You can stop panicking about PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X

New console launches can cause some anxiety, especially before you get the next-gen hardware yourself. And I understand. You’ve committed to spending a lot of money on this pre-order for something you’ve never used before. And I think that would amplify anyone’s reaction to the negative news. But I’m here to tell you that you can stop panicking about the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Sony and Microsoft get it (although Amazon and Walmart might not).

The Xbox Series X will launch for $ 500 on November 10 alongside the more affordable Xbox Series S for $ 300. The PlayStation 5 will launch for $ 500 on November 12 alongside the more affordable $ 400 digital edition. The wait is almost over, but you can start letting go of your concerns now.

First, these are two great devices. In 2013, Microsoft and Sony weren’t sure about the future of consoles. That’s why they built underpowered systems out of old laptop hard drives. It’s also why Sony didn’t start releasing huge, top-tier games on a regular basis until 2015. Oh, and that’s why Microsoft talked more about television than games when it launched.

This has changed. Console gaming has proven to be a resilient market with a passionate audience that spends a lot of money. And Sony and Microsoft aren’t obediently entering the next generation with cheap consoles – they’re exploding in the future with cutting-edge SSDs, processors, and GPUs.

Critics point to the engineering quality, speed and power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. And I think most people understand that both companies are serious about gaming – which is why many of us began to insist on the small details.

It’s all puddle news my friends

I love to talk about upcoming games and hardware. It’s fun trying to figure out what’s going to happen. But I also try to remember something important: How I feel about something before it is released almost never ends up being important.

This is a phenomenon that we see playing out on a large scale in video games. My favorite example is the anxiety around the downscaling of puddles in Marvel’s Spider-Man for PlayStation 4. In the first screenshots or trailers, the puddles were very reflective. Then, in another trailer closer to launch, the puddles were slightly different.

Of course, once Sony and Insomniac released Spider-Man, no one ever talked about the puddles again. It didn’t make any sense – except it was a reflection of people letting their anticipation turn to anxiety.

Now, I use the term “new puddles” whenever I see people getting upset about a perceived problem with a new product.

And something like that is happening with consoles right now.

The Xbox Series X’s nonexistent heating issues are a bit of a new puddle. But now people are not sure about the Xbox UI anymore. Over the weekend, I posted a video from GamesBeat Critics Editor Mike Minotti and myself talking about Microsoft’s and Sony’s dueling philosophies when it comes to updating the UX, and many Xbox fans have rushed to defend Microsoft.

But in the video, Microsoft is hardly criticized. And that discussion is something most reviewers won’t even remember the second they start playing Xbox Series X.

The user interface works and that’s all that matters when you actually use it.

Sony is listening

As for the PS5, we learned this week that you can’t store next-gen games on an external USB drive. Sony has previously confirmed that you need to play PS5 games from internal SSD storage. But now we know that if you want to make more space on this drive, you will have to delete some of your PS5 games and then download them again later (or install them from a disc).

Today, however, Sony said it plans to fix this issue. Here is a note from the PS5 FAQ:

No, players cannot transfer PS5 games to a USB flash drive. PS5 games must be stored on the console’s ultra-fast internal SSD for gaming. Exploration for gamers to store (but not play) PS5 games on a USB drive in a future update is underway .

Likewise, Insomniac today revealed that it is working on an update to allow players to move their PS4 Spider-Man save to the PS5 remaster. This came after Sony originally said the backups would not be transferred.

We heard you – in an upcoming update for # SpiderManPS4, we’ll add the ability to export your save to Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered. This update will also add all three new combinations from Remastered to the PS4 game. We hope to bring you this update around Thanksgiving. pic.twitter.com/EqoKnto3FV

– Insomniac games (@insomniacgames) November 9, 2020

These are a few basic features that we should expect Sony to be able to handle. But I think some fans are concerned that the leadership of Sony might feel arrogant after the success of the PS4. But it seems clear that this is not the case. The company is listening, and if fans want something that makes sense (like the ability to store PS5 games), Sony is going to get to work.

On the eve of the launch of next-gen consoles, gaming fans should focus on this. These companies are both deeply invested in gaming. PlayStation is one of Sony’s most important divisions. Microsoft just spent $ 7.5 billion to acquire Bethesda to add more content to Game Pass.

These companies don’t spend all that money just to screw up the little things. They want to do it right, and I’m sure both will.

So let’s all take a deep breath and can’t wait to play some games.