Based on some Black Friday deal through Kohl's... is it worth it? I've been out of the video game loop for so long, I don't know where or how to get back into it... or if it's even worth it. Last playstation I had was a PS2 or maybe PS3... and it broke, and I broke it worse trying to fix it. That was maybe 5 years ago now? I've been making do with the ol' N64 ever since. But every Black Friday, I can't help but wonder if I should join the present day gamers in what seems like the bright shiny future of today.

My biggest concern/drawback is how expensive games seem. $199 doesn't seem all that unreasonable for a gaming platform (as far as I'm aware)... but aren't games like $60 a pop, starting out? And then I need to buy all sorts of peripheral shit like extra controllers, headsets, fucksticks, etc.

Anyway... people of PW, pitch me on what's a good way to get back into video gaming. Best system, games, prices to target, etc.

I received my PS4 Pro for Christmas and haven't looked back. If you can afford it, I'd recommend going pro so you can future proof future games and treat yourself to 4K resolution when you decide to upgrade your television. However, if you just want a taste the standard model still works relatively well.

As far as I can tell, $200 is a good price in the US, and games are relatively cheap as well. Usually $60 is the starting point for new release games, but Sony games diminish in value so quickly you can often buy them for half-price three months later. Where you will have to be careful is PSN, the online service which costs $80 (AUD). That price also covers a bunch of games you receive as a member, but just be aware of that if you want to face buddies online.

As far as games are concerned, it depends on what you're into. This current generation is mostly Open World Action RPGs, FPS and Sports/Racing. Other genres are represented, but you'll have to dig deeper to find what you want.

Three years ago I bought my PS4, and have never looked back. It was one of the best decisions that I have made gaming wise. Since the debut, Sony has has amassed a library full of must play exclusives along with classics from different eras in Playstation history and all the third party games. I also prefer the online gaming experience to Xbox Live, although, I understand it isn't for everyone. The standard PS4 is more than adequate, and this deal is for the 1 TB system which will help out big time.

Since we're in the middle of the PS4's lifecycle, gaming doesn't have to be expensive for you. If you have the money, just be sure to pick up a few cheap games from Black Friday. I could even recommend a few depending on what you want in your games. If you have Amazon Prime, you can get brand new games for 20% off. I follow a reddit for PS4 deals that updates daily for the best game prices. Controllers at Walmart during Black Friday are $40, so it's a good chance to pick one up which is the same price for a year of PSN.

My little brother bought a PS4 last year around this time. I bought a soft modded original X-Box that has tons of emulators and thousands of games, he was so jealous of it. He rarely ever plays his PS4, he just uses it to watch Blu Rays and stream stuff. I'm going to buy them a soft modded X-Box for my niece for Christmas. It's pretty great.

Nov 22, 2017 14:48:19 GMT shinobimusashi said:

My little brother bought a PS4 last year around this time. I bought a soft modded original X-Box that has tons of emulators and thousands of games, he was so jealous of it. He rarely ever plays his PS4, he just uses it to watch Blu Rays and stream stuff. I'm going to buy them a soft modded X-Box for my niece for Christmas. It's pretty great.

What's a soft modded Xbox?

Thanks for the thoughts so far everyone!

A little history on my video gaming history...

When it was time to upgrade from the ol' N64 warhorse, I went with the original Xbox. I think I had Madden or some football game, RAW or whatever the first Xbox wrestling game was, and Maxx Payne. Overall, Xbox seemed to suck. Maxx Payne was kinda dope, but I got stuck and frustrated. RAW was TERRIBLE. Worse than the Acclaim games for N64... which I didn't think was possible. The football game was just meh at best, and then it started to glitch out.

So I got frustrated and traded in for a Game Cube. Aside from getting my first exposure to Call of Duty or Medal of Honor (can't remember which... Maybe it was even both), Game Cube sucked. None of the awesomeness of the N64 carried over. WrestleMania XIX was a million times worse than No Mercy. The James Bond games were shit in comparison to GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. And the Mario games just didn't seem to have the same magic.

Eventually I ditched the Game Cube for a PS2, and I was finally as happy as I had been in the peak N64 days. Grand Theft Auto and Tony Hawk were my main jams. I wasn't too impressed with the wrestling game offerings for the PlayStation platform, and started to worry that no wrestling game would ever match much less surpass No Mercy.

Then I got introduced hardcore to Call of Duty via a friend's PS3. So I eventually upgraded to my own PS3, and my main gaming experience involved just working my way through the various CODs. Until my PS3 broke, and then I broke it worse when trying to fix it myself.

If I got back into gaming today, I'd probably mainly be in it for the nostalgia factor... So FPS stuff like COD, MOH, Battlefield... Whatever is still a thing. If the wrestling games don't suck anymore, I'd be willing to give them a shot, but No Mercy is the bar. Never been a big RPG guy, but I'm willing to give anything a shake. Really, anything beyond a solid FPS base is just gravy.

Oh, maybe like a Rock Band setup for something fun to do if Wife and I ever host dinner parties.

So... All in, how much should I be looking to spend for a PS4 setup?

I'll let Raven or Blindy help you on prices, since I can only talk to you in AUD terms.

As far as FPS games are concerned, the genre has enjoyed a healthy renaissance in recent years. Games such as Titanfall 2, DOOM, Battlefield 1, Far Cry 4, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Overwatch etc. rejuvenated the genre and all are worth seeking out.

I couldn't recommend the new Pro Wrestling games. If you're after something like No Mercy, they've moved on from the arcade style and gone into a more sim related mode. There's plenty of positives to come out of the game, but they're much slower paced and the amount of crazy things you can do are limited. It's fun and the roster is stacked, but you're better off playing a demo than actually going out and buying the game outright.

There's plenty of great titles to keep an eye out for. Games like Yakuza 0, Uncharted 4, Metal Gear Solid V, Dragon Quest Builders, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Dishonored 2, Assassin's Creed Origins, Horizon Zero Dawn, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Middle-Earth Shadows of Mordor, SOMA, The Last Guardian, Hitman, Alien Isolation, Hotline Miami 1 & 2, Life Is Strange, Persona 5, Bloodborne, The Witcher 3, Nier Automata, Dark Souls 3, Injustice 2, Nioh, Stardew Valley (especially if you or your missus enjoyed Harvest Moon) and more. Plenty of great games on the horizon as well - Far Cry 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, Monster Hunter, Spiderman, God of War etc.

Nov 22, 2017 17:36:26 GMT Big Pete said:

I'll let Raven or Blindy help you on prices, since I can only talk to you in AUD terms.

As far as FPS games are concerned, the genre has enjoyed a healthy renaissance in recent years. Games such as Titanfall 2, DOOM, Battlefield 1, Far Cry 4, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Overwatch etc. rejuvenated the genre and all are worth seeking out.

I couldn't recommend the new Pro Wrestling games. If you're after something like No Mercy, they've moved on from the arcade style and gone into a more sim related mode. There's plenty of positives to come out of the game, but they're much slower paced and the amount of crazy things you can do are limited. It's fun and the roster is stacked, but you're better off playing a demo than actually going out and buying the game outright.

There's plenty of great titles to keep an eye out for. Games like Yakuza 0, Uncharted 4, Metal Gear Solid V, Dragon Quest Builders, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Dishonored 2, Assassin's Creed Origins, Horizon Zero Dawn, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Middle-Earth Shadows of Mordor, SOMA, The Last Guardian, Hitman, Alien Isolation, Hotline Miami 1 & 2, Life Is Strange, Persona 5, Bloodborne, The Witcher 3, Nier Automata, Dark Souls 3, Injustice 2, Nioh, Stardew Valley (especially if you or your missus enjoyed Harvest Moon) and more. Plenty of great games on the horizon as well - Far Cry 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, Monster Hunter, Spiderman, God of War etc.

Wait, what I liked about No Mercy was it was slower and simpler/smarter gameplay. The SmackDowm series is what particularly seemed like fast, stupid arcade play. So is the new 2K stuff closer to No Mercy or the old SmackDown stuff?

It's still like SmackDown, except needlessly complicated in parts (things like kicking out of pins involves a mini-game) and the animations are still as jittery as ever.

The only plus is that it isn't as easy to reverse anymore. There's a limit, so matches aren't just rallies of reversals with somebody eventually hitting a move.

Nov 22, 2017 17:47:20 GMT Big Pete said:

It's still like SmackDown, except needlessly complicated in parts (things like kicking out of pins involves a mini-game) and the animations are still as jittery as ever.

The only plus is that it isn't as easy to reverse anymore. There's a limit, so matches aren't just rallies of reversals with somebody eventually hitting a move.

Damn, that's a bummer to hear. Why's it so hard to build on fucking No Mercy!?

Fucksticks? Man I really gotta invest in that PS VR asap...

Nov 22, 2017 16:29:27 GMT 🤯 said:

Nov 22, 2017 14:48:19 GMT shinobimusashi said:

My little brother bought a PS4 last year around this time. I bought a soft modded original X-Box that has tons of emulators and thousands of games, he was so jealous of it. He rarely ever plays his PS4, he just uses it to watch Blu Rays and stream stuff. I'm going to buy them a soft modded X-Box for my niece for Christmas. It's pretty great.

What's a soft modded Xbox?

It's an original model XBOX that has been wired with a new bigger hard drive loaded with an updated operating system that plays emulators for all the old systems, SNES, Genesis, NES, Playstation, 64 all kinds of shit. There's a thing on it called "Coin Ops 8 Massive" which is a collection of games from just about every system, loads of all the great old school arcade games, thousands of games literally: 



I've seen sellers offer them with tons of original XBOX games pre-loaded on the hard drive too. I got mine last earlier this year and was blown away by it. Me and my niece have put some heavy mileage on it, it's perfect if you've got kids, she's been getting into Barney's Hide and Seek Adventure and Elmos fun with numbers on 64. I got mine for $150 but I've seen a few cheaper than that. 

Get an arcade stick like this one that I have and it's on. 

Nov 22, 2017 20:37:53 GMT 🤯 said:

Nov 22, 2017 17:47:20 GMT Big Pete said:

It's still like SmackDown, except needlessly complicated in parts (things like kicking out of pins involves a mini-game) and the animations are still as jittery as ever.

The only plus is that it isn't as easy to reverse anymore. There's a limit, so matches aren't just rallies of reversals with somebody eventually hitting a move.

Damn, that's a bummer to hear. Why's it so hard to build on fucking No Mercy!?

The sad thing is, EA brought AKI into work on their next WCW game for the PS2. Unfortunately WCW went out of business and instead they started development for the Def Jam Vendetta games and the Ultimate Muscle series. The last wrestling related game they made was in 2008, now they make casual design games for handheld systems.

Even Fire Pro Wrestling, which was a fixture in the Japanese Gaming Market, went into hiatus for 12 years. Recently Spike Chunsoft released a beta for a new entry for the series and it's done really well. What's great about the game is that it has all the tools for you to make your own roster and work your own style of match. If they released a similar game with the AKI engine, I have no doubt it would be a success.

I just got a 4kTV just not to long ago, and thinking about getting a PS4 pro for quite sometime the drawback beside budget which I don't have to buy PS4 pro yet is the blu-ray player which it doesn't support a 4k blu ray movie and only support standard blu-ray movie. Sometime I still buy movies when it's worth buying and I like to get a 4k movie every now and then now that I own 4kTV. I know you can play some games that are 4k with the pro which is one of the biggest draw for me.

Have you considered picking up a X Box One X pduh? Unless you're after exclusives like Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, Spiderman, Last Guardian, God of War etc. the the One X is a far better multimedia machine.

Yeah the XBX1 is I am also strongly consideration because of the multimedia but I do love to play some of those exclusive that PS4 have too. Decisions, decisions so difficult to make

Nov 23, 2017 5:14:29 GMT Big Pete said:

Have you considered picking up a X Box One X pduh? Unless you're after exclusives like Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, Spiderman, Last Guardian, God of War etc. the the One X is a far better multimedia machine.

Can you elaborate? I'm not necessarily sold on being Sony-exclusive myself... especially if the total costs come out equal in the wash.

Nov 23, 2017 0:52:58 GMT Big Pete said:

Nov 22, 2017 20:37:53 GMT 🤯 said:

Damn, that's a bummer to hear. Why's it so hard to build on fucking No Mercy!?

The sad thing is, EA brought AKI into work on their next WCW game for the PS2. Unfortunately WCW went out of business and instead they started development for the Def Jam Vendetta games and the Ultimate Muscle series. The last wrestling related game they made was in 2008, now they make casual design games for handheld systems.

Even Fire Pro Wrestling, which was a fixture in the Japanese Gaming Market, went into hiatus for 12 years. Recently Spike Chunsoft released a beta for a new entry for the series and it's done really well. What's great about the game is that it has all the tools for you to make your own roster and work your own style of match. If they released a similar game with the AKI engine, I have no doubt it would be a success.

Speaking of the FPW reboot, I dropped $20 on the beta on Steam and haven't been overly impressed with it. It's almost too in-depth, if that makes sense, and I'm not sure I really like the 2D presentation. That said though, it's infinitely better than all that SmackDown! or RAW vs. SD! garbage I've played on the the Playstation. Is Steam accessible on the PS4, or is Steam PC only?

Nov 23, 2017 14:37:46 GMT 🤯 said:

Nov 23, 2017 5:14:29 GMT Big Pete said:

Have you considered picking up a X Box One X pduh? Unless you're after exclusives like Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, Spiderman, Last Guardian, God of War etc. the the One X is a far better multimedia machine.

Can you elaborate? I'm not necessarily sold on being Sony-exclusive myself... especially if the total costs come out equal in the wash.

Certainly.

The X Box One X can play UHD Blurays, while neither versions of the PS4 can. The other advantage the X Box One has going is that it's backwards compatible, so you can enjoy a lot of 360 games on the console.

The One X was released at the start of the month, so you'll have to pay at least an additional $270. If you want a cheaper alternative, Microsoft released the One S last year. It is weaker than all the versions of the PS4, but can still play UHD Blurays and can play most games.

Ultimately I went with the PS4 for the exclusives. Games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Uncharted 4, Nier Automata, Nioh, Bloodbourne, Yakuza 0 and Persona 5 interested me. However, they're not for everyone and if you want to play games like Sunset Overdrive, Halo 5, Killer Instinct etc. then the X Box could be right up your alley. Keep in mind as well, Rare released a sweet compilation with most of their past games including Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark, Blast Corps, Banjo Kazooe and Tooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day so if you want that dose of nostalgia, it's probably the best N64 compilation you're going to see.

Nov 23, 2017 14:39:34 GMT 🤯 said:

Nov 23, 2017 0:52:58 GMT Big Pete said:

The sad thing is, EA brought AKI into work on their next WCW game for the PS2. Unfortunately WCW went out of business and instead they started development for the Def Jam Vendetta games and the Ultimate Muscle series. The last wrestling related game they made was in 2008, now they make casual design games for handheld systems.

Even Fire Pro Wrestling, which was a fixture in the Japanese Gaming Market, went into hiatus for 12 years. Recently Spike Chunsoft released a beta for a new entry for the series and it's done really well. What's great about the game is that it has all the tools for you to make your own roster and work your own style of match. If they released a similar game with the AKI engine, I have no doubt it would be a success.

Speaking of the FPW reboot, I dropped $20 on the beta on Steam and haven't been overly impressed with it. It's almost too in-depth, if that makes sense, and I'm not sure I really like the 2D presentation. That said though, it's infinitely better than all that SmackDown! or RAW vs. SD! garbage I've played on the the Playstation. Is Steam accessible on the PS4, or is Steam PC only?

PC only.

You can buy a Steam Link which you can set up on your television and play Steam games from there. There should be a few on sale, so they shouldn't be too expensive. Otherwise FPW is due out for the PS4 next year and should be the final version.

FPW needs some form of single player.

I only have a PS4 but I would say either a PS4 or a Xbox One. For the most part they do the same stuff unless you care about the exclusives but since you haven't been current in 5 years exclusives probably don't concern you much. As for the $60 games there are plenty of games under that price. That is the price for new games and games normally drop fast in price.

The community for PS4 WWE games is probably bigger then the others platforms.

If you are not willing to pay $60 for games, and to save some mo who’d what I do.

At BestBuy only you can sign up he Unlocked Games Membership which cost $30 for two years. The benefits for this membership is all new games for any consoles are 20% off and used games for any consoles are 10% off no as of right now as I know there is no discounts for accessories like controls nor no discounts for consoles.

Also if you preorder any games at bestbuy once you pick up the game you preorder you get a $10 sometimes $15 certificate basically it’s a coupon you can use it at the store as long you got the barcode for that certificate, and you can use the certificate for any products including games but you can only use that at best buy and use it before the expiration date. There is a loophole okay maybe not a loophole exactly let say you preorder a game once you pick up the game that is release that you preorder you will get the $10 certificate keep in mind getting the certificate now takes 15-20 days after you pick up the game you preorder you use to get it right away but they change it recently.

Anyways, once you get the certificate if there is any games you want to preorder you can preorder the game which you can get the 20% off for that game and plus you can use that certificate too to get the game more cheaper and save more money that is how I do it. There is a catch though it’s only exclusive at bestbuy for this memberships and use it only at bestbuy and I beleive it’s limit to three games to use those benefit I mentioned above for that particular year for example you use those benefits to purchase three different games this year and the benefits won’t be effective until next year to rest.

Keep in mind this unlock games membership is for two years $30 after two years expire if you want it it again you got to renew it and spend $30 for another two years

Not sure you want to go that route that is of course up to you and anyone else interest.

So the 1TB PS4 being advertised for $199 isn't the "Pro"... and the difference between "Pro" and "Amateur" is that one gives you backwards compatibility and one doesn't? How far back does the backwards compatibility go? Could I pop in an old PS2 disc and still be ready to rumble?

Nov 24, 2017 14:21:18 GMT 🤯 said:

So the 1TB PS4 being advertised for $199 isn't the "Pro"... and the difference between "Pro" and "Amateur" is that one gives you backwards compatibility and one doesn't? How far back does the backwards compatibility go? Could I pop in an old PS2 disc and still be ready to rumble?

Neither the PS4 or PS4 Pro has backwards compatibility. The only current generation system that does it the Xbox One and the recent model. To tell you the truth, the PS4 (slim, I guess I can call it that), is more than acceptable for a casual gamer. PS4 pro is more so if you are gearing up for a 4K experience. You can, however, get a subscription to PS Now or whatever it is called which is a subscription service from Sony with hundreds of their old games.

Last night I picked up Resident Evil 7 ($15), Nioh ($15), Tekken 7 ($15), Final Fantasy XV ($15), Watch Dogs 2 ($15), and The Evil Within 2 ($28). Not a bad haul at all for me. I even got a few Switch games I wanted. 

Nov 24, 2017 14:53:41 GMT Raven said:

Nov 24, 2017 14:21:18 GMT 🤯 said:

So the 1TB PS4 being advertised for $199 isn't the "Pro"... and the difference between "Pro" and "Amateur" is that one gives you backwards compatibility and one doesn't? How far back does the backwards compatibility go? Could I pop in an old PS2 disc and still be ready to rumble?

Neither the PS4 or PS4 Pro has backwards compatibility. The only current generation system that does it the Xbox One and the recent model. To tell you the truth, the PS4 (slim, I guess I can call it that), is more than acceptable for a casual gamer. PS4 pro is more so if you are gearing up for a 4K experience. You can, however, get a subscription to PS Now or whatever it is called which is a subscription service from Sony with hundreds of their old games.

Last night I picked up Resident Evil 7 ($15), Nioh ($15), Tekken 7 ($15), Final Fantasy XV ($15), Watch Dogs 2 ($15), and The Evil Within 2 ($28). Not a bad haul at all for me. I even got a few Switch games I wanted. 

Thanks, good to know about the Pro. I kinda feel like the 4K stuff is a bunch of BS. Isn't there a significant lack of content for 4K tech right now, so investing in 4K anything is kinda hedging on a future with some uncertainties? Like how everyone thought 3D TV or HD DVD was gonna be a big deal, and then 3D TV fizzled out as a gimmick and HD DVD lost the war to Blu Ray? If that's really all that the Pro offers, I am definitely on board with avoiding it (especially for the jacked-up cost).

Also good to know about the backwards compatibility being a non-thing, period. I think I might be hitting the analysis paralysis point. Time to either just say fuck it and pull the trigger on the $199 PS4, or stick with the ol' warhorse for another year or two.

It sounds like you made the right choice.

For what it's worth, the PS4 Pro is a great machine in terms of performance. There's a lot of games that don't run too well on the regular PS4 that run smoothly on the Pro. Also, without getting into it, 4K is going to be the norm in 3 years time. You won't necessarily be able to tell the difference because it's just a higher resolution but with the influx of HDR and OLED televisions, the image quality is far and away better than what you will see on a HD TV. That's an aside though and in regards to this current generation of consoles, I doubt we'll see too many titles take advantage of 4K until the next generation comes along.

So I'm revisiting this since relocating to Massachusetts and discovering I have a lot of downtime with no friends or family around.

First thing I realized is that $199 last year seems like a great price for a PS4. Prices now seem to be back up to $299ish somehow? XBox Ones seem a little cheaper on average.

Based on reading/research, it seems like it's really just splitting tit hairs between the two systems as far as what they're capable of and what they offer.

My big dilemma now is realizing that the friends back in Pittsburgh who I want to stay in touch with are split between systems. Most seem to be on PS4, but some of my better buds are on XBox One. I assume it's safe to say there's no way to have it all and play online together across separate platforms.



At least the silver lining is that I don't think my group of buds are the type to keep up with the Joneses. So whenever the next generation comes out, I don't think I'd have to worry about them updating and then me having to deliberate over whether or not to play catch-up. In fact, at that point, maybe I could convince XBox hold-outs to pick up a PS4 for presumably cheaper.

Oh, also... I was bummed to learn that Sony sounds like it has finally migrated to a pay subscription online service. That's like what Microsoft has always been right? Do I still have to buy disc games either way? Or can I just download directly now?

Also, is 500 GB adequate? Or does 1 TB offer me something that I'd regret not having in pretty short order?

Lastly, you gents recommend any deal sites or anything for finding the best price? Or do I have to wait until Black Friday like a chump? And should I steer clear from refurbished units, or are they legit if offered through known retailers?

Oh, also... I was bummed to learn that Sony sounds like it has finally migrated to a pay subscription online service. That's like what Microsoft has always been right? Do I still have to buy disc games either way? Or can I just download directly now?

Paid subscription was one of the few unfortunate developments of the PS4. It isn't a bad service though and your subscription does come with a couple of perks including a monthly package of free games and special discounts on the store. And you can download straight to the hard-drive of the console, that's been a feature since the PS3 and nothing has changed.

Also, is 500 GB adequate? Or does 1 TB offer me something that I'd regret not having in pretty short order?

500 GB is fine, you'll just have to manage your memory more efficiently if you start building up a collection. I have a 1TB console with about 20 games and that's about half my memory capacity.

I'll let Blindy or some of our other stateside posters point you out to any deals. I find the digital store often has the best deals and they occur so often you won't have to wait long to get your hands on a decent collection of games.

Sept 30, 2018 2:52:44 GMT Big Pete said:

Oh, also... I was bummed to learn that Sony sounds like it has finally migrated to a pay subscription online service. That's like what Microsoft has always been right? Do I still have to buy disc games either way? Or can I just download directly now?

Paid subscription was one of the few unfortunate developments of the PS4. It isn't a bad service though and your subscription does come with a couple of perks including a monthly package of free games and special discounts on the store. And you can download straight to the hard-drive of the console, that's been a feature since the PS3 and nothing has changed.

Also, is 500 GB adequate? Or does 1 TB offer me something that I'd regret not having in pretty short order?

500 GB is fine, you'll just have to manage your memory more efficiently if you start building up a collection. I have a 1TB console with about 20 games and that's about half my memory capacity.

I'll let Blindy or some of our other stateside posters point you out to any deals. I find the digital store often has the best deals and they occur so often you won't have to wait long to get your hands on a decent collection of games.

Unless gaming has changed (or I have changed) I can't imagine myself keeping up with more than maybe 5 games total. So it sounds like the memory or storage or whatever that 1 TB refers to is a moot point.

Game-wise, the friends who have a PS4 are pushing Destiny (or Destiny 2?) as their game of choice for staying in touch... But I can't suss out if I'd like it. So far they've sold it as this thing that sounds like World of Warcraft meets Halo, where there'd be a huge time investment on my end just leveling my character up to catch up to theirs, and then huge time investments thereafter because these raid things take 4 dedicated hours a pop.

Meanwhile, the XBox friends seem to be entrenched (pun intended) in some World War I version of either Battlefield or Call of Duty (can't remember which) which sounds more my speed from years ago when I had a functioning PS3. Seemed fast and simple, and didn't require a whole lot of leveling up to be able to play with your buddies.

Damnit this is gonna be a tough pick!

I pretty much live on my PS4, 1/2 for gaming and 1/2 for watching stuff. Good investment IMO.

Destiny 2 was one of the free games with psn plus a month or two ago. Destiny 1 was a lot better though. As for getting two systems I recommend trying to talk them into a ps4. Because if you get both you are going to have friends on both systems trying to get you to play with them at the same time.