this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2025
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Normally, id agree. But with pc parts prices being what they are... Its still a "bargin". I hate to use the word bargin here, because the pricing of both pc and consoles is insane
You're not wrong. A 4070ti or a new 5000 series Nvidia costs twice as much as a PS5 pro alone. And not many PCs can have Ray tracing at 60fps on 4k for under $500
I understand that not everyone has the expertise, but for 800$ you can put together a very capable system that will beat the PS5 easily. It will probably include some used parts. You don't need a 4070 in there, not even remotely close.
But yes, obviously the prices have gone up quite a bit over the last years.
Not really. To have games in 4k and 30fps in modern games you need a gpu that is more than half the budget. And you dont even have a cpu, ram, mobo or even case.
Dont get me wrong btw, i will always pick pc because i do way way more than just gaming, but recommending pc for gaming is becoming really hard
Unless I misunderstood something, the PS5 isn't "true 4k", but uses upscaling just like any semi-modern GPU can do as well (DLSS and FSR I think is the AMD version). That changes that equation quite a bit.
I would argue that reocmmending a PC over a (new) console has gotten easier, especially for someone on a budget. Because you can actually get an incredibly competent machine these days (used of course). Even if you decide to pay more to get a better PC, you then have access to the vast PC library with all the bundles, frequent and often deep sales, giveaways, ... The cost of the console isn't just the console, but also what you can play on it and what it costs, and this aspect has improved massively on PC in recent years (and was already pretty good before then).
Of course, if you're interested in exlusives or first-party titles (like nintendo), or you generally play mostly AAA games, the console might just be the better or only option, but you better bring the wallet for the whole journey.
Huh, i thought ps5 (pro) was 4k native, but looks like its via some hardware upscaler. Good to know hehe. That changes some things, but lets see. The ps5 pro gpu is equivalent to a rx 7700 xt, which is a 400 msrp card. In reality its way more, but lets work with msrp prices to give this the best chance of success.
Ps5 pro is 700$ msrp, so thats 300$ you have left for cpu, ram, ssd, case, and psu. I dont think you can do that, but lets look at the next part: cpu
Cpu is equivalent to a ryzen 7 3700x, which is an old cpu so is cheap atm, 120$.
Ok, 180$ left in the budget, next: motherboard.
I found a board on amazon for 65$, which was the ASRock A520M-HDV. 120$ left.
Ok so, ssd. Ps5 pro comes with a 2TB ssd. I found some sketchy, offbrand, m.2 ssd's from brands i never even heard off for 94$. There is probably cheaper, but amazon's website was being an arse and lets face it, how trustworthy or slow are those. 36$ left in budget.
Thats 36 for ram, case and psu... As much as i hate to admit it, as a pc person, you cant make a pc with equal strength as ps5 pro and it sucks arse.
Second hand might give us more leeway but i dont think its a lot.
I will agree that yes, with pc you have a lot more options and its easier to put in a bit more into the budget to build a way better pc than a ps5 pro.
But from a pure budget standpoint, no pc isnt worth it.
As soon as you add other arguments, the choice changes
You kinda missed most of my points. Because a core advantage of building a PC from individual parts is that you can buy some parts used, or adjust them to what you actually need. You can't buy the PS5 used cause it just came out, but the components are actually relatively old.
A case can be had for cheap (often with fans). Also a used GPU might allow you to get a bit more performance for the same money (or the same perf for less money). Keep in mind that the hardware specs of the PS5 aren't exactly cutting edge top tier performance. You can also find a complete used PC with roughly the right specs, and a quick check showed an eBay listing for case+PSU+mobo+3700x+16gb and 512gb nvme + 2tb HDD for 309€. And that was the first hit, with "buy it now", after 30s on the site.
You can also tailor what exactly you buy to your needs. Maybe 1TB nvme is enough for you, or you can even start out with 500gb. It's a PC, just buy another m.2 when you really need it, takes 5 minutes to install.
But all that is kinda not the point either. Mainly the advantage is that it's a PC. It's not just a gaming thing (though it can be). That is what makes it worth it, also obviously depending on the individual needs. And that's the point. The PC does what you need, and can be made to change to whatever that is.
When you said "from a pure budget standpoint, no PC isn't worth it" you also one again COMPLETELY IGNORE that you need to buy games to play. Those are so much more expensive (and have a much more limited selection) on console. And over the lifetime of the console, game costs will have been much more than the device. That's the point, and why they are relatively affordable, they are subsidized by the manufacturer who makes money on every game bought for it. When a console comes out, they typically loose money on it.
Finally, once a few years have gone by, you can actually upgrade PC parts individually where needed. You don't have to buy the next generation new one, like with consoles. Again, much cheaper. For people who are on tight budget, this is or should be a huge consideration. Once you got a PC, the next upgrade is so much cheaper than a new console, yet it'll be equivalent to that new console.
Consoles are cheaper the day you buy them (and not by a lot). Even just weeks or months later the PC is cheaper. Years later it's cheaper by a lot.