cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/42750767
this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2025
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Let's be honest. There never has been affordable computing. That's why I was a console exclusive gamer for so long. because I never had the money to get into console gaming. Even a baseline computer capable of running good games was 3 times the price of a console.
Let's be honest. You can build a comparable PC for an extra ~$200. Which will very quickly pay for itself when you go to sign up for your annual PlayStation subscription on day 1, not to mention the years following with the massively larger library, lower price of games, and not to mention having a device that can do more than just play games.
Consoles are just DRM e-waste machines.
Nah, maybe in large cities. My pc was 2500, and it was good enough. I could have brought it down to 1500 if I wanted to start replacing parts within a year and play on the lowest graphics setting. Even at 2500 4 years ago, I've replaced and upgraded my graphics since then. And need to start upgrading other parts probably next year. I can do that now, but I was quite broke before and console was the cheapest way for me to game. Still console game quite a bit because I just like it better for some games.
Here’s the thing. Consoles are like gym memberships. Once you get signed up by buying a highly subsidized console, then the charges start racking up. Premium prices. Locked into a singular store, slave to their sales and predatory practices. Every game inflated to cover the console. They squeeze and squeeze. Because the spice must flow.
PCs give you the luxury of better directing your cash in the long run. Not to mention serve a larger purpose and provide a broader depth of gaming.
Pre-pandemic I was able to build a pc with part 1 generation behind current, including the case and a reasonable cooling system (air) for $500 Canadian. Now you can't even get a modern graphics card for that much. So no, this is definitely a recent thing.
I built my current desktop at the start of the pandemic, the 20xx series was being bought by more people, the most expensive part was the 1060 I bought second hand for $200. It still came to just over $500 with all the parts. Yes I reused my case, cooling system, storage and power supply.
I mainly blame all the morons who kept buying VGAs even though ridiculously overpriced, letting manufacturers know that they could go on like that.
For me the only good thing of consoles are the discs and the ability to buy/sell them. Apart of that, they just offer you some convenience, but nothing more.
Usually games for one console are not playable in 1-2 generations, you can't install mods, you can't upgrade the GPU or the CPU.
PC offers a lot more flexibility, unfortunately after COVID and now the AI craze, the prices of the GPUs went bananas. Not to mention that you can usually play a lot more games on a PC and the STEAM discounts and prices are much better compared to consoles.
Plus you can always go the pirate way as well. I do for the most expensive games / from companies I dislike / as a trial mode for games I'm interested in buying.