What system do I buy Battlefield 2042 on?
I think it’s fair to say that Battlefield has meant more to me than any other video game in my adult life. The Battlefield franchise holds a very special place in my life. The game connected me to a group of friends that I continue to stay in touch with presently even after 11 years. With the recent announcement of Battlefield 2042 cross play, I have been presented with an interesting dilemma. What system do I buy it for? Through various and interesting means (and a little luck) I have been able to procure both a PS5 and an RTX 3090. (Don’t worry, I paid retail) The decision is mostly centered on what version would provide the best experience overall for me.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 released on March 2nd, 2010. At the time, my friend Neo suggested the game because I was having difficulty finding friends to play Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. The game was just a blast to play. Being able to play with a group of friends and the cooperative focus on squad gameplay is what did it for me. I would always play as an engineer because I loved running the secondary gun in a tank. It was such a thrill hopping out and whipping out the repair tool to fix our damaged vehicle during a fierce firefight. We eventually formed a group of regulars that consisted of Neo, Guyver, Gelo, ILL, and Funk. A few others came and went, but this was the core that stuck. We went on to continue to play other Battlefield games including 3 and 4. We also started a Google Hangouts where we kept in touch over the years. A couple of us were in the service including me so it made connecting and staying in contact very easy as we moved around the country and, for some of us, the world. I knew Neo through Gelo who I knew from high school. We went to different schools but after a few years we began hanging out and playing video games together. That was where I met Tone. NBA 2K was the game of choice back then. We had many memorable late nights competing, drinking adult beverages, and talking a lot of trash. We still talk about the “Steve Nash game.” I did not know ILL, Funk, or Guyver until Battlefield Bad Company 2. We have all stayed connected over the years thanks to video games and group chat but Battlefield was the binding force that kept us together. Guyver has become one of my closest friends and the funny part is we only have met once in real life over dinner and some drinks.
We all originally met playing on the Xbox 360 back in 2010 but one thing that happened over the years was how we have grown apart in the world of video games, mostly due to how our video game system of choice has changed but also due to a lack of Battlefield games. I know, I know what you’re saying “but what about Battlefield One or Battlefield V Pete?” There was an issue of preference among the group. Specifically Tone, who was adamant about how he did not like the older era of warfare. I, to a certain extent, felt the same way but I’m more forgiving in that regard. I will play almost any game if the group could actually decide on one to collectively play. I’ve jumped on Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Warzone with Guyver plenty of times, but we just couldn’t convince the others to join us. Even with crossplay! We still discuss things in our group chat which at some point changed over to Slack. Funk transitioned to PS4 very early in that console. Myself and ILL eventually transitioned from Xbox One to PS4 and played a lot of NBA 2K. He is finicky with his systems. I remember one day asking if he wanted to play something and to my surprise, he had sold his PS4. I’m not so sure he’s ready to get back into new gen just yet. Gelo “stans” hard for the Microsoft ecosystem and became unreliable to game with (fatherhood, marriage, adulting, etc). Tone forever “stans” for the Xbox no matter what. He only picked up a PS4 for the exclusives. Guyver eventually just stopped playing his Xbox One and transitioned to PC. That leads us to where we are now. Shockingly, we all own a Playstation 5. Even with the Xbox fanboys in the group and the struggle that it is to actually find one, we all managed to get one. I actually was able to purchase one for Funk and shipped it to him. This is the first time I can recall that we all owned the same system in over 4 or 5 years.
Earlier this year, EA finally came out and announced Battlefield 2042. We all have the same console and Guyver is coming back to the states. I’m thinking, “Hell yes, it’s all aligning! We are coming back boys!” That led me to making the premature declaration of buying in on the PS5 in our chat. Come to find out, Neo and Gelo will not be buying it on PS5. Luckily, with crossplay, that SHOULDN’T be an issue for this iteration of Battlefield.
The main issue I have in deciding is my friends feel that keyboard and mouse hold a huge advantage over controller players. They also feel that cheaters will be a huge issue for PC. I do agree, to a certain point, on these gripes but I think they are vastly overblown by my friends due to social media and influencers making clickbaity headlines. These reasons are why I’m heavily leaning towards PS5 even though the overall experience will most likely be better on the PC. I’m also open to the idea of buying it later on on PC on sale given that cross progression is included.
After 10 years of friendship thanks to Battlefield: Bad Company 2, I hope that Battlefield 2042 will be the game that re-establishes the gaming and friendship I miss so much.
What about you, what console are you getting it for? How are you making your decision?