Gamers: I’m taking an overdue leap from XBox 360 to PS5, lmao…any recommendations?

[WhiteSteve]

I kind of fell off of video games about ten years ago. Life got busy, etc

The return of the EA Sports (the devil we know and are stuck with) College Football franchise combined with sweet, sweet Black Friday savings finally pushed me to buy my first console since the mid-aughts (which I still refuse to believe were a long time ago😂).

My initial purchase was the console plus College Football ‘25 and NHL ‘25. I was going to buy more but remembered I don’t really have any pressing needs or wants that are something I’d want or could reasonably ask someone else to buy for me, and my girlfriend is always miffed that I’m always like “I dunno…I’d need anything” when she asks, haha.

So, I’ll do her the favor this year and tell her in the morning that she can buy X/Y/Z game[s], and her mom can get me one too, while they’re like $25 on sale. Then no one’s spending a lot but I’m getting a long-lasting value of a video game. I think about this kind of thing, gift efficiency😂 I hate feeling like someone else wasted their money on me, lmao.

So…I want Madden ‘25 (mixed reviews but has a feature that can be linked with the college game, so if it’s cheap/free, I’d want it), MLB: The Show, and then, (old games, but I love them as classics, I’d like to be able to play them on a modern console formatted for modern TVs) Grand Theft Auto V and the “GTA Trilogy”, which is GTA 3/Vice City/San Andreas (GOAT).

I mostly like sports games, so other considerations are The Masters’ golf game and a soccer game I think is called “FC ‘25” or something…. I don’t play either sport but I’m intrigued enough to get the games at the right price. I think you can play as the Ted Lasso team in FC, that’s pretty awesome, haha

A friend strongly recommended Red Dead Redemption 2.

How about you, gamers of GAG? Any ideas? I’m not great with Call Of Duty type stuff, but would get something if it’s all the rage, haha. Not as much into fantasy/RPG, but if it’s outstanding, I’m open to listening.

Thanks!

[msc545]

Make sure if you get a PS5 you can use the controller. Practice with one before you buy it. Practice a lot. I bought a PS5 and found that I simply cannot use the controlleeffectively at all. I am very used to a mouse and left-hand speedpad, and I am just clumsy with the damn controller.

The PS5 has been sitting unused for months as a result of my inability to use the controller. Want to buy it? It is about 5 months old, literally barely used.

[WhiteSteve]

Haha, I’m the opposite, I could never adjust to PC gaming. Xbox 360 was an outlier too, not even sure why I went for it over PS3 at the time. I haven’t played enough of anything the last ten years to really be “used to” anything, but if it’s still the traditional “circle, square, triangle, X” format, I should be alright 👍

[msc545]

It is indeed the circle square triangle x format and so that part of it should be comfortable for you. Fortunately. There's a lot more to it than that though, including other controls that are barely referenced in on-screen instructions so when something tells you to press the z button that may not be very intuitive. I don't know if there actually is a z button or not as that was just an example. I got sick of trying to figure this crap out without clear directions or indications anywhere.

[Lynx122]

I'd definitely play the God of War games :)

[WhiteSteve]

Just watching a quick video on it. Tell you what…. doesn't seem on the surface like what I’d be into, but I’m also just realizing video games have just evolved into something I’m not sure I’m ready for😂 Like this is the first time I’m looking at a game from this generation of system, or last gen, for that matter…. and this looks like a goddamn movie lmao. I’m blown away, for real. Incredible jump in graphics. Like the last thing I saw was the Xbox 360
version of GTA V, so I’m trying to not fuck around and have a seizure seeing God Of War😵‍💫😂 I’ll have try that franchise out. I’m legit blown away right now. Probably dating myself and looking out of touch, but seriously, lmao

[Lynx122]

Ok I didn't wanna explode your brain but try it if you're up for it :D

[WhiteSteve]

[Anonymous]

Why is a 45-year-old playing video games? WTF?

[WhiteSteve]

Very fair, lmao. And I haven’t been. I just kinda miss it, is all. Probably will just collect dust, but right now I’m gassed up about it😂 It’s mostly for sports simulation, honestly. Sports are my entire life, and I want to be playing them somehow even when I can’t readily play them for real. Sitting around NOT doing sports stuff in SOME way for any amount of time that I’m not sleeping, eating, or grooming…. PREPOSTEROUS😝

[AI Opinion]

As you dive back into gaming with your PS5, FIFA 25 could be a fantastic addition alongside Madden, especially with its potential Ted Lasso team feature 😄. Considering your taste in sports games, try giving NBA 2K series a shot for some exciting basketball action. Red Dead Redemption 2 is an absolute masterpiece, offering a breathtaking open-world experience. If you're up for online multiplayer and not too into Call of Duty, check out Apex Legends or Battlefield for something engaging at a more affordable price. Enjoy your gaming journey! 🎮✨

[Still-alive]

Im playing a fun cute mario style 3D platformer called Astrobot so I recommend that if you’re a fan of those

[WhiteSteve]

Watching a video of gameplay for it, and I’m just here like “d’awwwwww🤗🤗🤗”, lmao

Coming from 00s-level graphic to this stuff is so crazy to me, these games all look so well-done

[NathanDavis]

last I bought... none of my nieces were born yet, lmao, so I don't know

just be prepared for microtransactions... that, I know about

[robocop666]

X-box are in trouble these days

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ETXQUkp-VOg

[WhiteSteve]

Honestly not sure why I left PlayStation in the mid-00s. Someone must’ve talked me into it, haha. I always found the difference fairly negligible, I don’t think I’m a hardcore enough gamer to know. I think somebody said the online servers were free for PS but had a monthly charge on XBox, and the charge weeded out some measure of riff-raff. But I don’t even play online games much. I think I was maybe in a phase before I realized I hopelessly sucked at Call Of Duty and the like. I had a roommate that played this old game SoCom on PS2 that was basically the predecessor to all that, and it looks fun, but for whatever reason I’m so unbelievably bad at first-person shooters lmao. Probably bought XBox thinking I just needed more practice, and got convinced there’d be fewer 11 year olds dumbing out if there was a monthly fee.

[spartan55]

You a Call of Duty type guy?

[WhiteSteve]

In spirit, yes. In practice….. there’s no kind of game that I’m worse at lmfao. If these simulations are any indication, I’d be the first guy dead in the first battle upon deployment in a real life military situation. Like when you run through a door, obviously check the corners, right? Make sure no one is hiding and waiting to take you out. Simple enough. But I have an UNCANNY ability to look left first when someone is hiding on the right, and to look right first if they’re hiding on the left, and I get killed upon entry like 8/10 times😂 And I’m a controller-smasher, so for the sake of not having to replace a bunch of controllers and patching holes in my drywall, I just quit on them.

Madden/NCAA football is all I can do online, because I can out-“Xs and Os” the opponent and barely hang on to win by playing smart football vs them never punting or settling for field goals, and they beat themselves. But I can still get out-thumbed and get blown out too. 1v1 gaming isn’t for me, I’m just not competitive at it, haha. Infinitely frustrating when I could beat them in the sport in real life a lot of the time🤦‍♂️😂

I still almost bought CoD III because it was only $20, but I’m seeing there’s a “Black Ops 6” out now, with no discounts, so I assume it’s a new release, and I didn’t want to buy a game that I both suck at and also is going to be soon obsolete. I also just have a much better time playing the straight up game rather than online play. Like in Madden/NCAA I’m running a Franchise/Dynasty, not playing other live people, more often than not. So I might be a rare bird these days, not sure what’s “normal” nowadays, but sure seems like online 1v1 or group play is bigger than offline with a lot of stuff I know of.

[spartan55]

That's funny you say that because when I first started playing multi-player on COD I would get killed within five seconds every time I spawned. I have become a decent player, but not on the level of some of these YouTube guys.

[Anonymous]

Persona 5 Royal

[WhiteSteve]

Never heard of it, I’ll check it out. Thanks!👍

[jahaims]

Get a pc

[WhiteSteve]

I don’t game enough for all that. I’m not much of a homebody, or a “sitter”, I’m usually doing very active things. Imagine being too ADD for video games, lmao. I’m kind of a “fits and starts” gamer, like I’ll be really intense on it and playing a ton, or I won’t touch it for months, maybe even a year or so. I’m a casual, part-time gamer, I guess.

I’ve heard PC is often superior, but that’s probably more of an investment than I should make, relative to the usage. Like I haven’t bought PS5 (or PS4 before it) BECAUSE I don’t play enough to justify spending $500 on a console. I’m only buying it now because this week is as cheap as I’ll ever get it, and the last games I loved were NCAA Football 2014 and GTA V, and now both are back/back soon. I play Madden 2005 (GOAT) on PS2 when I get the itch.

But now my Patriots have drafted my beautiful, precious baby boy Drake Maye, so this is a good year to jump into a new era of Madden (last I bought was 2012…and it sucked, lmao). I love rebuilding bad teams, but I used to have to pick Arizona or Detroit or something…. but now the Patriots suck donkey balls for the first time in my adult life, so I can rebuild my own favorite team😂

And you can create a player in NCAA and I can live out my vicarious D-1/NFL dreams, play my college career and then import my character for the draft in Madden. So for that alone, I’m buying Madden, while it’s only $25.

PC is more for stuff like SimCity for me, which I get the itch to play every 3-5 years, haha. I’m just too sporadic with gaming to heavily invest.