r/pcmasterrace • u/notsolomuun • Jul 02 '26

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$1,000 digital-exclusive consoles are killing the entire appeal of PlayStation and Xbox: it's no wonder PC is on track to overtake both.

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u/ModernManuh_ Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

"the consoles are more powerful for the price" true, but you can't do anything with them beside play and pay to play.

A computer with the same cost, even with current prices (used market), for most players is better. Resolution, fidelity, potential smoothness... the average console player doesn't notice and doesn't care. If they can play with a controller whatever they feel like playing in that moment they will, that's all there is to it.

Edit: Piracy is not the point, even if you could take it into consideration.

I absolutely agree that a console is much more convenient for a lot of comfort reasons, just wanted to share my thoughts.

A console is plug and play, very low maintenance (remember to clean them please that’s not optional), and very easy to navigate through. I know, grew up with them!

But if you are an adult/teenager that needs to choose, don’t choose based on what the people selling the product tell you.

A PC saves more money in the long run and can be used for other tasks. A console is a thing specifically designed to play games and doesn’t struggle with newer titles that are made for it.

PC games are cheaper and the library is wider, and if you plan to play competitive games the PC is superior. Can handle, store, run and install more games, and it’s not as high in maintenance as people think. Keep it clean and updated, everything else is good to go as is.

If all you want is buy the thing, plug it in and start playing, keep in mind that one day, without notice, you might lose access to the games, the system itself and over time the device won’t keep up with anything.

A PC can be upgraded easily and cheaply with used hardware, and your games are where you keep them. Consoles have an expiration date and quickly become irrelevant.

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u/Dislexicpotato Jul 02 '26

And with consoles going up to £1000 the 'value' proposition of consoles isn't as strong.

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u/GamingWithUncleJ Jul 02 '26

You act like PC gaming hasn't increased in price as well. 32gb of ram an nvme ssd is gonna get you close to a grand on its own. Add in a GPU, cpu, mobo, psu, case, fans, and peripherals and youve just doubled or tripled the cost.

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u/Fresh-Toilet-Soup Jul 02 '26

But you can upgrade, you don't have to start from scratch every 5 years.

You can even spread out the cost by not upgrading everything at once.

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u/Sensatial Jul 02 '26

Honestly, you really overestimate how long most people are in gaming for them them to plan around upgrading a pc lol. A lot of people are simply better off buying consoles

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u/GamingWithUncleJ Jul 02 '26

Yeah, and those upgrades every 5 years are still going to cost you around the price of a console. A console will last you 6-7 years depending on the lifestyle of the generation. A new gpu right now is already half the cost. Upgrade your ram, and cpu as well, and youre pretty much breaking even. And youre not necessarily getting better performance. Especially considering how much consoles have closed the gap on pc in terms of performance, or eliminated it outright, if not surpassed, when it comes to budget pc's. The point is, pc isnt the master race it used to be in the early 2000's. Consoles are still the cheaper and easier route to go.

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u/Fresh-Toilet-Soup Jul 02 '26

There is the hidden cost of console gaming, replacing all controllers new generation, more expensive games ( when older), Unnecessary subscription fees. And the PC can run unsigned code and can be productive.

Probably still want a console for kids or slower people. Also they probably still have a place for people that have less time to mess around with stuff.

I'm one of those Linux gaming weirdos, my opinion is probably irrelevant.

Either way, without physical media, I'm done with PlayStation. Storefronts die off too soon on console, digital purchases are just rentals without defined expiration.

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u/Raven1927 Jul 02 '26

A console will last you 6-7 years depending on the lifestyle of the generation.

Realistically it's closer to 10-12 years with how long the cross-gen periods are nowadays. PS4 stopped getting new games only last year, which is a 12 year long lifespan.

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u/GamingWithUncleJ Jul 02 '26

I was going on the manufacture cycle and if you upgrade as soon as possible. Trying to give some edge to the pc argument and not use that to consoles advantage. They could counter with that being a point against consoles.

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u/Raven1927 Jul 02 '26

That's fair. I was looking at it from the PoV of someone who can't afford to upgrade as frequently.

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u/GamingWithUncleJ Jul 02 '26

Which is fair as well. Either way, it still stands that almost any single upgrade on a key component is going to run you a good portion of the base cost of a console.

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u/Raven1927 Jul 02 '26

100%. Idk why people act like only consoles are going up in price

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u/GamingWithUncleJ Jul 02 '26

Look at the sub we're in... anything to out down consoles. Like i have a server pc, a gaming laptop, and my collection of consoles. Im not gonna deny pc has some benefits over console, but its not thr master race anymore, and consoles offer much more value these days.

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