I’m still undecided, and I’d say reading some opinions would help me.
PC. the wealth of cheap games that are available on PC alone makes it the more viable option… Especially if you hit steam on sale, or use isthereanydeal.com
especially if you aim for 1080p instead of 4k for gaming. 4k gaming comes with such a ridiculous and absurb price premium that you could probably build 2-3 1080p gaming rigs for the same price… or buy shittons of games.
Pc.
- more utility than just games. Code, write, etc.
- a backlog of games going back like 40 years
- will still be usable and with new content for years. A PC today will probably be able to play some hot new indie games in 15 years.
- no subscription fee for online play, generally
- more free games
- many games are cheaper
- broader range of input choices
- emulators and the high seas, if that’s your thing
Edit, days later: and mods! Mods are huge.
you also can sail the high seas
Get PC if you want more than gaming, need to do job or homework, connect with people, use internet, if you like indie games, if you like game mods, if you like play with electronics, if you like free online play, if you like friend slop games, if want to know how PC works, if you want to explore different operating systems other than windows, if you can’t afford 10-30% more expensive games.
Buy PS5 if you / your parents are at least middle class, can afford yearly subscription for online play, if you can afford games that are 10-30% more expensive then on PC, you are not into electronics and just want to play games, you have no money problems, you don’t need anything more than play games in next couple of years.
It’s your decision.
Kids get consoles, adults get PC’s. Unless you want to be locked into an ecosystem for the rest of your life.
If “you can’t afford it” buy a second hand one you can afford and learn to be happy with past generation games which are often better anyway.
If you asked me a few years ago I would have told you a PS5 easy as a big PlayStation fan.
But the way prices are these days, and Sony’s growing disdain for its users, and lack of competition from Xbox, you should 100% just get a PC.
If it’s just for gaming, I’d say a PS5. Hardware prices are a bit too fucked for PC imo
If this was a few years ago, I would have said PS5. Sadly with the bad decision making of the company it’s hard to tell how they will be doing in a year from now. Because of that I say PC. I have both which started with me wanting a new pc and ps5 when ps5 first came out. At the time PC parts to build one were through the roof due to shortages and high prices for GPUs. I ended up getting the ps5 which was cheaper then than it is now. It was amazing and I like simplicity where it just plays games as easy as possible. These days with the price increase and uncertainty along with pc parts exceeding the power of the ps5 its harder to say ps5 anymore. I still love it, but I am very skeptical of the ps6 which would be the first system i may not buy since the ps1. Yeah I am old.
So while I’m seeing everyone list the pros of getting a PC, I’d like to give a helpful comment on BOTH the pros and cons of a PS5.
Lets start with the pros: For actual reasons to get a PS5 over an Xbox series X or S, is mainly for the ecosystem. Whether it be you have a bunch of PS4 games, all your friends bought PS5’s so that’s where they’re playing, or you like PS exclusives, the PS5 is built for playing PlayStation games. And if your upgrading from a PS4, there is a large difference with games looking better, running smoother, and less load times. (Biggest example, opening any media app on PS4 is marginally slow, but opening Netflix or YouTube on PS5 is just as fast as opening the games) So if your looking to upgrade from a PS4, a PS5 is pretty nice. If not, then it’s really your choice between dealing with Sony or Microsoft, because either way you’ll be getting a modern console.
Now as for the cons to a PS5: The biggest one is that the console industry is enshittifying. I’m sure you’ve heard of Sony wanting to discontinue physical games, so that right there means you’ll be limited to download codes and the PS store. And Sony doesn’t exactly have the best track record of upholding your purchases, as they removed movies from people’s library when those licenses timed out, and will probably do the same to games when those licenses time out. And while we’re on the topic of licenses, certain games downloaded off the PS store get locked if the PS5 isn’t connected to PSN for a certain amount of time. Essentially, you’re gonna have to be ok with the fact that you don’t own or control many of your games anymore.
As for regular cons to a PS5, its a pretty much what everyone else is saying. Online multiplayer is gonna cost you (free games like Fortnite and Apex won’t charge you, but paid AAA games like COD and GTA online definitely will). It’s technically close to the end of its lifespan, as Sony has announced plans for a PS6 coming soon. Its a very bulky console if I’m being honest too.
PS exlcusives are good, but, have there been any PS5 games that make you WANT a ps5? I’ve had it for its whole lifespan, and it kind of just feels like PS4.5. But now I’m getting into the actual games and that’s your call
To end on a personal note, I built a PC while having a PS5, and I still prefer the PS5 cuz I’m not confident in the rig I built being stable or good enough to play the games I want. And I’m technically my family’s IT, so the fact that I’m not comfortable moving over to PC makes me confident in saying that a console will run how you expect, while a PC will run to your knowledge on computers. (Not saying that a PC is this large challenging hurdle you have to jump over, but the first thing my older brother did upon finding out I had a PC was play happy wheels on it. Suffice to say, you’ll want to do some research if you want a PC to be on par with a PS5, or better)
The PC is more money up front, but drastically cheaper over the lifetime of the product. It’s also more versatile, and capable of upgrading along with almost infinite backwards compatibility for older titles.
Consoles will be a couple of hundred (or thousand, depending on the PC you chose) cheaper, but you are forced to buy games within its ecosystem, usually at full retail price - a library of 10 AAA games will cost $600 on console, where you can get the same library on Steam for half or less of than that by simply keeping an eye on sales. The console won’t be upgradeable. You cannot easily pirate games, and there’s no such thing as DRM free gaming. And backwards compatibility is janky or simply removed for most consoles.
The only place consoles really win out is in live social gaming - it’s a lot easier to get a group of friends to play PS5 on the couch than it is to get them to play PC on the couch. Aside from that, though, it’s sort of like comparing a tricycle to a Harley… yeah, they’re both bikes, but the differences become real clear once you get out on the road.
The only thing I would add is the games on PS5 vs PC is they’re optimized for the console
Sometimes… Cyberpunk 2077 at launch is one example where the supposed optimization was less than optimal.
The other element is that it’s easy to get locked out of updates if the developer chooses not to support them on console. For instance, L4D2 on the Xbox 360 is absolutely gimped in comparison to PC, where it has new official campaigns and a thriving modding ecosystem 15+ years after launch… an ecosystem an Xbox 360 user can’t touch.
Exceptions to every rule
TF2 on xbox sucks compared to PC.
Interesting that both of you mentioned Valve games running like crap on console that were specifically made for Steam and PC then ported to console. Sounds like you should play PC games or at Valve games on PC and forget about playing them on console.
Minecraft also sucks on console.
Java over Bugrock!
PC is much more versatile of a tool and presents various learning opportunities, etc. But will not provide as smooth of a gaming experience as a ps5. Waaaaaaay more games to choose from though, so PC wins.
PC.
Even if Sony wasn’t hellbent on shooting themselves in the foot, a PC would still be the better choice. Sony going full idiot mode makes the choice even easier.
Get yourself a PC. Bonus points for installing SteamOS.
Edit: You can always upgrade a PC to increase its lifespan. Not so with a PS5.
Well, that depends on the PC. Upgrading a laptop is quite hard (with exceptions). And with RAMageddon, a „real“ desktop may be prohibitively expensive. In Germany, where I am, a PS5 Digital Edition is 599,99€ (including VAT), while a good PC would probably be at least 1300€. But OP, if you can afford it, I‘d still recommend the PC for its versatility. You can do anything with that. Put SteamOS on it, its like a console. One button press, you‘re on a full desktop you can use for work, education, social media, etc. p.p.
PC if you don’t already have one. If you’re choosing between them, and aren’t already invested in the ecosystem of one, PC is by far the better choice. Get yourself a steam account, get onto GoG. If you need game recommendations I’m happy to provide a few if you tell me what you’re looking for.
Get a PC. You’ll realize that using the Internet on your phone is like going swimming in a bathtub. And that’s just one of the countless things you can do better on computer. Games are just a fraction of what’s possible with a computer.
