Financial analysis looks at PC vs. console costs
by Kyle Orland 
{ Feb 22nd 2008 at 6:00PM }
Even the most diehard PC gamer has to admit that their console gaming brethren get the better end of the deal as far as costs are concerned. But exactly how much does a console gamer save over the system'ss lifespan? A poster over at TechConsumer crunched the numbers and found that, when everything is added up, the savings aren't necessarily that great.When all is said and done, the full Xbox 360 gaming setup (including TV, accessories and Xbox Live subscription) costs $3,152 over six years, about $350 less than a basic gaming PC for the same period. Of course that cost includes a 42" 1080p TV, while the comparable PC uses a relatively paltry 22 inch display. When a comparable screen is used on the PC, the savings on the console side balloon to near $1,200.
The real killer for the PC, of course, is the upgrades (estimated in this study at $250 every other year) and recommended full-on replacements (every three years) that come much more frequently than the console equivalents (one replacement every six years). So, PC gamers, is it worth the extra money?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
arrakisman @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:06PM
If you invalidate the TV then you must factor out costs out of the PC for the other uses you get from a PC other than gaming. Or did you type up your blog on an X-Box?
NATO_Duke @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:11PM
they didn't factor out the cost of the tv. Relax with the omgjoystiqizxbotfanboi junk.
Ebichu @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:12PM
OH SNAP!
Korova @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:16PM
That's a bit like comparing the cost of a car to a house for being the cheapest to keeping the road atlases. Both those set ups have many other valuable uses.
For example, you can watch cable on the TV and you can surf for porn on the pc.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:44PM
I can surf for porn on my wii!
ThornedVenom (Ludwig Defense Force) @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:02PM
Sure, but can you store mass amounts of porn data onto your puny SD cards? Can you p2p it?
I THINK NOT.
xFenixKnightx @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:04PM
"and you can surf for porn on the pc"
Wahhhhh??? What the hell am I doing on Joystiq?!!!
T & A FTW!!!!!!!!
zelderman @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:50PM
i store my pron on my comp then stream it to my wii. not good quality but boobs r boobs. so best of both worlds:)
Grey Acumen @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:37AM
Actually, invalidating the TV, especially in the case of the 360 is hardly unreasonable, since the 360 can be hooked up to a PC monitor from what my friend told me, I'm inclined to believe him since he uses that setup to play.
Also, the price hike of going from a regular PC monitor to a TV that costs between a $2000-$3000 is significantly greater than the $400 that you could attribute to a computer that only does "other things a computer can be used for"
Plus there's the personal costs in maintaining the PC; knowing which hard drive type your PC uses, which type of RAM you use, knowing which video cards are actually decent and which are overpriced crap, there's a lot of knowledge and effort that has to be put into maintaining a PC that goes beyond the simple costs of the physical upgrades.
I'm fine tracking this down for my own PC, but if I had to do that for my consoles too, I wouldn't be buying consoles.
Isaac @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:13PM
I don't mind paying $250 a year for great controls and a time tested online.
What this also does not factor in is that a computer does more then just play games.
jcd @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:15PM
PC gamers use the digital five finger discount more often tho
Slayer @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:20PM
Exactly.
SoulBlade @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:00PM
plus they sometimes get better versions of console "exclusives"
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Feb 23rd 2008 6:07AM
To me, console loose: PC games are plainly cheaper.
Consoles always try some shit tactics like bundling to claim that games are also inexpensive.
For PC I can also get bunch of *free* games - puzzles or platformers. Not even start mentioning started few years ago wave of Flash games.
PCs are now more open as they ever were. Consoles - proprietary locked down market, with all consequences in price and choice departments.
Piracy to me was always extra bonus: you can try game before buying and if you didn't like it, then you can "return" it by simply deleting image files. Consoles? They are were PCs were with their first generation of demos: those 1 or 2 levels included in demo which you liked very much are the best levels in games and rest of level is plain garbage.
glutto @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:25PM
Let's see...
What can my PC do which my consoles cannot...?
How about we start with avatar creation?
JonFitt @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:27PM
It's worth it, and many people do both. Just like many beer drinkers also appreciate a fine wine.
PC gaming isn't looking so hot right now as this generation's consoles are new and the last ones were refreshed quickly. Just wait a few years until the difference between a Walmart PC and a console is like PS3 to PS2.
Especially considering both the major console makers are shying away from the fast refresh the last generation had. What is the estimate now on the PS4? 5 years, 7 years?
All this ZOMG PC GAMING = DED stuff will fade away.
Lex @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:35PM
Hmm, is pc gaming worth it. If you've ever played TES: Oblivion on the pc that is not a question to be asked. For those that haven't check out the Oblivion mods sites and Bethesda's board for mods and see all the things console players can only wish for.
jcd @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:35PM
Are you saying
console = beer
PC = wine
?
Fanbois, GET HIM!
JakubK666 @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:42PM
Actually it's
Consoles > Normal Wine
PC's > Very Expensive 70-year-old Wine.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:46PM
Except half those mods are broke or worthless.
And there's nothing quite like playing oblivion on my 47" 1080p LCD. I can hardly pull my wife away from it, whereas on the PC she hardly ever touched the game.
Ben @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:54PM
What about playing Oblivion or any of the mods on my 1080p TV from my computer using a keyboard and mouse, or... the same 360 controller you use. Hmm, I think I'd prefer the PC on that one.
Grimble Crumble @ Feb 22nd 2008 8:28PM
Chrono, I like how you mention that your TV is 1080p when your game only plays in 720p. With a PC, not only can you hook it up to your TV, use an XBox controller, and use mods (which are just amazing for Oblivion), but you can play in 1080p on a 1080p television. What a concept.
Vince UK @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:33PM
Consoles are just easier to deal with, you turn it on and pop a game in, year after year.
Beats getting OCD about the max configuration you can get away with every time you buy a game.
Aberu @ Feb 25th 2008 7:41PM
Getting OCD equates to spending like 5 minutes on it? Better than trying to play an FPS or RTS on a console. Or trying to play an MMO on a console without having to buy a keyboard and mouse just for it to barely play a dumbed down version of the game.
Can you do anything that an operating system offers on your 360/PS3/Wii? A tiny amount of the options, like surf the internet with handicaps, make movies with the playstation Eye (sorta), and such may be available but there is no replacement for the ease of being able to sit at your computer and do anything you want. Play games, word process, browse the internet, fap to pronz, burn cd's/dvd's/blu-ray'sforurps3, edit your recordings as a musician, edit photos, become an artist... etc... you get the idea yet? Gaming pc's aren't just for gaming, but they are good enough for gaming, as well as being PC's. Kthx gaming pc's always win in value.
MASTER TOOL @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:36PM
I don't like to play on the PC, I think computers are for work and consoles for videogames, but thats just me.
Cyro @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:40PM
I think exactly the same.
Slayer @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:41PM
Thats why you build a gaming pc. Built for the newest games.
JakubK666 @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:40PM
Theory: PC pwoons teh Consoles.
Practice: R.I.P. PCs.
KanoBlade @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:40PM
Value is a matter of opinion, i could have 2 pc's one for gaming and one for "other computing".
As much as you can use your pc for "other things" you don't buy a brand new rig and upgrade it every month for those "things".
labrats5 @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:49PM
This article is stupid. I do most of my gaming on a laptop I bought refurbed for $700 in 2004. The thing is, you already have a pc. You do, because it is essential tool in today's world. And the pc has a good 30 years backlog of great games, A lot of which is abandonware and can be legally acquired for free, emulators for consoles that nintendo sega and sony stopped selling, and web based games that are good for wasting a few minutes. So go ahead, waste thousands on a new rig or a new console. I'll be playing WOW, starcraft, C&C, Civ, theif, and curse of monkey island, etc.
horngreen @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:57PM
It doesn't matter if a PC does "more" than play games you simply can't include a TV in the cost of console gaming. Like I didn't have a TV before I bought a console?
capt_carl @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:55PM
That article was pretty stupid. I've been a lifelong PC gamer who still appreciates console gaming. My view on it is some games play better on PCs, others on consoles. I spent about $1900 on my new gaming rig, and it's great. I don't complain in the least bit. It still gets a lot more regular usage then my Xbox 360 does.
ThornedVenom (Ludwig Defense Force) @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:01PM
Even though consoles have the best co-op, I love my free online and mods.
Oh, and my shares of MMOs and RTSes.
And free games.
(actually, I'm just being a troll: I love my PC because I use it for many things like checking email, using photoshop, rendering 3D, doing schoolwork, listening to music, scanning and printing, instant messaging, etc)
xFenixKnightx @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:01PM
PC Defense Force....assemble?
Slayer @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:11PM
Is there such a thing?
Jeff @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:25PM
Can we start one?
Scott @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:23PM
Personally I think this arguement is stupid. I have a PC I bought back in 2004 for cheap:
AMD 64 3200+
1gig PC3200
160gig HDD
X1950Pro 512mb AGP (new, only $150)
I have spent no more than $400 on this PC since I got it and this POWER HOUSE actually can run any game I throw at it at high to max settings (atleast same/better than 360/PS3) at 1280x720 resolution (720p) with no problems. And when I say any game I mean ANY GAME. I can even play Crysis v1.1 at 720p with the DX10 Cvar config files (to enable DX10 content on DX9 cards) with all settings maxed no AA at about 20fps avg...which is excellent if you know how bad this game even runs on faster PC's. And plus you have to remember about Bittorrent and the like. Where with console owners 4 games can cost upward of $200 PC games almost drop instantly in price with BioShock already at $29.99 in some stores...can you get it that cheap for the 360 new? I didn't think so.
So to end this, if you know what you are doing and know how to upgrade even an "older" PC with just a new graphics card can be enough to hold you over. Like I said, I haven't had any problems with any game so far and I have more PC games than I do with my PS1, PS2, Xbox, DC, and Saturn combined. Plus like people have said, you can't download ANY file you want to a console. You can't even edit a txt file with a console! Dispute ended.
Vince UK @ Feb 22nd 2008 8:27PM
Sounds like a lot of pissing about though.
Freakhead @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:23AM
Bah. It sounds like they used a very expensive pc. YOu can build a fast fast rig for $800. Plus most folks are likely to have some sort of pc already which they can upgrade for not as much.
And they shouldn't count the TV on the console side. They should count the $10 more per game though. That adds up.
VITOR @ Feb 22nd 2008 8:22PM
if the console makers and developers would get their heads out of their asses and just support keyboard and mouse capabilities on EVERY game instead of just Unreal Tournament then you would see droves of PC gamers buy consoles. Sure there are adapters but they dont truely give you a PC gaming experience. ATI and nVidia could develop better more powerful GPUs and spread them out a little more so they could still have a home making chips for the consoles, in the end no one really loses. Consoles can plug into either dvi or vga and some PC monitors even have HDMI so that would be a non issue.
Chase @ Feb 22nd 2008 9:21PM
I also agree with you, VITOR. Nicely said.
Spiza @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:40AM
That guys PC pricing is stupid. You don't need to update that often.
WiiFTW @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:31PM
Yea, I'm both, but how much the PC gamer spends is about $200 more every other year then I spend. I spent about $550ish on my current PC and plan to keep it until at least 2012 as it is (maybe upgrade RAM~$40). Not everyone spends a shitload on computers, especially with the trend towards more playable games for all (Team Fortress 2, Battlefield Heroes, etc.) Plus the controls are much better than a 360/PS3 in my opinion (hopefully Wii can make a difference in FPS controls). Note that I also have a Wii this-gen, a PS2 last-gen, an N64+PSX last-last gen, and a SNES last-last-last gen.
LaughingTarget @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:31PM
A PC ages as well as a console does. If you keep dialing back the graphics to match the performance level of when you bought it, you'd notice a similar if not identical improvement as you do on the console. The $250 every two years and a full upgrade every three is a total load of bullshit.
Slayer @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:45PM
I agree with you. It is bullshit. If you have to upgrade every few months or 2 years. It's probably because of settling on low end hardware. If you buy mid range to high end hardware, It shouldn't be an problem.
LaughingTarget @ Feb 22nd 2008 8:09PM
Just as a little evidence backup; behold, Doom 3 running on a Voodoo 2 -
http://www.firingsquad.com/media/gallery_index.asp/244
Behold, Max Payne -
http://www.3drealms.com/max/max_payne_0601_shot_01.html
Amazing, Doom 3, perfectly playable on a Voodoo 2 and a 500MHz Pentium 3, looks better than Max Payne. A console does the exact same thing. Mandatory upgrades are a total load of crap.
shawn @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:28PM
this is a funny topic because i just bought my new computer today on the net gonna be here in a few days and to be honest i dont think the extra money is worth is because almost every pc game gets ported to console, and then theres games that beg to be brought to pc like gta halo bioshock mass effect etc. i think pc's are good for mmorpg's and half life tho also the battlefield series but for mostly all those u need a standard pc gaming rig 2 gigs ram 256 video card and your good so hmmm im in the middle almost but for just strict gaming im going to have to go with a console.
Einhanderkiller @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:46PM
I'm both a PC and console gamer. (More so a PC gamer.) It's really saddening to see people be so ignorant about PC gaming. To say that PCs need to be upgraded every month is a fallacy accepted by far too many people, and the "comfort" argument is stupid--it's as easy to hook up a PC to a TV as a console and if you don't like using a mouse and keyboard on your couch, then hook up a gamepad of choice. There are other misconceptions as well, such as the cost argument. A good gaming PC does not cost significantly more than a console. I just configured myself a PC recently capable of playing just about every game maxed out with some antialiasing for not too much more than a PS3--$600.
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Feb 23rd 2008 6:19AM
There is no argument that PC gaming is better if only in greater part that it gives you more new various games to try. Often for free.
Real value of consoles is for game producers. And that's the main appeal of consoles: it is safe harbor for game developers where they can off-load piles of work to publisher(s). Stable H/W configuration. Stable software configuration. Some free promotions.
Most of that is offset by cost of entering console game development. For PC you need only PC and idea for a game. To develop on console, you have to buy/license dedicated development kits, which keep many creative people out of console market.
I'm not sure what I will be playing on PC in five years. But I'm pretty sure that Wii2 will get its Hyper Mario Universe, PS4 it MGS10 and Xbox720 its Halo 7. PC? Heck, new original games (even if raw prototypes) are coming out every month - just look around on blogs and channels. That's the difference between PC gaming and console gaming.
Ted @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:49PM
Exactly, PC gaming is better value. Although I disagree that you should factor in a 42inch TV for the PC cost, you play closer to the screen on the PC so you don't need living room sizes. At the most you could put a 24" monitor, as that gives you resolution higher than 1080p.