After the PlayStation State of Play that aired on June 2, there’s a slew of newly promised releases to get gamers salivating. Between the VR games and the PlayStation 5 games, there’s no question that the console’s devotees are on the edges of their seats waiting for the upcoming PlayStation Showcase.
Yet not all PlayStation fans are excited by all the news. Some of them have actually found themselves developing some extremely unpopular opinions that have gotten them vilified within the wider gaming community. Still, it’s worth exploring just how they came to find themselves thinking the way they did.
Don’t Buy Games At Launch
While many fans rush to the PlayStation Store Store each time a major game is released, some fans find it fruitless, even foolish. “It’s not really worth buying games at launch for a full $60,” says Redditor ack_will. “After a single playthrough, they offer almost no reason to replay (NG+ is quite boring too).”
It’s true that players can often wait a few months to pick up their favorite games at half the price, but the idea that $60 isn’t worth it for games that can last hundreds of hours is somewhat strange. After all, a movie ticket can be $20 for only three hours of content. At less than $1 per hour, PlayStation exclusives are often excellent investments.
The PlayStation Store Is Badly Designed
With the move to digital gaming, the PlayStation Store is the place that fans run to pick up all the best PlayStation exclusives. Yet while most consumers spend a considerable amount of time in the store, many aren’t satisfied with the buying experience. “Half the time I click on a game, I get the infinite spinning wheel or Error,” says Reddit user zooxanthellae.
It’s a fairly common complaint, even if the idea that the Store itself is a poor experience is an unpopular opinion. Navigating to specific games can be difficult, and trying to get the store to load can be an absolute nightmare. While most fans still persevere to get their games, some fans are turned off entirely.
Innovation Has Ended
The rate at which gaming has developed is practically unprecedented. In only a few decades, games have evolved from pong to the technical marvel that was the best PlayStation 4 game of all time, god of war. Yet while fans are often amazed to see how far the industry has come, some find that it hasn’t progressed much since.
“We have hit a peak in innovation in video games,” says Redditor CWhiz45. “Other than graphics, there is little that companies are trying to reinvent or improve.” It’s true that storytelling in games has grown somewhat stagnant, save for a few outliers like The Last of Us Part II. Gameplay rarely evolves and open-world settings have grown fairly repetitive over the years. Still, there’s always a chance that an exclusive changes things for PlayStation games.
The Analog Sticks Are Awful
While Microsoft ensured that Xbox controllers have analog sticks that are placed diagonally from each other, Sony opted to place them side-by-side. This creates an entirely symmetrical controller, making it somewhat easier for new gamers to settle into using the controls.
Some fans, however, aren’t satisfied with that decision. “Symmetrical analog sticks are terrible and Sony should change it,” says Reddit user CoolEveningBreezes. “Nowadays, it’s ridiculous to have the d-pad in the primary position on the left side of the controller.” The decision does make it difficult to transition from Xbox to PlayStation, but calling it terrible is a bit much. After all, it doesn’t provide that much noticeable difference.
No Open-World Games
Open-world games have been dominating the market for years. Some of the greatest open-world games of all time have come in the past few console generations and have utterly shaken up the market. games like Grand Theft Auto V, Horizon Zero Dawnand Marvel’s Spider-Man excited and impressed fans everywhere.
But some claim that they don’t really follow the marketing. “There still are no real “open-world” games,” says Reddit user hoopbag33. “If you can’t walk into a building and it’s just a big rectangle in the middle of the level, then it isn’t open world.” It’s true that not every building is perfectly fleshed out, but that would be impossible for developers to implement without seriously raising the price of games, and that would likely satisfy fans even less.
Creatively Bankrupt
Most PlayStation exclusives are innovative games with extraordinary graphics and challenging stories. The Last of Us managed to be a subversive narrative, following the emotionally compelling narrative of a single man and girl as they traverse the world. Yet, not every fan thinks that the games are as creative as they seem.
“There are only two or three studios keeping PlayStation from becoming creatively bankrupt and mass-market lame,” says Redditor Finnchase. “Absolutely no standards when it comes to quality control of products they are selling to their customers.” While it’s true that some games are released with bugs or missing narrative beats, like cyberpunk 2077that’s a single studio making a severe mistake, rather than numerous PlayStation studios failing to implement necessary features.
Not Pro-Consumer
While Sony has spent years successfully marketing itself as a pro-consumer console, not every fan buys what they’re selling. “Sony is not as pro-consumer as everyone pretends they are,” says BeastMaster0844 on Reddit.
Sony did not initially make Sony exclusives accessible to new generations for free, which was a major controversy when Marvel’s Spider-Man was moving to the PS5. It also took considerable time to move games like The Last of Us Part II to the PS5, which was extremely anti-consumer and challenging for fans.
The Controllers Are Cheap
There’s nothing worse as a gamer than finding that a controller has been breaking down, and PlayStation controllers do it far too much. “I’m careful with my controllers,” says Reddit user ThatRagingBull. “I don’t throw or drop them but they almost always end up getting stick drift. On my 4th in 3 years, it’s freaking outrageous.”
When desperately trying to win a one-on-one match, a stick drift is more than enough to cause a loss for a competitive gamer. It can also mean that gamers have to shell out even more money for a new controller, which can become a significant expensive if it’s happening repetitively.
Caused A Saturated Market
games like Uncharted 4 delighted many fans by proving PlayStation’s undying ability to produce some of the best adventure games of all time. Yet, some fans think they got carried away. “Sony has saturated the third-person action-adventure genre this gen. There is little gameplay innovation. It’s really killed my interest in the genre,” says Reddit user kotor610.
It’s an understandable complaint that these games haven’t been innovative. At times, it feels like games have become fairly formulaic, and PlayStation has simply been following a template for years. It’s disappointing, but that isn’t a reason to stop producing those games if fans still enjoy them.
PS+ Is Overrated
Like Xbox Live Gold, PlayStation offers a subscription service of its own: PS+. While it does offer a catalog of free games, at $60 a year, fans wish they could get more from the service. “We are paying too much for PS+ given the state of uptime and quality that we receive for it,” says Reddit user antwill.
Still, while some fans may not enjoy paying such a high price, some of the PS+ games offered are legitimately exciting. Between Fifa and Persona 5 Strikers, there is some legitimately good content to be grabbed. When compared to some of the games Xbox Live Gold releases, it’s not a bad deal.
About The Author