Final Fantasy 16 is one of the most anticipated games in Japan, but there’s a problem – fans can’t find a PS5 to play it on, and the Blu-ray model’s price has just increased by ¥10,498 (~$76). As reported yesterday, many Japanese gamers are simply giving up their pursuit of the platform, which has failed to find much of a footing in Sony’s domestic territory since launch.
In fact, some traditional console players are turning their attention to PC gaming, which is considered more versatile these days – especially with more and more Japanese developers targeting storefronts like Steam. And as spotted by Twitter user aitikimochi, Final Fantasy 16 started trending in the aftermath of PlayStation’s pricing announcements.
Many pondered whether they’ll ever be able to play the game, while others prayed for a PC port. It’s worth pointing out that building a comparable computer to a PS5 is still pretty expensive – even more so than PlayStation’s price hikes – although obviously it can be used for other things, and software is generally cheaper on Steam.
As of right now, PS5 is the only platform confirmed for Final Fantasy 16. However, we wouldn’t be surprised if it made its way to PC eventually, as Sony tends to negotiate console exclusivity with third-parties these days. Of course, this is not the kind of conversation Sony will want to be taking place in its home territory – hopefully it can turn things round domestically as the generation matures.
[source twitter.com, via twitter.com, gamesradar.com]
Comments 98
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Maybe just maybe Sony could save some money by not paying to keep it exclusive 🤷♂️
They should have launched higher, the scalp-fest shows that. Seems grubby now, plus an Insult to those who've never seen them on the shelves.
Wasn’t a PC port like confirmed when FF 16 was first revealed or something? I don’t remember exactly but I read about FF 16 coming to PC at some point but looks like the plans have changed.
@anoyonmus It was in the original press release before SE scrubbed it away. This definitely will come to PC maybe a year or so after the PS5 launch.
@RBMango I see
Prayer? In order to appease the gaming gods a burnt sacrifice is surely required. Are they willing to make an offering of their Nintendo Switches at the SIE altar? 😜
@MidnightDragonDX Well they gotta post something when not posting the daily, obligatory "Last of Us" article.
Getting tired of the excessive sensationalist overreaction of this site. Hardly think such a tiny percentage increase on such an expensive luxury item really makes as much difference as is being made out here.
If those in Japan are acting this way then it has far more to do with Sony’s stock allocation, and understandable frustration with this, than any price announcement.
@thefourfoldroot1 In this whole situation I accept that Japanese gamers should be more aggrieved because the price rise is more steeper (largely because the Yen is at a 20 year low) but for nearly everywhere else it's the price of the console plus a game which most were already paying that anyway. The way some go on you'd think Sony raised the price by £200.
is this 4 'stories' on price rise in 24hrs?
not even anything new. the writing is boring and predictable.
no one in any of the 45? countriesare happy. but its happening regardless.
if they believe buying a pc to run it is a cheaper investment and the later release, and prob have to upgrade pc again by release date, then good luck.
then again anything on twitter is 100% true.
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It almost certainly will release on PC after a year or so. Pretty much everything S-E develops does.
@stvevan 5 articles actually...
@stvevan it would more than likely run just fine on the steam deck which is cheaper than the ps5 like God of war ,spider-man , horizon forbidden west , days gone & death stranding all do
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@torne Yeah. The other one wasn’t even correct and was disingenuous. He insinuated to that winning a raffle in the system used by second tier retailers in Japan doesn’t guarantee a purchase - I haven’t heard of this happening to anyone and I live in Osaka.
And this entire article is an oxymoron. A price increase of a console had players hoping that the game comes out for their ¥200,000 rig? Like players were waiting to buy a PS5 for this game while already owning a three times more expensive device? That’s not how any Japanese person I know values their gaming preferences. He’s just taking things off of Twitter and making it up as he goes. If you lived over here it’s ultra hyperbolic, praying on an audience that may not know the reality.
I like that even after the price increase with tax included a Japanese Ps5 is still substantially cheaper than anywhere else in the world.
@ReadySlayerOne it sucks because I genuinely had enjoyed this site up until recently... now it's just a barage of Sony hate. Not just by the editors but also in the comments. Some of it may be deserved but can we stop beating a dead horse?
Here's a few fun facts:
1: inflation is happening everywhere
2: the American dollar is strong compared to other countries
3: there are these fun things called exchange rates that impacts prices around the world
4: THIS ISNT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED! As i said yesterday, the ps4 had the same thing happen in canada like 6 months after launch, because the Canadian dollar was doing terribly compared to the American dollar.
5: the price of all goods and services are impacted by fluctuating markets, not just the ps5. Just because Microsoft has trillions of dollars and doesn't need to react right now doesn't mean they won't.
in the end this is simple economics and anyone claiming "Sony is greedy" are just being absolutely delusional.
This is based on how many Japanese fans? Did they ever made a survey out of this? If so, what is the result and how many responded? Problem with modern journalism is how they would generalize everything. You see three or four people giving an opinion on said matter and these "journalists" assume and/or make it sound like it's the entire mass of people that voiced out their concern just for the sake of drama and to paint a company as evil.
There's no doubt that Sony shot themselves on the foot with the recent announcement for a price increase but this is just another one of those topics that tries hard to rub Sony the wrong way.
Unfortunately, this will leave that kind of impression to most people, not understanding the real context. You'd think many will learn not to fall for clickbaits but the sad reality is that, there are plenty who will believe these kind of articles
@AdamNovice "The way some go on you'd think Sony raised the price by £200."
If Sony did raise it by £200 or £500 you and a couple of the same faces here would still be defending them, admit it! 🙂
I can't really think of too many bad things Sony could do to make you take the side of the consumer for once. Perhaps if Jim Ryan were to have a press conference wearing Xbox branded pajamas and swore allegiance to Game Pass!
@Would_you_kindly you just poked the hornet's nest just saying...
@Juanalf I was going to say that but couldn't be arsed with an argument lol they'd find a way to white knight the poor billion dollar company 🙈
It was an incredibly bad move by Sony.
Microsoft and Nintendo aren't raising prices and this makes Sony look greedy.
@torne Yeah. It feels like there is fatalistic complex in the diction coming out of here because the game releases are more spread out this year too.
Also, you forgot about the semiconductor shortage plaguing the industry and will continue into 2024… so while those whining over the price increase are loudest - the ones willing to pay a bit more - they just want one - are closer to being silently overjoyed.
Yall can’t really tell people who run the site what to do with their site….
i’m not siding with anyone , but im just saying
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You know Sony massively ***** up when even Japan is against them.
🤣🤣🤣🤣what's wrong with people? Too much time on your hands?
People: *sees something they don't like. Proceeds to click on it. Reads it. Then gets mad at the writer for writing it.
No one told y'all to click and read it. Y'all couldn't just walk on by and ignore the article?
@PhhhCough you know it's possible for people to want to read an article to see if there is any tangible information in it right?
Most people don't see a headline and say "oh that's clearly got no worthwhile information in it" without actually reading it. Thats how opinions are formed.
Even as someone who uses his laptop for gaming more than his PS5, I still find this whole article is an anagram of sloblocks. Gaming PCs are way more expensive than PS5s. If you can't afford the new price then you probably couldn't afford the old one either
@PhhhCough exactly.
Sony holding 3rd party exclusive from other platforms is super annoying now since they port their exclusive to pc, so it's like super petty for them to do so.
Building a comparable PC might be more expensive, but this is the same market were the Switch domain is absolute. If FF16 was on switch, it would sell like crazy.
Point being: not everyone feels the need of playing on a PS5 equivalent PC, many will do with the computer they already have and run the game at minimum or recommended settings, not at max.
Please ignore all the 'stop picking on poor Sony' comments and continue to write these articles. Keep it in the news cycle so it isn't brushed under the rug and forgotten about. Its the only way anything will change in the long run.
More twitter twaddle. No real news, better make something up?
Nobody likes price increases, but suggesting people will buy a much more expensive platform because they are concerned over price, doesnt make any sense no matter how obliquely you look at it.
@PhhhCough whats wrong with you? You do know why click bait is so called? We thought there might be a story here instead of drivel. We have no option but to read it, and the point of a comment section is to discuss and comment on what youve just read. If the writter wasted your time, you have every right to say so..
If you wish to support the sentiments expressed in the article maybe point out any facts contained in it and argue why you agree with the analysis. Telling 'naysayers' that they shouldn't have read it in the first place is a nursery school jibe thats laughable.
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@Would_you_kindly Good luck loading FF16 on Your 64GB steamdeck
@torne Great, then read the articles and then move on. Instead, you're writing comments that don't contribute to the discussion at all. There's absolutely zero reason to leave a comment about them making too many of the same articles. They've done this for years and people have left comments like this for years as well. It's not going to change anything. At this point it's getting way more annoying seeing these comments than seeing the same articles.
They all wanted to boost up the price. Sony was stupid enough to do it first. Every console is overpriced if you really think about it. Mainly because of everything they put in it that isn't nessesary to play games. Nintendo gets that to some degree.
Even after the price increase Japanese gamers are still getting the ps5 cheaper than the original price that we had to pay in the west.
I don't understand why the ps5 was £100 cheaper in Japan to begin with
So, I’m confused.
We’ve had articles of Japanese gamers being disappointed with the size of the PS5, with many stating it’s due to the large size of the unit, against their small living arrangements.
Along with a desire for portable, blah blah Japan is a unique market and completely into marrying Tamagotchis, I get it.
Then, we have another article like this claiming because of one game, one, people are going to build or buy a more expensive PC instead of getting a PS5.
I mean they do know some gaming rigs like my old one are quite a bit larger than a PS5. Then you need a desk and so on if you don’t want the sofa situation and a PC etc.
I’m just so confused! So they don’t want Switch like portability, because of Final Fantasy, what they want is a massive gaming rig and their mothers credit card.
The price increase in Japan is ridiculous. Sony continues to shoot themself in the foot.
I’m chilled today, did enough ranting yesterday.
You pay you play.
ps5 is too expensive at 550!!! Time to build an ultra master race pc with 2k!!! (jk I also game on pc and ps5 is my last console)
@AdamNovice It's also that Microsoft and Nintendo haven't raised the price of their consoles. They're all made of similar materials, and production is largely comparable, so why is it that they don't see the need to increase the price?
It's just one of many missteps from Sony lately. Especially since MS is offering incredibly value with GamePass (even though I'm personally not a fan of the subscription models). Sony has lost a bunch of third party support in recent years due to the MS buyout. It's not looking amazing for them in the long run.
@wiiware In all fairness, they get released on other platforms eventually. I don't think we'd ever see Elder Scrolls or Fallout on PS5 anymore. They could've straight up bought SE, but I don't think that makes the situation any better.
Most people in the UK won't be able to afford the electricity to run the ps5 in the first place.
@thefourfoldroot1 I would happily pay the old pushsquare a small subscription in order to stop that nonsense click bait..
@LtSarge the same can be said for you then... don't read the comments... if it's been happening for years then clearly nothing is gonna change...
God forbid people give feedback and try to make the site better.
Journalism isn't just reading a few tweets and crafting an article around them. Japan hasn't turned on Sony. A few people in Japan have. Japan isn't "praying for a pc version of ff16". A few people in Japan are. Hell a bunch of people outside of Japan are. I'm also willing to bet that there are people thst own an Xbox and not a ps5 that are hoping FF16 comes to Xbox. This isn't news...
People that don't have a ps5 want to play a popular game on their system of choice...
@torne Ahh, the old "I know you are but what am I?" argument. It takes me back to kindergarten.
Telling the staff to stop posting articles because you don't like them isn't feedback. That's called trying to enforce selective news. If you want to only read news that you agree with or that makes you happy, I'm sure there are plenty of other sites like that.
If you want to give actual feedback, then to do so here: https://www.pushsquare.com/contact
Don't derail the topic. It's as easy as that.
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Can PS explain to me how mine and @midnightdragonDX comments were "unconstructive feedback" we both pointed out that we feel another article about the PS5 price rise was getting a bit excessive at this point. Especially when we're not dealing with new information of worth here. The fact we had the most liked comments too tells you many were in agreement. Other comments have shared similar sentiments yet their comments haven't been removed. It's not been consistent with your moderation. If I was swearing or attacking the writer then fair enough. But I didn't do that, I was very measured in what I said.
@AdamNovice As per our community rules:
"Do not post unconstructive feedback or unfair criticism; We welcome fair criticism of our content, however, we insist that you are both constructive and polite with your feedback. Insulting authors, complaining about article topic selection, topic frequency, arguing about what should or should not be in the site's remit is rarely constructive. Also consider whether it should be discussed publicly or via the contact form."
https://www.pushsquare.com/rules
Please use our contact form for these sorts of complaints. However, what we post about will always be the decision of the editorial team.
@PushSquare I'm not going to say anymore on the subject here but I will be making a private complaint.
The PS5 is already almost impossible to buy in most of America (America as in continent).
Seriously, I know ONE person that has one. Most people I know (like myself) just gave up completely considering is almost impossible to buy games too.
Of course it's coming out on PC (eventually), didn't the reveal gameplay trailer even state "Gameplay captured on PC"
How high would the price of a ps5 have to be for an equivalent pc to be more economical? This is a weird statement.
@AdamNovice It's ironic that the most constructive feedback was deleted and marked as "unconstructive feedback"
@LtSarge Sorry friend but tweets aren't news. It's not even tabloid level news. It's random musings from random people on the internet. This is just a reflection of lazy "journalism" of the last 5+ years.
Pushsquare's worst nightmare is for an article like this to be written and no one comments underneath. I say we all try our best and completely ignore the next attempt at getting us to argue. Because this is what these "articles" are meant to do, get people angry and engaged in the comments.
@GreatAuk Well that's your opinion, but personally I'm very much interested in hearing what other people on social media think, especially from Japanese people. It's always interesting hearing different perspectives. But people tend to confuse opinions from social media as news outlets trying to state that they're representative of people as a whole, which they aren't and which the outlets aren't stating at all. They're simply showing a different side on things.
This mentality of disregarding news just because they come from a small group of people will lead to a less holistic perspective and a more restrictive/out of touch mindset.
@AdamNovice
it appears free speech isnt allowed. questions cant be asked.
as you said if you had sworn/insult id understand. but sometimes people go beyond and delete an interesting topic, because god forbid there could be a hint of criticism.
how are things meant to improve/progress if all we can make is positive feedback?
also, any figures on how many arent buying? cant find anything elsewhere.
Looooooool
A
Pc cost more than the 3 consoles combined.
@get2sammyb this article has a mistake - the price has not increased by ¥10,498.
The price including tax has risen from ¥54,978 to ¥60,478.
Sometimes it’s confusing in Japan because some stores and outlets show the price including tax, some don’t.
I know this for a fact because I live in Japan and spent almost a year trying to buy a PS5 and was looking every day!
@Royalblues Exclusivity is the reason some of these games get made in the first place as the deals often cover part of development costs. It’s likely not the case with FF, but SFV, Bayonetta 2, and a host of other games leveraged exclusivity to get development off the ground.
Also, if all games were available on all systems, it would obviate the need for a killer app. I’m sure there would still be plenty of good stuff to play, but a game would just need to be good enough to turn a profit, not sell a system. As with most things, exclusivity has its pros and cons.
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Errr... There is no €449.99, £389.99 or ¥49,478 decent Gaming PC. Just my 3080 cost more than that.
And you compare to the PS5 Digital Version price because on PC you loose the Physical Games option. So that is the "equal" version.
Jumping to PC because of $79 is illogical.
@Juanalf
To be on the side of the consumer is to be on the side of competition and, therefore, Sony continuing to be run like a profitable business. Sony are not MS, who like bad market conditions as they have the trillions to ride things out then buy up the scraps of their destroyed rivals on the cheap.
There are too many people these days who just want companies to take on all price increases themselves because they feel they are entitled to be able to afford anything they desire. Sure, Sony could for a while, but not if they want people to continue to invest in them in the same way. Not if they want to continue to compete with a financial colossus. Every pound counts in that context.
This is a non-essential, luxury, leisure device. Not food or heating. Calm down people.
@Octane
Yes, but MS have trillions in reserve, and the Switch is much cheaper to make…I mean, that’s pretty obvious right.
Wow the comments section looks like Swiss cheese…
Anyway it will release on PC, most likely Epic first, then Steam.
That said we are talking 2023. I can see why they are concerned because I g trying to get a PS5 in Japan is difficult period. Hopefully the stock situation will be better but then.
@UltimateOtaku91 because video games in Japan is a big market and Sony have its own Factory their including those robotic arms that are assembling PS4s with only few persons monitoring it if there’s no supply shortage of PS5 internal parts Sony can maybe reprogram their robot factory to make a lot of PS5 Consoles.
Don't forget that Steam Deck exists. That is essentially a PC handheld that's cheaper than PS5 and will run FF16 if it comes to PC.
@gaston you can use an external HDD 🤡
I find it hard to believe that someone was actively looking for a ps5 for 2 years and never got one. No way.
@UltimateOtaku91 Playstation has always been historically cheaper in Japan compared to other markets. It probably due to cost of shipping. Vastly cheaper to ship a product made in Asia to Japan vs say the us... Also isn't the cost of living in Japan like 3x higher than even say the US. So Sony is probably taking a greater loss to keep the console priced lower in order to keep it in people's price range.
@KaijuKaiser this game would run on a steam deck just like spider-man does when tlou 'remake' hits pc I have no doubt that too will be steam deck verified you don't need a high end gaming pc unless you want all the settings maxed out with stuff like ray tracing etc
In all honesty, I wouldn't blame japanese gamer jumping to PC. In the last couple of years, the PC has simply become the second best platform for japanese gamers and fans of japanese games behind the Switch.
If you an actual big FF fan, most likely you're dumping hours right now into arguably the best FF game of the last decade, FFXIV, and that game plays best on PC. Then you have stuff like Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Stories 2. Playstation hasn't gotten a monster game since world. bravely default 2 is on PC. Playstation still doesn't have octopath traveler. A game that is on Stadia and Xbox. Playstation has just lost two of their biggest exclusive japanese franchises, Yakuza and Persona. To both PC and Xbox...
Then you have the big interest in Vtubers, VRM, and VR... I doubt anybody here have played VRCHAT. But if you have, you would know the Japanese community for that game is massive, and that the japaneses are the best when it comes to creating worlds, shaders, models... etc in that game.
The Japanese interest in Playstation have sunk, and this was probably the last straw for most.
@MidnightDragonDX bye
@Royalblues it’s the worst in terms of games for sure . When low budget , lifeless, low effort , cheap shovelware app store material like “multi versus “ gets a pass with the consumer market these devs know they don’t even have to try anymore . they figured this out years ago . i can’t believe ***** like that passes for a ps5/ps4 game , let alone a console game . oh wait - “bUt iTs FrEe “ !
we seen a exceptional amount of IPs hit their lowest point because of milked sequels and lack of originality & new ideas . 7th gen into the middle of 8th gen was like the last of new ideas and creativity . i’m glad to have lived in a time when everything felt new and fresh with games and devs cared about making a game and everything into it first and foremost
I don't understand. They can afford PC but cannot buy PS5?
Plus, they can play it on PC, but they just have to wait until the exclusivity end. So what's the problem here? Is this article even worth mentioning?
And, I would rather they focus first on PS5. If they have to suddenly release for PC too, it might take longer to release the game because they have to optimize the game for PC too. Maybe to early 2024 and I don't want that.
@stvevan I mean to be fair the higher end gaming PCs are already beyond what the current gen of consoles can do so any upgrade from there not really necessary.
@KamenDrive Square enix and optimization lol
@thefourfoldroot1 I don't know, and it's a moot point really.
What matters is that the PS5 is now the most expensive console, their (first party) games are more expensive too. That's what people will be looking at. Nobody says "poor Sony doesn't have the reserves MS has, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt evem though the Series X looks like a better deal".
@Octane
You are correct that both the Series X console (slightly) and games (through Gamepass, presuming you are buying a certain number per year), are cheaper. If that’s what’s most important to people they should clearly get a Series X (or more likely S given their constraints).
I would if it wasn’t for PSVR2 to be honest. I’m not a big fan of Sony’s exclusives. Nor Sony truth be told (although that also goes for MS).
I look forward to the day Game Pass inevitably goes into PlayStation, because it'll be fascinating to see how the Sony fans defend it. Seriously reading comments on here if I was Jim Ryan I'd instantly double the console price increase and charge an extra £10 for all games, because it seems you all will be more than happy to pay that! It highlights perfectly why so many satire videos are made about Sony fans on You Tube.
@thefourfoldroot1 "To be on the side of the consumer is to be on the side of competition" I literally laughed out loud to this. That's some messed up logic you have there to defend Sony.
@S1ayeR74
“ "To be on the side of the consumer is to be on the side of competition" I literally laughed out loud to this. That's some messed up logic you have there to defend Sony.”
So you think a company having a monopoly would be better than companies competing for our custom? I’m not going to insult you by thinking you genuinely believe that, so I can only presume you read my comment inaccurately.
I honestly feel that having a PlayStation game on PC is a bad idea. If you remembered when Horizon Zero Dawn was released on PC it was heavily pirated and downloaded via torrent on day 1; much more than Call ll of Duty!
The console may cost more now but all will be water under the bridge once they are able to get their hands on it.
@thefourfoldroot1 You sure have a great alternate reality field.. Sony have the monopoly, they have the biggest share by far out of the players in the market; so you should be asking yourself that very question.. instead of making excuses for a ridiculous price gouging increase in the PS5. I've never seen a group of consumers defend a multi billion dollar corporations price increase so much. It's ridiculous. And your statement makes no sense what to ever in its attempt to defend this move.
I'm glad Japanese consumers are mad at Sony, hope they lose mass market share over there now, Nintendo will be the winners then and PC's it seems.
Japanese PC community is dedicated and growing, but still pretty insignificant. Japanese ilke small and portable machines. Many use their laptop just to play eroge Virtual Novels, not sure how many players got a rig strong enough to play FF16
@S1ayeR74
Nobody has a monopoly, that’s a ridiculous thing to say. MS are working hard on it yes, by subsidising gamers heavily through Gamepass to a level others could never compete with, but currently we have competition. Which is great. We need to maintain that, and the only way to do so long term is for Sony and Nintendo to be profitable (MS don’t care about profitability at the moment, nor have they in the past, they are looking more long term).
I’m not sure what is difficult to understand about this.
And £30 on a £450 luxury item is not unreasonable. Sure Sony could have eaten the cost for longer, but I don’t feel entitled to that.
@thefourfoldroot1 So here's a question then, by not increasing the price, and eating up the additional costs, they will be able to better compete with MS, and do better in the long term.
Also, Sony made $11+ billion in net profit in 2021. If they lost $50 on each PS5 system sold, that would be enough for 220 million consoles, more than they're ever going to sell in a year (which is like max 20 million). It's not like they can't afford this at all. They won't be running a deficit by selling at a loss.
@Octane
Not sure why you think raising the cost of the console loses Sony anything. They’ll still sell every unit they can produce. If supply was unrestricted you’d have a point.
And yes Sony make a lot of money. A piss in the ocean compared to Microsoft but they make money. That doesn’t change anything.
@thefourfoldroot1 I can tell your delusion by claiming MS is working on a monopoly. They make a profit on Game Pass you know as do the developers. It comes from the massive number of subscribers. Sony are making a profit on every PS5, they have done for about a year now, this price increase will only further that profit margin. But hey you defend it like you are, heaven forbid you’d ever criticise Sony for ‘anything’. And Nintendo have been making a profit and outselling everyone for several years now, so yet again your argument is not really valid.
And Sony has the monopoly in effect by being the dominant market leader.
@S1ayeR74
You are delusional. Of course every company is working to be as much of a monopoly as competition laws allow.
And I criticise Sony for lots of stuff, just not financial decisions. I criticise them for their insulting and semi racist censorship policy, for their increasing focus on GaaS, and lots of other stuff; I just don’t criticise them for being a for profit company.
@Would_you_kindly Doesn't this defeat the purpose of a portable gaming device? But If it is meant to replace a PS5. Then, I guess it is not meant to be portable.There is also the benefit that there is no need to invest in a 4k TV .
@gaston I'm not bothered about the portability because I rarely leave the house anyway I just want one because it's basically a small affordable gaming pc
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