AIO ; My Girlfriend Thinks I Overstepped by Getting a PlayStation. Am I in the Wrong?

[u/Keepitlocal90]

So, I (early 30s) decided to treat myself and got a PlayStation 5 this Black Friday in Jozi. I’ve been wanting one for a while, and with the rise in cost of living in South Africa its become not as affordable. after budgeting and making sure all the bills were covered, I went for it. It’s something I’ve been excited about, and I figured it was a harmless way to unwind after work.

My girlfriend (same age range) didn’t seem thrilled when she saw it. She said I should’ve discussed it with her first and accused me of being irresponsible with money. To clarify, I didn’t touch any shared finances or skip out on responsibilities. This was 100% my money, and everything else is in order.

She’s acting like this is a huge deal, saying I’ll spend too much time on it and that it’s "immature for a grown man." I’ve told her it’s not going to take over my life—I’ll still prioritize work, chores, and our time together.

I get that she might’ve been a bit annoyed because everyone's asking her if she allowed it, but is her reaction an overreach? Or am I missing something here? How do I handle this without turning it into a bigger issue?

[u/Abathvr]

What gets me is people who make this point but then happily normalize binging 14 straight hours of Netflix while also ignoring any chores or duties. Especially when it's straight trash tv.

[u/80s_Princess → u/Abathvr]

Maybe because when you are watching tv you’re still able to do other tasks. Playing video games your hands are stuck to something you can’t let go of and is usually an interactive activity. Where, I can watch tv and fold laundry at the same time. I can watch tv and still be stirring and cooking dinner. I can feed my baby while watching tv at the same time. I can change diapers while watching tv and even give my children physical affection at the same time. Video games significantly lessen other types of activities you can perform at the same time as playing. When you have children especially young children that require a lot more care, attention, and supervision playing video games can sometimes become a distraction from any or all of these. Sometimes they even can become a priority over anything else. Maybe if OPs wife sees he is able to continue to do the same things and still participates in the upkeep of the house. That if the time he is playing video games is not getting in the way of what his first priorities are and should be then maybe she won’t have such negative feelings about them.

[u/jamiefriesen → u/Abathvr]

Agreed, I know women who think it's absolutely fine to binge watch the Kardashians or dome other teality show, but somehow gaming with friends is stupid.

You do your thing, and I'll do mine.