Tech Savvy Dad

Play Expo returned to Manchester this month, so I convinced my youngest that he would love to go and then managed to convince my wife to come along too.

Play Expo is like a touring gaming paradise, with the opportunity to play on your favourite computers from decades ago (who remembers Dizzy on ZX Spectrum?) all the way to present day world dominators like Minecraft and Fortnite.  Play Expo has been coming to Manchester for some time now on an annual basis and having been a few times before its always a good day.

Its not just about playing games, well it is really.... but there are also lots of presentations and live activities to get involved in, along with a cosplay competition if thats your thing.

We arrived nice and early, as some of the more popular attractions can get busy, so its always good to get to them first so you don't have to wait in queues.

On todays list was trying out PSVR - the Virtual Reality headset for PS4.  I have been considering buying a unit but really wanted to have a go first, as sometimes I don't always agree too well with certain VR setups.

 The arcade section is always on the list. Play Expo have around 100 machines usually, from full original OutRun sit in cabinets to some of the very first space invaders machines.

Pinball comes next, with somewhere in the region of 100 tables to choose from, this section is always busy.  Everything is free to play and there are always queues at certain tables.

Anything retro usually gets a visit, especially anything new - by this I mean any new ways to play retro games on modern setups!

And then there are the stalls.  The sellers who have so much techy, geeky, stuff that you always remember exactly why you didn't bring your credit card when you get there.


So how was it?

As good as ever.  My youngest loved the arcade machines, especially pacman and outrun. He loved the fortnite section and FIFA.   I loved the arcades and the section dedicated to Antstream, a new service for playing retro games. Tech Mum really enjoyed the pinball, actually beating my score on the Adams Family table.....

I was glad I tried out PSVR. I had one go on Driveclub VR and after a few minutes started to feel strange!  I dropped out and decided that maybe it would be better experienced with your own setup and adjustments as the settings weren't quite right which left my view out of focus at times.

The stalls didn't get much of our funds this time round, not because there wasn't anything to buy, but because we are trying to save for our next holiday so impulse buys have gone on hold for the time being!   We did have a go on the tombola however and walked away with a few prizes and plenty of sweets.

So, next time Play Expo is in your region, if you like anything to do with games new or old, I would get yourself there. Its a fun day, and one of the only ways you can show your kids the games you loved growing up without spending a fortune on systems!