At a recent gaming expo one of the tables was showing a new game for pc. 50% of the kids that approached the table didn’t know how to use mouse and keyboard. The next day they added Xbox controller support and more than half of the people that didn’t know before then were able to figure out how to play.
I think this boils down to not education but poverty. Entry level computers cost way more than an entry level console. Sure you can buy a piece of crap laptop for $250 but it won’t be able to play ANYTHING. A $250 Xbox does everything you need and more. Most games today are not made to be played on $250 computers.
True, but most modern games are focused on online play and very few are cross platform. So if a kid’s friends are playing one particular console they’re going to want one too.
I’m not so sure. A used Thinkpad comes with everything you need, whereas a PS3 or PS4 also needs a screen and a controller at bare minimum. The Thinkpad also has access to a game library of (checks notes) almost every single game ever made excluding mainly AAA titles from the 2010s onward. The PS3/4 is only the better value proposition if you specifically want to play those kinds of games, or if you highly value plug-and-play ease of use.
The Thinkpad also has access to a game library of (checks notes) almost every single game ever made excluding mainly AAA titles from the 2010s onward.
The same can be said of (Checks notes) a console with a Custom Firmware, plus a cheap TV brand new is around 90 dollars. The thinkpad is only good to play retro games or non demanding titles, also the experience of playing in a 14" display with laptop keyboard and a PS/2 trackpad sucks.
At a recent gaming expo one of the tables was showing a new game for pc. 50% of the kids that approached the table didn’t know how to use mouse and keyboard. The next day they added Xbox controller support and more than half of the people that didn’t know before then were able to figure out how to play.
I think this boils down to not education but poverty. Entry level computers cost way more than an entry level console. Sure you can buy a piece of crap laptop for $250 but it won’t be able to play ANYTHING. A $250 Xbox does everything you need and more. Most games today are not made to be played on $250 computers.
a thinkpad t490 can’t play anything new but it can play quite a bit. I play emulators on mine.
True, but most modern games are focused on online play and very few are cross platform. So if a kid’s friends are playing one particular console they’re going to want one too.
A brand new T490 was over 900 bucks retail depending on the specs, and a used one is still less cost effective than, let’s say, a used PS3 or PS4…
I’m not so sure. A used Thinkpad comes with everything you need, whereas a PS3 or PS4 also needs a screen and a controller at bare minimum. The Thinkpad also has access to a game library of (checks notes) almost every single game ever made excluding mainly AAA titles from the 2010s onward. The PS3/4 is only the better value proposition if you specifically want to play those kinds of games, or if you highly value plug-and-play ease of use.
The same can be said of (Checks notes) a console with a Custom Firmware, plus a cheap TV brand new is around 90 dollars. The thinkpad is only good to play retro games or non demanding titles, also the experience of playing in a 14" display with laptop keyboard and a PS/2 trackpad sucks.
Me who grew up with old thinkpad from my dad’s work’s ewaste box:
And they haven’t heard of used or sailing the high seas.