Let’s say the PC doesn’t count and you aren’t taking into account backwards compatibility, emulation, online play, homebrew games, and the cost/availability of games.
I feel like I’d want to choose the PS3. Like the Xbox 360 it had a decent lifespan and a lot of games were produced for it. A lot of which are already some of my favorites.
The only things that would make hesitant are I feel like a lot of modern games are larger and have open worlds which I feel like that could be nice in the long run and many of my favorite games for the PS3 have been re-released.
Steam Deck, because it is handheld, and can run a lot of my Steam games. I can also dock it to a big screen and attach a controller.
Steam deck is just a PC going through a few hoops though.
Aren’t all consoles like that, though? They all run mainstream operating systems, and are basically locked down PCs in a fancy box. If anything, the Steam Deck is further from a PC than an XBox/PS, due to being handheld, with an embedded screen and controller, while XBox and its friends require a display and an external controller (like a PC).
All modern consoles are like that, but not necessarily all consoles. Older ones had more specialized hardware architecture
They all run mainstream operating systems, and are basically locked down PCs in a fancy box.
I feel like Xbox is the only console running a mostly mainstream OS. The Playstation series is based off of FreeBSD and but I think that’s at a base level and a majority of what’s added is custom proprietary code. Considering gaming on FreeBSD really doesn’t surpass Quake I’d say it’s quiet different.
I’ve seen the Switch’s OS described as
Proprietary OS, derivative of Nintendo 3DS system software (partially Unix-like via certain components which are based on FreeBSD and Android)
I would say an OS being locked down to prevent normal forms of productivity like Office work or even web browsing at times would be a requirement to be considered a console. They are usually at best a media and game system by design due to the locks in place. So I wouldn’t put Steam Deck in the category of console for the spirit of the discussion.
Consoles are more and more like PCs, with many multimedia, productivity and utilility apps and even web browsing, so the Steam Deck IMO perfectly fits the discussion.
Out of the box it has a strict console-like UI and limited functionality for everything else other than gaming. You need to take special steps to use it as a PC (reboot in desktop mode, attach peripherals, etc)
No not really. Steam Deck I can actually use fully as a desktop replacement, since it is a full Linux desktop and can have Windows OS installed on it too. Can’t do the same with a Switch or PS5 or Xbox. Doesn’t matter what peripherals you attach. Console hardware being locked down holds it back. Even jailbroken ones.
A phone is closer to a desktop equivalent than a console. Especially Samsung with stuff like Dex.
There is no strict definition of what a console is. Just because the linux OS is not restricted and the hardware can be used as a pc with extra steps are we excluding the SD from the console topic?
I just consider Steam Deck more PC than console. Even getting games to work requires more tinkering sometimes having to switch proton versions. Console tends to just work in comparison.
I just go by what traditional consoles have been capable of. And only console that comes to mind that even came close to the full functionality of the Steam Deck productivity potential was the PS3 with Linux support before they removed it.
I would say the Steam Deck is excluded. I specified against PC knowing people would either mention the Steam Deck or the Henry Cavill preferring PC meme.
I feel like otherwise Steam’s old Steam machines could also fit under the definition of being a console.
I suppose the unique portable hardware does make a good argument but the way I look at it game developers, for the most part, aren’t making games for the Steam Deck. They are making them for PC and I feel like that’s a big reason why I don’t consider them consoles. I also feel like that’s why devices like the ROG Ally and Steam Deck are considered handheld gaming PCs and not handheld gaming consoles.
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The PS2 can run linux. And the PS3 could run Linux too before Sony killed it.
Most consoles from the sixth generation onward can run Linux. The Wii, Xbox 360, original Xbox, Nintendo DS, and PSP can all run some form of Linux.
I’d still say that’s bypassing the restrictions of the console so it can be something else. It’s like installing DOOM on a smart fridge and calling it a gaming console.
I disagree. It’s a gaming console. It is marketed as such. It’s primary purpose is to run games. By the way, you can browse on the Xbox. And because it has a full-blown browser, you can even use Office365 if you attach a keyboard and a mouse. So lets disqualify that too? :)
Can it run movie editor, code, blender, etc? How many people could be given an Xbox that doesn’t intend to game with it and use it for productivity?
By that loose definition Windows is a console too, since Steam can be launched with big picture mode so the device has a simplistic UI at launch that can be navigated by a controller.
Yes, it can run all that. You may have to jump through a few hoops (just like in the case of the Steam Deck, just different hoops), but it can run all that.
I’ll also turn your question back to you: how many people use the Steam Deck for productivity, rather than for gaming, which is its intended purpose? And does it matter?
Like it or not, the steam deck is a gaming console, even if you can run non-game stuff on it too. Heck, even stuff like the Game Boy had (official!) accessories like the Game Boy Camera and Game Boy Printer, which were both useful outside of gaming. Does that stop the Game Boy from being a (retro) gaming console? There’s an ongoing project to provide productivity apps for the Game Boy (though, arguably, it did not ship yet, but you can extend the game boy with a cartridge in whatever way you can imagine).
Or, you can use your SNES as a MIDI Synthesizer (https://www.supermidipak.com/)! No modding or anything necessary, it’s just a regular cartridge. Can it be used for fun? Yes. Is it a game? No. You can do a lot of stuff with an SNES cartridge that has nothing to do with gaming. There was even a cartridge that let you play online games on the SNES (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XBAND) - but not only games, it also let you read and write messages to other people. You didn’t need to go into “desktop mode”, nor install a browser, nor do anything special. You plugged in the cartridge, and it worked. It was far less locked down than the XBox or even the Steam Deck! Does that disqualify the SNES (or the game boy) from being a gaming console?
To me a PC is something that has less restrictions to be able to do what you want out of the box.
If Steam Deck is a console then PC is a console to me too.
So then my answer to the thread for console is PC.
Plus, it would have new games until the end of time. Although simpler graphics each gen, due to incremental sysreqs.
The PS2 spawned a lot of games that later generations emulated. Lots of stuff after that basically consisted of sequels, spin offs and games trying to recreate the feel of that era.
PS5. Easy. New hardware does shit older hardware can’t. And while there are games older than PS4 I like, there aren’t anywhere near enough to choose them over actually modern shit.
And newer indies often do modernized takes on the stuff older games were limited to.
PS3 is a strong, strong contender for reliability and repairability reasons. You could replace the CMOS battery and hard drive today. You have to jump through hoops to add funds to your wallet, but once you do the store still works for the moment. The last time I looked there were even some decent deals from a couple of publishers.
No memory cards to worry about. The physical discs were expensive enough that people took care of them and are more inclined to sellt hem than toss them: it’s still really easy to find discs on eBay, and they’re new enough and most games have been remastered so they’re usually less than $20. It’s impossible to find Sixaxis or Dualshock 3’s, but fake ones from AliExpress are super cheap and almost identical except for the almost-never-used motion controls. You can also use a lot of USB controllers, or use something like a MayFlash adapter to use just about any controller you want. I think you can pair Dualsense too, though I haven’t tried. If you have original OEM’s, I don’t remember them ever having drift problems. The only real problem with the original controllers would be battery life (you can replace them if you’re handy), USB Mini-B, and how they needed a handshake and could only charge plugged into certain devices or special power supplies (another reason to just use counterfeits).
With a fat model you have full backwards compatibility with PS1 and PS2. With the online store you can get a lot of PS1, PS2, and PSP games. Not sure if this counts, but you can do remote play with a PSP too. Some of the online multiplayer probably still works, depending on the game. It has an HDMI out and the old AV out, so you can hook it up to almost any TV with cheap and a sailable cables. You can also load up video and audio files for playback, saving wear on the disc drive. I remember briefly experimenting with using mine as a media server back in the day.
The drawbacks are few. I’m assuming no hacking or modding, so no Nintendo games. No Xbox either, though I don’t think that’s anywhere near as important. A disc drive is always just a matter of time before it fails. The fat model has PS2 compatibility, but also was less reliable, so that’s a trade-off. The digital store is not long for this world. I used to use mine for Netflix, YouTube, HBO, etc and I’m guessing those apps have probably been shut down at this point. You lose out on modern games too. The PS2 and PS5 are both good options too, but I think the PS3 has the edge. If they ever add a PS3 emulator to the PS5, or if the PS5 library grows in general, it could still overtake the PS3 in the future.
If you lean more Nintendo I think the WiiU was better than the switch until they shut the e-shop down, and might still be better if we open this up to modding and hacking. It’s just easier to work with a WiiU because Nintendo stopped caring about protecting it. It’s also better for playing DS and Wii games for example. A ton of Switch games were also released on WiiU, and the Switch’s legacy content is mostly locked behind the online subscription - how long will that be available for? Still has the disc drive issue and can’t play Sony exclusives, but a strong option.
I’m not usually an Xbox guy, but they’re usually the easiest to mod, the emulate things well, and even without modding the Series X is probably the best option for pure backwards-compatibility with a good chunk of the libraries of every Xbox generation ever. The problem is you get neither the Sony nor Nintendo exclusives. And Xbox exclusives really aren’t all that enticing to me. Maybe if you’re into HALO or Gears or Forza Xbox is a more appealing option. The best IP’s Xbox owns are often released on other consoles, like MineCraft. Which is great for the industry, but hurts Xbox’s ranking here.
You can also use a lot of USB controllers, or use something like a MayFlash adapter to use just about any controller you want.
You can do this in software too if you wanted to use something like a generic Logitech PC controller or an Xbox 360 controller. Very plug and play.
If they ever add a PS3 emulator to the PS5, or if the PS5 library grows in general, it could still overtake the PS3 in the future.
That’s something I was kind of disappointed with when it came to the PS4. I thought it might have PS3 backwards compatibility and be pretty much the perfect system for me. A lot of the games I have been playing the past couple years (on PC) were released for the PS4 like Control, Death Stranding, Dying Light, and Far Cry 4 to name few.
All that said I did phrase the question in a way that omits backwards compatibility, game costs (with the price of retro games these days it would be enough to keep me from picking anything sixth generation or below), emulation, and online play because I was more curious what generation of games people think they could play in a kind of stuck on a dessert island scenario. Ignoring all of that I feel like going with the most recent generation of Playstation would be the way I’d go. It’s moddable, online is still available, backwards compatible with a lot of PS2 games, and you don’t really need to worry about a lot of the typical wear if everything is digital.
Nintendo DS baby, who wants a lan of metroid prime hunter?
Would have to be either the switch for Mario Kart, Super Smash and Nintendo sports when family is visiting or PS3 for FIFA World Cup 2010 when the lads are visiting. I suspect the switch would age better, though 2010 World Cup is an absolute gem.
I don’t think the single player game selection matters that much as it would grow stale with time anyway.
Either SNES or PSX
Any reason why? What games do you like on them?
Both have such a huge library of fantastic games. In my opinion, the best libraries overall of any generation of video games. I think they existed during an era of video game development where there the market had not fully digested what a commodity video games could be, so there was space for a lot of experimentation and discovery. Off the top of my head, the SNES has…
- Donkey Kong Countries 1, 2, and 3
- Final Fantasies 4, 5, and 6
- Super Mario World
- Yoshi’s Island
- Super Metroid
- F-Zero
- Star Fox
- Mega Man 7
- Mega Man X, X2, and X3
- Breath of Fire 1 and 2
- Rock and Roll Racing
- Earthbound
- Secret of Mana (and sequels if in this hypothetical we’re not being region-locked)
- Secret of Evermore
- Terranigma
- Skyblazer
- Hook
- Street Fighter 2 (and others)
- Final Fight 1, 2, and 3
- Killer Instinct
- Super Mario RPG
- Joe and Mac 1 and 2
- Soul Blazer
- Chrono Trigger
- Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Mario Kart
- Shadowrun
- Demon’s Crest
- Super Ghouls and Ghosts
- Castlevania Dracula X
- Super Castlevania 4
- Mortal Kombats 1, 2, and 3
- Illusion of Gaia
- Dragon Quests
- Star Ocean
- Lufia
- Front Mission
- 7th Saga
- Ogre Battle
- Harvest Moon
- Tales of Phantasia
… I’ll leave it there, but the list goes on, the SNES has a library that is burgeoning with bangers. The PSX is, too, but I feel hesitant to ruin the comments page with another list.
Good point. I had a feeling someone might choose the SNES or NES for the big library alone but the SNES era definitely did have some unique games
I’ll have to check out some of the ones on your list I don’t recognise
Let’s say the PC doesn’t count and you aren’t taking into account backwards compatibility, emulation, online play, homebrew games, and the cost/availability of games.
I’d rather quit gaming altogether at that point.
I game on PC myself but why would you quit gaming all together if you couldn’t do it on PC?
Because I don’t like consoles, plain and simple. Everything they can do I also can on my PC, except better and for less.
Fair enough. I’d probably just go for the Xbox One in that case and deal with a few games still being moddable and supporting the keyboard and mouse as peripherals rather than give up on gaming
Steam Deck if it counts as a game console here
I would say it doesn’t because you are still running PC games. The reason I specified consoles specifically without homebrew and backwards compatibility is it kind of leaves you stuck in a certain generation that typically has a finite lifespan.
You could install Linux on a console and use it forever or rely on homebrew for extended life like the PS Vita otherwise.
Then Xbox Series X as I said in the first version of the comment
The Nintendo Switch is like cheating since it gets all the older games from different platforms…
Otherwise, the PS2 had the best games in it’s lifespan. Fight me.
The Nintendo Switch is like cheating since it gets all the older games from different platforms…
The classic games section sure but I feel like it’s legitimate if they are remasters like the new Super Mario RPG for example.
Sega Dreamcast. It had and IMO still has some of the most unique games ever. Crazy Taxi, Powerstone, Jet Set Radio, the list goes on!
PS9. Gotta think ahead if I i can’t upgrade it. I get it right now, right?
PS5. I simply can’t go back to long loading screens.
Why not go NES?
