Remember when you got your birthday present and you didn't get batteries? And you had to go down the shops and then put them in? I used to think that was annoying.

So my boy has a birthday, and he's got a combined birthday and Christmas present, and his sister will be using it, as will ...uh, I. For years to come. It's a Playstation 4 Pro. (yeah, yeah; it's expensive but I've thought it through)

Step 1: Unwrap.
No clam-shell packaging! Hurrah!

Step 2: Plug it in.
Power. HDMI. Done. Works.

Step 3: Turn it on.
Setup a user. Easy.

Aaaaaand now we descend into hell. Note that this is the edited version and I've left out all the to-and-fro.

Step 4: Start setup
Connect to Wi-Fi. Typing using a controller sucks, but is manageable.

Step 5: It's alive!
"There is a required system update". Urhg. Download. Install. Luckily quite small.

Step 6: Play the Game!
Overwatch. This requires a Playstation Plus account to do anything. Nope. : (

Step 7: Setup a PS Plus account.
Pick a username. Taken. Another. Taken. Another. Taken. All the while typing using a damn controller letter-by-letter. **** it; add numbers to the end. Password. Nope; not good enough. I beg to differ. I can't. Try another we're sure to forget now. Aaaargh.

Step 8: Verify PS Plus account.
Ugh. Go to other room. Startup up PC. Log in. Can't because I've set parental controls. Log in as me. Kid checks his email. Can't as he forgot his password. Get password reset to my account. Reset password. Nope; not good enough. Again I ... ugh, OK. New password he is going to forget. Log in as him. Verify the PS Plus account.

Step 9: Log in. Again.
Hurrah! It works.

Step 10. 40 minutes later - Play the Game!
Nope. "A required update must be installed." It's 12GB! Estimated download time 6hrs.

Addendum: Luckily I caught the machine turning itself off and cancelling, entirely, the download. Now setup to not do that.


I am so, so sick of user accounts and passwords and updates.