PS5 5 Reasons Why You Should Buy One & 5 Ways A Gaming PC Is More Worthwhile

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PS5 5 Reasons Why You Should Buy One & 5 Ways A Gaming PC Is More Worthwhile

With the PS5 set to release later this year, gamers may be wondering if a gaming PC is a better purchase than Sony's newest Playstation. The upcoming release of the has many gamers excited to play the next generation of console titles in glorious, ray-traced 4K. There's a lot to be enthusiastic for, from Sony's brand new DualSense controllers, to insanely fast load times, and high framerate gaming. However, is the PS5 really worth your purchase, or should you consider putting that money towards a brand new gaming PC? There are pros and cons to both, which is why we're running down a list of reasons you should get a PS5, and why you may wish to take the PC lane, instead. You decide. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

The PS5 s Hard Drive

According to Sony, the PS5 utilizes a revolutionary new breed of SSD drive that isn't yet available to PC buyers. This is a relative first, as console technology tends to follow the lead of the PC market - a trend which has only increased in the last 15 years. For the first time, a home console holds an advantage over the , which is, at the very least, bragging rights for a lot of PlayStation gamers.

The PC Has Better Overall Tech

SSD aside, the PC is capable of mopping the floor with both the PS5 and the upcoming Xbox Series X, thanks to a vastly superior hardware pool. When one counts out all the CPU, video card, RAM and motherboard options out there, there's really no comparison. Building a gaming PC to your exact specs and budget is a simple, straightforward affair, and has never been easier. Granted, there's a steeper learning curve involved, even if you're buying a pre-built system, but the tradeoff is massive.

The PS5 Is Easier To Use

Although building (or buying) the optimal PC can be enjoyable and rewarding, there's no denying that many gamers simply want to crack open a box, hook up their console to a TV, and get straight to gaming. Going the console route is as advantageous as it's always been. No need to set up the operating system, fuss with drivers, or deal with bloatware or . It's a machine dedicated to one thing, and one thing only.

The PC Is More Versatile

Which brings us to the counter-argument. Building a powerful gaming PC automatically nets you access to a much larger ecosphere. The hardware is strong enough to tackle almost any secondary or tertiary task with ease, which opens up a wide range of possibilities. For instance, a gaming PC is powerful enough for video editing, music production or 3D modeling/animation. Many programs harness the extra processing cores in today's gaming GPUs to accelerate performance without hassle. If one is a gamer interested in getting into any of the fields mentioned above, they're effectively killing two (possibly three, or even four) birds with one stone.

The PS5 Has An Exclusives Advantage

If this were a comparison between the and a PC, the argument might be different. After all, most Xbox exclusives are now seeing simultaneously releases on Windows PCs - even the upcoming Halo: Infinite. The PS5 is different. Barely any exclusives (save for Horizon Zero Dawn) are making the jump to the PC front. That means no God of War, no Last Of Us, and no . There's a decent argument to be made for buying a console based on the strength of its exclusive titles, and the PS5 definitely has an advantage on this front.

PCs Play Games Better

Be mindful - this isn't always the case. A rotten console port can ruin any game destined for the PC, but by and large, the PC remains the best way to play games. More powerful components means higher resolutions, faster framerates, and access to the modding community to extend the lifespan of your gaming library. There's also a wealth of games available for purchase on , Origin and the Epic Store, and regular sales frequently offer massive price drops as high as 90%. The console market has flirted with all of these things before, but it's just not the same. In order to keep costs down, sacrifices need to be made. There are no two ways about it. Sony can lose as much money as they want on their consoles, but they'll still fall short of what PCs can do, overall.

The PS5 Has A UHD Blu-Ray Drive

Here's one sector where the console market holds a huge advantage over the PC market. Ever since Sony decided to slap a , console manufacturers have made it a must in subsequent system releases. This is smart, since consoles are predominantly plugged right into the living room TV set, putting it at the epicenter of the family media hub. Watching UHD Blu-Rays in glorious 10-bit 4K color no longer requires a separate purchase. Buyers now have a dedicated gaming device that just so happens to be able to play media in the best format possible. This, at a time when the PC market is largely abstaining from optical drives altogether, and focusing exclusively on streaming.

The PC Is A Media Hub

Not to be outdone by a simple Blu-Ray drive, there is a case to be made for the inherent as a media hub. Even a mid-range PC with a decent CPU and a healthy dose of RAM can run a streaming media center with no trouble. Plex servers are especially popular with the PC crowd, and setting them up to stream locally to your TV requires only 5 minutes. This allows PC gamers to set up and run a near-limitless supply of movies and TV shows (even in 4K UHD) that are ready to go, on demand, with no pesky discs to insert, and no menus to click through.

The PS5 s Price vs Lifespan

Initial estimates put the cost of a PS5 somewhere around the $499 range, and that sounds about right, given what's under the hood. It's quite possible (and more than likely) that Sony will take a hit on each model sold, but that's part of the game. $499 for a system that will last theoretically 6-7 years (if past console cycles are any indication) is not the worst thing in the world. Add in backward compatibility with past PlayStation games, and the value proposition seems more attractive. For what the PS5 is offering, the price tag seems fair. Beware, however - there's nothing to stop Sony (or Microsoft, for that matter) from introducing a more beefed-up version of the console midway through its lifespan, like they did with the PS4 Pro.

The PC Can Be Upgraded

One of the major advantages of owning a PC is that it can be upgraded well beyond its perceived expiration date. Those who invest in a powerful build from the onset can experience almost a decade's worth of excellent gaming, without having to splurge on a new machine. If gamers aren't happy with the demands of newer titles that come out a few years down the road, it's a simple matter of investing in a new , adding another stick or two of RAM, or upgrading one's CPU. Eventually, form factors will change, forcing gamers to invest in a new machine, but not before the existing console cycle is well over and done.