Video games are very attractive in this day and age. A smartphone will offer you the pleasure of playing games, but if you are a person who loves to play games, you will prefer a personal computer or a console as tools to play your games.
What are Video Consoles?
Consoles are purposely for gaming. They offer plug-and-play gaming that makes it unnecessary for you to mess around with game settings. A console game is manipulated by a hand-held device that is called the controller. It has several buttons and directional controls that have its unique purpose and must interact with the game’s video characters.
What is PC Gaming?
On the other hand, PC gaming has you playing these games on your personal computers. PCs offer complete hardware flexibility and power that consoles will find challenging to match. The PC platform is the home of premium video game performance; people are afraid of its costs. Some build their PC to avoid buying and spending a lot on their purchase. This can be time taking but fulfilling. Check out tips for building a gaming computer.
The Difference Between Consoles and Personal Computers
- Hardware costs
The truth is that you spend less on a console than a gaming PC Consoles are cheaper because their manufacturers get preferential hardware prices on the consoles they build. They also do not need to make a profit on their consoles. The “attach rate” that is, games, services, and accessories users have to buy are enough as their profits. This is not the case with a PC. The manufacturers need to make a return profit on their products. To summarise, PCs cost more upfront than a console, but a console will cost far more to maintain than a PC over time.
- Software costs
Since consoles are a closed platform, game developers will pay for the privilege of releasing games on the system. This payment is attached as a fee to every console sold, so the gamer takes the hit rather than the manufacturers. For PC’s, several distributors are competing for game sales, so there is hardly any retail price for a PC game. There will always be amazing deals for gamers to enjoy on a PC than a console. Consoles hold their full price for much longer than PC’s and do not enjoy price cuts as deep as PC’s games.
- Online service costs
The PC platform is an open one; therefore, the players do not have to pay for multiplayer functions to a third party. For consoles, online multiplayer is kept for a subscription service, and they are additions to other game subscriptions that you have to pay. This implies that if you want to play online on a console game, you will have to pay an agreed fee, but this is not the case on a PC.
To summarise, a gaming PC will cost more than a console upfront, but over time, the PC will be far cheaper, especially when you factor in the expenses you will have to make.