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PC Gaming Misconceptions?

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JLangevin

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Hey guys. So Ive been having some debates with some of my die hard console gamer friends (not about which is better) and the most common thing I keep hearing is that its "too expensive" to game on PC vs console.

I dont personally think thats true with the economy and how prices of PC components have dropped as well to keep up (er down) with lost sales.

What are your thoughts on this? Can we keep this clean? I TRUELY dont want this to be Console VS PC, but simply the topic of whether or not its "too expensive" to play on PC when compared to console.

I own both, and I prefer PC but I have also gamed on some low end PCs and still enjoyed myself.


Check out my video on the matter if you have the time, but either way, discuss!
YouTube Video on the matter





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PC gaming is quite a bit expensive.. from the ground up you are looking at a minimum of 400$ for a good gaming PC..

if you go used you can get in for quite a bit less but overall its more than double the cost.


One thing i think that has really helped alot (and some may call me crazy) is AMD has been making some very decent laptop gaming parts.

I've recommended on more than one occasion some of the AMD laptops with the 6k seriesgpus in them and everyone has really enjoyed gaming on them. but even these 400$ laptops (includes mouse and monitor) are much more expensive than the 200$ xbox360 (or even cheaper)

The one thing i will say though, is that once you have a PC built, the games are MUCh cheaper. steam games for 5$ or less and the average i pay for games now is 10$ .. that pales in comparison to the xbox360/ps3 prices for games even older games.

i guess bottom line..

PC Gaming is much more expensive upfront, but makes up for it with cheap media and games.
 
A few hundred dollars is nothing if you have even a semi-decent job. Yes, even an Xbox seems wildly expensive to a kid.
 
I know too that its not a reliable cost factor, but since the Xbox 360 has been out, I had 2 die on me... that certainly takes in to account.

One thing I keep thinking is that we ALL have PCs... whether they are laptops or Desktops. If those who bought new computers spend a little more, the difference between game capable and not, is not too bad.

I think the point I was trying to make though is that many console dedicated gamers feel that PC gaming costs thousands of dollars, and even though my rig, and MANY on this site DID cost that much, its just not necessary.
 
If you're living on minimum wage you can afford a cheap PC if you want to. You might skip buying the Buffy the Vampire Slayer box set that month, but you can afford it. PC gaming has become more affordable over the years and the games surely are cheaper than console. Even the console only crowd can get into the games as they support their favorite controller by default.

Only reason to complain about PC Gaming being too expensive is if you don't want to save for the initial entry onto the platform. Even if you're just getting a PC for college, making sure it has a decent video chipset or spare PCI Express is all you need for upfront costs. Toss in a below $100 video card at a later date and you're fine.
 
"Too expensive" is a relative term. It is more expensive than console gaming, that's for sure. However it really depends on how much disposable income one has.
 
Another misconception is that max graphics settings are the only settings. So when looking at benchmarks a non-gamer might think they need a 500 dollar card to run Game X (let's no kid ourselves, it's "Game C" we're talking about) when a 150 dollar card will suffice for settings that give 75% of the eye candy and 100% of the gameplay value.
 
To me it comes down to the fact that one cannot have the same graphical fidelity and gaming experience one can have on a console for the same price on PC.
 
The difference I think comes with what else you can do with a PC/laptop.

Surf the internet
Play casual games
Do homework/papers/etc

A console is only really used for games and entertainment.

My parents bought my brother and I a Commodore 64 amidst the Atari revolution and I don't feel I missed out one bit. I did play the occasional game of Adventure or Night Driver at a friend's house, but my parents thought that spending a bit more and getting something to possibly do homework and play games would be money better spent.
 
It all really depends. It especially depends on the amount of games purchased. If a console gamer buys a shit ton of games, then it will eventually even out due to higher priced games. Free online play and consistent sales from websites such as good old games, green man gaming, amazon, steam, origin, etc. mean that games are always at decent prices if you are willing to wait to purchase or hunt down coupon codes.

If they have XBox, they have xbox live fees, and they potentially replaced several consoles during the early years before Microsoft acknowledge issues and extended the warranties. All these factor in as well.

Before this generation of consoles pre-2005, PC gaming was always more expensive. Now with higher priced games, online fees, ridiculous DLC's (which are now more prevalent on PC also), etc. the distinction in price isn't as clear.
 
_PixelNinja said:
To me it comes down to the fact that one cannot have the same graphical fidelity and gaming experience one can have on a console for the same price on PC.
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Eh, games tend to be more expensive on a console so over time it may even out. That said the PS3 and 360 are almost a decade old. I couldn't imagine trying to game on a decade old pc.

Its also not like most people are choosing between a console and pc. You need a pc these days. Its more like money spent on top of a computer that you would have had anyways.
 
pc gaming is definitely cheaper. if you want to play pc games at console resolution and quality then you can build that rig for $200, maybe $300. then games are stupid cheap. i dont know any console gamers that have more than about 10 games. i have more than that installed at a time that i actively play, not to mention the other couple hundred ive beaten or havent gotten around to yet.

and in my experience, console gamers will say that and then turn around and upgrade their S2 to an S3 the next week for $200 or buy an ipad for $500. theyre just not as intelligent or rational as we pc gamers. ;)
 
Considering the money consoles gamers spend on extra controllers and more expensive games plus PC games can have half off sales only a month after the game is released (not all of them but many) if you simply wait for a deal or coupon.

PC's also can be used for a wide variety of other uses outside of gaming. And more often then not (especially in this current time period) a simple video card upgrade can often spring a few extra years into a PC that provides the gamer with better graphics , faster frame rates and a better overall experience. They tried this with early consoles and it always ended up being a mess (hello 32X).

PC's are the superior platform for more than enough reasons. Consoles however are not to be dismissed , there is fun that can be had with them as well. It just depends on if you wanted to invest in a better gaming setup or you just want it to run and don't give a shit about anything else.
 
PCs are more expensive. Though Xbox with LIVE does equalize the costs more. A PS3 is cheaper than the 360 in the long run.

With PCs you don't always need to buy $250 video cards each year, though a 7900/X1900 might be getting a bit slow for 2012 games. My point being that you would have to add the cost of another PC or upgrade costs over 6-7 years.

PC games are cheaper though.
 
In a lot of ways anymore PC gaming is becoming cheaper overall than console gaming. But, this statement is only true if you do not buy games day 1 and wait for some sales. PCs have a much steeper entry cost, but games can be had for almost 75% cheaper than the console equivalents in some cases, even if only 2months or so after releases. I know my savings from the Steam and Amazon sales for my PC have probably saved me $300-500 over the last 1.5 years over what I would have purchased the games for new at Amazon, Wal-Mart, wherever. With that factored in over 2-3 years it is possible that there is not much of a price gap on overall costs.
 
djsb said:
Another misconception is that max graphics settings are the only settings. So when looking at benchmarks a non-gamer might think they need a 500 dollar card to run Game X (let's no kid ourselves, it's "Game C" we're talking about) when a 150 dollar card will suffice for settings that give 75% of the eye candy and 100% of the gameplay value.
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This. Most people own a computer already. If they tossed in a $150 video card they'd get 75-80% of the eye candy (and still looking a LOT better than a console) + 100% of the gameplay, right off. People indeed look at the uber-high-res OMFG-LMNOP settings and think that's the only way to play :rolleyes: .

By the time you add in extra controllers, online service fees, higher pricing on the games (with fewer good sales), etc., a console is basically just as expensive even if you were building a small gaming PC from the ground up for $400. Heck, a basic 360 alone costs what, $200-250 still, several years from its launch? Add in two games for $60 compared to the same games for $5 each on steam/amazon/origin sales, and your price difference is already done with, and if you buy a Live subscription so you can even play online, you're further above and beyond the PC's cost ;) just like that.
 
Flogger23m said:
PCs are more expensive. Though Xbox with LIVE does equalize the costs more. A PS3 is cheaper than the 360 in the long run.

With PCs you don't always need to buy $250 video cards each year, though a 7900/X1900 might be getting a bit slow for 2012 games. My point being that you would have to add the cost of another PC or upgrade costs over 6-7 years.

PC games are cheaper though.
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Not at all. Throw a $100-150 video card into most current PC's that people already own (and normally can buy for $250-300 on a bestbuy deal or staples hot deal), and you're going to have better-than-console gaming experiences right off the bat for less, not to mention cheaper games and free online play.

Having the best rig with the latest GPU with omfgRAM and the unbelievably powerful Intel i20-billion CPU is not a requirement to get better-than-console graphics and framerates ;).
 
JLangevin said:
I know too that its not a reliable cost factor, but since the Xbox 360 has been out, I had 2 die on me... that certainly takes in to account.

One thing I keep thinking is that we ALL have PCs... whether they are laptops or Desktops. If those who bought new computers spend a little more, the difference between game capable and not, is not too bad.

I think the point I was trying to make though is that many console dedicated gamers feel that PC gaming costs thousands of dollars, and even though my rig, and MANY on this site DID cost that much, its just not necessary.
Click to expand...


I used to strongly agree, and still do somewhat agree with this.
If you are buying a $600 PC, you are likely only a $200 vid card upgrade away from a decent gaming PC that will play all the latest games at better than console fps and IQ for 2-3 years. Toss in another $200 vid card upgrade at the 2 or 3 year mark to stretch it another year or two. Total cost $400 more than you would have paid for just the PC you likely would have been purchasing anyway. However, the same can not really be said for a new laptop, since a new GPU generally means an entirely new laptop, and decent gaming laptops generally start closer to $1K.

Staying at the bleeding edge is expensive. Though it is not as expensive as some like to make it out to be. 5760x1200 is running me about $800 - $1000 a year in new vidcards. I upgrade the cpu, mobo, and ram every 3-4 years at a cost of $1000 to $1500. The other odds and ends get replaced as needed. I would guess about $300 -500 a year. That is not super expensive but it is surely more than one would pay for any two console over a 4-6 year long console generation.
 
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One thing you can't really use in the discussion is the cost of games. Console gamers pay more up front but can make up for that in resale. Most pc games are one use only.
 
GORANKAR said:
I used to strongly agree, and still do somewhat agree with this.
If you are buying a $600 PC, you are likely only a $200 vid card upgrade away from a decent gaming PC that will play all the latest games at better than console fps and IQ for 2-3 years. Toss in another $200 vid card upgrade at the 2 or 3 year mark to stretch it another year or two. Total cost $400 more than you would have paid for just the PC you likely would have used for 4 or five years b4 replacing anyway. However, the same can not really be said for a new laptop, since a new GPU generally means an entirely new laptop.
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I bought this laptop for $335 shipped off of the Lenovo outlet on a hot deal at the end of May: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246222 (for specs reference)...

Model 086264U Y570 w/ quad-core i7 2670qm + gt555m 1gb gddr5 + 750gb hdd + 8gb ddr3 + usb3+esata ports, 15.4" 1366x768 screen & dvdrw drive + mSATA slot for SSD (installable alongside the HDD)

Needless to say, it plays games quite nicely and even includes the televisi---I mean, monitor ;). Good things come to those who deal-hunt for a few weeks instead of running to buy a full-MSRP system.

dustin25ship said:
One thing you can't really use in the discussion is the cost of games. Console gamers pay more up front but can make up for that in resale. Most pc games are one use only.
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Whatever you say... most people don't "resell" tons of their games, and when they do they still take a big loss on the originally-paid high price. Besides, if you sell the game... you don't have it anymore, anyway, so I fail to see any point on that?
 
When dealing with costs, it's kind of hard to factor in everything.

For instance;
  • The console might be cheap but that TV you're playing it on isn't free.
  • Playing online for the PC generally doesn't raise the price of what you pay for your broadband. (With the exception of those monthly games) Where as to play on like XBL, it'll cost you a nominal fee. While not much, it still adds to the cost.
  • Buying media. Generally speaking, games on the PC cost less. Especially with services such as Steam that have lots of huge sales saving you up to 75% on some titles that already costs less than their console version.
  • Buy a new console? Replace the entire library of games. Buy a new PC? Install the games/download off Steam. No need to replace any games.

While someone did mention that almost everyone has a computer of some sort, [/i]everyone[/i] also has a TV. So let's negate those dealing and just deal with the cost of making said TV turn into a gaming rig and/or said PC into a gaming rig.

Most modern PCs just need a dedicated video card to play most all games out. Descent video card can vary greatly. You can easily spend $200 on a good one or $400. Just depends. Right now, a $200 card would be more than powerful than any one of the consoles out.

To game on your TV, you'll just need the cost of a console which is generally a set price between all the big players. What are they now? Like $200 - $250?

Can you get a GPU that's the same cost of a console? Yes. Will it be more capable as a gaming setup than the console; for now yes. (When new consoles release, this usually isn't the case however from specification rumors of next generation consoles it might not be anymore.)
 
One thing that I can say for sure is that my pc gaming hobby is more expensive than a console.
 
Skillz said:
When dealing with costs, it's kind of hard to factor in everything.

For instance;
  • The console might be cheap but that TV you're playing it on isn't free.
  • Playing online for the PC generally doesn't raise the price of what you pay for your broadband. (With the exception of those monthly games) Where as to play on like XBL, it'll cost you a nominal fee. While not much, it still adds to the cost.
  • Buying media. Generally speaking, games on the PC cost less. Especially with services such as Steam that have lots of huge sales saving you up to 75% on some titles that already costs less than their console version.
  • Buy a new console? Replace the entire library of games. Buy a new PC? Install the games/download off Steam. No need to replace any games.

While someone did mention that almost everyone has a computer of some sort, [/i]everyone[/i] also has a TV. So let's negate those dealing and just deal with the cost of making said TV turn into a gaming rig and/or said PC into a gaming rig.

Most modern PCs just need a dedicated video card to play most all games out. Descent video card can vary greatly. You can easily spend $200 on a good one or $400. Just depends. Right now, a $200 card would be more than powerful than any one of the consoles out.

To game on your TV, you'll just need the cost of a console which is generally a set price between all the big players. What are they now? Like $200 - $250?

Can you get a GPU that's the same cost of a console? Yes. Will it be more capable as a gaming setup than the console; for now yes. (When new consoles release, this usually isn't the case however from specification rumors of next generation consoles it might not be anymore.)
Click to expand...

Excellent post overall.

Just to leave this here, though.... http://www.compusa.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=4368402&sku=M452-0554 is going to, in all likelihood, be faster than the next-gen consoles' GPU's already and is a "whopping" $90 after 30 rebate, just as an example, as well as including games (Dungeon Siege 3 and NBA2k11 + 3dmark11 Advanced benchmarking software (yeah yeah, not a game)). By the time next-gen consoles are out, there will be far better GPU's available at the sub-100 price range :eek:.

As far as needing a TV for a console or a computer for a video card, I agree those should pretty much be left out since most people already own them, though.

BababooeyHTJ said:
One thing that I can say for sure is that my pc gaming hobby is more expensive than a console.
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That's because your hobby results in rigs that make a console look like an NES :eek: . If you just want to meet/exceed a console's graphics and framerates... it's cheaper/the same handily. :D
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
Eh, games tend to be more expensive on a console so over time it may even out. That said the PS3 and 360 are almost a decade old. I couldn't imagine trying to game on a decade old pc.

Its also not like most people are choosing between a console and pc. You need a pc these days. Its more like money spent on top of a computer that you would have had anyways.
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I'd like someone to demonstrate console equivalent fidelity on a build whether 10 years old or new for no more than $300. I have not managed to come up with a build that would work. Whether people like it or not, consoles have amazing optimization for 7 year old tech. Also, like it has been mentionned before do not forget that console games can be sold on the second had market whereas PC games cannot.

That being said, I do agree that PC gaming, while still quite some money, is not as expensive as most people tend to think it is.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Whatever you say... most people don't "resell" tons of their games, and when they do they still take a big loss on the originally-paid high price. Besides, if you sell the game... you don't have it anymore, anyway, so I fail to see any point on that?
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We can agree to disagree. I think the cost of ownership is similar, and most people don't replay most games these days over and over again. I think buying, beating and reselling a game is a viable option with a lot of games. Just my opinion though.
 
In all reality PC gaming is only as expensive as you make it.. Now how many people do you know that bought a 360 or even a ps3 on release and actually use it every day that still have their original console.. I would venture to say not many. So that being said most people have about $800 in consoles if they have just had to buy one new one since release. An $800 PC will be a capable gaming machine for about 4 or 5 years.. at that point a lot of times you can get a newer video card and be good for a couple more years..You may not be running games at max setting toward the end of the computes life span but it will still look as good as a console.. just my take on the whole thing
 
DJ_007 said:
In all reality PC gaming is only as expensive as you make it.. Now how many people do you know that bought a 360 or even a ps3 on release and actually use it every day that still have their original console.. I would venture to say not many. So that being said most people have about $800 in consoles if they have just had to buy one new one since release. An $800 PC will be a capable gaming machine for about 4 or 5 years.. at that point a lot of times you can get a newer video card and be good for a couple more years..You may not be running games at max setting toward the end of the computes life span but it will still look as good as a console.. just my take on the whole thing
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Sure: http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1039118505&postcount=22

Next?

(Original deal thread here: http://slickdeals.net/f/4639006-Len...00-tax-Pentium-dual-core-from-217-tax?&page=1)
 
GoldenTiger said:
Not at all. Throw a $100-150 video card into most current PC's that people already own (and normally can buy for $250-300 on a bestbuy deal or staples hot deal), and you're going to have better-than-console gaming experiences right off the bat for less, not to mention cheaper games and free online play.

Having the best rig with the latest GPU with omfgRAM and the unbelievably powerful Intel i20-billion CPU is not a requirement to get better-than-console graphics and framerates ;).
Click to expand...

I was mentioning when the consoles came out. Now days you can get new 360s for as little as $120 at Gamestop. ;) Keep in mind frame rates doesn't = better gaming experience. When my 7600GS started to get out dated many games would have issues due to out dated DX versions, lack of shader model this and that, and just poor compatibility with old hardware in general. Consoles don't have this issue.

In addition most of the sub $500 desktop PCs I see probably can't handle a $150 video card due to size of the case. :p I would also be concerned about heat and a low end PSU.
 
DJ_007 said:
In all reality PC gaming is only as expensive as you make it.. Now how many people do you know that bought a 360 or even a ps3 on release and actually use it every day that still have their original console.. I would venture to say not many. So that being said most people have about $800 in consoles if they have just had to buy one new one since release. An $800 PC will be a capable gaming machine for about 4 or 5 years.. at that point a lot of times you can get a newer video card and be good for a couple more years..You may not be running games at max setting toward the end of the computes life span but it will still look as good as a console.. just my take on the whole thing
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While most people don't have original launch consoles anymore, majority of them got them replaced for free under warranty. Kind of negates that argument too. :(
 
Skillz said:
While most people don't have original launch consoles anymore, majority of them got them replaced for free under warranty. Kind of negates that argument too. :(
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Under the 1-year warranty, several years later? Yeah, not likely.
 
dustin25ship said:
One thing you can't really use in the discussion is the cost of games. Console gamers pay more up front but can make up for that in resale. Most pc games are one use only.
Click to expand...
Most people might get $10 trade in on a $60 game if they are lucky. That's usually the price difference between a PC title and a Console title, if not more depending on the circumstances. Most PC titles have already stepped up to the $60 mark for new releases, but almost every PC game out there can be had for less than that with coupons and sales.
In a sense you are right, for every crazy sale on PC games out there, a console gamer can always go to gamestop and get a used version of the game for cheap. The only problem with that is it isn't guaranteed to even be in stock, especially if it is a popular game.
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
Most people might get $10 trade in on a $60 game if they are lucky. That's usually the price difference between a PC title and a Console title, if not more depending on the circumstances. Most PC titles have already stepped up to the $60 mark for new releases, but almost every PC game out there can be had for less than that with coupons and sales.
In a sense you are right, for every crazy sale on PC games out there, a console gamer can always go to gamestop and get a used version of the game for cheap. The only problem with that is it isn't guaranteed to even be in stock, especially if it is a popular game.
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Not to mention the used game is typically $5-10 off the MSRP of 50-60 dollars.
 
wonder how the numbers crunch when most console games cost a bit more than pc games..
 
One thing nobody mentioned was PC gaming is light years ahead of conole gaming. If you run 1920x1200 or higher, your gaming at resolutions that are greater than high definitiion. Lets not forget the depth and quality of games that are availble for a PC.
Sure you pay more in some cases for a PC, but you can do more.
I dont think "gaming" is something that can be compared on both platforms unless you only play console ports on your PC with no PC advantages. Heck, get into board or paper based "gaming" and save the most money.
 
PC gaming is more generally more expensive for most but it is much better technically with not too much above a console and of course when one spends much more than a console it's altogether something different than console gaming.

The price of games themselves is probably lower overall on the PC so if one is a gaming fanatic PC gaming on moderately priced PC hardware might be a better deal but PC hardware ages far more rapidly. There's no way to have a top gaming experience with 7 year old PC hardware while theoretically it is possible with a 7 year Xbox.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Under the 1-year warranty, several years later? Yeah, not likely.
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Speculate much? Yeah...

I know plenty of people who have had their systems replaced after warranty expired from both Microsoft and Sony. Since ALL of my friends are/were console gamers. I've managed to convert a couple, but not all of them. Either way;


PC gaming > Console gaming
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
Most people might get $10 trade in on a $60 game if they are lucky. That's usually the price difference between a PC title and a Console title, if not more depending on the circumstances. Most PC titles have already stepped up to the $60 mark for new releases, but almost every PC game out there can be had for less than that with coupons and sales.
In a sense you are right, for every crazy sale on PC games out there, a console gamer can always go to gamestop and get a used version of the game for cheap. The only problem with that is it isn't guaranteed to even be in stock, especially if it is a popular game.
Click to expand...

Truthfully anyone that buys games at gamestop or trades games into gamestop is just unaware of the other options out there or extremely impatient. There are so many other options out there to buy games for less and sell games for more. Gamestop is pretty much the worst example you can use.
 
BababooeyHTJ said:
One thing that I can say for sure is that my pc gaming hobby is more expensive than a console.
Click to expand...
You're probably much more passionate about PC gaming than a typical console gamer is about console gaming. It stands to reason that you'll spend more money on hobbies you're passionate about. That's simply to be expected.
 
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