The community is excitedly discussing whether one can still afford a gaming PC soon. Will one only be able to afford a gaming console like an Xbox or PS5 soon?
If you want to play current or modern titles, you need a powerful gaming PC. Games like Starfield have high system requirements and demand powerful hardware. They can also be started with weak hardware, but many players do not want to compromise on details or features.
Many players now fear: In a few years, PC gaming may no longer be affordable. In that case, even a PlayStation or an Xbox would be the better option, because at least you could enjoy games in high detail for little money.
Hardware has been getting more expensive for years
What is the problem for users? Some players explain on reddit that PC gaming has become increasingly expensive in recent years: A few years ago, one could put together a mid-range PC for 500 euros, and it would run all games.
Today, you have to invest more than 1,000 euros for a mid-range PC to even come close to keeping up. Some games now require an SSD for good performance.
Many users also like to refer to the current prices that gaming hardware costs:
- A few years ago, one paid 300 to 400 euros for a so-called mid-range graphics card. Now, for the same performance, you pay more like between 600 and 700 euros.
- Very fast graphics cards needed for high resolutions, such as WQHD (1440p) and 4K, can easily cost 1,000 euros or more.
You can easily pay 2,000 euros for really powerful gaming PCs. Some ask themselves whether it is even worth investing 1,500 euros in a GPU, if the graphics card will be outdated next year. After all, you cannot buy a new graphics card every year to use all features.
In principle, some say, the high prices are not a problem of PC gaming but a general problem. Overall, prices are rising, whether for food, computers, or rent. SmokeLuna writes:
Five years ago, a friend and I rented an entire house for 2,400 US dollars. 2 bedrooms + office upstairs and a basement apartment.
Now, one bedroom costs that much.
Others say: There will always be people who can and will buy a high-end graphics card, like an RTX 4090 or an RX 7900 XTX. And there will always be people who buy a smartphone for 1,500 euros.
But for the majority of players, such hardware is simply too expensive.
Is the console really the better alternative to a PC?
Console gaming is cheaper: The argument for consoles like the Xbox or PS5 comes up again and again. For an Xbox or PS5, you pay around 500 euros; a decent gaming PC is significantly more expensive.
Therefore, there are also voices within the PC community advocating for the purchase of a console: If you only want to game “a few hours” a week and do nothing else, then a PS5 or Xbox is completely sufficient. The 500 euros are better invested than if you spend 1,500 euros on a computer that only gets used for 3 hours a week. Hail_Goku explains:
If you just want to play and the budget is tight, you should buy a console.
Expensive multiplayer, missing games, and cost traps: However, there are also reasons against a console:
- For multiplayer, in some cases, a paid subscription is necessary. Especially after the price increase at PS Plus, this can become expensive in the long run. After all, you can easily pay 100 euros a year.
- Console games cost on average between 10 and 20 euros more than PC games.
- Many games are not supported by PlayStation and Xbox and often only come out for PC. Such as games like Lost Ark or dozens of popular indie titles.
- Other people simply do not like controller controls and find shooters with a mouse much more intuitive.
- The biggest criticism, however, is that consoles only represent the technological progress of the current point in time. A PS5 or Xbox Series X is already “outdated” shortly after release because PC hardware is already a generation ahead.
Some point out that precisely the flexibility is the great advantage of PCs compared to consoles. Because with a computer you can determine how much you want to spend yourself (via reddit.com):
I mean, PC games can be as cheap or expensive as they want. For me personally, PC games are the better investment, even if they cost more money. You have more freedom and a much much much larger selection of games for all PCs.
UnsettlingDwarf
New consoles already in 2024, PC hardware probably only in 2025
What’s next? In the console sector, there has been talk of new hardware or at least upgrades to existing hardware for a while:
- There has been speculation about a Nintendo Switch 2 for a while, which could appear sometime in 2024.
- A leak already indicated that Microsoft could launch a new Xbox console in 2024.
- There are also discussions about a new model of the PS5. However, Sony remains tight-lipped here. Instead, new accessories for the PS5 should be released in 2024.
The PC sector looks a bit slimmer (for now). More processors and graphics cards for gamers will definitely appear in the coming months and years, that is quite certain.
There are already rumors about a possible RTX 5090, as this GPU could once again overshadow the current generation. However, many sources suspect that the RTX 5000 series will not come out until 2025 at the earliest.
A gamer has now discovered an RTX 5090, but it is not what it seems:
Gamer finds crazy RTX 5090 Ti, but you can’t even buy the Nvidia graphics card yet
Another adds:
I can’t believe we have reached a time when the most upvoted comment on a post at “PC Master Race” is to get a console, it really is a sad time for PC gamers.
A third adds and explains that the console of the current generation is anyway better than the PC (via reddit.com):
You might get downvoted for mentioning this, but yes, PC gaming has been unaffordable for a while. Consoles actually offer better value this generation.
Anyway, Sony and Microsoft support their consoles over many years. If you buy a PS5 or an Xbox Series X now, you will still be easily provided with modern games for the next few years.
Games should be better optimized: Many games are in a technically poor state on PC. This is also a reason, players say, to play modern titles rather on a console. Starfield runs better on an Xbox than on a gaming PC.
Expensive multiplayer, missing games, and cost traps: However, there are also reasons against a console:
- For multiplayer, in some cases, a paid subscription is necessary. Especially after the price increase at PS Plus, this can become expensive in the long run. After all, you can easily pay 100 euros a year.
- Console games cost on average between 10 and 20 euros more than PC games.
- Many games are not supported by PlayStation and Xbox and often only come out for PC. Such as games like Lost Ark or dozens of popular indie titles.
- Other people simply do not like controller controls and find shooters with a mouse much more intuitive.
- The biggest criticism, however, is that consoles only represent the technological progress of the current point in time. A PS5 or Xbox Series X is already “outdated” shortly after release because PC hardware is already a generation ahead.
Some point out that precisely the flexibility is the great advantage of PCs compared to consoles. Because with a computer you can determine how much you want to spend yourself (via reddit.com):
I mean, PC games can be as cheap or expensive as they want. For me personally, PC games are the better investment, even if they cost more money. You have more freedom and a much much much larger selection of games for all PCs.
UnsettlingDwarf
New consoles already in 2024, PC hardware probably only in 2025
What’s next? In the console sector, there has been talk of new hardware or at least upgrades to existing hardware for a while:
- There has been speculation about a Nintendo Switch 2 for a while, which could appear sometime in 2024.
- A leak already indicated that Microsoft could launch a new Xbox console in 2024.
- There are also discussions about a new model of the PS5. However, Sony remains tight-lipped here. Instead, new accessories for the PS5 should be released in 2024.
The PC sector looks a bit slimmer (for now). More processors and graphics cards for gamers will definitely appear in the coming months and years, that is quite certain.
There are already rumors about a possible RTX 5090, as this GPU could once again overshadow the current generation. However, many sources suspect that the RTX 5000 series will not come out until 2025 at the earliest.
A gamer has now discovered an RTX 5090, but it is not what it seems:
Gamer finds crazy RTX 5090 Ti, but you can’t even buy the Nvidia graphics card yet
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!