First, understand that the job of being a therapist, helping a depressed person feel better, and ensuring they don't kill themselves, is one that takes years of study and training. It's not something you can just do because you want to help. Yes, having a friend who wants to help can be vital for a depressed person. Magically fixing someone because you say the right thing at the right moment is not how that works. It's more about being there and caring about them.
Second, I see you responding to what your friend says as something that he means literally rather than emotionally, and I get a sense that you think if you can prove the statement is wrong, your friend will cheer up and feel better. That's not how this works. Catching him in a logical fallacy like "so do you hate me?" will not lead to "oh I guess I don't hate everybody after all." It is likely to lead to "I can't even express my misery properly."
So, my suggestions. Stop making suggestions. Stop telling him it's not that bad. If you need to contradict him, do so in a way that is not about him.
I hate everyone and everything.
Ooof, that must be unpleasant. I hope it doesn't last too long. And don't worry, everyone doesn't hate you back. For example I am your friend.
Then say something about the game you're playing or the subject you talked about before, don't blatantly change the subject, but carry on the conversation.
I want to -thing-, but -stupid excuse-.
That's rough. I want to -thing- too. Maybe there's a way we could do it together?
or -
I know, I remember you wanted to -thing.- Anyway I can help get past the -stupid excuse-? Or is there some other way to get there?
You're mentally healthy so you know that not having clean socks shouldn't keep someone from reading a book, or that if it does for some weird reason then you can do the damn laundry, but your friend is having problems in that part of his life. Dismissing these difficulties, or describing his failures as making half hearted attempts and giving up, is failing to understand the realities of being depressed and of having issues with executive function.
Sometimes people benefit from a friend who is physically present and brings them a cup of tea or coffee, suggests going for a walk together, or just sits with them and doesn't judge. Other times they benefit from an online friend who tells jokes and stories, asks for their opinion, reminds them they have some skills and abilities. Always they benefit from someone who doesn't judge them, doesn't tell them they're being depressed wrong, doesn't dismiss their actual symptoms as stuff they should just stop doing so they can feel better.
You can tell them, truthfully, that it's hard to listen to these rants if you want. You can tell them what you would like to do instead of listening to the rant. That might or might not work. But if you don't understand where the rant is coming from and what it means, you're not going to fix it with a single suggestion of something that would take a lot of work to implement, like going to therapy or reading a book and doing what it says.
