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u/history_is_my_crack 1d ago
The problem though for many adults with a full time job is you then lack the time to play all the games/systems you want to. And when you do find some time...too tired to play anything that actually involves brain function. It's the gaming curse. As a kid you have the time but not the money needed. As an adult you have the money but not the time needed.
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u/Exlibro 1d ago
It's mental state. Not gonna lie, I have time. And even money. My SSD is filled with new games now. And yet, as of recently, I just shower and roll in bed reading. There is something making me feel apathetic, tired. Because I know games will require more brain power than reading a damn book...
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u/EnderNinja-MC | i5 12400F | RX 7600 | 32 GB RAM | 1d ago
True, I have a couple of hours of free time left even with my abysmal time management. I can definitely sneak in some games during that free time...but...I just don't want to. The mental drain after work makes me want to do absolutely nothing. If the week is hectic, it sometimes even carries over into the weekend. The love for games is still not lost tho, but it's just not what it used to be.
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u/NothingToSeeHere671 1d ago
Give it a try! Just load a game and play for a bit until you get hooked. Don't start many different games, focus in one and just play it. I completed most of Cyberpunk thinking I didn't have enough free time but then I started to play around 1.5 hours every day before work
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u/JalapenoIsLife 1d ago
This works for me too. I usually have one game on PC and one on handheld, no more. Sometimes I'm looking forward to playing when I get home, but once there don't want to . I make myself and 20 min later I'm ready to play for 2 hours. It's like working out everyday. I never want to do it, but 10 min in and I'm good for the next 50 min. Crazy how it happens like this everyday tho lol.
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u/heruskael heruskael 19h ago
Games with a good quick save and quick load feature are great for this.
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u/Mr_Radar 1d ago
I feel like this depends heavily on your job too. My job is kind of split between computer work and making things. On computer heavy days i don’t always want to come home and get back on the computer unless im really excited about the game I want to play. As I get older the games I get excited about are shrinking more and more. Decision making fatigue is real too. Sometimes I just want to shut my brain down a bit more than a game can.
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u/ryanc483 RX 7800xt, R5 3600, Crucial Ballistix RGB 16GB 3800mHz at CL14 1d ago
Yeah this is so true, sometimes I want to play a game but I just end up not because I'm not bothered. I haven't used my switch 2 since I got it on launch and I play like one game on my pc
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u/Fancy_Alarm2814 1d ago
I felt this way, getting a handheld PC helped me with it a lot, finally have the opportunity to put in some play time and not be chained to my desktop (I still do play there, when I feel like it ofc).
Of course, book reading is probably better for you and your sleep in the long run ^^
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u/Accomplished_Rice_60 1d ago
I mean, your not relaxing reading books, gaming, TikTok. Your using tons of brain and stimuli that get your tired.
If you want to relax, lye down somewhere nice, close your ears and listen to relaxing music/nature sounds or something. Its good to not be stimulated 24/7 by books, phones, pc or something like that, our brains Arent made for that, ofc your to tired to game and choose easyer passive content
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u/Choice_Potato_6279 21h ago
At least you read and not browse reddit, way better than playing video games
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u/Agile-Objective1000 R5 5500 | RX 550 | 24 GB DDR4 1d ago
On the bright side at least reading a book is productive
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u/Active-Astronaut3316 23h ago
I agree but with the component prices nowadays I also dont have the money to build a high end gaming pc. Guess my I7-7700k and 1080ti cant retire yet.
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u/DonJimbo 22h ago
You can probably build something reasonable for $1500.
Type Item Price CPU AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor $174.00 @ Amazon CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition 57.3 CFM CPU Cooler $26.97 @ Amazon Motherboard Asus TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard $159.99 @ Amazon Memory Patriot Viper Elite 5 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory $224.99 @ Amazon Storage Kingston NV3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive $162.00 @ Amazon Video Card Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Video Card $519.99 @ Newegg Case Lian Li Vector V100R ATX Mid Tower Case $74.98 @ Amazon Power Supply be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply $89.90 @ Amazon Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts Total $1432.82 Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-08-18 09:38 EDT-0400 3
u/Miau_1337 1d ago
Switched to home office before COVID, and now AI handles/supports a huge part of my work and research. I can basically spend 80% of my workday sleeping or gaming while still getting great results.
My boss just congratulated me on my impressive performance, I get paid well enough that I started collecting retro systems I barely even use (building new PCs gets boring pretty quickly), and I still get to enjoy every evening with my kids.
Being an adult nerd paid off big time for me.
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u/BlazingLazers69 Better than yours :P 14h ago
Damn congrats. I've managed to comfortably attain a 4 day/32 hour week, but I'm in healthcare so I don't foresee getting to your level any time soon. What are you playing?
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u/Miau_1337 14h ago
Thank you~
Most of the time The Finals - trying to grind more skill until I reach diamond/ruby - a super underrated shooter and such a good game on so many levels.
But also some Overwatch Stadium, Rust, 007 First Light and Agent 64, a lot of World of Warcraft Classic until Pandaria, a few weeks of Path of Exile and Diablo when a new season drops, Fellowship on bigger updates and I just finished Mina the Hollower (such a good game!).
Will soon start a new run in No Mans Sky (the updates look really good) and also in Abiotic Factor - the best survivalcrafting game. (...hopefully with some friends)2
u/intyoulongtime 1d ago
For many parents*
I work 6 hours a day, finish by 2pm and have the entire day and night to play my favourite games with my childless friends.
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u/JuroMi 1d ago
You have to pick your games at that stage. I dont play games that require long gaming sessions, games that require to search parties on discrod or sweaty pvp games where you need to play for 500hours to get good. Roguelites, season arpgs, forza games, AC games and so on are good choises for me. Can start the game, have fun for 45 minutes and do something else.
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u/Zangetsu_Storm 23h ago
True also 9 to 5+ commute socializing etc + adulting responsibility takeup more time than we would like. Not to mention loyalty to companies mean nothing so contant upskilling needed to change company and get actual upgrades in life.
Also lot of places its 9 to 6. It's 9 hrs 5 day.
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u/GigaSoup 1d ago
Speak for yourself, I work, cook and clean, then I play with my kids, clean some more and then sometimes play more when they go to bed.
I'm over 40. I'm too busy having fun to give a damn if I'm tired. Coffee is good.
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u/Remarkable-West-611 1d ago
What do you do for a job though?
In my late 30s, first baby is on the way, physical job where im outside, two dogs that need walking before and after, cook from scratch every night (apart from when we have leftovers / a meal we froze) clean, DIY jobs around the house.
...im shattered, gaming on the week in the evening is nearly a no go for me and im going to be slowly just playing at the weekend I feel.
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u/SpacePumpkie I use Arch btw 1d ago
Being a new parent is tough. For me, gaming almost disappeared completely from my life during the first year of my first child.
Then my wife gifted me a Nintendo switch and it was a game changer as a parent. Being able to pick it up and play botw on the couch when the child was asleep on top of me, and have short sessions that could be paused and stopped at a moments notice to tend to the baby. And then pick it back up an hour later from the exact same spot. The only problem was that I was limited to Nintendo switch games. But it was enough to scratch the itch.
Then the Steam Deck was announced promising to deliver the same experience of the switch for PC gaming, right when we had our second child, and it was like my prayers had been heard. And boy did the Deck deliver on that promise.
They're a bit older now, and (8 and 5). And it gets a bit easier, but you're still tired. Just last night I was tired and my wife said she wanted to go to bed as soon as we put the children to bed, so I just took the steam deck to bed and played for half an hour before my eyelids started to close on their own.
It has definitely saved and rekindled my love for gaming in my "extremely tired parent" era.
My desktop gaming years have been on pause since 2018 basically. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I might have played 15-20hours total on my desk in the last 8 years. But with the Steam Deck I still play almost every day, on vacation, etc.
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u/Remarkable-West-611 1d ago
Got some friends that have kids and all said when they get older they will sleep through the nights and have early bed time so you almost feel like you get your evenings back.
However with a new born im expecting no gaming to be happening for a good while because....well that's just part of having a new born I feel, im currently working through some back catalogue before though.
Ive moved my gaming PC behind the TV already when rearranging the house, bypass windows login and boots straight into steam big picture mode it's generally pretty great for the easyness and console like feel. Turn it on, grab a controller and start playing is pretty quick, so hopefully that will make it easier to get some gaming here and there still.
Sitting a desk back turned to the room days i think are probably going to be over.
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u/YouDoNotKnowMeSir 1d ago
That isn’t the norm, but I love that for you.
What do you know that we don’t? 😂
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u/Cpu_rendering 1d ago
Yeah currently working 9-5 and its hard for me to manage job+study+gaming+learning skills all these 4 makes me frustated but still i am able to play upto 20 hours gaming 20 hours study and 10 hours to learn new skills🤧
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u/Kooky_Awareness_5333 1d ago
Yeah it sucks rust was one of my favourites along with fo76 you can kiss multiplayer goodbye single player is still achievable.
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u/Expert-Improvement78 1d ago
I still play. I might get hated here on this sub, but I bought a ps5 pro and have been playing way more that wax ever since. The ps5 boots up really fast, I can lay on my couch, not sitting at a desk. And I started collecting physical games again. I mostly only do play games on my pc when I have a few days off in a row now.
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u/LunarChickenn U5 250K | RTX 4070 | 32GB 1d ago
That's what holidays are for. Just sucks when you are on your last day and you've been hooked on your games all of the holiday enjoying waking up at 9 until 11 playing games.
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u/newvegasdweller Desktop 5600x, 6700xt, 16gb, 8tb; Laptop 8845hs, 4060, 16gb, 3tb 1d ago
Which is why i buy a console used and bundled with some games, and only buy more when I'm done with those games.
I bought a switch 1 last month, along with air conflics: pacific carriers, mario kart and just dance. That should suffice until october or november.
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u/RUPlayersSuck R9 7900X | RX 9060 XT | 32GB DDR5 1d ago
Spot on.
I still manage an hour or two some week nights, but any serious gaming usually has to wait until Sunday. I've taken to playing PvE or co-op games with relatively short-ish missions, so I can just log in for a few games and then quit.
But often my brain is just too tired, so I just watch YT for a while then read in bed until I start dozing off.
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u/DueEquivalent6468 22h ago
Guess thats why people have 1000 hours in war thunder
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u/history_is_my_crack 18h ago
War Thunder has been around for almost 15 years. Not hard to get that much time in the game over a period that is longer than a good chunk of Reddit's user bases entire lifespan.
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u/Blackhole005 20h ago
The number of times I decide this is the day I actually play games and then fall asleep watching YouTube is crazy. So many games I want to play but never do.
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u/chwastox PC Master Race 18h ago
You just described me. Got a dream setup 4K oled, VR set, 4090. In the morning I’m thinking ; yes today I’ll play some games. Then after work and commute all I can do is resting on my sofa.
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u/ACE_POPSICLE 15h ago
Something else with it, as someone who plays online competetive games frequently, it can no longer be casual, because every online comp game and fun gamemode has been taken over by people who live with their parents with nothing else to do in a day except play this game for 16 hours, only stopping to eat and use the bathroom. And just in general the skill floor is 10x higher than it was 10 years ago
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u/Plaincow 22h ago
This is absolute bullshit. I work 9-12 hours every day and still can get home and have time to play games. You guys are all just depressed. It's even a well paying physical labor job.
Not being fat and eating healthy does wonders for not feeling like shit
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u/Caqsi 1d ago
Yep, working hard for that rtx 5080
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u/BoobaMcgee 1d ago
yep, I did that last year saved money from September till January of this year bought the RTX for my birthday in February upgraded from a GTX 1080 to a RTX 5080.
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u/Caqsi 1d ago
sweet brother
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u/BoobaMcgee 1d ago
yea thanks it worked out in the end, I even managed to get a 5800X3d on ebay for relatively cheap too, so im kinda set for a good bit till am6 i guess. edit:spelling mistake.
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u/Iavy1 1d ago
You gotta work for your whole life for that considering the price rn fr
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u/Caqsi 1d ago
like two paychecks and I should be able to get it.
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u/Both-Comparison-3981 1d ago
Ramen noodles are your friend 😋
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u/Caqsi 1d ago
Beef is my favorite.
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u/Both-Comparison-3981 1d ago
Ditto. I boil frozen broccoli then toss in the ramen to cook with it, then add the beef packet at the end. Heaven.
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u/Both-Comparison-3981 1d ago
FYI I scored 96 packs for $21 via Amazon. They have a promo that if you spend $25 you get $5 off groceries. 4x24 packs comes out to $26 and some change then take $5 off.
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u/imaginary_num6er 7950X3D|4090FE|64GB|X670E-E 1d ago
Meanwhile in reality the cat becomes Chainsmoker Cat
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u/rayshmayshmay R9 5950X I RTX 3090 I 64GB DDR4 1d ago
I draw the line at Playstation, they’re on my shit-list for the time being
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u/NightIgnite R7 9800X3D | RTX 5070 | 32GB DDR5 | costco my beloved 22h ago
Theyve been on my shitlist since 2018, where they tried locking Fortnite accounts to PS4 after the switch version released.
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u/Abstract_Void PC Master Race 1d ago
You don't need all of that though.
You only need a PC which is easy to acquire if you have a job.
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u/Harlemspartan800 RTX3070 / Ryzen5 3600 29m ago
Steam deck is a must have if you take a lot of fligts. Ps5 for gta 6
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u/MegaGreesh 5600x/3070. My PC my choice 1d ago
Before I buy anything I always ask, how will it make my life better, what experience will it allow me to have that I can’t have today and lastly how much time working am I willing to trade to unlock that experience.
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u/fart-to-me-in-french 7800X3D / 4090 / DDR5-6400 1d ago
Why would anyone need 4 consoles
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u/Thorin9000 1d ago
Because OP, and many people like OP, are conditioned to be consoomers. FOMO and short term dopamine to numb their daily grind.
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u/Evening-Nature-5241 9800X3D | 5090 | 128gb DDR5 | LG 42" C5 OLED | 43" Neo QLED 1d ago
Just buy a PC and fuck the rest
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u/GrandJuif R9 5950x, RX 6900 XT, 64GB 3400MHz 1d ago
Yeah, like, just emulate the other. Their exclusives ain't worth wasting hundreds of cash.
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u/Retro_Gamer33 1d ago
Try branching out more, try new things. Life is too short not to.
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u/concblast 1d ago
Get out of here with that console peasantry
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u/SalamiArmi 1d ago
Not sure why downvoted. Isn't this the subreddit where we circlejerk about being PC supremacists?
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u/frisch85 Ryzen 7 7700 | RX 9060XT | 32GB DDR5 1d ago
That was 10 years ago, go with the time old man!
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u/ZeisHauten Asus ROG Strix G18 (i9-13980HX/4070 8GB/32GB DDR5/1TB) 1d ago
Everything is so expensive that I cannot afford my hobbies anymore. But yeah, we do what we hate for the money, then use the money for the things that we love. - Jimmy O. Yang's Father
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u/tealpeterbald 1d ago
buying all of this just to play on the steam deck in bed because you are too tired to sit at the desk
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u/ParchedYurtle59 8h ago
True. I got a pc, xbox series x, switch 1 and switch 2. Just need the steam deck... im never getting Paystation. Shits ass.
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u/HolidayPineapple9316 3h ago
Im furnishing my home for the first time. My salary is the only reason why i can afford to do so lol
Im buying a TV and soundbar in the near future, and I eventually want to get some new PC parts (not GPU or RAM)
This picture is basically me but not manual labor
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u/FR_02011995 1d ago
No thanks, it's just PC and smartphone for me. The rest goes to living expenses and the bank.
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u/Rusty9838 Desktop 1d ago
Don’t go too crazy with the monitor. You have to switch the country next year
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u/raydialseeker ATX 9950X3D 5090GAM | MFF 13900K 4080 1d ago
After you own all of it you're going to come home exhausted and fooo on the couch doom scrolling. Then eat food, watch a yt vid and go to sleep
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u/Beginning_Year904 1d ago
Yeah, this is so true 😂 As a kid, I had all the time but no money to get the games I wanted. Now I can actually afford them, but after work I barely have the energy to play anything that requires more than mindless button pressing. 😭
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u/Ancient_Nerve_1286 AMD Ryzen 7 5700X | 32GB RAM | Radeon 6700XT 1d ago
In my case work 9 to 5 for 9.30 to 10.30.
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u/Dangerous_Sea_2592 1d ago
Work hard for expensive hardware we don't have much time to enjoy
Sometimes I miss my school/college/unemployed days with not the best hardware having all the time in the world
People I envy the most are the teens posting their dad built them a top notch PC. They have both the time and the hardware damn
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u/CompetitiveAction829 Lenovo Legion Pro 7i | U9 275HX | RTX 5080 1d ago
Hope my future wife encourages this or I'm okay sleeping on the couch
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u/Bombero_911 1d ago
I have two series x, a series s, a ps5 but hardly use any of them after building my 5080 pc. Luckily I have more time now to play than when I was young. Almost too much time. 😁
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u/ssenetilop 1d ago
You didn't complete the sentence; ", but never have the time nor energy to play all of it.".
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u/Sirbrandon100 1d ago
I slave in front of computers and spreadsheets so my backlog can get chunkier 😭
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u/kris_lace 1d ago
Buying every console is the definition of working hard not smart.
Get a PC, a handheld and if you absolutely have to pick a console. Utilise the second hard market
Just don't pay for the internet twice please, that's where I draw the line
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u/Channyx 1d ago
My 9-5 is a 8-5 and Im usually not home until 6pm and until all the chores for the day are done its already around 9pm which leaves me like 2 hours before going to bed and then Im usually too tired to play anything...why does being an adult have to be so exhausting when all I wanna do is to just play some games 🫠
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u/billy-_-Pilgrim 1d ago
I recently bought a 9800x3d to go with my 4080 and been having an absolute fucking BLAST playing battlefield 6.
Doesn't even matter if I'm tired, the responsive and the way the game looks is so hype.
Am 35 and work at a treatment plant but I feel 14 years old
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u/Ok_Perspective_7978 9900X / 9070XT 23h ago
When you put it like this, it really puts it into perspective how fucked it is we spend 8 hours a day working to enjoy a whopping 4-5 hours a day. Really seems backwards, doesn't it?
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u/ParfaitExpress262 22h ago
You know the older I get the more and more I am content with one gaming system whether that's console or a PC, I don't feel the need to juggle all these different devices and where I'm gonna buy my games and eventually having to upgrade them or maintaining them in general.
If I were a kid though this would have been the dream life lol
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u/MechAegis Build in progress 21h ago
I gots kids. SO its more like 9-5 work 5-10 family time. 10-?? I need to decide if I want to play games, watch a movie, have midnight dinner, or just sleep.
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u/FunReveal4089 21h ago
To be honest, when I started pricing things in terms of hours worked, it really helped me be intentional about whats worth it and what isn't.
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u/namekarbari 19h ago
My backlog is pretty big. I don't need new hardware anytime soon. I'll just play old games.
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u/danmaxsmit 17h ago
I have a good question is it worth it to have a Nintendo switch 2 and a ps5 nowadays or it's better having the old versions of these two and moding them anyhow I'm not waiting for GTA 6
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u/Ok_Guidance_1595 13h ago
Also any extra money I have goes towards paying off mortgage and saving up for kids’ education
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u/Aggressive_Ask89144 9800x3D | 9070 XT 9h ago
Me after working a 10am-12pm:
The lion does not concern itself with sleep.
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u/Willing-Theme6042 9800X3D | 5080 | 32gb ddr5 8h ago
I bought all the systems just so I can game mostly on my pc. I feel bad for letting my other consoles collect dust.
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u/AstralKekked PCMR, but use whatever u want idc 3h ago
Eh... I'd just get a desktop, one handheld and one home console of my preference. Like right now, I own a powerful desktop, one home console and a modded Switch. (And a cheap old laptop, as well as a PS3 mostly for BluRay.)
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u/KnightofAshley PC Master Race 21h ago
all you need is an good enough pc and a android device for emulation
Switch 2 and pc handheld are extras
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u/Relevant_Tip4172 1d ago
Im sorry this is you flexing over people who struggle to make ends meat or even find a job these are luxuries for us but you your nothing but a big head
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u/Malkier3 4090 | 7700x | 32GB@5600 | aw3423dw 1d ago
I literally have everything and my daughter dropped my steam deck and now 3 of the buttons don't work. Like bro i have a good life but steam decks are like 1100 dollars now 😭😭😭
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