What is the motivation for building a PC exclusively for gaming when one can have gaming consoles for less than half of the price?

[Arbaaz360]

I am not biased towards either. I love both. I understand that unlike a gaming console, a computer is much more. There is so much that you can do on a computer. But there are people who build PC exclusively for gaming. An high end GPU alone would cost 3 times the price of PS5.
And it's not just GPU, you also need to spend of adequate cooler, case, motherboard, etc etc. The cost is significantly more. Is it only because there are few games which are more situated to be played on a computer? (keyboard and mouse) What am I missing?

 

[SkyNetRising]

What am I missing?

It's all about control.
With pc you control every single component, that goes into your pc.
You can tune it to your every requirement, aesthetic preference and budget.
With consoles you have none of it (or extremely limited customization options).

 

[logainofhades]

Better visuals and FPS, vs console, also.

 

[kanewolf]

I am not biased towards either. I love both. I understand that unlike a gaming console, a computer is much more. There is so much that you can do on a computer. But there are people who build PC exclusively for gaming. An high end GPU alone would cost 3 times the price of PS5.
And it's not just GPU, you also need to spend of adequate cooler, case, motherboard, etc etc. The cost is significantly more. Is it only because there are few games which are more situated to be played on a computer? (keyboard and mouse) What am I missing?

I think some of it is hubris. "I can do it better than they can!" and "Look at what I did!"
PC building has become the hot-rod building that dominated adolescent male thinking in the 50s through 70s.

 

[USAFRet]

1. A gaming PC is rarely "only gaming".
twitter, discord, facebook....

2. Game selection. Your desired game does not exist on Platform Whatever.

 

[hotaru.hino]

In addition to what was said, you also have access to basically 20+ years worth of games that you can play with little work or whatnot. Games older than this may not work, but there are ways around that.

I can't play the PS1, PS2, or PS3 games I bought on a PS5. And while Xbox has much better backwards compatibility, it's still pretty much at the mercy of Microsoft to make sure the titles I want are actually supported. And then there's Nintendo.

 

[MJS WARLORD]

You take a console out of the box and use it for games and thats it.
If on the otherhand you buy a pc it will be as good as your wallet will allow and if you struggle with the latest must have games you dont have to throw it away you just upgrade the bits that are struggling to cope. The only time you really need to get a completely new pc is when it is a certain number of years old and just changing 1 part will not be enough , thats the time when you can spend a lot of money , its an endless spiral so turn it off and replace it.

 

[logainofhades]

Yea, I can play very old titles, on my modern high end rig. You have a larger game title selection, on PC.

 

[madmatt30]

I'd find it hard to manage with ony1 choice in all fairness.

I have a ryzen 7/5700xt system as well as a series x with a gamepass ultimate subscription.

Which means I rarely actually purchase games and tend to use the series x more simply because it's more convenient, within 5 second of switching on I can be gaming.

The pc is solely for stuff I can't get on the xbox, I'd have missed stuff like Days gone, Detroit, Horizon etc without it and have a release day order for God Of War which looks insanely good.

Do I acrually have time to make full use ofnboth systems?? No but the fact is the PC setup only cost around £600 total 2 years ago.

Were I in the unenviable position of thinking about buying a system to game on at this current time I would without a doubt just go with a Series X with gamepass and call it a day, its a solidly impressive console and the price of pc components at the moments is absolutely insane to the point of just not being worth it.

 

[USAFRet]

Yea, I can play very old titles, on my modern high end rig. You have a larger game title selection, on PC.

Indeed.
I was just thinking about another run through of Quake I on my Win 11 box...lol

 

[logainofhades]

Another bonus, is PC can be upgraded, and outlive a console, with regards to usefulness. New shiny console comes out, and the old one gets left behind, for new games. Custom PC, you just upgrade what you need, and enjoy the new titles, and the old ones, all in one box. Your old GPU, for instance, might not be enough for your needs, but chances are there is someone out there that would love to have it. Say you are a 4k gamer, and need a new GPU. I am sure there is a 1080p gamer out there that could make really good use of old GPU. They can also enjoy new titles, that a leftover console could not.

 

[hotaru.hino]

There's also the fact that Sony and Microsoft sell their consoles at a loss and make up the difference through software licensing and subscriptions. If you were try to find the equivalent or as-equivalent-as-possible parts for a PC, you'd easily spend 50%-100% more.

I've found trying to discuss the merits of one or the other through cost, frankly, a stupid thing. There are so many variables involved and one side or the other will just say you're wrong for not using the variables that are biased towards them.

 

[FoxInFlames]

Many,
A Gaming PC is not just a gaming PC, you can do video editing, makes games if you are a developer/programmer, use it as a usual (albeit beefed up) desktop as well, particularly this is a major plus point for me being a college goer since now we have to submit assignments and do stuff online in this pandemic, so my laptop fills all my gaming + generic needs.

 

[emitfudd]

While I think some game mods are available on consoles, the majority of them are for PC only, correct me if I'm wrong.

On some games you can also go into the ini files and modify settings.

You can make a backup of your save files.

 

[Steven chinlung]

I am not biased towards either. I love both. I understand that unlike a gaming console, a computer is much more. There is so much that you can do on a computer. But there are people who build PC exclusively for gaming. An high end GPU alone would cost 3 times the price of PS5.
And it's not just GPU, you also need to spend of adequate cooler, case, motherboard, etc etc. The cost is significantly more. Is it only because there are few games which are more situated to be played on a computer? (keyboard and mouse) What am I missing?

This kind of question are always aired by a lot of people, this is my answer, based on my opinion. console makes it easy for you to play games because you dont have to worry about complicated installations and stuffs, just put in your game drive (cd) that you have bought or buy the game from the online store, download it, and play. The controller usually comes as a standart too so simply put, all u have to do is just plug the cable, turn it on, insert your game , have a sit, and play. PC is a little bit complicated tho because even if it’s made for gaming and stuffs, you have to install your own operating system, install specific driver for ur hardware , install the game, and other ‘complicated’ stuffs, but this is the part where it gets interesting. PC is very very upgradable, u can choose ur own hardware for gaming, and if newer games are coming and it requires greater specs then all u have to do is swap ur hardware, maybe ur graphics card, processor, or ram. u cant do this kind of thing with console so if new games with higher requirements are released then u might not be able to play it because its only available for the next gen console or even if its playable the graphics will not be that good. Expensive graphic cards that is 3x more expensive than ps5 will deliver better both performance and quality, since you are able to choose the graphics quality in all kind of pc games, as long as u have the right monitor for that. Other reason is, gaming PC is overclockable meaning that if u need alittle more FPS, u dont have to buy new hardware or even pc for that, u just have to overclock it and u will gain more fos and performance.Both console and PC have their own charm, console is simple and practical, and on the other hand PC is reliable, upgradable, and as it is not made specifically for gaming (even if its a gaming PC, its still a PC anyway), then u can do a lot more with pc such as video editing, programming, even to create your own game . So choose wisely guys, both are great but there are + and -

 

[Will-E]

Overclocking is surprisingly fun, bought my rig to get a high end gaming machine that is btw way better than what the consoles achieve (my point being that there aren't many console models, there is still a lot of performance to be gained from going above the consoles). As said though, it was very entertaining to learn overclocking, managing my pc in general and learning a lot. I like to tinker and be in control of my stuff, simply put. FYI I was on xbox for 6 years, I'm 16 now so I've consistently been playing on consoles for most of my "childhood". very happy with the move to pc.

 

[danmantheman]

I am not biased towards either. I love both. I understand that unlike a gaming console, a computer is much more. There is so much that you can do on a computer. But there are people who build PC exclusively for gaming. An high end GPU alone would cost 3 times the price of PS5.
And it's not just GPU, you also need to spend of adequate cooler, case, motherboard, etc etc. The cost is significantly more. Is it only because there are few games which are more situated to be played on a computer? (keyboard and mouse) What am I missing?

removed by Moderator


Also, I don't think consoles are always cheaper:
Imagine that a few years ago, at the height of the ps4/xbox one era, you spend 800$ on a gaming PC setup (used parts) (also lets also not include the monitor/TV in the price, because I assume we aren't including it with the consoles price)

It would still be a decent gaming pc today, and would be able to play any game you want. It wouldn't have any ray tracing, but it wouldn't look bad, and it would cost equal to or more than 800$ to buy a ps4 and then a ps5, or an xbox one and then an xbox series.

So if you bought a ps4 back then, it would be 400$, and then you would buy a ps5 digital edition today for 400$ (lol!), it would cost just as much as that gaming pc.

However, I wouldn't recommend that to someone who just casually games and isn't a computer nerd like me. The real reason I would personally chose the pc over the two consoles is because I like to mod and over clock and do everything that is related to gaming but isn't actually gaming.

 

[drewthebrave]

PC gaming is far more flexible. A capable rig might cost $1,000+, but it'll outperform consoles easily for years to come. PC gaming requires a bit more knowledge and may require some occasional tweaking to get the best performance, but it offers a higher performance ceiling. Also, you can play games from 10-20 years ago easily -- which isn't necessarily the case with consoles. I built my last PC in 2013 for around $1,000 and it lasted me until 2021 with one GPU upgrade along the way. If you're smart about your builds & upgrades, it doesn't have to be prohibitively expensive to build a high-performance rig (current GPU market excluded...). The higher cost of the hardware is somewhat offset by the utility of the system (it can do far more than just gaming), and the massive library of affordable games frequently on sale (Steam, Epic, GOG, etc).

Consoles are great for exclusives (Nintendo & Sony especially) and are simple plug & play machines, which is very appealing. I love playing games on the go with my Switch, and have always had a PlayStation (1-5) for the exclusives (Gran Turismo, God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, Last of Us, etc). If you can find a PS5 or Series X, they're great values at MSRP if you just want to play games without troubleshooting drivers, compatibility, or swapping out hardware.

 

[Phaaze88]

I believe the 2 platforms aren't even in the same league.
Console: entertainment/recreation.
PC: entertainment/recreation, work, school, trading, banking, shopping, etc...
PC can do so much more than just gaming only(which would be a very expensive investment for just that) and I think the price for that versatility is justified - not some of the ongoing prices out there, those are ridiculous.

Console exclusives? Ehh, they make their way to PC one way or another...
Consoles are more convenient, and require little thinking or planning.
PC has quite the learning curve - heck, you learn something new with it like every year - and it can overwhelm newcomers, driving some back to console.

Prebuilt PCs can be a bit more limited. You give up some functionality for more convenience.
The proprietary hardware contained in some of them neuter upgrades, forcing you to buy a brand new PC, which can end up being more expensive than upgrading DIYPC - depending on how frequent parts are changed.
Those businesses do want to make some extra money off you, after all.

 

[Arbaaz360]

In addition to what was said, you also have access to basically 20+ years worth of games that you can play with little work or whatnot. Games older than this may not work, but there are ways around that.

I can't play the PS1, PS2, or PS3 games I bought on a PS5. And while Xbox has much better backwards compatibility, it's still pretty much at the mercy of Microsoft to make sure the titles I want are actually supported. And then there's Nintendo.

I really doubt that people who spend truck load of money on GUI and other supporting accessories, do it because they want to play old games. Generally, people have access to a computer on which they can run these old games without it being a "gaming PC". There is no need for spending that extra cash on high end GPU etc unless you want to play the latest games which can also be played on consoles. May be some games are PC exclusive but most of them can be played on console.

 

[Arbaaz360]

I believe the 2 platforms aren't even in the same league.
Console: entertainment/recreation.
PC: entertainment/recreation, work, school, trading, banking, shopping, etc...
PC can do so much more than just gaming only(which would be a very expensive investment for just that) and I think the price for that versatility is justified - not some of the ongoing prices out there, those are ridiculous.

Console exclusives? Ehh, they make their way to PC one way or another...
Consoles are more convenient, and require little thinking or planning.
PC has quite the learning curve - heck, you learn something new with it like every year - and it can overwhelm newcomers, driving some back to console.

Prebuilt PCs can be a bit more limited. You give up some functionality for more convenience.
The proprietary hardware contained in some of them neuter upgrades, forcing you to buy a brand new PC, which can end up being more expensive than upgrading DIYPC - depending on how frequent parts are changed.
Those businesses do want to make some extra money off you, after all.

As I mentioned in my post myself , I agree that PC is more than just gaming. But generally people have access to decent inexpensive PC that could take care of your productivity, entertainment etc. Now if they decide they want to play games, they have two choices.

1. Spend X amount on console.
2. Spend 3X amount on GPU and other supporting accessories.

It somehow doesn't make sense to me. The only valid reason for spending that much on your PC to make it a "Gaming PC" could be game selection. Or the fact that I would rather play COD on a PC with a mouse than using a Playstation controller. I don't see any other reason.

 

[Arbaaz360]

Overclocking is surprisingly fun, bought my rig to get a high end gaming machine that is btw way better than what the consoles achieve (my point being that there aren't many console models, there is still a lot of performance to be gained from going above the consoles). As said though, it was very entertaining to learn overclocking, managing my pc in general and learning a lot. I like to tinker and be in control of my stuff, simply put. FYI I was on xbox for 6 years, I'm 16 now so I've consistently been playing on consoles for most of my "childhood". very happy with the move to pc.

The fact that one enjoys tinkering with PC to play games doesnt sound like a good reason to spend all that extra cash on building a gaming pc. As for performance, I have never seen any game stutter on a gaming console it was meant for. PC might give some extra frame rate but is it really that noticeable and make gaming significantly more enjoyable? I am asking because I haven't played on a VERY high end PC.

 

[Arbaaz360]

This kind of question are always aired by a lot of people, this is my answer, based on my opinion. console makes it easy for you to play games because you dont have to worry about complicated installations and stuffs, just put in your game drive (cd) that you have bought or buy the game from the online store, download it, and play. The controller usually comes as a standart too so simply put, all u have to do is just plug the cable, turn it on, insert your game , have a sit, and play. PC is a little bit complicated tho because even if it’s made for gaming and stuffs, you have to install your own operating system, install specific driver for ur hardware , install the game, and other ‘complicated’ stuffs, but this is the part where it gets interesting. PC is very very upgradable, u can choose ur own hardware for gaming, and if newer games are coming and it requires greater specs then all u have to do is swap ur hardware, maybe ur graphics card, processor, or ram. u cant do this kind of thing with console so if new games with higher requirements are released then u might not be able to play it because its only available for the next gen console or even if its playable the graphics will not be that good. Expensive graphic cards that is 3x more expensive than ps5 will deliver better both performance and quality, since you are able to choose the graphics quality in all kind of pc games, as long as u have the right monitor for that. Other reason is, gaming PC is overclockable meaning that if u need alittle more FPS, u dont have to buy new hardware or even pc for that, u just have to overclock it and u will gain more fos and performance.Both console and PC have their own charm, console is simple and practical, and on the other hand PC is reliable, upgradable, and as it is not made specifically for gaming (even if its a gaming PC, its still a PC anyway), then u can do a lot more with pc such as video editing, programming, even to create your own game . So choose wisely guys, both are great but there are + and -

IMO I would only spend extra on GPU if I am keen on playing certain games that are either not available on console OR if they are more suited to be playing on PC using a mouse for example : COD.

Yes PC is highly upgradable but does that really show? I mean of all the games I have played on console, not a single one stuttered on the console it was meant to be played on. Frame rates are quite decent on consoles. Yes you can get extra frame rates on PC but do they really add any significant value? I have personally never played on a super high end PC so I wouldn't know. But if you have, I am eager toknow.

 

[FoxInFlames]

Well, let's see it this way

A PS5 in India:- 50k INR
A decent (not gaming) laptop with an i5:- 56k

A very good gaming laptop with a good GPU (namely Asus tuf f15, with an RTX 3060):- 89k

I don't need to say anything more, i guess

Yes PC is highly upgradable but does that really show? I mean of all the games I have played on console, not a single one stuttered on the console it was meant to be played on. Frame rates are quite decent on consoles. Yes you can get extra frame rates on PC but do they really add any significant value? I have personally never played on a super high end PC so I wouldn't know. But if you have, I am eager toknow.

 

[FoxInFlames]

For additional info, a PS5's GPU equivalent is an RTX 2070, the 3060 is more than capable of meeting that, you get the flexibility of a laptop and the playability of a console at less price than buying both, so it's pretty much everytime better to get a laptop