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While building a gaming setup, the biggest decision one makes is deciding between a gaming PC or a console. There are a lot of aspects to factor in while making this decision and each option has many pros and cons that only make it harder to settle.
If you are looking for a system to only play video games, the best choice is to get a console, but if you need to play video games and perform other intensive tasks, a PC is an all-rounder choice. In today's market, getting the latest technology is difficult, including the latest generation consoles and new graphics cards, but if you can get hold of a gaming console, there are many advantages to it.
Various reasons to go for a console rather than a gaming PC
1) Ease of use
The best part about owning a console for gaming is the ease of use; it requires minimal maintenance, takes no time to set up, has more portability, and can be used for a plethora of entertainment reasons. The UI of consoles is straightforward and does not require the user to tweak the optimization settings.
On the other hand, PCs require a lot of optimization and maintenance. Various drivers need to stay updated at all times, many settings need to be changed so that games perform efficiently, and not all PCs are built the same, so selecting components requires a lot of research. Consoles are the best choice for casual gamers who do not want to go through the process of buying a PC and setting it up.
2) Price
Buying a console is a one-time task that does not require the user to buy more products. With the console, comes the whole package that is ready to play games after being plugged in. Moreover, a console is cheaper than a PC with the same specifications. The PlayStation 5 base version costs $399, and if you need to replicate a PC that is just as powerful, you will need to spend up to $1500 and still need to buy a keyboard and mouse.
In the current market, prices of the latest GPUs are skyrocketing due to scalpers and the shortage of silicon chips, and resellers are being forced to sell the products at a higher price than the original listing.
3) Longevity
If you buy a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X today, you will not need to buy another console for at least the next eight years because those consoles will be supported and have the latest games until 2030. Taking the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as examples that were released back in 2013, the latest games are being released for them as they still have a large userbase, and it's speculated that games will continue to be released for them for the next couple of years.
Today's gaming PCs with the latest specifications will last many years but will need regular upgrades to keep up with the increasing requirements and as newer CPUs are released, the old motherboards are not compatible, forcing the user to change many components for one. Even if you take the strongest gaming PC from 2013, it will struggle to run the latest games at high resolution and FPS, something last-generation consoles are capable of.
4) Exclusivity
Consoles are popular for their exclusive game releases that are not available on PCs. Even though that is changing fast, with all Xbox games available on PCs and PlayStation exclusives being released for PCs regularly, there are still many games that cannot be played on a PC.
Nintendo Switch owns many video game franchises that are only available on the Switch. Moreover, many PlayStation exclusives are released for the PS4 and PS5 first, and the same will be released on the PC many years after.
5) Space
A gaming PC requires a desk, chair, and a small portion of the room to be used, whereas a console can fit in a TV stand and does not require extra furniture to be used. Moreover, a gaming PC is suitable for one person only, with one pair of keyboard and mouse connected to it, and even though controllers are supported, most PC setups are built with one user in mind.
A console kept next to the TV can be used by multiple people at once sitting in the hall with multiple controllers connected to it, and the controllers can be carried around easily as they are light and small enough to fit in a bag.
