I’ve skipped the PS5, and now I’m skipping the PS5 Pro too.

I’ve never owned a PS5. Not because I’m loyal to Xbox or Nintendo, but because I’ve been waiting. Waiting for the right moment to laugh at those who rushed to spend $499 on Sony’s ninth-gen console. And with the PS5 Pro launching on November 7, my patience is about to pay off.

You see, I’ve been a console gamer for years, and what I’ve noticed is that consoles are just not what they used to be. They’ve become overly complicated and expensive, and there’s a better option out there.

Consoles used to be simple. You bought one, and it worked for years. No need to think about upgrades or settings — just plug in and play. The hardest part was coming up with snappy comebacks when PC gamers mocked us for having lower frame rates and graphics.

But things have changed. Now, game consoles come with a mess of paid online services, microtransactions, $70 games, and digital-only versions that force us away from physical discs. Sure, digital downloads might be better for the environment (there’s debate about that), but I’d rather risk a few environmental impacts if it means I can still play older games like *Transformers: Fall of Cybertron* that are no longer available digitally.

The worst part? The mid-cycle upgrades. These are just another way for companies like Sony to make loyal customers feel like their original purchase wasn’t good enough. Take the PS5 Pro, for example. It’s got better graphics and faster performance, but the base PS5 still exists, meaning developers won’t fully take advantage of these improvements. So what’s left? A $699 upgrade (without a disc drive) for a console that launched four years ago.

And if you’re feeling really nostalgic, you can spend even more on themed controllers and a PlayStation Portal. Total cost? About $1,000. It feels like Sony’s strategy this generation is all about nostalgia — milking it for every dollar.

But this nostalgia doesn’t make me long for Sony’s past consoles. Instead, it reminds me of simpler times, like staying up late playing my old Game Gear. Now, instead of looking at consoles like the PS5 Pro, I’m turning my attention to handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck or the ROG Ally X.

Handheld gaming PCs are everything consoles have lost. They’re portable, customizable, and free from the constraints of living room setups or closed ecosystems. Plus, they offer access to a much larger library of games at lower prices, with frequent deals from places like Good Old Games or the Epic Games Store.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Aren’t handheld gaming PCs guilty of releasing upgraded versions too? Yes, the ROG Ally X came out just a year after the original ROG Ally. But here’s the thing: There will never be a “Gaming PC 2” that forces me to start over with a new ecosystem and exclusive titles I can’t access.

Sure, it can be tricky knowing when to jump into the world of handheld PCs with so many new models coming out. But whether I choose an older Steam Deck or wait for something like the Lenovo Legion Go 2, I’m confident in my purchase. At the end of the day, I’m getting something that’s as close to a gaming laptop as possible without paying gaming laptop prices.

So for now, I’m done with traditional consoles. Handheld gaming PCs are my go-to. Even if there are future upgrades in this space, I feel like it’s still a better investment compared to consoles. Consider this: Someone upgrading from a PS5 to a PS5 Pro could end up spending around $1,200 in total. But by investing in a handheld gaming PC and its refreshes, you’d save money on game purchases and memberships like PlayStation Plus — making it a smarter choice in the long run.

Yeah, I might miss out on slightly better graphics and faster frame rates with consoles. But honestly? As a longtime gamer who has had plenty of fun without those things in the past, I think I’ll be just fine in the future.