One of the big reasons I went with PlayStation 4 this gen was its focus on indie games. Sony really worked hard in getting the best of indies on their platform. Microsoft on the other hand had their stupid and now dropped parity policy. The PlayStation 4 was the easy console choice for indies. Sony have been regarded as pulling back the support and importance of indies games on their platform now it’s a huge success and I have to agree.
There’s been a handful of recent indie games that have either not been released on PlayStation 4 yet or had delayed releases after PC/Switch. Right now there’s Katana Zero, Into The Breach, and Yuppie Psycho I’m keen to play but aren’t yet available on PlayStation 4. Hollow Knight also took a while to arrive on PlayStation 4 after PC and Switch, as did The Messenger.
I see the PlayStation 4 as the third place after the PC and then Switch (don’t own one yet though) as the place I’d go for my indie gaming fix, which is a substantial part of my gaming diet. Sony are starting to lag behind. Also, although I’ve no interest in playing Zelda: Breath Of The Wild on a small screen the portable aspect of the Switch is perfect for many indie games and it could be the tipping point for me picking one up.
I don’t think I’ll be getting Google Stadia as I don’t have the Internet to stream at the graphical level and fidelity I will be able to experience on PlayStation 5/PC. Stadia is targeting 720p/30fps as its lowest option, which I could handle but I’m not going to play games at a standard of the last gen. Apple’s service is intriguing though.
If they focus on bringing and making the best indies games for their service then that’s something I’d sign up to to as indie gaming is pretty great.
Simundo Jones
GC: The Switch is already the lead format for many indie titles, with many games only being released on Switch and PC – at least at first.
