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I apologize PC brothers: Pc games is much cheaper than consoles in the long run.

Gamer79

Predicts the worst decade for Sony starting 2022
I'm new to the pc world after being a life long console gamer. (mid 40's)

Yes the initial cost is high if you want a decent rig (mine will be around $1100 all in but I figure a console times X years of ps + will be close to the same.) I have even seen crazy black friday deals like pre-builts with a 4060 in them for $700. This thread isn't about the hardware though it's about the software.

So I did my research before I started getting my game collection up and decided I was not going to stick to one store front. I will have a 4070 so will probably use the Geforce experience as my front end. (normally you can scan your pc and it will put all installed games,) The other sweet thing is some game it will optimize them for you with a click of a button. I have used gg.deals and store fronts like GOG and shopping sales when I can. I was shocked to discover how much I have acquired for so little cost. Keep in mind that new games on the PS5/Xbox are starting at $69.99 but they love the upsell special editions for $99.99. My god is PC gaming so much cheaper than I thought possible. These aren't games I lose access too if I stop paying a subscription fee. These are games that I "digitally own." I will Provide the Library I have acquired of a span less than 2 weeks and reveal the shocking cost of it all.

Cyberpunk 2077+ the Phantom Liberty DLC
BioShock Remastered
Balatro
Sea of Stars
Kararte Survivor
Doom Eternal
Hi-Fi Rush
Sunset Overdrive
3D Mark (it's $30 now but got it for $5)
Disco Elysium
Alchemest Adventure
Conarium
Dome Keeper
The Final Station
God's Trigger
The Outer Worlds
Teardown
Moonscars
House of golf 2
Death's Door
Super Meat Boy

I was going over my paypal account and I thought fuck me man, I must of spent a fortune buying these games. Yes many are Indie but almost all are highly regarded. I was expecting to calcuate some crazy number but was shocked when I caluclated it:

I got all of the above games and again not tied to a subscription service for: $125.20

I always thought Pc gaming was for rich elitist but am quickly learning that in the long run it is cheaper. My apologies!
 
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LectureMaster

Gold Member
paradise hotel GIF by Fox TV


Then fast forward to there are simply too many good deals that you keep buying games till you build a library of 1000+ games and you will never play 95% of them.
 
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Fahdis

Member
I've been saying this to Console plebs since 2017 since I was once myself. Bros just can't get out of their expensive walled gardens where on top of the net, they also pay for a "live" service 🤣 I have 1000+ Games on Steam (85% of them I wanted to play - but I haven't even started cause you know you will just become a collector now 🫦) and most of them were free keys from a lot of places. And I have Epic and GOG as well. It's insane the value you get from PC. Regional stores make the cost even cheaper.
 
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paradise hotel GIF by Fox TV


Then fast forward to there are simply too many good deals that you keep buying games till you build a library of 1000+ games and you will never play 95% of them.
Gabe Newell has passed away from holding back Half Life 3 for 30 years. Black Rock has now purchased steam. Welcome to the glamorous world of the Steambox mark 2. 2000 dollars without online gaming unless you pay the Dinkleberg tax of 150 dollars a year. That's so Raven.
thats-so-raven-raven-symone.gif
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
On the flip side, I’m pissed that I gotta pay to play Demon’s Souls and GT7 online. Sony being greedy fucks also removed PS+ cards from retail stores and you can only buy it from them now and the discounts are nowhere near as generous as back then. Not only has the price increased, but the discount is only 20% for the Essential tier as opposed to the 50% you saw in stores back then.

I’m still debating what tier to pick.
 
Was a console gamer since I was very little starting with the SNES and made my move to PC gaming fully by the later years of the PS3 era and have no regret. It's something I almost always have on when I'm home and I do more than just gaming. So many great Steam sales over the years and that's still some I haven't played it. I have to thank Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion for first making me want to switch to PC with all the mod videos. Once I went to PC, Steam was just too good and modding up Morrowind, Oblivioon, Skyrim, Fallout 3, NV, and Fallout 4 gave me endless amount of fun. World of Warcraft was also a pretty cool MMORPG throughout that time. Haven't gotten a console since the PS3 except having my friend lend me his PS5 for a few weeks to play games like Rift Apart and Stellar Blade.

I do eventually want to get a PS5 Pro too on the side so I can play GTA VI faster but also use it as a 4K UHD player for physical movies I plan to collect in the future. And maybe the Switch 2 depending on how good the next AAA Zelda is.
 
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Loomy

Banned
On the flip side, I’m pissed that I gotta pay to play Demon’s Souls and GT7 online. Sony being greedy fucks also removed PS+ cards from retail stores and you can only buy it from them now and the discounts are nowhere near as generous as back then. Not only has the price increased, but the discount is only 20% for the Essential tier as opposed to the 50% you saw in stores back then.

I’m still debating what tier to pick.
Since when? What region?
 

hinch7

Member
Yep you can amass a lot of games for not a lot. Particularly older titles on third party key websites. Even newer titles can be considerably cheaper than on consoles at launch.

I'd also look into Epic Games Store launcher for free games; that come usually every month, or few weeks during public holidays.

And if you have Amazon Prime (Prime Gaming) you get free games for EGS, GOG + cloud streaming ones, every month.
 
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Metnut

Member
Older games are certainly cheaper on PC but more than offset by $1100 up front cost OP is paying. Discounts on AAA day 1 aren’t significant.
 
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HogIsland

Member
True, but the beauty of GOG is even if they were shut down, you keep your games forever. Steam doesn't have that (highly unlikely for such a platform anyway).
If GOG was a console and Steam was a console, this idea that GOG is True Ownership wouldn't be enough to convince me to use it. I don't think this is how games are preserved in real life.
 

FunkMiller

Member
Welcome to using a platform that at least makes a show of being pro-consumer, instead of being a walled off garden that increasingly loses its value with every fucking dumb or greedy decision of its owners.

Also... mods. I'm currently playing Half Life 2 VR and it's one of the best gaming experiences I've had all year.
 
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FalconPunch

Gold Member
I'm new to the pc world after being a life long console gamer. (mid 40's)

Yes the initial cost is high if you want a decent rig (mine will be around $1100 all in but I figure a console times X years of ps + will be close to the same.) I have even seen crazy black friday deals like pre-builts with a 4060 in them for $700. This thread isn't about the hardware though it's about the software.

So I did my research before I started getting my game collection up and decided I was not going to stick to one store front. I will have a 4070 so will probably use the Geforce experience as my front end. (normally you can scan your pc and it will put all installed games,) The other sweet thing is some game it will optimize them for you with a click of a button. I have used gg.deals and store fronts like GOG and shopping sales when I can. I was shocked to discover how much I have acquired for so little cost. Keep in mind that new games on the PS5/Xbox are starting at $69.99 but they love the upsell special editions for $99.99. My god is PC gaming so much cheaper than I thought possible. These aren't games I lose access too if I stop paying a subscription fee. These are games that I "digitally own." I will Provide the Library I have acquired of a span less than 2 weeks and reveal the shocking cost of it all.

Cyberpunk 2077+ the Phantom Liberty DLC
BioShock Remastered
Balatro
Sea of Stars
Kararte Survivor
Doom Eternal
Hi-Fi Rush
Sunset Overdrive
3D Mark (it's $30 now but got it for $5)
Disco Elysium
Alchemest Adventure
Conarium
Dome Keeper
The Final Station
God's Trigger
The Outer Worlds
Teardown
Moonscars
House of golf 2
Death's Door
Super Meat Boy

I was going over my paypal account and I thought fuck me man, I must of spent a fortune buying these games. Yes many are Indie but almost all are highly regarded. I was expecting to calcuate some crazy number but was shocked when I caluclated it:

I got all of the above games and again not tied to a subscription service for: $125.20

I always thought Pc gaming was for rich elitist but am quickly learning that in the long run it is cheaper. My apologies!
Yea, I don't necessarily agree at all but then again, gamers are mostly bad at math. Here's a price sheet comparison for games on both platforms in $CDN:
HuOtLqa.png


As we can see, steam is cheaper by $106. However, the issue here is there are games that are not on sale on both platforms. Personally speaking, I wouldn't buy a game that isn't on sale so when we compare like for like, as in games that are on sale both platforms or not on sale on both platforms, the difference is like $5. A ps5 in canada is like $479. My 4080 Super + 7800x3d build + other parts is $2000+. So as we stand it's +$1500 for me in favor of the ps5 just for the hardware alone. If I use the ps5 pro price, it's +$1000 in favor of the ps5 pro. Now, if I'm smart and only bought the games on sale, then it's +$1495 in favor ps5 and +$995 in favor of the pro. Gaming is as cheap as you want it to be. If you're on console, you can buy physical and lower your cost average for a game by selling it once you're done.

As for paying for online, ~50% of users don't pay for PSN and are using their console just fine according to Sony. You don't have to pay for psn if you don't want to and a lot of people don't. Like I said, this platform comparison stuff is stupid. If you shop smart, in terms of value, it's almost basically impossible to come out ahead on pc over the course of the whole generation. Console will always be cheaper. When we factor in the users that only play WARZONE and fortnite for free, it's even worse. You'd have to buy a lot of games or shop very poorly for pc to represent better value as it relates to gaming. When I calculate my personal PC costs in comparison to console since 2020 to now, it's like almost +$4000 in favor of console for me. By that, I mean I'd need to spend $4000 plus on console games to catch up to the amount of money spent on PC for me. For others, it's probably a lot less.
 
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Stooky

Banned
I'm new to the pc world after being a life long console gamer. (mid 40's)

Yes the initial cost is high if you want a decent rig (mine will be around $1100 all in but I figure a console times X years of ps + will be close to the same.) I have even seen crazy black friday deals like pre-builts with a 4060 in them for $700. This thread isn't about the hardware though it's about the software.

So I did my research before I started getting my game collection up and decided I was not going to stick to one store front. I will have a 4070 so will probably use the Geforce experience as my front end. (normally you can scan your pc and it will put all installed games,) The other sweet thing is some game it will optimize them for you with a click of a button. I have used gg.deals and store fronts like GOG and shopping sales when I can. I was shocked to discover how much I have acquired for so little cost. Keep in mind that new games on the PS5/Xbox are starting at $69.99 but they love the upsell special editions for $99.99. My god is PC gaming so much cheaper than I thought possible. These aren't games I lose access too if I stop paying a subscription fee. These are games that I "digitally own." I will Provide the Library I have acquired of a span less than 2 weeks and reveal the shocking cost of it all.

Cyberpunk 2077+ the Phantom Liberty DLC
BioShock Remastered
Balatro
Sea of Stars
Kararte Survivor
Doom Eternal
Hi-Fi Rush
Sunset Overdrive
3D Mark (it's $30 now but got it for $5)
Disco Elysium
Alchemest Adventure
Conarium
Dome Keeper
The Final Station
God's Trigger
The Outer Worlds
Teardown
Moonscars
House of golf 2
Death's Door
Super Meat Boy

I was going over my paypal account and I thought fuck me man, I must of spent a fortune buying these games. Yes many are Indie but almost all are highly regarded. I was expecting to calcuate some crazy number but was shocked when I caluclated it:

I got all of the above games and again not tied to a subscription service for: $125.20

I always thought Pc gaming was for rich elitist but am quickly learning that in the long run it is cheaper. My apologies!
yeah! bought years old games on sale. you can do the same thing on the consoles. yeah pcmr....yeah
Happy Sesame Street GIF by Muppet Wiki
 
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Vick

Gold Member
From the software side it unquestionably is.
Digital gaming, minus those discount days, is usually a huge rip off on Consoles in comparison.

But there's also some obvious reasons for it, as on Consoles they don't need to cater to you nearly as much because they know you don't have literal free, illegal alternatives just as easily accessible.

And technically, despite all the efforts corporations are making to kill physical, it is still a reality on Console and factually the only way of really owning what you purchase.


GOG being close in this regard, if you don't have that amusing mental image of gaming during the apocalypse/nuclear winter by using a generator with no internet..
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
If you focus on buying games only when they go on sale you'll find the prices are pretty much the same across both PC and console and go on sale, if not at the same time, with the same frequency. To pull one game from your list, Doom Eternal is the same price on Steam and PS Store right now, $10.

If you're uswed to buying new console games full price, then buying old ass PC games during a Steam sale will look like a bargain, but they're not comparable tendencies at all.
 

hinch7

Member
Yea, I don't necessarily agree at all but then again, gamers are mostly bad at math. Here's a price sheet comparison for games on both platforms in $CDN:
HuOtLqa.png


As we can see, steam is cheaper by $106. However, the issue here is there are games that are not on sale on both platforms. Personally speaking, I wouldn't buy a game that isn't on sale so when we compare like for like, as in games that are on sale both platforms or not on sale on both platforms, the difference is like $5. A ps5 in canada is like $479. My 4080 Super + 7800x3d build + other parts is $2000+. So as we stand it's +$1500 for me in favor of the ps5 just for the hardware alone. If I use the ps5 pro price, it's +$1000 in favor of the ps5 pro. Now, if I'm smart and only bought the games on sale, then it's +$1495 in favor ps5 and +$995 in favor of the pro. Gaming is as cheap as you want it to be. If you're on console, you can buy physical and lower your cost average for a game by selling it once you're done.

As for paying for online, ~50% of users don't pay for PSN and are using their console just fine according to Sony. You don't have to pay for psn if you don't want to and a lot of people don't. Like I said, this platform comparison stuff is stupid. If you shop smart, in terms of value, it's almost basically impossible to come out ahead on pc over the course of the whole generation. Console will always be cheaper. When we factor in the users that only play WARZONE and fortnite for free, it's even worse. You'd have to buy a lot of games or shop very poorly for pc to represent better value as it relates to gaming. When I calculate my personal PC costs in comparison to console since 2020 to now, it's like almost +$4000 in favor of console for me. By that, I mean I'd need to spend $4000 plus on console games to catch up to the amount of money spent on PC for me. For others, it's probably a lot less.
Now check on third party key websites - CDKeys, Eneba etc. A lot of the games are significantly cheaper on there. Hifi Rush on CDkeys is $11.69 CAD.

Sale or no sale, they're usually a lot lower.
 
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Yea, I don't necessarily agree at all but then again, gamers are mostly bad at math. Here's a price sheet comparison for games on both platforms in $CDN:
HuOtLqa.png


As we can see, steam is cheaper by $106. However, the issue here is there are games that are not on sale on both platforms. Personally speaking, I wouldn't buy a game that isn't on sale so when we compare like for like, as in games that are on sale both platforms or not on sale on both platforms, the difference is like $5. A ps5 in canada is like $479. My 4080 Super + 7800x3d build + other parts is $2000+. So as we stand it's +$1500 for me in favor of the ps5 just for the hardware alone. If I use the ps5 pro price, it's +$1000 in favor of the ps5 pro. Now, if I'm smart and only bought the games on sale, then it's +$1495 in favor ps5 and +$995 in favor of the pro. Gaming is as cheap as you want it to be. If you're on console, you can buy physical and lower your cost average for a game by selling it once you're done.

As for paying for online, ~50% of users don't pay for PSN and are using their console just fine according to Sony. You don't have to pay for psn if you don't want to and a lot of people don't. Like I said, this platform comparison stuff is stupid. If you shop smart, in terms of value, it's almost basically impossible to come out ahead on pc over the course of the whole generation. Console will always be cheaper. When we factor in the users that only play WARZONE and fortnite for free, it's even worse. You'd have to buy a lot of games or shop very poorly for pc to represent better value as it relates to gaming. When I calculate my personal PC costs in comparison to console since 2020 to now, it's like almost +$4000 in favor of console for me. By that, I mean I'd need to spend $4000 plus on console games to catch up to the amount of money spent on PC for me. For others, it's probably a lot less.
Yup
yeah! bought years old games on sale. you can do the same thing on the consoles. yeah pcmr....yeah
Happy Sesame Street GIF by Muppet Wiki
Yup x2
If you focus on buying games only when they go on sale you'll find the prices are pretty much the same across both PC and console and go on sale, if not at the same time, with the same frequency. To pull one game from your list, Doom Eternal is the same price on Steam and PS Store right now, $10.

If you're uswed to buying new console games full price, then buying old ass PC games during a Steam sale will look like a bargain, but they're not comparable tendencies at all.
Yup x3

This was always a very poorly veiled PCMR thread anyways. As the first guy I quoted says gaming is as cheap as you want it to be no matter the platform. I've spent comparable money on both my PC and consoles and I'v had both for over 20 years.
 
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FalconPunch

Gold Member
Now check on third party key websites - CDKeys, Eneba etc. A lot of the games are significantly cheaper on there. Hifi Rush on CDkeys is $11.69 CAD.
If I did that, then I'd have to check craig's list, facebook marketplace, etc for the type of deals you can find on physical console games. Again, like I said, the platform comparison stuff is just stupid man. People should stop trying to justify their purchases to others. If you buy something because you like it, be confident and proud of what you bought. Needing affirmation from others to validate your purchases/decisions is just sad.
 

XXL

Member
Welcome to using a platform that at least makes a show of being pro-consumer, instead of being a walled off garden that increasingly loses its value with every fucking dumb or greedy decision of its owners.

Also... mods. I'm currently playing Half Life 2 VR and it's one of the best gaming experiences I've had all year.
I love that you love Half Life 2 VR as much as I do.
Fist Pump Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 

hinch7

Member
If I did that, then I'd have to check craig's list, facebook marketplace, etc for the type of deals you can find on physical console games. Again, like I said, the platform comparison stuff is just stupid man. People should stop trying to justify their purchases to others. If you buy something because you like it, be confident and proud of what you bought. Needing affirmation from others to validate your purchases/decisions is just sad.
Lul what it takes people a few seconds to find games on key websites. Its not like they're hidden. People have been buying PC games like this for years.

Thats the benefit of playing on an open platform. If people could do this more openly on PlayStation, Nintendo or Xbox, you'd find a large portion of players would go out their way to not buy directly from their respective stores to save a few.
 
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Saving assumes that you actually gonna play all those games. From my experience these cheap prices more likely that not lure you into buying more games in the end and hence it kinda evens out because on console you tend to buy less. My biggest backlog I used to have on PC.
 

FalconPunch

Gold Member
Lul what it takes people a few seconds to find games on key websites. Its not like they're hidden. People have been buying PC games like this for years.
Lul what it takes people a few minutes to find games on these websites. Its not like they're hidden. People have been buying second hand physical games like this for years.

See how that works? You're just trying to advance a narrative, that's it. When it comes to strictly gaming, console offers a way better value that cannot be beaten. PC offers other things that make it an attractive platform but value for money is definitely not it. People who try to paint pc gaming as cheaper looking for ways justify their large expenditures. I've been gaming on pc and consoles for 2+ decades. PC gaming has never been cheaper for me ever. There are other things that it offers but cheaper is not one of them.
 

hinch7

Member
Lul what it takes people a few minutes to find games on these websites. Its not like they're hidden. People have been buying second hand physical games like this for years.

See how that works? You're just trying to advance a narrative, that's it. When it comes to strictly gaming, console offers a way better value that cannot be beaten. PC offers other things that make it an attractive platform but value for money is definitely not it. People who try to paint pc gaming as cheaper looking for ways justify their large expenditures. I've been gaming on pc and consoles for 2+ decades. PC gaming has never been cheaper for me ever. There are other things that it offers but cheaper is not one of them.
I never said any of that. I just said games are generally cheaper, which is even in your own little chart. Not sure what your play is. Or what your argument is, OP even uses them *shrug*.

Not talking value and stuff because thats up the persons spending. You could have someone who just plays indies on a potato PC or a Steam Deck and not anything else or a PS4 and old games.
 
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kiphalfton

Member
Maybe quality over quantity, but with bundle sites (fanatical, etc.) you can get a crap ton of games for fairly cheap.

Amazon Prime gaming also offers games on a monthly basis you can keep.

My PC game library has grown exponentially, and I've paid far less than I did even when steam sales were good.
 

Fahdis

Member
Yea, I don't necessarily agree at all but then again, gamers are mostly bad at math. Here's a price sheet comparison for games on both platforms in $CDN:
HuOtLqa.png


As we can see, steam is cheaper by $106. However, the issue here is there are games that are not on sale on both platforms. Personally speaking, I wouldn't buy a game that isn't on sale so when we compare like for like, as in games that are on sale both platforms or not on sale on both platforms, the difference is like $5. A ps5 in canada is like $479. My 4080 Super + 7800x3d build + other parts is $2000+. So as we stand it's +$1500 for me in favor of the ps5 just for the hardware alone. If I use the ps5 pro price, it's +$1000 in favor of the ps5 pro. Now, if I'm smart and only bought the games on sale, then it's +$1495 in favor ps5 and +$995 in favor of the pro. Gaming is as cheap as you want it to be. If you're on console, you can buy physical and lower your cost average for a game by selling it once you're done.

As for paying for online, ~50% of users don't pay for PSN and are using their console just fine according to Sony. You don't have to pay for psn if you don't want to and a lot of people don't. Like I said, this platform comparison stuff is stupid. If you shop smart, in terms of value, it's almost basically impossible to come out ahead on pc over the course of the whole generation. Console will always be cheaper. When we factor in the users that only play WARZONE and fortnite for free, it's even worse. You'd have to buy a lot of games or shop very poorly for pc to represent better value as it relates to gaming. When I calculate my personal PC costs in comparison to console since 2020 to now, it's like almost +$4000 in favor of console for me. By that, I mean I'd need to spend $4000 plus on console games to catch up to the amount of money spent on PC for me. For others, it's probably a lot less.

Bro, you're Canadian. GST + PST with taxes is just stupid af. I hadn't bought a game on PSN until Astrobot and I felt ripped off - $90 Canadian on launch for Standard. I wished instead I bought it from the US side and since I'm from Texas, I don't get taxed. Canadians and Australians don't count 😂.
 

//DEVIL//

Member
It really depends on how many games you play per year. As an adult (43), I don’t have much time to sit and play. For example this year I only finished like 3 games and playing cod all year.

If you are the type that wants to build a collection of games that most you will never play or / have the access to these games any time you want in the future ( that’s me, more than 1000 game across epic and steam ) then PC for you.

If you are the type that likes to play few games and mostly single player games, reselling them to get some money back, then consoles might be a better option.

Ps5 pro + drive and 3 years of basic sub is below 1000$. Equivalent PC that has 4070 in it is still way more than that.

You can’t say PC will last me 5 years, sure in theory it can. But you are going to be inferior to next gen console in 3 years, if you want to match that you will have to upgrade again and that’s more money again towards pc .

PC in general will always be more expensive than consoles. Even if you are on top of the game and selling your gpu couple of months before the new one comes out to save more money towards the new part, it will still be way more expensive than consoles

I have a huge library of games and even I sometimes in my head I am like fuck man why I am spending this much on cpu and gpu . I am barely playing much and the most games I play look fine on ps5 ( cod at 120 frames on consoles is …. Really ok for me ?) will I tell the difference since I have 4k 240 hz monitor ? Yes . But 120 frames still playable. And on the plus side I can lock the pc players out so I don’t get into cheaters like the how it’s now with the PC version ( even more so with this thing being dirt cheap on game pass, cheaters just create fake account and don’t have to buy the game again if they get banned. Just new account 7$ game pass per month and they back to cheating.

Each side of this has its + and -, it really comes down to what type of gamer you are.

Edit: it’s 1 in the morning and I am high. Ignore the spelling mistakes and shit lol.
 
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Fahdis

Member
Nbc GIF by Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist's Extraordinary Playlist

What happened to the trophy love?

mad people GIF

Brother, I love trophies AND achievements. My Steam profile is catching up, fast.

Yup

Yup x2

Yup x3

This was always a very poorly veiled PCMR thread anyways. As the first guy I quoted says gaming is as cheap as you want it to be no matter the platform. I've spent comparable money on both my PC and consoles and I'v had both for over 20 years.

Nice try diddy, unless PS has properly used Regional Stores and no "live" service, your point is moot. I can point to a $200 GeForce Now service for a year and a Steam account and call it a day for access to the cheapest form of AAA 4K Gaming with all of the bells and whistles.
 
So, I thought this was actually the case as well, but when I look at Monster Hunter Wilds on Steam it will cost me €69, while I could probably pick up a physical PS5 copy for €59…
 
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