Consoles used to be the go-to hardware for gaming, an affordable $400 box that didn’t require tinkering to run top-of-the-line new releases. It was easy, affordable, and intuitive. Slide a disc in and wham, you’re good to go. That era is over. Next-gen hardware is now looking to cost $1,000 or more thanks to the global memory shortage, spurred on by the glutinous demands of AI data centers, while Sony has announced that it will cease production of physical discs starting in January 2028, ending the era of second-hand marketplaces and plug-and-play.

Consoles are becoming as expensive as high-end PCs. Worse yet, with Sony axing support for physical discs and shutting digital storefronts—as a desperate, collapsing Xbox embraces PC with Project Helix—the PS6 is losing the benefits of a console, without boasting the customization, freedom of choice, decades-old backlog, or experimental indie scene that makes PC so enduring. There’s no reason to splash out every few years anymore when what you’re getting is miniscule improvements and worsening anti-consumer practices. But even now, the data shows that interest is waning.

According to The Game Business co-founder Christopher Dring, in the UK, PS5 sales fell by 50 percent earlier this year, and only outsold Xbox Series X/S by 400 units. Credible research firm Newzoo also reported in June that PC growth is up 12 percent year over year to an impressive total of $43.6 billion, while console revenue rose by just 2.8 percent to $44.7 billion. PC is on track to close that gap soon—and possibly even surpass consoles in revenue. And it’s easy to see why.

Indie Gaming, Decades Of Backwards Compatibility, And More Freedom: Why PC Is The Future

Triple-A gaming is suffocating under $300 million budgets that demand safe, recycled sequels, while Sony continues to double down on misguided live-service ventures in the desperate hope of capturing its own Fortnite—a de facto money printer. But even Fortnite is struggling, exposing the cracks in the "forever game" myth that publishers and shareholders cooked up during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the PS6 is anticipated to be $1,000+, while only promising marginal improvements over PS5 that will likely be cross-gen supported for years anyway. To compensate, the console giant is turning back to traditional exclusives. But is the prospect of waiting five years for the exact same big-budget blockbusters on repeat really that enticing?

Indies are picking up the triple-A slack, offering more experimental concepts that don’t demand top-tier hardware to run. Most PCs can effortlessly handle games like Meccha Chameleon, the viral hide-and-seek sensation currently dominating the Steam charts. From Minecraft and Terraria to Schedule 1 and Stardew Valley, PC incubates these kinds of titles, with communities being fostered first and foremost on platforms like Steam, and we’re only seeing that more and more as gaming becomes an expensive luxury few can afford.

Furthermore, Sony is hemorrhaging trust in a way that digital PC storefronts haven’t. In the same breath that it announced that it was ceasing disc production in 2028, it also announced the shuttering of legacy digital stores, like the PS3, rendering dozens of digital exclusives completely inaccessible to new players.

Will gamers trust an ecosystem where, in 30 years, Sony could single-handedly decide to pull the plug on the PS6 store, disappearing an entire generation of games? In stark contrast, because PC is inherently iterative, its digital storefronts carry backlogs dating back decades, robustly archiving the medium’s history. There is no looming threat of Valve erasing your library to force a hardware upgrade, because PC doesn’t replace itself—it just evolves. Not to mention how GOG actively improves and preserves older games with its DRM-free initiative, giving its digital library an immediate leg up over consoles. PC has long since embraced a digital future, but has done far more to future proof itself than console giants have.

The variety of digital storefronts available on PC, like GOG, also helps to prevent anti-consumer practices from taking root, like Sony's experimentation with dynamic pricing.

That sheer customization also means that, rather than spending upward of $1,000 for a forced upgrade every few years, you pick and choose what parts to replace. There’s far more freedom in owning a PC—perhaps you start with a modest rig that can run Peak, Meccha Chameleon, Among Us, Team Fortress 2, Mewgenics, and Hollow Knight, but gradually upgrade your components so that you can try titles like Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur’s Gate 3 when you’re ready.

Valve

PC is getting more expensive with the global shortages, sure, but a) you can build to your budget, an option not available for console players, and b) its core ethos hasn’t radically changed in the last few years. However, the continued decline of the console space has heightened its more consumer-friendly aspects, especially with the advent of custom Linux operating systems like SteamOS, which offers a streamlined, intuitive, console-like experience, making the transition from the couch to the desk far more seamless.

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Look, I’ve lived through the exhausting era of ‘PC master race’ and online trolls who dunk on console players, holding some kind of superiority complex because of their platform of choice. This isn’t that. Console used to be the more intuitive and affordable option, and I’d never begrudge anyone for choosing a plug-and-play box over a complicated desktop computer that doesn’t always run games to their best ability unless you tinker with the in-game and hardware settings. It can be a real hassle.

But the numbers don’t lie. PC is closing the gap, and console is losing its historic foothold over gaming. It’s easy to see why when PlayStation and Xbox continue to make asinine, short-sighted decisions that punish consumers and throw the entire industry into jeopardy. If PC officially surpasses console next-gen, it won’t be a surprise.

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PC Gaming Will Always Be Cheaper Than Playing On Console

The barrier to entry is higher but, after that, there are a whole lot of deals.

Posts By  Andrew King