Ask Lemmy

If you asked me a few years ago I would have told you a PS5 easy as a big PlayStation fan.

But the way prices are these days, and Sony’s growing disdain for its users, and lack of competition from Xbox, you should 100% just get a PC.

Get PC if you want more than gaming, need to do job or homework, connect with people, use internet, if you like indie games, if you like game mods, if you like play with electronics, if you like free online play, if you like friend slop games, if want to know how PC works, if you want to explore different operating systems other than windows, if you can't afford 10-30% more expensive games.

Buy PS5 if you / your parents are at least middle class, can afford yearly subscription for online play, if you can afford games that are 10-30% more expensive then on PC, you are not into electronics and just want to play games, you have no money problems, you don't need anything more than play games in next couple of years.

It's your decision.

Get a PC. You'll realize that using the Internet on your phone is like going swimming in a bathtub. And that's just one of the countless things you can do better on computer. Games are just a fraction of what's possible with a computer.

A PC can be cheaper in the long run and upgradeable. $80+ per year for Sony is a $400 difference in 5 years. Plus games tend to be more expensive imo.

Technically you could build a PC that is close to the PS5 in terms of components and efficiency. A comparable PC would be roughly $300 to $400 more, or 5 years of PSN.

PC has a few 100k more titles to choose from than PS5. More indie games, more F2P, more sales, more demos, and more free games.

With a PC you can emulate several older consoles and play browser and older game titles. You can purchase non DRM games, or games on physical media.

With a PC you can use just about any controller you want. Including racing set ups, flight joysticks etc.

A PC is a workstation that you can use to watch video, edit video, stream video, store images/movies, create audio, create music, design 3d models, write code, create graphics etc. on a professional level.

A PS5 is cheaper up front. And is more convenient. However you are buying into a closed system with less options and DRM that will ultimately cost you more.

10 years later, you can drop in a new GPU and still be viable.

If this was a few years ago, I would have said PS5. Sadly with the bad decision making of the company it's hard to tell how they will be doing in a year from now. Because of that I say PC. I have both which started with me wanting a new pc and ps5 when ps5 first came out. At the time PC parts to build one were through the roof due to shortages and high prices for GPUs. I ended up getting the ps5 which was cheaper then than it is now. It was amazing and I like simplicity where it just plays games as easy as possible. These days with the price increase and uncertainty along with pc parts exceeding the power of the ps5 its harder to say ps5 anymore. I still love it, but I am very skeptical of the ps6 which would be the first system i may not buy since the ps1. Yeah I am old.

The PC is more money up front, but drastically cheaper over the lifetime of the product. It's also more versatile, and capable of upgrading along with almost infinite backwards compatibility for older titles.

Consoles will be a couple of hundred (or thousand, depending on the PC you chose) cheaper, but you are forced to buy games within its ecosystem, usually at full retail price - a library of 10 AAA games will cost $600 on console, where you can get the same library on Steam for half or less of than that by simply keeping an eye on sales. The console won't be upgradeable. You cannot easily pirate games, and there's no such thing as DRM free gaming. And backwards compatibility is janky or simply removed for most consoles.

The only place consoles really win out is in live social gaming - it's a lot easier to get a group of friends to play PS5 on the couch than it is to get them to play PC on the couch. Aside from that, though, it's sort of like comparing a tricycle to a Harley... yeah, they're both bikes, but the differences become real clear once you get out on the road.

Yes.

PC, it is by far the most flexible computing device out of the two.

PC if you don't already have one. If you're choosing between them, and aren't already invested in the ecosystem of one, PC is by far the better choice. Get yourself a steam account, get onto GoG. If you need game recommendations I'm happy to provide a few if you tell me what you're looking for.

PC.

Even if Sony wasn't hellbent on shooting themselves in the foot, a PC would still be the better choice. Sony going full idiot mode makes the choice even easier.

PC is much more versatile of a tool and presents various learning opportunities, etc. But will not provide as smooth of a gaming experience as a ps5. Waaaaaaay more games to choose from though, so PC wins.

If you go console be prepared to shell out $20 a month for internet access.

Get yourself a PC. Bonus points for installing SteamOS.

Edit: You can always upgrade a PC to increase its lifespan. Not so with a PS5.

PC

So while I'm seeing everyone list the pros of getting a PC, I'd like to give a helpful comment on BOTH the pros and cons of a PS5.

Lets start with the pros: For actual reasons to get a PS5 over an Xbox series X or S, is mainly for the ecosystem. Whether it be you have a bunch of PS4 games, all your friends bought PS5's so that's where they're playing, or you like PS exclusives, the PS5 is built for playing PlayStation games. And if your upgrading from a PS4, there is a large difference with games looking better, running smoother, and less load times. (Biggest example, opening any media app on PS4 is marginally slow, but opening Netflix or YouTube on PS5 is just as fast as opening the games) So if your looking to upgrade from a PS4, a PS5 is pretty nice. If not, then it's really your choice between dealing with Sony or Microsoft, because either way you'll be getting a modern console.

Now as for the cons to a PS5: The biggest one is that the console industry is enshittifying. I'm sure you've heard of Sony wanting to discontinue physical games, so that right there means you'll be limited to download codes and the PS store. And Sony doesn't exactly have the best track record of upholding your purchases, as they removed movies from people's library when those licenses timed out, and will probably do the same to games when those licenses time out. And while we're on the topic of licenses, certain games downloaded off the PS store get locked if the PS5 isn't connected to PSN for a certain amount of time. Essentially, you're gonna have to be ok with the fact that you don't own or control many of your games anymore.

As for regular cons to a PS5, its a pretty much what everyone else is saying. Online multiplayer is gonna cost you (free games like Fortnite and Apex won't charge you, but paid AAA games like COD and GTA online definitely will). It's technically close to the end of its lifespan, as Sony has announced plans for a PS6 coming soon. Its a very bulky console if I'm being honest too.

PS exlcusives are good, but, have there been any PS5 games that make you WANT a ps5? I've had it for its whole lifespan, and it kind of just feels like PS4.5. But now I'm getting into the actual games and that's your call

To end on a personal note, I built a PC while having a PS5, and I still prefer the PS5 cuz I'm not confident in the rig I built being stable or good enough to play the games I want. And I'm technically my family's IT, so the fact that I'm not comfortable moving over to PC makes me confident in saying that a console will run how you expect, while a PC will run to your knowledge on computers. (Not saying that a PC is this large challenging hurdle you have to jump over, but the first thing my older brother did upon finding out I had a PC was play happy wheels on it. Suffice to say, you'll want to do some research if you want a PC to be on par with a PS5, or better)

PC, but put SteamOS or Bazzite on it and save the cost of a windows license. Windows has been noticeably worse in the last year, in my opinion. Meanwhile, Linux gaming has been improving dramatically.

PC.

Consoles used to be cheap enough to justify their limitations. Nowadays, once you buy the console, controller(s), controller charger, PS+ subscription, and a few games, you could have bought a PC with better (or at minimum, the same) graphics, more input options, a WAY bigger game library, and FREE online play. You already pay for your internet connection, why should you pay again because you want to play Playstation with it?

Plus, your platform is (almost) always backwards compatible, you can play on custom servers, you can play with mods, and if you're just dying to play some console games, emulation is also an option for you.

Not to mention, if you don't have one already, simply having a desktop PC makes computer-related tasks and even web browsing SO much easier than with a laptop or, even worse, mobile device.

Keep in mind, PS5 is nearing the end of its life cycle, like 2(?) more years and Sony is preparing for the PS6.

I would suggest getting a mid-range PC and in 2 years you can decide to either stick with PC and perform some upgrades or work towards a PS6.

A PC. Way more exclusives.

PC

Let me ask you, what is it about the PS5 that makes it even worth your consideration against a PC?

What do you want out of the device? Gaming only? A Gaming PC doubles as a great workstation if needed. Is that important to you?

What's your budget? Are you willing/able to pay for a PSN subscription?

Is the OS versatility important to you? If PC, Win or Linux?

Make a list where you jot down the pros for the PC and PS5 respectively. Assign the importance of each point and see which device has overall the most upsides for your usecase.

A PC would be the better option longterm in terms of owning the hardware especially as PS is going all-digital and given Sony's track record of pulling people's supposedly-purchased content at will.

Get a really good PC, i jumped from PS5 (console player all my life) to PC and im kicking myself I didnt do it before.

Hurts the wallet in the short term but you got access to way more games, games are way cheaper on Steam with sales all the time and you get access to mods. I can also still play most games with my PS5 controller (i dont like keyboard and mouse)

PC will always win hands down.

PC. A console is just a super locked down computer anyway, you might as well get the real thing.

a pc is far more versatile. I personally would always choose that but it really comes down to personal preference.

You can run SO, SO much more on a PC. And not be locked out of your purchases at a whim (depending on how you buy).

Very capable hardware can be had for the price of a PS5.

PC

A PC of similar capabilities would be far more useful generally than a PS5. All you would be giving up is exclusive titles locked to the PS5. I use my computer for a lot of things beyond gaming so it's not much of a comparison for me.

Meanwhile there are a lot of things you give up to use the console. You're forced to use the Sony ecosystem that will decide what games you can and can't play. You cannot use those resources to do something other than game.

PC.

Pc. A ps5 can only play what Sony wants you to play on it. A pc can play everything from tennis for two, to GameCube and ps2 with only a few clicks

PC. It's backwards compatible for many years and often can play older console games as well.

Get that PS Triple.

Depends on how much money you have and how willing you are to fiddle around with hardware and settings. The default answer you are gonna get on a place like this is always gonna be PC, but a console is a great budget option and it will also save you a lot of headaches because any game you buy for it is optimised for the hardware, or it isn't and you can't do a damn thing about it anyway so you don't have to waste your time on trying to fix it. The limitations of a console can give you a certain peace of mind compared to the limitless freedom a PC will bring you, if you get what I mean

It depends. I assume your focus is only gaming. If you are gonna spend the same money you would for a PS5 on the PC, then get the PS5. It’s gonna be a way better experience and you would be able to play more games smoothly. If you have more budget though, get a PC it’s the superior choice, better performance and quality, better sales and not locked to one store, mods, no subscription to play online etc. Happy Birthday :)