Primarily in my life ive been a console gamer. Starting with the ps1 and owning every system released since. Never did much pc gaming even when i had access to a decent rig. For the past few years ive been a collector. Going for rare and cool retro games i always wanted to own. After about a year with the steam deck it all feel so… archaic? Like, i went and hdmi modded my ps2, but i find the idea of booting up pcsx2 on deck more appealing. I dont feel the need to have a new game in my hands physically, when i know its gonna take me months to play it anyway, i can wait for a sale, get it cheaper, play it portably with mods. Console gaming, especially in the last 2 generations, feels like a hinderance more than anything. Why would i want to be tied to one piece of hardware, with a dubious at best chance of carrying my games forward to the next gen every 6 years? The steam deck feels like its released me from the shackles of console gaming. I dont think ill get rid of my whole collection… but my ps5 and xsx have been doing a lot of dust collecting these days.
Anyone else feel the same? Or have i just had an existential gamer crisis?
I used to be a console gamer, but I shifted to PC gaming few years ago when I realized how fuss free it is to buy games, as well as the huge number of games I want that are not on consoles. Over the years console makers introduced paid online and no background compatibility (like PSVR games not playable on PSVR2) while PC gaming just keeps getting better and cheaper games, so I just sink deeper.
I still play on consoles once a long while for exclusives like Spider-Man 2 on Playstation and local multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch, but not often anymore. These days I just pick up the Steam Deck, press power button and start playing in bed or whatever. I have hundreds and thousands of new games and retro roms on this tiny system that I can bring everywhere literally, it is just awesome. It’s a dream come true.