If you’re still on the fence about picking up a PS5 then may I present you with an alternative. No, not the Xbox Series X, but instead a giant Pokémon plushie of Mareep.
Here’s a helpful and handy guide to help you decide between the next-gen Sony console and a lifelong buddy.
Value for Money
PS5
There was a lot of buzz about the price of PS5, and with an RRP of £359.99 GBP/$399.99 USD for the disc-less Digital Edition, or £449.99 GBP/$499.99 USD for the standard, you have to admit that Sony got their pricing pretty spot on.
The console comes pre-loaded with Astro’s Playroom, so even if you spent out on the console itself, you’ll at least have something to play. If you’re a PS Plus subscriber, you’ll also get day one access to a bunch of PS4 hits on your PS5, including The Last of Us Remastered and God of War. Value for money? Well…it’s not cheap, but it’s a fair deal.
Mareep
Costing the same amount as the standard PS5, Pokémon Center’s official Mareep plushie doesn’t come cheap, however, you are getting a fair bit of bang for your buck. Mareep is a whopping 24 inches in height – towering over PS5’s puny height of a mere 15.4 inches.
The cost of materials here is already a considerable amount of what you’re paying, as Mareep isn’t just tall, but thicc. Mareep is almost as wide as they are tall, with all that fluff coming in at a width of 23 inches. Meanwhile, the PS5 is just 4.09 inches in width. If you’re talking bang for your buck, I think Mareep is a clear winner here…
Games
PS5
PS5 has a pretty exciting line-up of first party titles which will launch alongside the console. In case you need a reminder, they’re as follows:
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
Demon’s Souls.
Astro’s Playroom.
Sackboy A Big Adventure.
Destruction AllStars.
The games will retail anywhere from £51.99 GBP (RRP)/$49.99 USD (that’s the 7-10 hour-long Miles Morales), to £69.99 GBP (RRP)/$69.99 USD for games like Demon’s Souls. Ouch.
Mareep
Mareep doesn’t come with any pre-installed games, but there’s also no VERY EXPENSIVE optional games for you to purchase either. Though this might sound like a bad thing, all you need is a little imagination to make Mareep the most fun game you’ll ever play. Here’s some suggestions, each of which clocks in at around $0.00/£0.00.
Hide and seek.
Scaring your neighbours.
Tea party.
Pretend horse for riding.
Dress up/fashion show star.
Gigantamax Pokémon to battle your other (smaller and inferior) Pokémon plushies.
Aesthetic
PS5
For a console, PS5 is going to be pretty darn big, and it’s probably not going to fit in your standard IKEA TV unit. You might have to rearrange your living room to make this one fit – or you might even need to purchase a whole new TV stand.
Meanwhile, PS5 has divided gamers with its very unique mix of curves and straight lines, along with its colours: black, white and blue. There’s a lot going on with this one, and it’s not to everyone’s taste. While some gamers are holding off their purchase to wait for a more traditional black console, there’s no guarantee one is coming anytime soon….
Mareep
Unlike PS5, Mareep can pretty much go wherever you want thanks to a lack of HDMI cables and power cords. Plop Mareep in your bed, on your sofa, or even in your bathroom – Mareep doesn’t mind!
Mareeps’ light colouring also means they’ll fit into the decor of almost any room. Versatility is Mareep’s middle name – if you have the space for all 45 inches of them, of course.
So…should you buy a Mareep or a PS5?
Whether you put your $500 to Mareep or to PS5 might come down to availability. At the time of writing, both are sold out, though it’s hoped both will be making a return in the near future.
That aside, when you invest in new tech, you’re essentially just running down the clock until the next next-gen console launches. Though that might be a while away yet, there’s probably not going to be a Mareep 2.0 on the cards.
Personally, I’d pick up Mareep as soon as they’re back in stock. You can find Mareep from the Pokémon Center, right here.
Featured Image Credit: The Pokemon Center/Sony