4 things you can do while waiting for the PlayStation 5 in the Philippines
This week, PlayStation fans in the Philippines—and a few other Southeast Asian countries—received some bad news. Instead of getting the much-awaited PlayStation 5 this month like the rest of the world, they would have to wait until December 11 to get the console.
While the December release date is still better than the 2021 delay that some were expecting, for those hoping to get the PlayStation 5 this month, it can be a bit of a disappointment. Instead of being able to play with a brand-new ninth-generation games console, they’re now stuck watching in envy as others abroad get to play it.
If you’re one of those who are now stuck waiting one more month for the PlayStation 5, here are a few things you can do to pass the extra month before the PS5 finally arrives here.
1.Finish your games backlog
Don’t even try to deny this one. If you’re an internet savvy gamer, you’ve most likely taken advantage of the various sales on Steam, Epic, PSN and what have you and built decent-sized backlog of games. With the extra time before the PlayStation 5 hits, why not take the time to finish some, if not all, of the games you’ve bought.
A new console generation almost always represents a separation from the previous one. The new machine and the new features it brings will end up demanding your time and attention. As such, you may end up not having time to finish your backlog when you get the PlayStation 5. As such, it’s better take this time to go through some of the games on your backlog now, rather than wait and end up not going back to them.
2. Pick up cross-generation games
Every console generation shift has brought about games that end up spanning both the current- and next-generation consoles. What makes the upcoming ninth-generation shift more interesting, however, is the fact that there are a lot more titles that allow you to transfer your progress between the current- and next-gen versions.
In addition, many of these cross-generation games also let you upgrade for free (with some exceptions, such as Remedy’s Control). In other words, these games allow you to buy “next-gen” games for you’re existing PlayStation 4 and then simply move over to PlayStation 5 once you’re able to buy the console.
3. Upgrade your gaming set up
A next-generation console brings with it next-generation features. For the PlayStation 5, this means higher framerates at higher resolutions and support for HDMI 2.1. With these in mind, now might be a good time to prepare your gaming setup by picking up gear that’ll support these.
Getting a TV or monitor that can support these higher framerates and has HDMI 2.1. The latter is quite important, especially if you want to future proof your gaming setup. HDMI 2.1 adds support for resolution and framerate combos beyond 4K and 60 fps, all the way up to 10K and 120 fps. In addition, HDMI 2.1 also supports a wider color gamut, so it will make games look better even if you don’t raise the resolution.
4. Focus on other hobbies first
As mentioned above, you’ll likely spend more time with your PlayStation 5 once you actually buy it. This of course means that you may end up ignoring your other hobbies.
With this in mind, this extra month may be a good time to focus on these other hobbies first before you forget about them in the throes of next-gen console bliss. Make sure you have all you need for your garden or build those Gundam kits that have been sitting in your closet for years.
One benefit of this is that, by focusing on something that isn’t about gaming, you bring less attention to the fact that you don’t have a PlayStation 5 now and need to wait another month. You might even get so engrossed in these that, before you know it, a month has already past and the PlayStation 5 is already on storeshelves.
