The subject for this week’s Hot Topic was suggested by reader Johno, who, with Christmas on the way, wanted to know if you’re already saving up for new hardware or if rumours of new consoles next year have caused you to pause your spending.
I’ve got an Xbox Series X but it gets more use as a Blu-ray player and streaming box than a console, which is ironic since Microsoft’s obsession about that stuff meant I skipped the Xbox One. I would guess this happened most last gen to current gen. So, I would now think gamers are more likely than a couple of generations ago, to buy the next version of whatever they have now.Given the rumours, it does look like we’re set for new hardware. Like most people the ‘choice’ of what I’ll pick up was made with my last purchase.
I’m actually not planning on getting any new hardware for the rest of the year, but that’s because I have already purchased various bits and pieces.I was noticing some freezing when online racing – not good for either me or my fellow competitors. A quick look at my monitoring software was showing maxed out CPU and memory usage… ahhh a double bottle neck.
So, other than some memory, a new CPU, a new cooling system and a new mouse, no new hardware purchases at all! I can totally see why some people are put off the PC as a platform, these aren’t things that are problems when console gaming. But, despite all the faff I still prefer my PC.I’ve started putting aside some money for the upcoming Switch 2. Actually, I kicked this off about six months ago. My goal is to have around £300 saved up by around March or April next year.