If presented with a situation where you can either own every video game *console* (not counting PC here) or exactly one, which would you prefer? You would think more consoles means less restrictions on play, but with the current landscape of gaming where a new enticing release drops seemingly every other day, I personally find comfort in the limitation. I always look back at those early days of Switch 1 with such rose-tinted glasses, keeping track of all games (first- and third-party) headed over to the system.

What about you?

Psychologically speaking, the less is more thing is true. The less you have, the more you appreciate the things you do have, and it holds true for all things, not just games or consoles. Clothes, books, food etc. If you want to enjoy something to the max, have it be the only thing you have. You'll adore it.

If I didn't have to pay for every console, I would take that for sure. But even having to pay for them, I don't think I'd want just one. As much as I enjoy Switch 2, I would be missing out on some stuff without PS5.

My place is filled with consoles from 80s,90s,2000s,2010s and now and physical games to go with them. Even a Polymega. So I can't stick to just one flavor. Gotta have them all.

It’s a very interesting question. I think there’s great value in both situations, although the value changes generation by generation.

Growing up, I only invested in the Nintendo ecosystem. As a result I dug very deeply into each console’s library and spent hours and hours exploring every corner of each game. Later on, I invested in Sega, Sony, and Microsoft platforms, and as a result obtained a much fuller, more comprehensive understanding of what was out there. The cost: I had to move on quickly after finishing each game, and bypass certain games altogether. My experience was wide but shallow, where it was previously narrow but deep.

Which one is better? I’d argue the multi-console approach, especially if you are, like me, someone who wants to explore as much of the medium as possible.

Lately, though, as a result of getting older and having less free time (and because, for me, Xbox and PlayStation are increasingly superfluous) I’m seriously considering pulling back and focusing just on Nintendo again. Will I miss a handful of GOTY contenders? Surely. But, for the first time in about 20 years, I think I can live with that.

As somebody who has made this exact pivot, I for one can say that it makes gaming a whole lot less stressful. Focusing on just a handful of releases each year, cheating with maybe one or two non-Nintendo-esc releases, makes those non-Nintendo games all the more refreshing, and the Nintendo experiences all the more worthwhile.