The first day one for me was the PlayStation Vita. Then the PlayStation 4. Now the PlayStation 5 (assuming it actually gets delivered on time).
I'm 41, and have also been gaming since the NES, but I also grew up super poor, raised by a single mother, who couldn't afford to buy consoles day one, or many video games. I was always happy when she'd surprise me with a new game or system I asked for, even if it was years later. I didn't get a Sega Genesis until I was 15, and by that point, the PlayStation 1 was out! I still fucking flipped my shit when she came home one day and handed me the Sega Genesis box. Up to that point, I had only played them at my friends or cousin's houses. Having one of my own was such a great feeling. I eventually got my own PlayStation 1 when I turned 18 and got my first job (Final Fantasy VII, GTA1, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night were my first purchases). By then, we were already nearing the end of that console cycle and moving on to the PS2 a few years later.
I couldn't find or afford a PS2 at launch, and I couldn't afford a PS3 at launch, but by the time the Vita came out, I had a job where I was making just enough to snag the Vita day one. And by the time the PS4 released, I was making even more, so I could splurge on a PS4 and some games. With the PS5, I'm doing even better, so I was able to go a little more all in with it, getting the console, at least 3 games, an extra controller, an HD camera, and probably a few more games by the time launch rolls around (although Cyberpunk comes out the following week, so that will probably be the last game I purchase for that month).
It's a luxury that I'm grateful for. I don't need these things day one, but it's a rarity that I'm able to indulge and spoil myself like this. Depending on how this election goes in November, I may need the pick me up XD XD
