Whether Sony wants to call it PS5 Surge pricing or “dynamic”, it’ll get the same petty response from me if digital game trends spotted by PSPrices ring true. It honestly wouldn’t take much for me to pack up my new-gen systems and pitch up the company’s original best retro console contender instead, and I reckon fans should just pick up a PS1 again as an extremely cathartic protest.
While I could describe Sony’s suspected surge pricing as the company threatening me with a good time, I am actually PS5 games enjoyer. I’d naturally prefer it if one of the last-standing console makers didn’t force some players to pay more for digital downloads while gracing others with up to 17.6% off (thanks for highlighting, VGC). However, if it really wants to test my pockets, I’ll just recommend buying physical releases, old and slightly newer, for bygone systems.
Really, though, picking up an OG PS1, a PS2, or even a PS3 with support for up to all three, depending on the model, could save you from any new-age PlayStation FOMO. Chances are that there are a bunch of classic games you haven’t even played yet, and you could just start back at the beginning and wait for Sony to entice you back to the PS5 with sensible prices.
Use a DualSense with your old PlayStation
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I should note that Sony’s current PS5 surge pricing is experimental. At the moment, it’s an A/B test, but one that “involves more than 150 games in 68 regions,” and has been running for three months. We’ll need to wait and see if it actually sticks, but if you’re weary of digital download shenanigans anyway, I’ve got a few pointers for going back to the oldies.
My first suggestion is to simply work out what you want to play. If you’re itching to play OG PS1 games, you could grab a second-hand console at eBay or fish your own out of the attic. If you’ve got a PS2, that will do too, since it’s backwards compatible, not to mention you can hook them up the same way to an upscaler like the OSSC or a cheaper HDMI adapter (like this one for $12.99 at Amazon).
If you go down the standalone upscaler route, devices like the OSSC (Open Source Scan converter) will scale things up to 1080p using line doubling and provide sharp, vibrant results over an RGB SCART or component cable. If you’ve got the PS2 on your mind and want to properly deal with deinterlacing caveats that can result in jittery visuals, alternatives like the GBS-C can provide a motion-adaptive algorithm for around $89 (far cheaper than enthusiast options like the RetroTINK-5X Pro).
You also don’t need to go that far back hardware wise to play a bunch of physical PlayStation games. As I hinted above, the PS3 is actually a solid option with HDMI output that will at least run its own library and PS1 games, and you can even get a version that retains a PS2 Emotion Engine chip for backward compatibility. If you’re hunting for those on eBay, it’s the 20GB CECHA01 or CECHB01 models with four USB ports in the back, or if you’re in the UK, CECHCXX.
Now, protesting surge pricing doesn’t have to mean doing without more modern PlayStation games. You could actually stick with your PS5 and just pick up releases physically, as there are still plenty of fresh discs at Amazon. I do think it would be funnier if everyone collectively went back to at least the PS4, but even just avoiding digital downloads will avoid playing into the dynamic pricing test.
All of this is really just a reminder that you don’t have to give in and pay for new PS5 games. If needs must, there are decades of games you’ve likely never touched, and I’m more than happy to show you how to play them on original hardware or even use your physically owned libraries on the best gaming handhelds and other more modern devices.
Who knows, maybe we can spark a retro gaming renaissance and get off the path that leads to AI nonsense, being tethered to the internet, and not knowing whether Sony will charge you more for a PS5 game on a whim.
Using Valve’s handheld to tackle your baglog? You might want to check out the best Steam Deck docks and consolise your portable PC.
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