What's the experience like buying a new gen console on day 1?

[SunBroDave]

So I've just realized that I don't think I've ever actually bought a new gen console right at release. I bought both PS4 and Switch several months after each's release, when they were on sale and once notable exclusives were available. For PS3 and Wii U, I picked them up several years after the gen started, and everything prior (360, Wii, PS2, GC, N64, GB) was released back when I lived with my parents, and so I just got them as presents for various holidays.

Now, if Sony announces that Bluepoint really is working on a Demon's Souls Remake as a launch title for PS5, I'm probably going to try to be there right at launch for the first time. So I'm curious what experience is like jumping in on day 1. Have you had any problems getting your order delivered from Amazon right on release day? Any network problems trying to connect to XBL/PSN?

 

[Dest]

you stand out in a long line of people in the cold and then you get your box and go home and plug it in and then it has updates for your console and your game and then the servers don't work cause everyone else who was out in the cold is also trying to do what you're doing and then you're like damn it's 4am and i have work tomorrow and then you go to bed and wake up tired as fuck the next day.

 

[Kyoufu]

It's magical. The hype, the new plastic smell. It's a great experience.

Unboxing new toys never gets old.

 

[davidnolan13]

For me personally its been terrible. 2 launch consoles 2 broke out the box consoles. The pre ordering etc was easy but as i say 2 broke consoles.

 

[SoH]

Convincing yourself Knack is good, actually.

 

[Deleted member 23212]

I got the PS4 day one, and it was underwhelming. I guess maybe the fact my parents wouldn't let me even go to the launch to get the console, and thus I didn't even get that experience (my step-dad did it for me, since I guess I had school and they wouldn't let me go because of that), nor did I even get to choose which games to get (I had only pre-ordered the console, he chose Killzone: Shadow Fall and Need For Speed: Rivals). I also didn't have an HDTV at the time, and thus I had to set it up via my parents' TV and as a result could only use it sparingly (I had hooked the PS3 to my CRT via composite). So yeah, not the best experience for me.

 

[Lumination]

I got my PS4 with release day shipping. Fiddled with the OS for 30min or so. Played Knack and... AC4? Was ok. Not as magical as expected.

 

[Einbroch]

you stand out in a long line of people in the cold and then you get your box and go home and plug it in and then it has updates for your console and your game and then the servers don't work cause everyone else who was out in the cold is also trying to do what you're doing and then you're like damn it's 4am and i have work tomorrow and then you go to bed and wake up tired as fuck the next day.

Click to shrink...

yea thats pretty much it

 

[Doc Kelso]

you stand out in a long line of people in the cold and then you get your box and go home and plug it in and then it has updates for your console and your game and then the servers don't work cause everyone else who was out in the cold is also trying to do what you're doing and then you're like damn it's 4am and i have work tomorrow and then you go to bed and wake up tired as fuck the next day.

Click to shrink...

And then you realize that the launch game you bought isn't even that great and you'll be waiting 6 months to actually play something that isn't a cross-gen port.

 

[Blizzcut]

It's very exciting. Think of it as the ultimate Christmas celebration for gamers.

 

[Kyrios]

you stand out in a long line of people in the cold and then you get your box and go home and plug it in and then it has updates for your console and your game and then the servers don't work cause everyone else who was out in the cold is also trying to do what you're doing and then you're like damn it's 4am and i have work tomorrow and then you go to bed and wake up tired as fuck the next day.

Click to shrink...

And I read about it the following morning.

 

[Xypher]

I've bought a switch, a vita and a ps4 on launch day. Switch and Vita came a day early through amazon and I preordered my ps4 months in advance to pick it up during a midnight launch. I don't think I'll go to another midnight launch ever again as it was absolute chaos, then you get home, set everything up, and as is normal these days, get met with a ton of update screens that take a while to process. I'll definitely order the next gen consoles through amazon this time.

 

[Dyno]

It depends on the launch lineup tbh. The fun with the new UI wears off pretty instantly if the game lineup is crap. This gen was killer for me in that regard. Great new system, nothing I really wanted to play at launch. I think the black flag port which I'd already played was my favourite at the time. Outside of that I had Killzone which was dull and battlefield which filled the mp slot at least.

Switch however was great. Right out the gate with Zelda which I still play sometimes

 

[dabri]

Wait for half a day for the package to be delivered. Plug it in and hope that everything updates without problems. Finally get to play the new shiny game.
Bliss.

 

[Dest]

And I read about it the following morning.

Click to shrink...

good to know my sacrifice isn't completely wasted. i'll personally update you when i'm out there for the ps5 and the xbox 360 3

 

[tapedeck]

Convincing yourself Knack is good, actually.

Click to shrink...

Pretty much.

 

[Kyrios]

good to know my sacrifice isn't completely wasted. i'll personally update you when i'm out there for the ps5 and the xbox 360 3

Click to shrink...

And I am going to hold you to it lol

 

[WhoaIsThatMars]

PS4 was the first console I got on launch day and I had zero problems.

 

[Dukie85]

I've done it for a couple. I got my Switch day 1, and it was painless, because I just went in when Gamestop opened and picked it up, lol. Same for 3DS, Vita, and a couple others.

 

[ghostcrew]

I've bought consoles day one since the N64 and it's always super exciting. I've never had problems with shipping because I've always bought from places I can collect from. I've waited long enough - I'm not risking my post being the thing delays it!

Xbox 360 and Wii were my stupidest. Neither of them I pre-ordered. I really wasn't interested in the Xbox 360 until about three weeks before release. I dunno, I didn't care about any of the games and the screenshots I'd seen of PDZ and Kamero etc just looked like OG Xbox games to me. I finally played a demo unit in a store connected to an HD TV and finally got it but it was too late to pre-order. Every pre-order was gone. So I got in touch with my local Asda store (big UK supermarket, owned by Walmart) who had a big electronics department but, uniquely, didn't take pre-orders. They were getting 10 units in on launch day. They were also open 24hrs so I could get it at midnight. So I turned up at 12. Midday. And I waited TWELVE HOURS. I wasn't even the first in line - there was one person in front of me. Within an hour the other eight spaces were gone and we were settled for the whole rest of the day/night. The store was actually awesome. We were queuing indoors (at the electronics section) and they bought us all chairs and set us up in the TV aisle so they could put movies on for us. They bought us pizza and drinks. The local news came down. It was alright. They said we could get up and wander the store to get food/exercise but if we left the store then we'd forfeit our space.

Did it the year after with the Wii but for thirteen hours that time. Dammit.

 

[Fisty]

For PS4, it was all about Resogun (while Battlefield 4 downloaded in the background)

Lots of updating and downloading, that's for sure

 

[GMT Master]

I think I've gotten every new console (including upgrades like the X and Pro) on launch day since the dreamcast. I want to go back further, buy I honestly don't remember if it was on the day one for the PS1, N64, and others. I love it.

These days I don't have much time for gaming, but I plan on having every new console on launch day for the foreseeable.

As a side note. I always order two because I am paranoid about one potentially arriving broken. Usually give the extra to my brother or some other family member as a gift.

 

[iamandy]

This largely depends on the console manufacturer. Sony platforms have a tendency to be a bit frustrating as the PlayStation has long support and remarkable evolution of graphics and game design throughout the generation.
Nintendo consoles, on the other hand, tend to be less frustrating as they usually come with a big title (and here we only buy Nintendo to play Nintendo) and first and last generation games are basically the same visually.

 

[Kirksplosion]

I've only done it once, and that was for the Wii. It was pretty cool. Wii Sports and Twilight Princess made for a great first day with it. But...there's a reason I've only done it once - I usually don't find it worthwhile.

 

[EvilChameleon]

I always get mine online, so it's always fun reading stories of people who get theirs faster saying theirs is broken, thus increasing the anxiety of mine being broken. I seem to recall the big thing with the PS4 was the HDMI port not working or something like that.

 

[RisingStar]

It's a new toy. Even the smallest issues, you'll overlook due to hype. You'll hate your delivery service for even an hour delay in delivery. Do not bother standing in line honestly.

It's the games that'll make you happy. When I first played AC4 on launch day, I was shocked at how butter smooth it was, after being used to the rigidness of PS3 AC games. Playing Melee on Gamecube, albeit a month after launch was also amazing compared to what I was accustomed to on N64, smooth polygonal characters and not blocky.

The visual fidelity will be diminished, but the hype will still be there. You'll notice small QoL things that'll get you giddy. Honestly despite people calling you a beta tester at launch, it has its moments. Especially for Canadians who bought a PS4, since they effectively paid less than everyone else who bought it 6-7 months later.

 

[Grapezard]

I've only done it once with the Switch launch. It was 20 people standing outside a Best Buy in the cold for half an hour. Do not recommend.

 

[Deleted member 135]

I sat on the floor of my local mall with my friends and wife waiting for midnight back in 2013 for the PS4.

Got home, wife went to bed, and I setup my PS4 and played Battlefield 4 until morning.

I imagine I'll do something similar with the PS5, though I'll take some paid vacation time from work for it.

 

[LittleAlchemist]

Not Day 1 but I did get the PS4 for christmas in 2013 and overall it wasn't really a console worth getting until like, 2016/2017 I think.

 

[Eoin]

Mostly positive but with huge caveats.

Launch day firmware is usually basic. Key system functions are just missing. With launch-day traffic, updating the system and games can be frustrating.

However, it's also good to be playing the new generation of games right from the start instead of experiencing them vicariously for a while. Last time around a lot of launch games were cross-generation, so playing on PS4 meant playing considerably superior versions of the games people were playing on PS3 or Xbox 360.

Just be aware that there is nearly always a gap in big games that starts a few weeks after launch and doesn't tend to go away until March or so of next year when the next big set of games starts to hit. PS5 and Xbox Whatever owners between January and March of 2021 are probably going to be feeling a lack of stuff to play. This is totally natural and should fix itself over time (and also shouldn't be as big an issue since the PS5 will be backwards compatible so should still have plenty of PS4 games to play).

 

[Doc Kelso]

In all seriousness, the Wii launch was a fun one. I was 17 at the time (holy shit it's been 13 years) and camped out in front of a Target with like... 10 other people? We started a bonfire in the parking lot and were just utter delinquents. Then I got my Wii, went home, and slept.

Switch was nice since I just sat on my couch all day, plugged it in when it came in the mail, and then played BotW.

 

[Tortahegesztő]

I remember some early quirks, like the PS4 having abysmal thermal paste (the stuff as well the application) and peeling thumbsticks on the controller. The Xbox One had like faulty dvd drives a lot at the beggining and multiple controller revisions. The game catalouge needs time to build up obviously.
So it depends but waiting like 2-3 months or even a year if you can is quite rational especially that a lot of titles are cross gen in that time window.

 

[Lyrick]

Completely depends on the games available.

I remember being very excited to go home with a Shiny new PS2, but ended up playing Majora's Mask instead of the PS2's launch games after a not very long period of time.

 

[dark_prinny]

Fantastic. I love new hardware.

 

[Canucked]

I always get mine online, so it's always fun reading stories of people who get theirs faster saying theirs is broken, thus increasing the anxiety of mine being broken. I seem to recall the big thing with the PS4 was the HDMI port not working or something like that.

Click to shrink...

Preach. Everything I buy now, lol.

 

[Altered]

Beat the launch title, and then go on Reddit to see the community hype the shit out of any indie game that gets featured on the digital store.

 

[BigBlue]

I got ps4 and switch day 1.

Ps4 was very underwhelming. The UI was fun but the game lineup was not good and it felt like a glorified ps3 (at least at launch)

Switch was absolute magical. Playing Zelda day 1 docked and undocked and with just joycons or with motion controls....I mean it was beautiful

 

[remanutd]

My ps3 launch experience was really nice, i met some interesting people that day, we became friends time after that, i remember i couldnt stop playing Resistance Fall of Man it was such a great experience for me, i have never played a FPS game before, didnt like them in my ps one and ps 2 days. My ps4 experience was good too, i went there with my gf and as soon as we got to the line we met some friends and we had our own party lol. it was fun and while Killzone Shadow Fall is not Killzone 2 i actually enjoyed it a lot, i still play it online.

 

[Grettir_the_Swole]

I don't think I could do it now because I tend to wait for bundles and special edition consoles but I've always had fun at launch parties. The earliest one was the GCN launch. My dad waited in line while my buddy and I walked around Walmart looking through the strategy guides the staff had already put on the shelves. It was a blast.
Later on I've made minor parties out of it. I would get it that night, install all the updates, and then invite my friends over to play it the next day or that weekend. Nowadays many of my friends buy consoles around launch, so I'm thinking of banking on that and setting up a couple extra TVs to have a not-LAN multiplayer party and have them bring their consoles over while I supply the extra TVs. The days of waiting until midnight and opening a new console are kind of over for me. Now I often host launch parties around the consoles release.

 

[Hippopuncher12]

PS2 was an amazing launch experience. Waited all night having fun with a bunch of random strangers, great memories. PS4 was walk up to Gamestop and pick up my PS4 and leave lol.

 

[Fadewise]

All hype, little substance.

 

[deathsaber]

Absolute magic that first day. Nothing like unboxing that new tech, hooking it up, doing settings, and just exploring whats new.

Then after a week or two, you completed the best of the launch stuff and you find yourself purchasing or contemplating some very substandard stuff you won't otherwise touch because the thirst is REAL for any content on your shiny new machine.

 

[Deleted member 16025]

Its fun! I got the PlayStation at launch and the Sega Dreamcast I guess 4 years later and those were a ton of fun at launch. It was so exciting to feel like I had arcade hardware at home. Seeing all the magazines talk about the hot new shit and feeling like I was a part of that was a big deal. I was online when the Dreamcast landed, so taking part in online discussions at the Next Generation Magazine forums was an awesome experience too. I was doing game reviews back then, so it really was cool to feel like I was among the first to try out these games that seemed like they came out of a time portal to the future.

Things changed a bit after Xbox. I got that at launch too, but when Xbox LIVE came around, I made my first real group of online friends, a few of which I still talk to today. From then on, every new console was an event we all did together, despite being in different states. We all got the 360 and PS3 and then later the PS4 at launch, and we talked over chat and started a podcast back in 2008 and everything. It felt awesome to have a group of friends that was so into all of it since I didn't really have many "real life" friends who were into gaming. This group of friends has endured over the years and when PS5 lands next year, I know we'll all be doing that together again.

I love console launches. They're a special thing for people who are as into gaming as we are. Think about how much has changed since just the PS4 launch. They're kind of like milestones in our personal timelines.

 

[Voke]

It's amazing the first week or so, then you run out of games to play and return to the previous console lol. at least thats how it was on ps4, when Dark Souls 2 came out I don't think I touched my ps4 for months.

Thankfully BC will be standard nextgen

 

[Aesnath]

It can be pretty cool. The limited library or occasional technical issue are concerns though. For me, it is largely a time of trying to convince myself that mediocre junk is worthwhile, while at the same time discovering gems I might not have tried otherwise.

Dreamcast day 1 was a great time to be alive.

 

[Bowl0l]

I bought a PS4 day one online. Felt hyped to open it when it arrived and end up buying Tomb Raider D.E. through PSN.

 

[Deleted member 45765]

I like seeing the consoles piled up like an igloo in the center of the store, PS3 was like that (from FuncoLand, RIP). Now it's a little more disconnected.

 

[Necron]

Like Xmas morning!

 

[Deleted member 17402]

Never waited in line for a console and never will. I think the last time I bought a console in person was the N64 at The Wiz,

 

[Mendrox]

To be honest it sucks. You pay a lot of money, you feel great setting everything up and putting your first new game in, but after a few days you notice that there isn't much on release and that you should have waited. It's the whole reason I always wait at least a year after a launch.