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[SScorpio]

Because PCs are expensive. If you want to play without to make too much sacrifice, it just costs more than consoles. And I know it, I have a good PC to play AAA games in 4K. If you want a good PC you need to spend AT LEAST something like 1300€ overall. The good thing is that, generally, you can upgrade just the GPU, or RAM or the motherboard / CPU... so if you already have good components, you don't have to change everything. But still, PC gaming is expensive.

You can't buy your games physically, it means that you "lose" your money. You can't resell anything. I don't like it either, and no, the games are not affordable on Steam at the release date. The price is basically the same on all systems (Monster Hunter Wilds? 69,99€, FFVII Rebirth? 69,99€....). You get good prices when the games are old.

But of course, a PC can make a lot of things, so I'm still happy about my PC.

But you don't need to buy every game on Steam. You can use legit 3rd party resellers like GreenManGaming or Fanatical and save at least 20% on launch. I preordered Rebirth from GMG for $42.

The mini PC OP bought and mentioned in several posts is ~$250 USD and has roughly the GPU performance of a PS4 Pro, the exact amount of power everyone is going nuts to pay for with the Switch 2 at $450. But the comparison is a little wrong as it's looking at just the GPU. The PS4 still had the slow tablet focused Jaguar CPU. While the mini PC has 8 Zen 4 cores and can clock them up to 5.1Ghz. The PS5 has 8 Zen 2 cores it can clock up to 3.5Ghz. The mini PC has RNDA 3 with 12CU, while the PS5 is RNDA 2 with 36CU.

So the CPU performance can handle modern games, with the GPU being the limiter. But many graphics settings in games have diminishing returns where enabling a setting would triple the processing power requirements but being very difficult to notice the difference on the final image. And many games on consoles are on low if not even lower than the lowest PC options.

So with PCs you have options, you can spend a ton to play at 4K 120Hz. But you can play the exact same games at a lower settings and still end up having fun. If you need the higher graphics fidelity, great you build a PC for it. But not everyone requires that and they can spend 20% of the cost of a 4K machine. With the downside being outside of memory and storage, they aren't upgradeable. But at the lower price, you can get a new one, and repurpose or outright sell the old.

AMD's new Strix Halo systems are starting to come out, and they will be expensive at release but will drop in price after a year or two just like the system OP linked costing $500-600 two years ago. But the Strix Halos will be more powerful than the PS5 featuring Zen 5 CPU, and RDNA 3.5 graphics. The downside of these is the RAM will likely to soldered so it's not upgradeable later, but it's almost 2x the bandwidth of the older mini PCs.
Ryzen Ai Max+ 395 - 16C/32T CPU, 40CU
Ryzen Ai Max 390 - 12C/24T, 32CU
Ryzen Ai Max 385 - 8C/16T, 32CU
Ryzen Ai Max 380 - 6C/12T, 16CU

And all AMD systems have been great with SteamOS unlocking the same control of the hardware that's on the Steam Deck. So you could use these on a TV as a console.

 

[dgrdsv]

PC gaming is more expensive than console gaming (which isn't new) but it is also arguably more expensive these days than it used to be when comparing consoles vs PCs in a apples vs apples manner. Hence the feeling.
It doesn't help much of course that some people tend to see only 5090 and 9950X3D parts when talking about PC gaming - as if there's nothing below these.

 

[djjinx2]

But you don't need to buy every game on Steam. You can use legit 3rd party resellers like GreenManGaming or Fanatical and save at least 20% on launch. I preordered Rebirth from GMG for $42.

The mini PC OP bought and mentioned in several posts is ~$250 USD and has roughly the GPU performance of a PS4 Pro, the exact amount of power everyone is going nuts to pay for with the Switch 2 at $450. But the comparison is a little wrong as it's looking at just the GPU. The PS4 still had the slow tablet focused Jaguar CPU. While the mini PC has 8 Zen 4 cores and can clock them up to 5.1Ghz. The PS5 has 8 Zen 2 cores it can clock up to 3.5Ghz. The mini PC has RNDA 3 with 12CU, while the PS5 is RNDA 2 with 36CU.

So the CPU performance can handle modern games, with the GPU being the limiter. But many graphics settings in games have diminishing returns where enabling a setting would triple the processing power requirements but being very difficult to notice the difference on the final image. And many games on consoles are on low if not even lower than the lowest PC options.

So with PCs you have options, you can spend a ton to play at 4K 120Hz. But you can play the exact same games at a lower settings and still end up having fun. If you need the higher graphics fidelity, great you build a PC for it. But not everyone requires that and they can spend 20% of the cost of a 4K machine. With the downside being outside of memory and storage, they aren't upgradeable. But at the lower price, you can get a new one, and repurpose or outright sell the old.

AMD's new Strix Halo systems are starting to come out, and they will be expensive at release but will drop in price after a year or two just like the system OP linked costing $500-600 two years ago. But the Strix Halos will be more powerful than the PS5 featuring Zen 5 CPU, and RDNA 3.5 graphics. The downside of these is the RAM will likely to soldered so it's not upgradeable later, but it's almost 2x the bandwidth of the older mini PCs.
Ryzen Ai Max+ 395 - 16C/32T CPU, 40CU
Ryzen Ai Max 390 - 12C/24T, 32CU
Ryzen Ai Max 385 - 8C/16T, 32CU
Ryzen Ai Max 380 - 6C/12T, 16CU

And all AMD systems have been great with SteamOS unlocking the same control of the hardware that's on the Steam Deck. So you could use these on a TV as a console.

I still can't believe how Forza Motorsport runs on a little mini PC.

Along with these you have the likes of Steam Deck, Intel GPU's cheap as chips for full fat PC's.

It's really not expensive to get a decent machine that plays everything (within limitations of FPS and Res of course)

 

[Team Andromeda]

That's your fault for not getting a MOBO with wifi and BT. Lmao, wtf

One would have liked to have thought that when spending over £870 on a new PC in 2024, the motherboard would come with basics like Wi-FI

 

[cartman414]

One would have liked to have thought that when spending over £870 on a new PC in 2024, the motherboard would come with basics like Wi-FI

Dude, I only spent ~$10-20 more for the model of my mobo with wi-fi when putting mine together in 2018.

 

[PeteBull]

Because PCs are expensive. If you want to play without to make too much sacrifice, it just costs more than consoles. And I know it, I have a good PC to play AAA games in 4K. If you want a good PC you need to spend AT LEAST something like 1300€ overall. The good thing is that, generally, you can upgrade just the GPU, or RAM or the motherboard / CPU... so if you already have good components, you don't have to change everything. But still, PC gaming is expensive.

You can't buy your games physically, it means that you "lose" your money. You can't resell anything. I don't like it either, and no, the games are not affordable on Steam at the release date. The price is basically the same on all systems (Monster Hunter Wilds? 69,99€, FFVII Rebirth? 69,99€....). You get good prices when the games are old.

But of course, a PC can make a lot of things, so I'm still happy about my PC.

We gotta remember one thing, if some1 is enthusiast and plays on the bleeding edge of pc tech, ofc it will be expensive, its called bleeding edge exactly for the very reason for u to stay there u gotta bleed some srs cash all the fricken time
Its personal choice of every pc gamer, they can spend 3-4k usd and get new 5090 or spend 300usd/euro and get 4years old(new from store but talking about launch date) rtx 3060 that will still play new games better than series s, even paired up with 90$ cpu(r5 5500).
Can we really blame PC for having very expensive top of the top option that gives customer next gen lvl of power 2-3 years ahead of next gen consoles?

Look at it this way- some1 spent those 2k usd in holidays 2022 for rtx 4090 and 500(msrp was 450 but cpu was so good and in such a high demand its streetprice rose to around 500) usd for 7800x3d in spring 2023 and they will have stronger or at least similar quality rig than ps6 which will likely launch holidays 2028 so 5-6years later, they will have access to that unprecedended goodness all that time- ofc its logical they have to pay nasty premium for such a privilege.

And lets not kid ourself, dont compare future ps6 price to 2020 400$ ps5 price, that new mashine gonna be very expensive for a console if we count inflation alone, and electronics nowadays are getting really expensive, as a proof of discless ps5pr0 or handheld switch2 prices, those next gen ps6/new xbox wont cost 400-500 or even 600$, they will likely be close to a buck

 

[Team Andromeda]

Dude, I only spent ~$10-20 more for the model of my mobo with wi-fi when putting mine together in 2018.

In 2024 one should have to be checking or spending more to make sure a PC motherboard got Wi-FI. Its so lame