The price of PC gaming - crushing a urban legend

[Dominian]

I'm typing to you about this topic on my Wii U. JK they make computer gaming hardware for multiple price ranges

[Larath]

i think a ps3 is 250 on amazon. When it came out it was like 600.
I try to get an average price depending on when during the life span of a console you buy.
I also consider only price for new material, it's more reliable than price for used material.


Aside from that. What is your opinion on the matter? Would you agree that, when put in perspective, PC gaming is not much more expensive than console gaming or you believe console gaming is still much cheaper than PC gaming?

I think the upfront price of the PC gaming is alot more expensive then a console but it'll come down to how much you game and how often you buy new games so I'll think it evens out depending on how long you play the games.

also as someone said before, second hand games doesn't really happen on PC but it certainly does on consoles, of all my Wii games I think only Skyward Sword is the one I bought on full price rest was from the bin for 5-15 euroes a piece.

[Kathandira]

I think the upfront price of the PC gaming is alot more expensive then a console but it'll come down to how much you game and how often you buy new games so I'll think it evens out depending on how long you play the games.

This is one of the more reasonable responses, and i second it.

[Reluctant]

Since most people will get a PC annyways since its usefull for a lot more then yust gaming spending abit more to run the newest game is a smal step.

[wynterlyn]

Warning: the currency used in my argument is euro. The price are just indicative from my country (france), all can be argue but I don’t think I’m that far off.

The lifetime of a console generation typically is about 5-6 years. I will use a 5 years’ timeline as for my comparative study.

Price of a decent Gaming PC + monitor: 1 000€
Typically a PC gamer will upgrade its computer regularly. So I consider in that timeline
1 video card change : 200€ changed to 300€ taking comment into account
1 processor + motherboard : 200€ 300€
Total 1 400€ in hardware in 5 years. 1600€ now

Price of a console: 400 € 300€
Price of TV (to have a fair comparison, PC does come with a dedicated monitor): 200€

Difference is 800 € for a 5 years’ timeline, so about 160€ per year. difference of 1100€ so about 220€ a year

However most PC new game cost 50€ while console game are about 70€. There is a 20€ difference between PC and console games, the difference get as small as 10€ as the game get older but PC game is always cheaper. So say that the gamer buy both new and old game, so we’ll use an average of 15€ difference.
How many game can do you buy per years. Let’s take a number of 10 games a years (some will buy less, some will buy more), that give us a difference of 150€ per years.

So PC gaming and console gaming cost about the same if you buy 10 (at least 14 games with new prices) games a years. For more games, it’s more advantageous to be a PC gamer.


But I haven’t talked about steam. PC gamers knows very well steam and especially the famous steam sales. 75% off a title that could be only 6 to 12 month old. If the PC gamer mostly buy games on steam sales, during this 5 years, being patient, he will save between 30 and 40€ per games which for a mere 10 games a year amount to 300 to 400€ saving or up to 2000€ saving in the course of 5 years (which he may invest to buy a console or upgrade for its PC, or more game)
No change in that conclusion with the new price

So in reality, PC gaming is far cheaper than console gaming, but the upfront money needed is much higher (a thousand euro for a complete system).

They are many advantages to PC gaming as well, such as mouse aiming, modding community for certain game, access to full internet, easy screen or video capture of game. You can work, study, learn from PC.

Not everything is perfect of course. There are game that we never see in PC (red dead redemption, metal gear solid, halo 3/4, …) and some are delayed on PC (GTA 4 was 8 month late compare to console release).

But I wanted to address the legend that PC gaming is far more expensive than console gaming. It simply is not true, or at least not as bad as most console gamers tend to believe.

I, for one, proudly say that I play more games and spend less money since I switch completely from console to PC gaming. Obviously, you can do both, but the object of the post was to compare both.


Edit: Upgrade Price have been update, i edited in red to make it readble

Well you are obviously very bias with your calculations and though you have adjusted a few prices it still doesn't tell the exact difference.

For example you took the liberty to take Steam Sales into account but at the same time gave nothing for the console players.

Let me start of by saying anyone that calculates the price of a television with the console is a fool. I mean like are you telling me people didn't have televisions before they purchased a console? So that is the first thing that is wrong with your post.

Secondly if you have good friends you don't all need to go out and buy the same games unless you all want to play that particular game together. Otherwise, its quit common for some friends to share certain games which you cannot do with the PC games since they require a CD key to be entered, unless you don't mind giving them access to your account and then you are left staring at a blank screen.

Most importantly the customer service when it comes to PC games is comparatively bad compared to console games. When I picked up Bad Company and Fifa 2012 last year, I met the system requirements for both the games, but the game played funny and I had a hard time getting through the campaign and when I finally did give up gamestop wouldn't refund me cause I had opened the package. However, they happily said they would have given me in store credit for the entire amount if it was for a console. Similarly with FIFA and a bunch of other games.

Most importantly how many over here come back to play the same games over and over again if it doesn't have a multiplayer and isn't an RPG? I guess very few. There are some really good game sites which allow you to rent unlimited amount of console games for a low cost membership fee.

So your arguments really ain't valid since you have not given it a complete look.

Overall, taking everything into consideration, sure probably console games cost $10 more, but the cost to update your computer over the last 5 years would you have costed you at least 500% - 1000% more than it would have to simply have picked up a PS3 or an XBOX 360. That is purely my calculations since when I picked up my current desktop 5 years ago.

[Deleted]

half of you will hate me for saying this but , piratebay.

[wynterlyn]

Also I can go on and say PC gaming is more for the nerdier type with glasses and all and Console is more for a the causal pick-up gamer. So you don't really expect a casual gamer to invest a ton of money on a PC system they know they ain't going to spend much time on. And sure most of you will say , "OH..build your own computer". But really how many casual gamers are actually very PC savy and can actually build their own computer?

Most probably go into their nearest Best Buy or log in on Dell and check what they want in their computer. So quite frankly its a dubious thing to compare costs for PC gaming and Console gaming as all things equal console gaming will always win that war. And even developers have started developing their games for consoles and porting it for PCs. Black Ops2 is a perfect example as it doesn't seem like you even need to aim these days to get those kills.

[Vankrys]

The intent of my post have been misunderstood i think. I see poster like wynterlyn that came to the "defense" of console and aggressively defend them. But there were never under attack. Console have their own advantages such as exclusive games, highly developped used market and mainly a physical market (PC is both physical and digital but tend to be more and more digital).

I have a friend telling me how expensive PC gaming, just because of the initial investment. I wanted to demystified this. We sat down and calculate how much we both really spent on gaming in the past few years, this is where the calculation did come from. Results were surprising to him.

For example, last summer, i picked the witcher 2 for 12€ on steam and i did buy in the same week for his 360, used for about 30€. Granted he can then re sell, while i can't, but the matter is, when you sat down and do some math, you realize (at least i think so) there isn't such a gap in money between both type of gaming.

Then, there is what you want to play and how you want to play it. In the end, i suppose many among us have both a PC and a console, i have a 360 and a PSP for example. But PC gaming (other than MMO or STR) doesn't have the love it deserve somehow, i think it's misunderstood or believed to be much more expensive.

Although it met with lots of resistance, this post have at least the merit to fuel some thought for some i hope and challenge some preconcieved idea i hope.

peace.

[Larath]

The intent of my post have been misunderstood i think. I see poster like wynterlyn that came to the "defense" of console and aggressively defend them. But there were never under attack. Console have their own advantages such as exclusive games, highly developped used market and mainly a physical market (PC is both physical and digital but tend to be more and more digital).

I have a friend telling me how expensive PC gaming, just because of the initial investment. I wanted to demystified this. We sat down and calculate how much we both really spent on gaming in the past few years, this is where the calculation did come from. Results were surprising to him.

For example, last summer, i picked the witcher 2 for 12€ on steam and i did buy in the same week for his 360, used for about 30€. Granted he can then re sell, while i can't, but the matter is, when you sat down and do some math, you realize (at least i think so) there isn't such a gap in money between both type of gaming.

Then, there is what you want to play and how you want to play it. In the end, i suppose many among us have both a PC and a console, i have a 360 and a PSP for example. But PC gaming (other than MMO or STR) doesn't have the love it deserve somehow, i think it's misunderstood or believed to be much more expensive.

Although it met with lots of resistance, this post have at least the merit to fuel some thought for some i hope and challenge some preconcieved idea i hope.

peace.

but you know, it is more expensive, I can just take myself as an example, I bought my Wii before christmas last year and I bought my "bad" computer a little before that, my Wii I got alot more for then I got for my PC and the PC was still twice as expensive and didn't come with a monitor which I had to add in another 100 euroes to get while I got the Wii + another controller and 6 games for half the price of the PC without monitor, and I still live at home so I didn't need to buy a TV since we have two already, I'm not good enough to put a PC together either so I couldn't do that myself which I'm guessing most people who buys a new computer does unless they are very computer savy.

I'd also call myself a PC gamer since quite a while back but the ease of playing consoles over PCs shouldn't be underestimated either.

I prefer fighting games, racing/sports, platformers on the console while I prefer FPS, RTS and MMOs alongside simulators on the PC, I like RPGs on both so don't really have a preference there.

[Asmalya]

I wouldnt want to play on a 200€ tv...mine was 1k€.
Hell my monitor was 250€and i got it on a sale...
So you want to up that tv price i guess..or lower pc prices if you dont care about quality at all.

[Deleted]

I wouldnt want to play on a 200€ tv...mine was 1k€.
Hell my monitor was 250€and i got it on a sale...
So you want to up that tv price i guess..or lower pc prices if you dont care about quality at all.

200€ is a bit low but i spent 410€ recently on an 1080p 42" LG tv and its brilliant.. sure you can spend more but imo most people want to justify performance against costs and i still dont think 3d tv's are worth it YET.

[Asmalya]

200€ is a bit low but i spent 410€ recently on an 1080p 42" LG tv and its brilliant.. sure you can spend more but imo most people want to justify performance against costs and i still dont think 3d tv's are worth it YET.

Thats my point. If you spend 200€ on the console side you can alos just spend 100€ on the gfx because it will handle games from today just as good if you dont go all ultra.
Also i dont think you have to replace motherboard and cpu between those 5 years..but thats just me...

[Hraklea]

This discussion have a huge problem for me: putting all games on the same bag.

First, buying a PC vs buying a PS3/XBOX360 depends of what kind of games you like. I often see people saying that "there's no reason to buy a console nowadays", but they are just considering the games they like. Games are not all the same. If you like MMOs, of course a PC will be better than a console, and you'll judge prices differently than someone who like fighting games (like me). I rather pay more for a PS3 than buy a PC game because I like PS3 games better than PC games.

But I wanted to address the legend that PC gaming is far more expensive than console gaming. It simply is not true, or at least not as bad as most console gamers tend to believe.

Being "cheap" or "expensive" is a matter of cost-benefit, not just price. Console gamers don't see the same value in a PC that PC gamers do.

[Djuntas]

Honestly, all that matters is the games. If you want a specific game for console's...well.

I personally haven't ever owned a console, and last time I played one was years ago. But I can see why people still get it, for the games.

Also, I hope people dont buy a PC just for games alone seing how crappy PC games industry is atm. Surely net banking is good to...xD :s

[Deleted]

Also, I hope people dont buy a PC just for games alone seing how crappy PC games industry is atm. Surely net banking is good to...xD :s

lol what.. PC gaming industry is doing great.

[Lancer]

But, you have to keep in mind that mind some people buy a console so they can just plug in and play. On top of that some people do not want to have open up their PC to remove/insert things like the CPU/GPU/HDD/etc. Some people like the simplicity of a console.


Yeah it's silly but I wouldn't want to picture somebody that's technologically impaired trying to open up their PC to remove their CPU and put their new CPU into the socket. I could see them bending the CPU pins within a matter of 30 seconds.

[Bigbazz]

PC industry is doing very well, PC will cost you more initial money but for that you get much higher quality graphics with the same/better quality controls and online play. A console will last you years, but so will a PC if you spend enough on it. Generally PC games cost less than console games, even without steam sales.


I own a PS3 but only own 1 game for it (alteast only one that I bought, I have some PSN games handed out when it got hacked last year), because all the games I want are also available on PC, with infinitely superior graphics on the PC it's hard for me to justify spending more money on the same game for the PS3. PC gaming is expensive though, because if you want to take advantage of the big graphical quality difference you also have to be prepared to pay for it, if you're content with comparable graphics then you can probably get away with a much more affordable situation, but it will still cost you more than a console.

[Djuntas]

lol what.. PC gaming industry is doing great.

We'll I guess its doing okay, but I still see the industry like its lost some creativity. Nothing but sequels now days really.

And yea you're right @Lancer, cant imagine many people ever looked under there PC cabinet, or even tried replacing something, trough if you ask me its quit straightforward. Kinda like a hard puzzle game.

[Faroth]

All depends on the game for me.

Only game I played on console I might have gone PC with was Dragon Age, but the PS3 was powerful and the PC was puny when it released and I couldn't upgrade the PC at the time.

Otherwise....BOTH!

[skrump]

I agree with the OP that going the PC route is cheaper in the longrun but it has other advantages as well
#1 newer computers are backwords compatible with older games (including most console games if you go Rom hunting)
#2 Computers in general are much more useful while consoles offer little more than restricted internet use.
#3 Their are more games on the Pc platform than on all the console platforms combined
#4 It is much easier to create and distribute computer games/software sine no single company owns the rights to the hardware.