PlayStation 5

Ever since I unwrapped my first ever console (the Sega Mega Drive) as a kid on Christmas morning back in the early 1990s I've loved video games. Like most people, I've played them less as I've gotten older and other distractions like kids and work have stolen my free time but I've managed to own most mainstream consoles over the years.

I've been a Sony guy for a long time (forgetting an embarrassing Xbox wobble in the early days of the Microsoft vs Sony console wars). I've owned a PS3, Ps4 and a PS4 Pro. I even had the PSVR which was ground breaking and a real blast to play (for as long at least as you weren't strangling yourself with all the cables). Like the shameless impulse purchaser I am, I had also purchased these consoles as close to day 1 as possible. The PS5 was different however.

It's well known that there have been supply issues with the Ps5. It released in the UK at the end of 2020 in time for Christmas but it was effectively impossible to purchase. I tried on-and-off to buy one on multiple occasions but it was always out of stock. Given all the demands on my time I didn't try too hard. I also wasn't impressed by the game line up - it seemed that there weren't that many PS5 exclusive games that were worth the effort.

Anyway, fast forward a couple of years to this past weekend. I was out for dinner with friends and one of them (an avid gamer) said that apparently the PS5 was now back in stock in a lot of places and it was worth taking a chance. Sure enough, I checked Argos the next day and boom! In stock for same day collection. Who can resist a new toy?

I picked up the console this past Monday and after a (now-typical) couple of hours wait for updates, etc I got to play my first next-gen console since the PS4 Pro.

Man, this machine is awesome. Yes it's ridiculously big and won't fit under my TV unit (it has to stand on the floor next to it, much to my wife's dismay). Yes every game on it is also available on the PS4 and yes I probably won't have that much time to play it but I really like it.

I picked up two games with the console. The first one was a a no-brainer: Spider-Man Miles Morales. I thoroughly enjoyed the original Spider-Man on the PS4 and I wanted to experience the updated graphical prowess of the PS5. It looks gorgeous and I'm really enjoying it. I've only put a couple of hours into it so far but I think I'm perhaps 25% through it. It's clearly a short game but that's OK, I'm viewing it more as a tech demo.

The second game I hadn't heard of until I was trying to convince myself to get the console on Sunday evening. It's called Sifu and it's a Kung-Fu game. As a martial artist myself this game looked cool. It's death mechanic is pretty interesting too. It has a weird art style that looks great but I don't think is all that much more impressive than what the Switch is capable of. Gameplay wise it's really fun. Challenging, but fun.

Anyway, for anyone interested in picking up the latest console, the PS5 is a beautiful piece of tech. It's quiet and well refined. The UI is gorgeous and this thing boots and loads games almost instantaneously. Whilst most games on it are also currently available on the older consoles, they all look better on the PS5 and more and more games that have been announced will be PS5-only as time moves on.