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250°

PC Gaming Isn’t As Expensive as You’d Think

BY JOHN SANTINA: Many console gamers cite the cost of building a gaming PC as a prime reason for sticking with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo’s hardware. Yes, building a PC, or buying one pre-built, is an expensive initial outlay, but the cost of games is factored into the mix, grey starts to emerge from the clear-cut black and white argument.

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RazzerRedux1930d ago

I have never bought a PC game at the full price of $60 at launch. Very few console gamers can say the same.

Gazondaily1929d ago

PC Gaming is a costly affair though. Definitely worth it imo. The savings as car as games go do add up but then I find that as a PC gamer any savings are offset by the incremental upgrades you do to your PC.

I just got a new rig with a Ryzen 3700x and RTX 2070 for about 1.2k (not including other accessories etc as they tend to get carried over). Looking to upgrade the GPU next year and that's probably another 500/600 quid.

Depends on what price point you're entering in to be fair and what you want but a gaming console with the equivalent power costs a fraction of price.

RazzerRedux1929d ago

Upgrading your GPU every year isn't necessary though. A new console isn't necessary either, but if you upgrade to the Series X then you are going to spend about as much for that new GPU so your savings in PC game prices are not really offset. Your initial costs are definitely higher on the PC side, but part of that is offset by free online gaming. If you paid money to be online every year that you had a PS4 or Xbox One then you potentially paid approx. $300 this gen in online fees alone and that yearly savings continues into next gen.

"Depends on what price point you're entering in to be fair and what you want but a gaming console with the equivalent power costs a fraction of price."

That is more true earlier in the gen than later. Xbox One X has been only been out for a little over 2 years and upgrading to a RTX 2070 today would cost about the same as an One X (comparing base prices) and yield much better performance.

Max_Eckhardt1929d ago

Used to be that way.
These days PC games cost a lot more. Steam sales aren’t as good. GPU and Ram are through the roof... just not worth it anymore from a cost perspective.

I wish it wasn’t so, but it is. I’ll be forced to buy a new console this year rather than built a new PC.

Master of Unlocking1929d ago

Even 500/600 quid isn't that much when compared to the price of one of the best GPU you'll want if you want top-of-the-line graphics, like the 2080 Ti.
https://www.techradar.com/r...
That's precisely the reason why I've always been a console gamer. Well, that and all the problems I've had using Windows for over 20 years...

RazzerRedux1929d ago

@Max_Eckhardt

Steam sales are quite good so not sure what you are basing that on. But Steam isn't the only place to buy games regardless.

"GPU and Ram are through the roof"

I can buy 16GB of DDR4 RAM for about $60 on newegg. RX 580 8 GB GPU is under $200. A newer 5700 is $300. These prices are not "through the roof".

"A PC to rival the Xbox Series X will cost 1500+"

No basis for that since we don't know the specs. Regardless, the prices of PC components will fall whereas console prices will remain static for some time after launch.

@Master of Unlocking

2080 ti? Why are you bringing up the most expensive GPU on the market in a discussion about inexpensive gaming on PC? And Windows has improved tremendously in the past 20 years. Your post really isn't relevant to the topic.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1929d ago
RazzerRedux1929d ago

I use them, G2A, Green Man gaming, Humble Bundle, and of course, I always jump on the Steam sales. Ton of competition in PC market for your gaming dollar.

kneon1929d ago

Has there ever been a PC exclusive worth buying at full price? I can think of plenty of console exclusives that were worth ever penny of their day 1 price.

Exvalos1929d ago

PC games always have the most bad ass jaw dropping trailers that make the game look godlike, but when you see gameplay it's always some kind of moba or diablo clone.

1929d ago
Unspoken1929d ago

Plenty. Half-Life: Alyx will be my next.

AnubisG1929d ago

You do know that games on consoles are $10-$15 cheaper two weeks after release and you can buy them for up to 50% off within 2-3 months right? Not only PC gamers get discounts and day 1 games cost the same on PC as on console. So this is really not a good point.

RazzerRedux1929d ago (Edited 1929d ago )

Yes, all games get discounted eventually which is why I said "at launch". I can preorder Doom Eternal, Resident Evil 3, DBZ: K, and just about any other upcoming games at a discount on sites like green man gaming. Consoles use to have preorder discounts but they are largely gone these days. Look those games up on Amazon and you will see the preorder available at full price.

@MrVux000

"Talk about generalizing."

Yes, in general, PC games are cheaper at launch than on console. So it follows that, in general, console gamers pay more for games at launch than PC gamers.

@kneon

"Has there ever been a PC exclusive worth buying at full price? I can think of plenty of console exclusives that were worth ever penny of their day 1 price."

Sure there has. Tons of games in the strategy and tabletop genres that never even come to consoles. Obviously I am not talking about AAA games. And as long as Sony keeps exclusives on PS then I'll buy that console. For me, exclusives are the only reason to buy a console and I'm looking forward to the day that ends. And I think it will.

@Father__Merrin

"A latest pc release is usually the same price a cross the board obviously they get cheaper later on down the line. Eg jedi fallen order £44.99 on pc xbox and ps4"

Preorder discounts on PC
https://www.greenmangaming....

nowitzki20041929d ago (Edited 1929d ago )

Why wait? I can usually preorder games for $35-$45 on PC

SegaGamer1929d ago

@RazzerRedux

You're right. I pre-ordered Dragon Quest XI for £30 on Greenmangaming, and I also got DBZ Kakarot for £33. The console versions were over £10 more. Then there are the sales from multiple stores that are cheaper. Best of all is the game bundles through the likes of Humble Bundle and Fanatical. This is something that just can't be beaten.

MrVux0001929d ago

''Very few console gamers can say the same.''
Talk about generalizing.

iggsta3o51929d ago

@MrVux000 If I stated Chinese people are generally shorter than Westerners would I be wrong? Generalizing does not translate to being incorrect.

Father__Merrin1929d ago

A latest pc release is usually the same price a cross the board obviously they get cheaper later on down the line. Eg jedi fallen order £44.99 on pc xbox and ps4

Wyrmclaw1929d ago

That's a big assumption. I've spent a lot more on PC games than I have on console games. I have been PC gaming for a long time, and had a few consoles on and off but now the cost of upgrading my machine (built in 2012, upgraded graphics card twice) is way more than the projected cost of the PS5, which sounds like it's going to be a bit of a beast.
Don't get me wrong, I love PC gaming, but it's getting stupid expensive these days.

RazzerRedux1929d ago

Not sure what I said that was a big assumption. I buy console and PC games and I pay close attention to the game prices. The preorder sales on PC are really good while they no longer exist on console. That isn't an assumption. Just a fact.

As far as your PC, yeah, sounds like you are due for a major upgrade, but you've gotten a lot of miles out of it. Your hardcore console gamer the last 7 years would have paid $800 to $900 in hardware (base models and mid-gen upgrades) plus another $300 in online fees. And now another gen is here and they will pony up $500 or more. If they want to stay on top of the console models then expect another $500 upgrade with the mid-gens that inevitably will come out in 3 years. Add on another $150 in online fees. Starting to sound stupid expensive, isn't it? So at the start of this next gen, gamers who started with the PS4 would have paid $1600 in hardware and online. If I started at the same time with a $1000 PC and upgraded my GPU midway for $300 and then my CPU/Motherboard for another $300 then we are about even except console gamers continue to pay online while PC gamers don't. So I'm not sure people really understand what the costs are for PC. I think a lot of people are under the impression that every PC is bought brand new. It is a console mindset and it just isn't accurate.

darthv721929d ago

The last PC game I bought at retail and paid full price for was Half Life 2. Come to think of it... that's the last real PC game I played as well. When it came to the various expansions, I just played the Orange Box on 360.

My days of gaming on PC died when I stopped going to LAN parties. I enjoyed buying the parts and putting them together. My son needed a PC a few years ago so I built him one. Nothing too fancy but it does what he needs it to do. As for myself, I'm still using the same XP machine I have been for years only now I use it to encode music and movies mostly. All my gaming is done on consoles as that is where i started (in 1977) and that is where I will likely end.

It's not about price, for me... its about personal preference. I just prefer the console experience to a PC no matter if I can hook the PC to a TV and use the same controller. I still know the difference.

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1929d ago Replies(2)
Tapani1929d ago (Edited 1929d ago )

Oh yeah it's expensive, one needs to have around 3x - 4x the money to play games that work better than on a console. It is probably worth it, because you can do other stuff with PCs as well (although everybody already has a PC or laptop with which they can do that other stuff.) Probably costs more in electricity as well. Even still, I'm thinking of buying an elite gaming rig, because I want the best of the best.

bluefox7551929d ago

I built a $500 PC about half way through this gen, it still outperforms most console multiplats. This idea that PC gaming is really expensive is just plain untrue.

Tapani1929d ago (Edited 1929d ago )

And it outperforms PS4 Pro and Xbox One X as well? Just curious, what parts do you have for that $500 rig?

JackBNimble1929d ago

BS , so what do you have for GPU, CPU, ram , motherboard?

SegaGamer1929d ago

@JackBNimble

It would have been possible.

8GB of DDR4 ram, an Intel G4560, GT 1030 or 1050ti, and a cheap motherboard, psu and case. It can be done for $500. This can definitely out perform most games on current gen consoles, I'm not sure about the Pro and X though.

After10Ben1929d ago (Edited 1929d ago )

This might be possible. The AMD 590 can be bought for $200 and it sports 7.1 teraflops, which on paper outperforms the PS4 pro and Xbox One X. PSU's are super affordable right now, but you would have to cheap out on a case and mobo. However, if you upgrade an existing PC with a 590 and say an AMD FX 8350, you would have a VR ready PC for under $400, which isn't a bad deal at all. Plus, there are always overclocking options to increase performance.

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl...

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1929d ago
bluefox7551929d ago

Especially if you're willing to cut corners. Get yourself an old Dell office PC for $200 off of ebay, pop in a video card, upgrade ram and/or psu if necessary, and you're playing the latest games on the cheap.

nowitzki20041929d ago

That doesnt sound too good. You might experience a whole world of bottlenecks

TheTony3161929d ago

In this case you'd be better off with a console.

RazzerRedux1929d ago

Here is a guy on youtube that did exactly what bluefox755 said above. Bought an old used Dell workstation for $150 off ebay and popped in a RTX 2060 for $350. This was almost a year ago. Today, he could have gotten a 5700 XT for $50 more. I'd take this over an Xbox One X or PS4 Pro any day.

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

Jsm89k1929d ago

Idk, to build the desktop I wanted its roughly $3500-4k and that's not including peripherals. I rarely buy games at full price so I don't see how I would be saving.

nowitzki20041929d ago

Damn you are looking at some monster pc. you really dont need that for gaming though

GameBoyColor1929d ago

This guy wants 2 rtx2080s lmao

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50°

Gamescom Latam 2025: And The Winners Of BIG Festival Are…

Come check out who took the major prizes at this year’s BIG Festival, hosted by gamescom latam 2025.

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90°

Are Multiplayer Modes Vanishing As Developers Look To Cut Costs

With some recent and pending releases opting to exclude a multiplayer mode; Skewed and Reviewed ask in a new Opinion Piece if this is a growing trend as developers seek to cut costs more than ever.

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Christopher15h ago

I think the riskier option is to sell a SP game that you throw some form of MP into just for the sake of it and that ends up affecting the quality of the SP experience. With the plethora of F2P MP games out there, why spend time and money on something when you can focus on the SP experience. Not to say that means they're all good, but at least they're not wasting time with things people don't want in SP games. I doubt anyone bought Veilguard for MP let alone will buy the next Star Wars SP game and expect MP either.

Garethvk14h ago

There is that. I think the modes that were tried for The Last of Us is a good example. But for me a FPS missing multiplayer seems off as it was such a staple FPS, RTS, and sports games are where gamers expect it to be.

Vits15h ago

It's the current logic. People are paying more, for less.

If that "saved" money were actually spent on improving the single-player experience, that’d be one thing. But anyone who actually plays games knows that’s not what happens. We’re in the era of “safe” games, stripped-down, polished packages full of shiny lighting, big setpieces, and all the interactivity of a NES-era background.

Multiplayer modes, extra features, modding tools, things that used to add value for players, keep getting cut. Why? Because they don’t add value for the company. And, as always, the useful idiots will cheer, pay more all while getting less than before. So of course companies will keep doing it.

Garethvk14h ago

Exactly and what gets me is if it is done correctly, multiplay adds money. Ask Activision how much they make on skins and DLC all the while giving a year of free content updates. You get through a Call of Duty campaign in about 8-12 hrs. The multiplayer and frequent content updates are what keeps people playing. I always pop back in when new maps and content release. I do not buy skins and packs but many do. I wonder if we will get the Half-Life 2 mode where Multiplayer is added later. Some may see how the game does and then decide to add it later.

isarai14h ago

I wish they would go back to having SOME simple mp, like instead of the only choices being going all out and gambling on a super roadmaped, season pass, Battle Royale, multiplayer with open world maps and tons of loot OR no multiplayer at all. Why cant we have something in between sometimes? Where's just this very simple PVP probably reusing a sectioned off peace of a level from a single player like they used to do

Garethvk14h ago

I think they all have a place but simpler forms are needed. I wish we would see more co-op play in a campaign.

100°

Best Character Builds for Clair Obscur Expedition 33

These are the best character builds in Clair Obscur per character.

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gold_drake19h ago

generally, it doesnt matter until after the half way mark, but will be more important later on

pwnmaster30006h ago

I’m so addicted to this game.
Best game released in 2025

Lexreborn22h ago

I’ve been beating every single boss with my build… except phase 2 Simon… can’t believe they made that menace