PS4 vs PC: Which should you buy?

Can't decide between buying a PS4 or Gaming PC?

WIPS4 has put together a PS4 vs PC Comparison Guide which will help you with your decision.

[Errorist76]

Both! Now more than ever.

[ShadowKnight]

@errorist I agree!! 👍

[EpicSandwich]

I'd go with pc ps4 and xbox one :)

[Kabaneri]

Thats what I have, but considering MS has completely wrecked all the reasons to own an Xbox, Im gonna sell mine.

[ninsigma]

If you can only choose one then for me it's down to whether you care for the ps4 exclusives. If you do, then get a ps4. If not, I'd say get a pc. You can build one for roughly the same price that will outperform ps4 and obviously you have all the other things a pc can do.
Not a bad choice either way. Both are great!

[uth11]

I've just been upgrading mine and calculated it out.. you really can't beat the PS4 on power for the same price,. Not if you want a complete build including OS

[s45gr32]

Is not that expensive. Really, the two most expensive PC parts at the moment are the CPU and GPU but the AMD RX480 has lowered the price of GPUs. This GPU has made it possible to build a 4K gaming PC for less than $1000 .

[uth11]

@s45gr32 - I didn't say you can't do it for less than $1000, I said you can't do it for less than the price of a PS4, or even close if you are a new PC user, you will need most of these:

Case - $40
PSU - $30
500mb HD - $40
Keyboard - $20
Mouse - $10
Bluray - $30
New Windows license (OEM) - $90
DS4 or Xbox controller - $60

That's $320 for the above, before you even buy the CPU/GPU + Mobo! and I went cheap on some of those prices, you can easily spend much more for a good case + PSU. PS4 is $349.

[nitus10]

@uth11

Depending what CPU, Motherboard and Memory you pick you could be looking at $200 (low end) to over $1000 USD and that is not including the price of a decent graphics card. Although I never heard of a 500 millie bit (mb) HD I think you wanted to say a 500 GigaByte (GB) HD.

As for paying $20 USD for Keyboard and $10 USD you are quite right they are cheap but a serious gamer would not consider them.

[rainslacker]

A lot of times, a prebuilt system that is on it's way off the market will be a much better buy. Nowadays, a product line has maybe a 6-7 month shelf life before new models are released, and at that time, you can get some reasonably equipped(although still more expensive than a PS4) PC's that will be more powerful than the current systems.

How easily they can be upgraded and how well they're supported will vary by manufacture. Best Buy offloads Alienware computers pretty cheap when they release their new systems for instance. And Dell can see some great deals from time to time. HP is crap, and even if it's cheaper, still not worth the price.

If I were looking to build a system for gaming, I'd be spending $1000-1500 easily, and would probably splurge for even more so it'd last longer. But I'm understanding enough of technology to know where the money is best spent. OTOH, I would also cannibalize my current system to save money where I can....but realize you're talking a fresh start PC.

[HisRandomFriend]

I can't reply to your other comment for some reason, but you're wrong, you can get pretty close to a PS4's price and still get a better PC.
Here's proof: http://pcpartpicker.com/lis...
Also if you're paying for Windows than you're doing it wrong.

[masterfox]

hmmm I don't know the decision is "sooo" difficult, in one hand you have:

PS4
good:
* Awesome exclusives
* Multiplataform with exclusive content
* free 100% of game breaking bugs
* 99% of games full hd
* So damn easy to handle UI
* great discounts on PSN
* PS plus free stuff
* price tag $350
* buy game play it straight away
* Free games across all its plataforms(ps plus)
bad:
* I can't download torrents
* pron sites missing plugins, in PS4 web browser
* aww.. what else ?... I can't run wii emulator on it or neorage

On the other hand you have:

Gaming PC
good:
* Mame emulators run great
* In-private browsing works great
* That worm game slitj or whatever name is runs great
* Torrent downloads.
* Star citizen is almost here.....nah just kidding :P
* boob mods

bad:
* No interesting exclusives, only some multiplataform games are interesting
* even if you have the most expensive gaming PC it still can't reach the visual awesomeness like Uncharted 4 or Driveclub
* at least you need 1000 dlls to be able to buy/build an average gaming rig
* Bug on games, lots but lots bugs/glitches/hangs, etc.
* Steam is freaking flooded with indie games
* waiting weeks or months for a damn optimized GPU driver for your damn game

so what you should buy ? well duh an xbone or wii U....Nahhhh just kidding a PS4 of course!! :D

[starchild]

Wow, I rarely see so much delusion in one post.

[Utalkin2me]

Ok so instead of saying he is delusional. Then break down what he said then provide info on why he is wrong in his opinion? I know he was kidding in some things. But actually alot of what he says is true. Especially the exclusives, they offer nothing in terms of exclusives that i enjoy really.

[Hold_It]

@Starchild

Well said.

@masterfox
PS4 has app crashes all the time, and has more game breaking bugs in their games than PC games do. At least with PC gaming, the community can actually fix problems themselves instead of waiting for some incompetent dev to do it, or never do it. PS4 crashes to the system menu more than the capable gaming PC crashes to desktop. I actually have more crashes on my PS4 and PS3 than I do on my PC and Xbox One. The download speed on the PS4 is garbage, and that's after opening all of my ports. Steam on the other hand can utilize your entire maximum download speed, so if you're supposed to get 13 Megabytes download a second, Steam can give you that, PS4 will not.

Most PS4 games aren't really true 1080p 60fps. That's why they put such an emphasis on the hardware upscaling that the console has.

The Discounts on PSN are worse than Steam's prices, and worse than Xbox's sales.

PC can emulate just about any console and handheld.
You don't need $1000 build an average gaming rig
Games aren't universally filled with bugs, glitches, hangs etc. Most of that comes from Ubisoft, and Bethesda games, which have similar or worse problems on console.
You complain about Steam being flooded with indie games, yet most of the PS4 store library and free games offered each month are mostly indie games.
You don't wait weeks or months for an optimized GPU driver for your game, more like they release before the game comes out, or they release two days later.

You really fit all the negative stereotypes of a console gamer who is PC illiterate and technologically retarded with all the false accusations that you make.

[PygmelionHunter]

"PS4
good:
* 100% of free game breaking bugs"

Something something grammar fail something lol

On topic: whynotboth.jpg , if you really care about graphics, online play, and the largest library in gaming, surely you'd buy a PC. But if you care about Sony studios' games and the occasional console exclusive, you should buy a PS4. I don't really have the money for a PC right now, but I'm comfortable enough with a PS4 at home, though I'd like to go back to PC gaming one day.

These articles serve no purpose on this site, simply because they're a magnet for fanboys.

[s45gr32]

True

[Deltaguy]

largest library of trash games are on PC..don't act like almost all of its catalog not on consoles isn't total trash

[s45gr32]

Exclusive games that is your opinion.

The PC does offer great visual exclusive games (not many of course) like:

Path of Exile
Monstroum
Xcom 2
Grim Dawn
Ashes of the Singularity

Sadly its the multiplatform games that make PC gaming shine. For example:

Crysis series
Batman Arkham series
Tomb Raider reboot series
The Witcher 3

I can go on and yes there is too many early access games. I just want to say that with free online gaming, innovative creative games, full backwards compability. Do no forget, home to shmups, platformers, survival horror, old school jrpgs, etc. That is not counting its exclusive genres, (MMOs, MOBAs, strategy and simulation games) makes gaming PC a strong contender. It really boils down to either wanting to have a do it yourself gaming experience or a corporation dictating your gaming experience.

[AwesomeKiddo]

Xcom is no longer an exclusive. Not to mention, Batman runs like crap on PC.

[starchild]

@AwesomeKiddo

XCOM 2 is still exclusive to PC right now. Batman Arkham Knight does not run like crap. I am running it at maxed settings and at 1440p resolution and still getting around 45fps on my G-Sync monitor. It had problems at launch, but those were ironed out and I think it is now one of the better optimized games with top level graphics. It looks amazing on PC at ultra settings.

[Livecustoms]

I knew it was an awful comment the moment i saw one of the cons for the ps4 being you can't download torrents. like wtf ? you do realise it cost's money to make games !

[leoms]

He's a troll

[Sieg]

Okay let me chime in. As a PC and ex PS4 owner(gave mine away to family member) . I do know a thing or two about having both.

*Console exclusives are great. Uncharted 4 and Bloodborne is amazing.
*PC exclusives are great as well. I have over 1000+ hours in SC2 and CS:GO.

*Consoles are easy to setup. Just plug in power, hdmi, sync controller and to update land you go.
*PC are also easy to setup. Just plug in power, DP, Mouse and keyboard, and to update land you go as well.

*You can buy and sell games on consoles. Therefore making it cheap.
*You can buy games at a discounted price from various vendor on PC. Therefore making it cheap as well.

*Consoles are expensive. Welcome to 201X
*PC are expensive. Welcome to 201X

Before I go on, I grew up in household that use PC for work and game. My first console is a PS1 and continued to purchase every PS consoles at launch. I had my PS4 for 1.2 years before I gave it away.

I like console for game but that's pretty much all. My PC can do all of that plus more. Also building my PC is very rewarding just like working on my car. I have control over what I"m doing and if I mess up then it's my fault. I know that graphic vs gameplay is a hot debate. In my opinion, if I bust my ass at work. I would want to come home to the best gaming experience that I can get and my PC can offer that.

If you haven't try game in 2160p @60hz(not upscale on shitty tv that doesn't do 4:4:4) or 1440p @144hz panel at the targeted fps. Then I would recommend trying that out. If you're the type that like having the freedom with how your should be play then PC can provide that. For example, GTA5 I would drive with controller but all shooting with m/kb. If my game ain't hitting the fps that I want, then I can change the setting. If I want to watch netflix, skype one to one, and game on separate screens then I can do that. I personally find mouse and keyboard is much more enjoyable because I grew up using them and also use them everyday for work. You're paying for more feature just like a car.

My goal here is not to say that consoles are bad but in my opinion my PC can do all of that but better. Sure I can't play some exclusives but I can live with that because I also have other exclusives to play. If you can own both then good for you but if you only have one and talk about the other without proper research then don't.

So what should you buy? All if you can, but if I have to pick one then it would PC because it offer the most. I use my pc for work, school, and game. Just my opinion, buy whatever you want. I'm not your dad just a stranger on the internet talking about a hobby. So don't get salty.

[PizzaSteve]

I completely agree. PC of course can have better graphics but only if devs care to make them better. Most PC exclusives look horrible and boring while PS4 exclusives like UC4, GOW, and Horizon looks 10x better than anything on PC.

[ONESHOTV2]

your console cant even run crysis calm down and this is coming from a console owner

[PizzaSteve]

You think I care about that boring game lol.

[starchild]

Haha those games do not look 10x better than anything on PC. They don't even beat the best looking games on PC in the first place.

[Rimeskeem]

If you get a PC you basically get a Xbox One now. But if you get both a PS4 and PC you get everything besides Nintendo.

[Ysmir6723]

Is my pc with sli 1080s and an i7 5820k an xbox one???It has 19 times the performance...

[Rimeskeem]

I meant you have the exclusives not the same power....

[leoms]

@Hold_It
1-"Most PS4 games aren't really true 1080p 60fps. That's why they put such an emphasis on the hardware upscaling that the console has." Ahem, I think you are referring to the Xbone. I get your point PS4 is garbage

2- "You really fit all the negative stereotypes of a console gamer who is PC illiterate and technologically retarded with all the false accusations that you make." ROFLMAO, this is for you https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

3- "PS4 has app crashes all the time, and has more game breaking bugs in their games than PC games do." and "Games aren't universally filled with bugs, glitches, hangs etc. Most of that comes from Ubisoft, and Bethesda games, which have similar or worse problems on console." Contradicting yourself much? Honestly, you seem to have a PS complex. You must see a psychologistand move with your life, bud.

[ShadowKnight]

How about both

[DFresh]

Both.

[corroios]

Both, you get all the sony exclusives and the PC to get all other games. Its a win/win situation.

[Ysmir6723]

Depends on people standars.If you play 1080p 60fps ultra since AOE 3 like me,dont get a ps4.

[FasterThanFTL1]

If you have:

$400 = PS4
$600 = PC
$800 = Better PC
$1000 = Both

[KTF26]

If you don't have other purpose for PC then buy PS4
most AAA titles released on PC these days but you'll miss 1st party titles

[starchild]

There aren't really all that many 1st party games that are going to appeal to any one gamer. No one that isn't a massive fanboy is going to magically love all the exclusives on any platform. The PC gets more exclusives than any other platform anyway. And if the comparison is between PC and PS4 this is even more true, since the PC now gets all Microsoft exclusives too.

I have a PC and a PS4, but personally if I HAD to choose only one or the other I would choose the PC in a heartbeat. Being able to have consistently the best looking and best performing versions of games, as well as mods, emulation, backwards compatibility, and tons of freedom to customize the experience to my tastes far outweighs a handful of 1st party PS4 exclusives I would miss. (Not even factoring in the fact that I would miss out on all the PC exclusives/Microsoft exclusives if I went with only a PS4.)

[KTF26]

I also have both
PC is my fist choice but there are decent number of fist party titles for PS4 and there are more coming
and about exclusives
PS4 exclusives are much better than XB One exclusives not to mention that annoying Win10 store

[lastking95]

PC, w10 exclusives and more powa.

Nah im not interested in pc gaming but if halo does go to pc I'd choose it over a ps4.

[Lon3wolf]

Depends on your budget/game preferences both have for and against points.

[lastking95]

Lol console vs console war galore.
Xbox vs PC war galore (when ms want to unite both)
ps4 vs PC "oh just get both" xD

[King_Lothric]

Both and you are covered this gen. You don't need an xbox as you can play the games on PC and with PS4 you can play all its amazing exclusives and JRPG games.

[qwerty676]

"whatisplaystation4.com

is wondering what to buy......lol dude buy the hardware that matches your site name.....

like wtf is the point of this article?

[no_ripley]

A year ago i would've said PS4 but then i bought a PC ...

[ocelot07]

Both PS4 for the great exclusives PC for everything else.

[Saranya]

PC because you can play XB1 games, no reason to buy PS4.

[MasterCornholio]

Well if you like PlayStation exclusives that's a reason to buy one.

[Bladesfist]

I like how xbox anywhere is interpreted so differently by so many people. Some think it is good, some bad. Some people think it is killing Xbox, some think it is killing Sony. It's like the Brexit debate all over again.

[Ceaser9857361]

"PC because you can play XB1 games, no reason to buy PS4.
speak for yourself... Not every one needs to agree with you....

[Herpofderpopol]

Both

[Movefasta1993]

pc,it's library is about getting even bigger with the microsoft 10 exclusives.But you should buy both.

[mochachino]

As an owner of both, PC can be your modular super console. Get PC if you can.

My PC gets 99% of my gaming time, while still connected to my TV and 5.1 Klipsh surround sound, using both an xb1 and DS4 controller. And I don't pay annual online fees.

A $200 GPU will get you console level graphical settings (better settings in most games) at a consistent 1080p and 60FPS. Framerate makes a world of difference in how good a game looks.

[Psychotica]

If you don't already have a PC then I would say a PC because there is more you can do it with it outside of entertainment stuff.

[MagicBeanz]

Both is the best way to go, you can play Playstation exclusive and now xbones with a PS4/PC setup.

[ShinRon]

I bought a ps4 last august and i wish i got a gaming laptop instead.

Overwatch, Street Fighter V, Divinity Original Sin, Metal Gear Solid V and Bloodborne are my favorite games for it.

UC4 was a nice ride, but i prolly would enjoy Xcom2 and the upcoming Civ 6 alot more

[GreenUp]

PS4 if you want to avoid hackers in FPS games.

[feraldrgn]

PS4 because of exclusives.

[Str8Chaos74]

Easily the PC. Much better performance and you get all the MS exclusives now. I have a PS4 and PC. Barley touch my PS4. There are some great PS4 games, but people act like the PS4 is overflowing with great exclusives which IMO is not the case. Also the PC has free online gaming, mods, ect. If you are a true gamer you would have both.

[SonyWarrior]

easy question get both

[s45gr32]

It depends on what games the gamer wants to play and whether or not, he or she wants to deal with hardware compability. Building a gaming PC is pretty straightforward; however, ensuring each PC part is compatible, that's the hard part.

Here is an example:

The gamer buys a $50.00 motherboard and buys two GPUs. Finds out that the motherboard only supports one GPU.

My advice never buy an OEM and turn it into a gaming PC. That is due to OEMS were not designed for gaming.

[rainslacker]

They're typically compatible, however, sometimes they don't run at peak performance due to conflicts which the OS resolves at a cost. I'd wager the average non technical user would have a hard time resolving this or even knowing it's happening most of the time.

Consoles do allow for a mostly worry free gaming environment though. Games go through compliance testing to make sure they'll run and not crash the system....although sometimes things fall through the cracks from time to time.

You're right though, PC's nowadays are pretty straightforward, however there are still many people who have trouble with them for whatever reason, and the long time stigma that they are complicated for the non technical user is still pretty pervasive among many who don't have much experience with computers....or only have experience with work computers where they have their own slew of problems. On the plus side, getting up to speed on using a computer is much easier than it used to be, and if someone can figure out their cell phone, they'll likely have no problem figuring out their PC.

Having been in IT before, I've learned that the average person who hasn't had training on how to use a PC(if just routine work stuff) tend to be completely clueless how to use one....and there's a reason the first question tech support asks a person who says they have a broken computer/product is if it's plugged in.

[sssb]

Actually both despite I prefer PS4 exclusive games, especially FFXV and FFVII remake.

[Deltaguy]

the best combo is a ps4/pc

[Valkron1]

Each one has its strong points. PC has the most power, best graphics, high end VR, the most games, modding, emulation, the best peripherals, keyboard and mouse control for games, multi screen capabilities, always upgradable, Steam......

I love my PS4 too. I needed it to start my PSVue account (although I could have used my PS3 for that)

Okay dorks, disagree now :) It's what you do, lol!

[ScorpiusX]

PC due to it being a beast if created & built right .

[ONESHOTV2]

as a ps/pc gamer i would say both but for value i would say go for the pc becuase in the long run you will be paying less while having the most features and games to last you for a long time no need to worry about if your games are going to run on your new hardware a pc is also a multi purpose system it's not only for games from students to big time corporations can use it to do many thing that will keep their business running and make there life easier. for me buying a console for exclusives is something i can live without remember exclusives do sell console but not as much of an impact like third party games.

[daynnight365]

Both! And an NX while you're at it!

[PutridPlop]

A tiny collection of exclusives vs a library of thousands of games across all genres

[Forum_Pirate]

AHHHHHHHHHH

STOP. SAYING. PC. GAMING. IS MORE. EXPENSIVE.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[kevnb]

buy everything.

[ITPython]

Both. You are 100% covered that way. You have access to all the ps4 exclusives, pc exclusives, and xb1 exclusives.

If you can afford it and are knowledgeable enough to build a pc, it's is a pure win combo.

[rainslacker]

You don't even have to build one to get a reasonable gaming PC. Many off the shelf pre-built PC's are more than adequete for gaming so long as one isn't expecting super ultra settings and performance on every game....although those exist as well for a premium price. For the most part, outside the really bargain priced systems, they will surpass the current console specs....although the bloat ware involved may need to be removed to find said performance.

[Razzer]

Both. PS4 for the exclusives. PC for everything else.

[Lbolt187]

easy choice honestly PC all the way. however if you have a large account history with psn then go for ps4, same with xbox live and xbox one.

[Tsar4ever01]

I like this article page, even though I already know well the pros and cons of both PC/Ps4 formats, I like how this article page was made out. I'll just keep it saved to my favorites list, just because.

[Elda]

PS4.

[ChiblackHwks]

dumb question...

[deadwiseman85]

I would go down the pc route, but i wouldnt no where to start. Iv been a console player for most of my gaming days. But like i said where would i start, what would be a good amount of money to get a good gaming rig.

[FreddyFazbear]

Oh dear here we go again. A bunch of PC elitist who thinks anything that is not PC is trash. Before speaking ill about console gamers, look in the mirror first.

[Ceaser9857361]

PS4 any day... since exclusives will stay with PS4