Is your dad good with technology? I ask because in my experience, trying to introduce older generations to new technology has a very low success rate. Even things that are really simple have given me a difficult time, like Roku with its simple menus and remote that only has like 5 buttons.
That's probably where your dad would have the most difficult time if he's bad with technology, is all the menus he'd have to navigate. The menus of Xbox and PS are like the final boss of menus for old people in terms of difficulty. Then there would be all the menus within the games themselves.
If it fits your budget, then definitely give it a shot, because you never know until you try. And in the worst case, you can just resell the video game system and make most of your money back. But I'm thinking something more easy might be better to start with. Like one of those Chinese knock-off handheld devices you can find on Amazon that come preloaded with games. Maybe you can find one that's specifically geared towards older generations, with basic parlor games like cards and yahtzee and whatnot. That would at least eliminate the menu difficulties, because your dad would only have to push the power button and select the game he wants to play.
I used to game with a controller and thoroughly enjoyed it. I no longer can, due to reflexes and dexterity.
Don't forget to also share games that can be played with a mouse. Strategy games like Civilization. Point and Click story games that are highly rated. Building games. Light hearted funny games. This can be a longer term goal if you are only purchasing a console right now, but make it part of your plan.
As for which games on console, is your dad familiar with role playing games? If not comfortable with dungeons and dragons, then a lot of role playing games might not appeal. I agree Red Dead Redemption is probably a good choice. Fallout might be another one. (I haven't double checked which goes with which console) or Mass Effect 2 and 3.
I don't have either current Xbox or PlayStation, but whenever I've been browsing I've seen that a used Series S sells for £100 here in the UK. Are they more expensive used in the USA?
The sheer variety you can get from the Game Pass is a very good idea. Don't forget you're not limited to a given generation. There's at least two decades of games to play with. Th.re's old masterpiece that holds up very well.
You should hook your dad with party, narrative-heavy, or coops game first to show that games are not always isolating but can be a very social activity (just like movies)
If he's willing to play by himself; start with simple games, Your dad needs to absorb those 2 decades of video game grammar to enjoy games the same way you do (jumping on the head of enemies to kill them makes no sense whatsoever in real life). You may want to watch some of Razbuten's "Gaming for Non-Gamer"s series for context.
With that in mind, I've looked at the catalog of the Xbox game pass and noticed some of the more interesting ones, in more-or-less alphabetical order:
Among Us: party game, very similar to Mafia / Werewolf / Secret Hitler.
A short hike: short and sweet game, may serves as an introduction to 3D platforming
Celeste: there's no Mario in a Microsoft console but this can be a good substitute to traditional 2D platforming. Yes it can get stupidly hard, but the assist modes are there for a reason.
Psychonauts (and Psychonauts 2): excellent 3D platformers; more known for their plot and atmosphere than they so-so gameplay; but it's kinda the point (it's no Mario Odyssey but it's serviceable and is a good intro for the rest)
It takes two: fantastic split-screen multi-genre (but mainly 3d platforming) coop game
Age of Empire II: strategy games are often less frantic (at first) than pure action game. And AoE2 is one of the classic, and don't have as many systems as modern RTS (I'm thinking Starcraft 2 or Command and Conquer Red Alert 3)
Dragon Age & Mass Effect: same remark, but with western RPGs. They also tends to feature less cartoony characters, design and tropes than Japanese ones.
Forza Horizon: he has to try some driving game at some point. And Forza is exceptionally lenient with players.
Flight Simulator, Crimson Skies, Star Wars Squadron: good ol' flight games. Flight Sim is a classic, Crimson Skies is more arcadey, and Star Wars Squadron is... well it's Star Wars.
Doom (the original one): at some point you're going to introduce your dad to the world of FPS, and starting with the genre codifier is not a bad start.
Halo: rather than the twitchiness of Call of Duties, Halo is still rather slow and was one of the first FPS really designed for a gamepad.
Overcooked: a real nice party game
Plant vs Zombies: simple tower defense game
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: coop side-scrolling brawler; I would show him that kinda early, since it's a genre that were really present in the 90s and helped build some of the common videogame grammar (why does eating instantly heals you?)
Terraria & Minecraft: at some point you'll also need to show some crafting game. IIRC, you can play Terria split-screen
The Walking Dead: that's the narrative heavy game I was referring earlier. You can watch this like a Netflix show with the occasional choice. Probably a good way to show that interactivity can be fun,
Batman Arkham Knight: more brawly/twitchy than the others third person game, but I remember that the whole series is quite lenient from a gameplay perspective. Also, who doesn't like batman ?
Yakuza 7: it's a sort-of goofy JRPG on top of a super serious crime drama. I love it (and the whole series, but probably not as a first video game experience)
I don't have experience with Xbox consoles, but a general tip is to keep in mind his tastes and personality. For instance, I saw you mentioned Halo and Fallout (which does exist on PS4 for the record), but does he like the sci-fi genre? What genres of movies does he like in the first place? Do you think he'd want an intense game, or something he could do to unwind?
On that note, it might be good to start with co-op games so you guys can play together and help figure out what he likes. Even if it turns out he doesn't like the game, at least you got to spend time together.
I would get a series S, it has an SSD for faster loading and better hardware.if you are getting physical games I would get a series x for the Blu-ray drive. Get a year of game pass as well as there is so much to play on there including main titles the same day they come out like starfield.
I have an Xbox One X (the last upgrade) and I think its still fine. You're not going to be able to play the newest AAA games but whatever.
One alternative to consider is maybe a low end gaming computer or a graphics card for his current computer. If he doesn't have a computer and you have to get a monitor and stuff then maybe the Xbox is a better choice.
If it was me I'd get a PS3 or 360 as most if not all of the games are dirt cheap, updates for them are still available, and he can play all the best games of that era. Or at least a bunch of the great ones to start off with and it'll fit nicely within your budget. The graphics are outdated but he's not going to know or care and can enjoy countless hours of gaming fun on the cheap.
I'm still collecting the cream of the crop for both consoles and I can find them easily online and even locally at pawn shops and Goodwill etc.
If it were me, the important thing would be that I'd be spending time with him, instead of each of us doing something separately, apart from each other. So, it may be enough for you to gather a bunch of local co-op games, and just bring your own console to his house, and have fun for a few hours, including snacks, dinner, beers, or whatever. Then, do it another time, and another time, and then maybe he'll start getting interested in having a system of his own, to play with you online, or play solo games, or even play online with strangers.
As one wise Internet blogger once wrote (paraphrasing): Once we move out of the house, we're actually entering into the final phase of our lives with our parents, the last 10% of days that we spend time with them. Let's cherish the time we spend with them.
Digital only, no disk drive. Disk games on consoles are usually cheaper, plus you can get used games.
300 GB available storage, so if you have large games it can be a bit troublesome.
Xbox Series does have expandable storage, but it's proprietary and expensive.
You can connect a USB HDD or SSD, but you can only run Xbox One games off off it, not Xbox Series games. You can store Xbox Series games on it though and move them back and forth from your internal storage.
Despite them, I would suggest the Series S for its usability over an Xbox One. The Series S is ridiculously tiny and slots in anywhere. It runs dead quiet. The power supply is built in so you don't have an ugly brick sticking out the back. The SSD makes a significant difference in load times - seconds compared to the Xbox One's minutes. Since it's a newer console, it'll also be supported for longer.
Renewed/refurbished Series S have gone for as low as $200 at places like Amazon and Monoprice.
If you have access to any retro consoles (or modern consoles / emulation hardware that run those games), those might be a good entry point for someone new to gaming. I'm thinking classic 16 bit era games like Super Mario World, Zelda: Link to the Past or Street Fighter II which:
Are accessible and easy to learn and progress in (avoid the 'Nintendo Hard' games from the 8 bit era and before)
Still hold up as fun today.
My own dad (in his 60s now) has no interest in current gen gaming but has shown interest in playing the games from my childhood (all of which I left in my parent's garage when I moved out).
If your dad is a fan of westerns get him Red Dead Redemption 2.
I actually suggest a PlayStation 4 or 5.
Xbox has a serious lack of games. I just would hate for you to say, "Ah man, my dad would love that game but it's a PlayStation exclusive."
I actually can't think of a single reason to buy an Xbox over a PlayStation right now. I guess game pass, but Sony has their own version now.
Plus, if you go for PS5, the PlayStation controller will be more immersive and probably blow his mind.
Is your dad good with technology? I ask because in my experience, trying to introduce older generations to new technology has a very low success rate. Even things that are really simple have given me a difficult time, like Roku with its simple menus and remote that only has like 5 buttons.
That's probably where your dad would have the most difficult time if he's bad with technology, is all the menus he'd have to navigate. The menus of Xbox and PS are like the final boss of menus for old people in terms of difficulty. Then there would be all the menus within the games themselves.
If it fits your budget, then definitely give it a shot, because you never know until you try. And in the worst case, you can just resell the video game system and make most of your money back. But I'm thinking something more easy might be better to start with. Like one of those Chinese knock-off handheld devices you can find on Amazon that come preloaded with games. Maybe you can find one that's specifically geared towards older generations, with basic parlor games like cards and yahtzee and whatnot. That would at least eliminate the menu difficulties, because your dad would only have to push the power button and select the game he wants to play.
I used to game with a controller and thoroughly enjoyed it. I no longer can, due to reflexes and dexterity.
Don't forget to also share games that can be played with a mouse. Strategy games like Civilization. Point and Click story games that are highly rated. Building games. Light hearted funny games. This can be a longer term goal if you are only purchasing a console right now, but make it part of your plan.
As for which games on console, is your dad familiar with role playing games? If not comfortable with dungeons and dragons, then a lot of role playing games might not appeal. I agree Red Dead Redemption is probably a good choice. Fallout might be another one. (I haven't double checked which goes with which console) or Mass Effect 2 and 3.
I don't have either current Xbox or PlayStation, but whenever I've been browsing I've seen that a used Series S sells for £100 here in the UK. Are they more expensive used in the USA?
Different thoughts:
With that in mind, I've looked at the catalog of the Xbox game pass and noticed some of the more interesting ones, in more-or-less alphabetical order:
I don't have experience with Xbox consoles, but a general tip is to keep in mind his tastes and personality. For instance, I saw you mentioned Halo and Fallout (which does exist on PS4 for the record), but does he like the sci-fi genre? What genres of movies does he like in the first place? Do you think he'd want an intense game, or something he could do to unwind?
On that note, it might be good to start with co-op games so you guys can play together and help figure out what he likes. Even if it turns out he doesn't like the game, at least you got to spend time together.
I would get a series S, it has an SSD for faster loading and better hardware.if you are getting physical games I would get a series x for the Blu-ray drive. Get a year of game pass as well as there is so much to play on there including main titles the same day they come out like starfield.
I have an Xbox One X (the last upgrade) and I think its still fine. You're not going to be able to play the newest AAA games but whatever.
One alternative to consider is maybe a low end gaming computer or a graphics card for his current computer. If he doesn't have a computer and you have to get a monitor and stuff then maybe the Xbox is a better choice.
If it was me I'd get a PS3 or 360 as most if not all of the games are dirt cheap, updates for them are still available, and he can play all the best games of that era. Or at least a bunch of the great ones to start off with and it'll fit nicely within your budget. The graphics are outdated but he's not going to know or care and can enjoy countless hours of gaming fun on the cheap.
I'm still collecting the cream of the crop for both consoles and I can find them easily online and even locally at pawn shops and Goodwill etc.
If it were me, the important thing would be that I'd be spending time with him, instead of each of us doing something separately, apart from each other. So, it may be enough for you to gather a bunch of local co-op games, and just bring your own console to his house, and have fun for a few hours, including snacks, dinner, beers, or whatever. Then, do it another time, and another time, and then maybe he'll start getting interested in having a system of his own, to play with you online, or play solo games, or even play online with strangers.
As one wise Internet blogger once wrote (paraphrasing): Once we move out of the house, we're actually entering into the final phase of our lives with our parents, the last 10% of days that we spend time with them. Let's cherish the time we spend with them.
The Xbox Series S has its disadvantages:
Despite them, I would suggest the Series S for its usability over an Xbox One. The Series S is ridiculously tiny and slots in anywhere. It runs dead quiet. The power supply is built in so you don't have an ugly brick sticking out the back. The SSD makes a significant difference in load times - seconds compared to the Xbox One's minutes. Since it's a newer console, it'll also be supported for longer.
Renewed/refurbished Series S have gone for as low as $200 at places like Amazon and Monoprice.
If you have access to any retro consoles (or modern consoles / emulation hardware that run those games), those might be a good entry point for someone new to gaming. I'm thinking classic 16 bit era games like Super Mario World, Zelda: Link to the Past or Street Fighter II which:
Are accessible and easy to learn and progress in (avoid the 'Nintendo Hard' games from the 8 bit era and before)
Still hold up as fun today.
My own dad (in his 60s now) has no interest in current gen gaming but has shown interest in playing the games from my childhood (all of which I left in my parent's garage when I moved out).