So you guys did a stellar job in making recommendations a couple of years ago when I was trying to figure out whether to get an X-Box or Switch for my son and his cousin a couple of years ago. The Switch has been perfect (I love the parental controls!) and they have enjoyed Zelda BOTW and Splatoon 2 like there is no tomorrow. Thanks for that…
Now I have another request for advice. This time, I need a console for my dad. He’s not really that old (69) but years of radiation and chemo for different ailments (thanks Agent Orange!) have taken a toll on him physically. Two weeks ago, he fell and broke his ankle badly. Surgery went well, and now he is laid up in his EZ chair for the next eight weeks with a cast. I’ve been up visiting for the past week helping him get around and to and from the hospital. He is in good spirits and can shuffle from the chair to the bathroom and stuff (no stairs) using a walker as crutches. But he’s going to be trapped in the house for nearly two months. He is usually quite outgoing, used to ride around in golf carts and played a little bit of golf and marshaling and stuff at the golf course, so he’s going to be going stir crazy.
Right now he’s just watching a ton of TV - news, prime time shows, Discovery…etc…lol…
I was thinking he might enjoy a console just to mix it up a bit. So what would be a good console (this time for an adult)? He doesn’t need a headset or multiplayer, just some good golf games, football games, and maybe something like a rally racing game or something similar where he can sit in his easy chair and just play a bit. He might even enjoy a hunting type game where you are walking through woods and just enjoying the scenery and stuff.
He has a nice huge new smart TV, so no worries on that. He has wireless internet. Do consoles still use physical game cartridges or is everything done via an online account now?
So suggestions? I’m guessing an X-Box of some sort or a Nintendo console? Definitely not a Switch, he doesn’t need something portable. I don’t need latest and greatest necessarily, so an older console that still has good games would be fine as well. I just don’t know anything about what is available out there.
We have PS4, and I haven’t tried any other console in years.
FWIW, I like the PS4. The online shop works great, IMO. But, as I said, I have no idea how it compares to other consoles.
There is Forza Horizon 4 for X-BOX ONE with loads of cars and an open world to play in. Really fun game with lots of things to do in, even in single player mode. I got it for Windows 10 and I have to say it’s the best (casualish) driving game I ever played.
I would recommend getting most powerfull XBOX ONE version which is XBOX ONE X, there is less powerfull XBOX ONE S which is basically initial XBOX ONE in smaller package with added XBOX360 backward compatibility (also available with the ONE X).
Most games you can download directly to a hard drive. No need for getting up and going to a store. There is also a big library of XBOX360 games that were made compatible for the newer console and some titles were even enhanced with more FPS or better resolutions.
Xbox One S 1TB, Madden NFL 19, ‘Be a Coach’ mode in Franchise - your Dad will love it.
I did this for my Father a couple of years back, but with (UK) Football Manager, so a heads up the ‘silver surfers’ tend to really get in to things in a serious way. I think we had to use a crow bar to get him away from it eventually.
How about a kindle? Adjustable font and backlight make it nice for old eyes. I like the kindle paperwhite. The higher end models may include tablet features…
I think I might go with an X-Box One S 1TB and the Forza bundle. It is in stock at a nearby Microsoft Store (oh boy…I get to wade through the DC traffic…!) and you guys know how impulsive I am, when I want it, I want it 10 minutes ago (but hey, I haven’t bought that i9 2080Ti yet!). I’ll pick up two wireless controllers and probably buy (digitally?) The Golf Club 2019 since my Dad is a golf freak. Is there a good football game for the X-Box?
Oh man…my son and cousin are going to be so mad that I bought Pop-Pop an X-Box but not them.
My girlfriend has a PS4 and she loves it for adventure games like Uncharted and Red Dead Redemption 2. It really depends what kind of games your father wants to play.
If he likes sports games the X-Box is right up his alley. Plenty of great stuff for football, hockey and golf. The Madden NFL game series is great for football.
For both the PS4 and X-Box most games come in a CD. You can also download them online, but keep in mind that there is a limited space on these consoles.
@BeachAV8R Note: great choice for the Switch. This is one of the best consoles I’ve seen for gaming in a long, long time. I just bought one this year and my girlfriend kicks my butt at Mario Kart. Quite a humbling experience.
I’m partial to the PS4. The quality coming out Sony for 2019. Check out the trailers for Death Stranding and The Last of Us 2 (probably neither for your dad) for a sample of the production quality. I have PCars, Dirt Rally, and other sims that run great as well as most of the EA stuff.
BTW, the kids received a Switch from Santa based largely on your feedback Beach, and it has been perfect.
LOL…my eyes had skipped ahead and linked “Be a Coach”, “UK” and “Football Manager” and just assumed you were talking about a soccer league type management game. I lumped the Madden part in with the X-Box specs…
Yes, the Forza image on the box was actually a shot of me dashing up to Pentagon City to try to beat the mad DC rush hour. The traffic doesn’t seem to be much changed by the shutdown…
My PS4 has but one mission in life. Assetto Corsa. With a steering wheel and pedals on a mount it’s a heck of a good time. When my son comes over he hijacks it for his kiddie games. It’s ok, he’s Six!
Got Dad’s X-Box account set up this morning. Did the console update and all that, and it is now downloading Forza Horizons and The Golf Club 2019. In browsing online (on my PC) am I understanding that titles from the X-Box 360 are backwards compatible with the X-Box One? So I can pick up some of those at cheap prices and install them via the online store? If so, anyone have any recommendations?
Great gift Beach.
No clue about backwards compatibility but before going bananas buying multiple old games you might just try a cheap one that looks fun and see how it works.
It’s hard to go back to 360 stuff after playing the xb1. So no recommendations. But as an official Old Man myself (as judged by the massive amounts of AARP mailings I new receive) I say, “you done good!”. Get him Red Dead Redemption II. It is raunchy and bloody but tells a great story and looks amazing.
