7 Reasons to Switch From PC To Console Gaming

The PC vs. console debate has been raging for over a decade. While PlayStation and Xbox gamers often engage in “console wars”, PC gamers act high and mighty, standing above the drama. This elitist attitude of the “PC master race” (PCMR) is often attributed to gaming PCs’ superior hardware and flexibility compared to consoles. That may still be technically true, but the state of the PC gaming industry makes matters much more complicated compared to console gaming.

In a time when the latest generation of consoles from Sony and Microsoft are a far cry from the consoles of yore, it might be time to finally switch to console gaming. And here’s why.

Good to Know: You have options when selecting a gaming PC, and we compared pre-built gaming PCs and custom builds for a direct comparison.

1. Unsustainable Costs of a Gaming PC

Building a gaming PC with performance that rivals the Xbox Series X or the PlayStation 5 can easily cost upwards of $1,000. And that’s the best-case scenario. If you’re targeting 60+ FPS at the highest settings at 4K resolution, in most modern games, you’ll need to shell out at least $600 for a modern graphics card alone. And that’s without ray tracing if you want a consistent 60+ FPS experience. Compare this to a $500 Xbox Series X or a PlayStation 5 that allows you to play at 4K 60+ FPS with ray tracing, and the grim realization starts to set in.

Of course, this is not a new thing. Consoles have always been significantly cheaper than gaming PCs due to the advantageous unit economics that Microsoft and Sony enjoy. Moreover, these companies make most of their money from selling subscription services like Xbox Live, Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and more. Because of this, they can afford to price their consoles quite competitively.

The PCMR might claim that gaming PCs demand a higher upfront cost but pay for themselves in the long run due to free online gaming and frequent game sales. But, this thinking is flawed. To sustain the same level of performance on a gaming PC over, say, three or five years, you constantly need to upgrade your rig. This primarily comes down to buying a new graphics card or upgrading your CPU after two or three years.

Add these costs, and it becomes apparent that keeping your gaming PC “high-end” has become unsustainable. In contrast, a $500 console will easily last you five or six years without the need to upgrade anything.

Lastly, the cost of games is more or less the same on PC and consoles. Xbox Game Pass is available on both PC and Xbox Series X/S, offering gamers hundreds of games at an affordable monthly subscription. Even PlayStation Plus is fast catching up to Game Pass, further eliminating any gaps in the price of games between consoles and PC.

Tip: Having trouble with Xbox Game Pass on the PC? There are many easy fixes.

2. Broken Big-Budget PC Launches

Consider this: You stretch your budget to build a $1,500 or $2,000 gaming PC, excited to max out the latest titles. But then, you get broke, unfinished, and unplayable games from AAA studios. Is this what you signed up for? Sadly, this is the state of the PC gaming industry today.

Whether you go back to 2020 to recall the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 or more recent disasters like Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, The Last of Us Part 1 Remake, or Redfall, big-budget games have consistently arrived broken on PC. However, outside of bugs common to every platform, these games have delivered much better and more consistent performance on consoles.

The reason for broken PC launches can be traced to the arduous task of optimizing games for unlimited permutations of PC configurations and the difficulty of porting some game engines from consoles to PCs. However, is it fair to ask PC gamers to wait weeks or months for a game to receive patches to make it playable? Wouldn’t you want an experience where the game you paid top dollar runs as intended? This is precisely what consoles offer today.

PCs offer the best way to enjoy games in all their graphical glory, but only if they work at launch. And that hasn’t been the case lately. If you’re done with overspending on a gaming PC to be greeted with sub-par AAA gaming performance compared to consoles, it might be time to switch to a console and save yourself some money and headache.

Also Helpful: Thinking about switching to console gaming? These are the best gaming consoles available now.

3. Need for Constant Troubleshooting on PC

Not every PC gamer would be willing to waste hours to diagnose game launch issues or Windows problems before launching their favorite game.

Consoles offer a far more simplified and no-nonsense gaming experience that you can indulge in without hassle. At worst, you’ll face easily fixable issues with Wi-Fi or HDMI connectivity and older games not launching or installing correctly.

For those of you who want a plug-and-play gaming experience, consoles are the way to go.

Tip: If you do run into issues with your Xbox, you can factory reset your Xbox console.

4. Incessant FOMO on PC Upgrades

As we discussed above, PC hardware has gotten way too expensive at the high end. Not only are companies like NVIDIA and AMD frequently breaking the $1,000 mark with their graphics cards, but there’s also way too much going on in the industry. While this might not be a bad thing, it does lead to unnecessary FOMO on the part of PC gamers. With a new piece of “best” hardware launching every quarter, it’s hard not to get swept up in the hype and constantly obsess about upgrading your components, even if you built the best value-for-money gaming PC.

This is not a thing on consoles. Once you invest in an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, upgrading or swapping hardware isn’t on your mind, outside of an SSD upgrade or buying a new controller. And yes, there might be mid-generation “Pro” variants of consoles launched by Sony or Microsoft. Still, even these devices are usually seen a good three to four years after the initial console release.

If you want a powerful gaming system that works as promised and not have to worry about constant upgrading, a modern console is the right choice.

Also Helpful: If you are upgrading your gaming rig, here’s how to prioritize PC upgrades.

5. Console Exclusive Games

For many years, console-exclusive titles have been attracting gamers to one camp or another. This isn’t a concern for PC gamers who want to play Xbox games, considering nearly all of Microsoft’s biggest titles are also available on PC. But if you’re dying to play the latest PS exclusive from the Spider-Man, God of War, or Horizon series at launch, the PlayStation is the only platform for it.

More recently, PC ports of many erstwhile PS exclusives have been arriving on PC, but these releases are often delayed by a few years from the launch of the console version. In late 2022, PlayStation Studio’s head announced that PS exclusives would be launching on PC at least a year after their initial release. Therefore, “timed exclusives” on the PlayStation are still a thing.

Outside of some esports titles like Dota 2, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft, and strategy and survival games like Civilization and Subnautica, there aren’t many “other”exclusive PC games” that are not available for consoles. You have some standout indie games like Undertale, but that’s about it.

If game developers keep publishing stellar titles only for consoles, you will be better off getting a console than building a gaming PC.

Also Helpful: Wondering what the best games are for the Xbox? We’ve got a list of the year’s top Xbox Series X games.

6. Ease of Couch Console Gaming

The convenience aspect of consoles extends beyond their standardized hardware and optimized games. Consoles naturally lend themselves to casual couch gaming when you aren’t in the mood for sitting at your PC for a dedicated gaming session. For many gamers, the commitment that it takes to play a game on PC is much more than simply plopping down on your living room couch and resuming your favorite game.

Consoles have been part of the living room for decades now, and this is something hard to replicate on the PC. Sure, you could physically move your gaming PC near your TV to create a similar experience, but that’s hardly as seamless as playing on a single, all-in-one device like a console.

Plus, if you want to play with your partner or a friend in the same room, it’s much more enjoyable with wireless controllers on your Xbox Series X/S or PlayStation 5. While you can always connect wireless controllers to your PC with a few adjustments, it’s only a half measure as you can’t fully recreate the same experience.

Good to Know: Although Windows 11 also has DirectStorage support, few games utilize it.

7. Time Away from All-Purpose PC

More and more people are separating their work devices from gaming systems. It can get frustrating when you take time from your precious schedule to play a game on your all-purpose PC, only to be distracted by an unexpected email or Slack message. What started as a dedicated gaming time slot quickly became tackling something that could have easily waited.

If you’re craving some much-needed downtime from your work-from-home schedule and want an undisturbed gaming experience, that’s hard to achieve on a PC. Instead, spending that time on your console will allow you to disengage from work completely, away from constant notifications. This will also let your mind recharge and feel fresh when you return to work after your game time.

So now, despite all the advantages of console gaming over PC gaming, will you still stick to PC gaming?

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