That's not really the point. The point is computers can be used for way more than just gaming. There's very little a console can do that computers can't. The opposite cannot be said. While it may not be currently possible to buy a computer with the graphical capabilities of a console at the price of a console today, that will almost definitely change in the near future - within the lifetime of this generation of consoles. Aside from that, there's also the freedom to upgrade computers without needing to replace the whole thing, as well as the state of the games market for both consoles and PC. Digital distribution has meant that the cost of bringing games to consumers has gone down much more than in the past. In the case of the PC market, this decrease in cost has been passed on to the consumers, resulting in much lower prices. Valve popularised this idea with Steam. On the other hand, most console publishers, or more precisely, console consumers are still stuck in the past. While digital distribution is available and used, these consumers are still willing to pay the prices we saw for boxed copies a few years ago. Since consumers are willing to pay, the publishers are gladly taking every cent they can. This may change in the near future, but I don't really see it happening on a large scale like it did for the PC games market. That said, my outlook is that none of this will even matter in a few years. SteamOS and the low-end Steam Machines, which will be priced competitively with the consoles and likely superior performance should logically shut out the console market. The only thing console makers have going for them is the brand loyalty that the PS and XB "fanbois" who will not go near a Steam Machine because it wouldn't be the cool thing to do.
Within this year... The PS4 has a 7870 at best which puts out less than 1.9tf's. I don't care how much GDDR5 it has, it's shared memory which has to run the OS among other things. That's outmatched by any number of GPU's available at decent prices. When Mantle hits, it won't even be close.
No body is disputing that a PC offers a lot more but most people that buy a console can afford to do so and would probably have some form of PC as well. Everything offers something and something people want and that's why the console market ATM is in pretty good shape. Sony seems to have plans in place when this may not necessarily be the case - PS Now. I don't consider myself any fan boy - I don't really give enough of a shit but my PS4 suits me for what I want. I wouldn't rule out getting this steam box if I see fit. I really don't know enough about it.
http://games.on.net/2014/01/alienwa...company-says-you-can-buy-a-new-one-each-year/ Half the reason for going PC is upgradeability. Alienware is honestly the worst tech company. Absolute charlatans. And that was before Dell bought them. Now they're just comical.
And someone will have to direct me to a public statement from Sony as to why on earth the PS4's standard HDD is a 5400rpm SATA II. I suppose if they'd, you know, put in a HDD with speeds that have been the norm for over 5 years now they'd be losing more than the 60 bucks on each console or whatever that bullshit claim was.
Yeh, you've got nothing. It'll take well over a year or two before you can realistically make a computer that 'blows the PS4 out of the water'. The PS4 currently is very good value.
I disagree with that, gaming consoles are far more user friendly & hassle free than you can ever make a PC. - The PS4 I buy today will still play all PS4 games in 5 years time, the PC I build today wont play all PC games in 5 years time. I will need to spend money & physically upgrade the Computer myself. - The PS4 I buy today will give me a patch update every time there needs to be a software update, a PC will expect me to be aware of this, find the solution & fix this myself. I can see the appeal of both, but a hassle free, one time payment gaming machine is exactly what I want. Steam OS is trash at the moment but I definitely agree with this, reckon it might take more than a few years but definitely during the next release of gaming consoles (~2020?) I expect Steam machines to be right up there. They need to work on their controller too..
-The PC you build today, if at the level of consoles, should still be able to play the very same games in 5 years time. Of course you won't be able to do so at the highest settings, but the point is you have the option to. -I'm not understanding what you're talking about here. Are you talking about the actual OS or the software? Regardless, the OS should automatically update by default and most games have been following the same trend as well.
You are more fortunate than most. Most people actually have to make choices regarding how to spend their entertainment budget. They can't just have a proper gaming PC and still fork out more to get a gaming console. For many people, it's one or the other. My point is that even for these people, the PC is still a better choice when it comes to price-performance.
-A PC built when the first PS2 came out wouldn't handle Battfield 4 for example, this is my point. Not without spending money & time upgrading the system yourself. - Not OS, downloading drivers & patches for example, PC games are getting better at it but it's no comparison to the Xbox & PS4 in terms of ease. I understand the appeal of a PC over a gaming console I just don't get why PC gaming 'fanbois' are so oblivious to the appeal of the gaming console over a PC.
You're talking out of your arse. 6-10 months maximum. Next round of price cuts on the R9 and Haswell/Ivy, and if Mantle has a successful release next week, it won't even be a contest. And do you know why that is? It's because consoles have an API that allows full communication between components. Haven't you ever wondered why a console with a shitty GPU from 5 years ago can still play games whilst a comparable discrete GPU cannot? All that changes with Mantle. Jesus Christ. If going to a website and clicking on a link to download a patch is too complex I don't know how you expect to play a video game in the first place. Ridiculous comment.
Having tried it yet. Don't starve is amazing though, simple and very effective. Great game to chill to and you always learn something new.
-Battlefield 4 was released on PS2, TIL. -The only times I've had to actively get a driver update or a software patch in the last few years are when I specifically told my computer not to automatically download and install it for me. In fact, that's a plus for the PC. Some patches break games. On consoles, you're basically fucked because you have to wait for the hotfix. On PCs, you have the option to wait it out and continue playing on an earlier working version. Consoles do have advantages over PC, such as for social gaming (in which case I suggest you go with Nintendo), or because they offered a piece of hardware at a competitive price such as the blu-ray player in the PS3. However, the only market that the so called "advantages" that you have brought up can really appeal to is the "fratboy xbox madden" demographic who think using computers for more than completing assignments is for nerds. I'm not dismissing the idea that consoles do have an appeal. I'm merely pointing out the flawed assumptions you are making.
