Gaming PC vs Next Gen Consoles: Which One Is Better?

A decade or so ago, PC gamers were in the clear when it came to gaming libraries and features. However, now things have tremendously changed. With the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 announcements, it is safe to assume that day and night differences do not exist anymore. Both Consoles feature excellent specifications, and when you look at the price, It truly makes you wonder if you should get a console Instead of a PC. 

Now If by any means you are stuck in that position, I can assure you that you have come to the right place. In this article, we’ll go through various comparisons that will help you in your buying decision.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty details, let’s first compare Gaming PC vs Next Gen Consoles.

The table below shows their price range along with specifications and exclusive titles:

Specifications And Prices

One of the critical elements of PC and Console comparison starts with prices. Now I know you have heard countless times that PC Gaming is budget king and stuff like that. But don’t let that distract you from the fact that Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are featuring custom SSDs, which are significantly faster, advanced, and something you cannot get for your PC.

CPU

Comparing the specifications of consoles with PCs isn’t easy because the hardware on both platforms is different.

• The Xbox Series X Features 8 Core AMD Ryzen Zen 2 architecture CPU, clocked at 3.8 GHz.
• Similarly, the PS5 has AMD Ryzen Zen 8 Cores with 16 threads clocked at 3.5 GHz.

Now both of these processors aren’t available on PC. However, If you compare the specs with existing ones, the best result you could get is AMD Ryzen 3700X, clocked at 4.4 GHz featuring 8 Cores and 16 Threads. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700x was priced at $294.99 when the PS5 and Xbox Series X were launched.

This ultimately kills the price comparison at first because you can actually get a mid-tier Xbox Series S for this price.

GPU

Anyhow, let’s continue with the rest of the specifications and see what cost you altogether end up with:

• For Graphics Card, The Xbox Series X Features 1.825 GHz AMD RDNA 2 consisting of 3328 Cores.
• PS5, on the other hand, will have a similar RDNA 2 architecture Graphics Card featuring 10.28 TFLOPs and 36 CUs at 2.23 GHz. Series X has 12 TFLOPS and 52 CUs.

In the currently available Graphics Card market, the RTX 2080 Super will be the most suitable GPU for comparison. RTX 3080 is also good, considering its same price and nearly twice the performance of RTX 2080.

However, looking at availability, there is no chance you can get one. Both cards can compete with next-gen console GPUs, but at the same time, they cost $699+. Once again, the comparison ends simply because the price of the GPU is higher than that of the entire PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

Other Specs

Looking at the CPU and GPU, you can clearly see that the Hardware in the next-gen Console is significantly better for value. If you consider the 1TB Custom SSD, 4K Blu-ray, RAM, and all those other features. the PC won’t stand a chance. That is to say, If you want to meet the Console Specifications on PC, you will probably end up paying twice or thrice the price of Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5.

Note that I haven’t counted the price of free Controllers that come with Xbox and PlayStation. Other than this, you will also need a motherboard, case, power supply, and many other features to build a proper PC. I completely forgot that Xbox Series X also features Dolby Vision HDR, so good luck finding that.

• The Xbox Series X Price is $499.99, while the PlayStation 5 Disc is the same.
• Digital Edition of PS5 goes for $399.99. There is also the Xbox Series S, which goes for $299.99 and probably requires its own topic.
• Whereas, a PC would generally cost you more than $800. If you’re going for a high-end PC, then you’re looking at a price range higher than $1200.

In conclusion, for Pricing and Value for Money, next-generation consoles are probably better choices.

Exclusive Games

When I’m conducting the debate of PC Gaming vs Next Gen Consoles, I can’t ignore the topic of exclusive game titles! In the past, the only reason I think PlayStation 4 and Xbox One did so well was because of exclusives.

Now, the exclusive discussion isn’t fascinating. In other words, there aren’t a lot of true exclusives because If you look at PlayStation. Everybody thought that games like Spider-Man Miles-Morales would strictly join PS5, and that is because Sony itself said so. A few weeks ago, when the PS5 showcase happened, Sony immediately announced that the majority of PS5 games were also coming to PS4.

Among these were Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. On the bright side, there are still some true PS5 exclusives, which Include Gran Turismo 7, God of War Ragnorak, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and many others. Xbox has had a different approach. They clarified at the very beginning that the majority of games would also be available on PC through Game Pass and Microsoft Store.

Now, if you are a PC gamer who would like to upgrade to next-gen consoles, here are a few things you should know:

• Nearly all Xbox Games Will Be Available on PC through Game Pass and Microsoft Store.
• The majority of PS5 Games will also be available on PS4. However, most of these exclusives can not be played on PC/Xbox Series X.
  • To play exclusives like God of War Ragnorak and Gran Turismo 7, you will need PS5.

Why You Should Buy Next-Gen Console

Now that I’m done with specifications, prices, and games. Let’s finally look at some factors that might convince you to get either PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

• Next-gen consoles are better value for the money. For $499.99 and $399.99, you are getting equivalent specifications of a $1000+ PC.
• A lot of games are optimized. Therefore, they run in much better settings.
• When Buying New Consoles, you can also play old-gen games through backward compatibility.
• Get access to the latest updates and features.
• Better Resale value in the coming years.
• For Casual Games like NBA and FIFA, a Console is a better choice.
• Get Access to all Exclusives on Day 1.

Why You Should Buy A Gaming PC

Now, if you are already using a PC or planning to buy one, then here are all the factors that you should keep in mind:

• The majority of Xbox Games will be available on Day 1 through Game Pass for PC.
• Consoles aren’t meant for multitasking, so if you are using a PC for other tasks. Better ignore.
• Sony has already confirmed they plan on bringing more first-party games to PC.
• Not a lot of convincing exclusives on consoles so far. The majority of them are remastered remakes, and there aren’t a lot of new games.
• PCs are more future-proof as compared to consoles. You get the ability to upgrade parts from time to time.
• On paper, the Console does have substantial specifications, and pricing is excellent. But like every other console in the past, it takes Nvidia, AMD, and Intel one or two years at best to make them look bad.
• Storage is not an issue for PC Users. You can easily upgrade storage space.

PC Vs. Next-Gen Consoles: Pros & Cons

Let’s now briefly check out the pros and cons of both of these systems. By now, you know that both systems are pure powerhouses. However, like everything in life, a PC and Xbox Series X/PS5 come with their own sets of Advantages and Disadvantages.

Final Verdict

The rivalry between PC, Xbox, and PlayStation has reached heights. Making a decision has never been this hard, and all the credit goes to those hardworking Industry people. Suppose you are stuck in this loop of upgrading to either a PC or Next-Gen Consoles. I have got a few personnel recommendations for you.

• If you plan on playing casual games, strictly go Series X. You can also go for PS5 as well, but If I were you, I’d get the Series X because I’d rather spend $9.99 a month and play from a range of games.
• If you’re low on finances and you aren’t ready to spare a lot of money. Then go with the PlayStation Digital Edition, priced at $399.99. This has the same features as its $100 expensive PlayStation 5 Disc Edition.
• Similarly, If you have an open budget and you really want to get the best Frames and Graphics. I’d recommend going with a PC. In the same vein, If you like to stream and would love to do some photo editing, PC is understandably the primary choice.

With that, my take on Gaming PC vs Next Gen Consoles comes to an end. It’s safe to say that the current peak of gaming systems has not disappointed so far, and no matter which path you take, you’ll surely enjoy your time, whether it’s PC Gaming or Next-gen console gaming!