totally recommend. Note that ZD has no gyroscope aiming on PS4, but FW does), Ghost of Tsushima, GOW series, Gravity Rush 2, Persona 5
I hope this is informative for people who enjoy gaming, but don’t necessarily need 4k graphics and all the latest games. There’s a lot to explore on these consoles, and realistically no one person will live long enough to play all the games they offer, so just enjoy what you enjoy.
Happy gaming!
Thank you, wow, nice reply
For most people who don’t already own a video game console I find the Switch is great. 2D Mario is accessible for most and all the party games make for a compelling addition to a living room TV setup. And coming with 2 controllers out of the box really makes local multiplayer easy.
