I’m still undecided, and I’d say reading some opinions would help me.
PC.
It’s not even close.
PC. the wealth of cheap games that are available on PC alone makes it the more viable option… Especially if you hit steam on sale, or use isthereanydeal.com
especially if you aim for 1080p instead of 4k for gaming. 4k gaming comes with such a ridiculous and absurb price premium that you could probably build 2-3 1080p gaming rigs for the same price… or buy shittons of games.
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.
The only thing I would add is the games on PS5 vs PC is they’re optimized for the console
Sometimes… Cyberpunk 2077 at launch is one example where the supposed optimization was less than optimal.
The other element is that it’s easy to get locked out of updates if the developer chooses not to support them on console. For instance, L4D2 on the Xbox 360 is absolutely gimped in comparison to PC, where it has new official campaigns and a thriving modding ecosystem 15+ years after launch… an ecosystem an Xbox 360 user can’t touch.
Exceptions to every rule
TF2 on xbox sucks compared to PC.
Interesting that both of you mentioned Valve games running like crap on console that were specifically made for Steam and PC then ported to console. Sounds like you should play PC games or at Valve games on PC and forget about playing them on console.
Minecraft also sucks on console.
Java over Bugrock!
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.
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.
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.
Well, that depends on the PC. Upgrading a laptop is quite hard (with exceptions). And with RAMageddon, a „real“ desktop may be prohibitively expensive. In Germany, where I am, a PS5 Digital Edition is 599,99€ (including VAT), while a good PC would probably be at least 1300€. But OP, if you can afford it, I‘d still recommend the PC for its versatility. You can do anything with that. Put SteamOS on it, its like a console. One button press, you‘re on a full desktop you can use for work, education, social media, etc. p.p.
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.
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.
I think this post would have been accurate a few years ago but like ram alone costs $300 now days. You really need 16GB minimum.
This all being said I still would vote for PC over PlayStation. You can do so much more.
I built a PC last November. Got two 8GB sticks of second hand DDR5 SODIMM for 50 bucks. The SODIMM to DIMM adapters were like 30€ for 4 iirc. It runs perfectly fine (Minecraft VR, Cyberpunk, RDR2) and I’m sure I can wait out the current memory prices before I need to upgrade.
True but that was last November. Now days (early aug 2026) the cheapest 8GB sodimm sticks are like 140 USD each.
https://geizhals.de/?cat=ramddr3&xf=7500_DDR5~7501_SO-DIMM~7569_8GB&pagesize=30&sort=r&promode=false
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.
SteamOS is still only for AMD systems, correct? Been waiting several years for Nvidia support. Bazzite works for Nvidia.
SteamOS is Arch under the hood. You can make it work with Nvidia, you just need to jump through some hoops and be prepared to deal with some issues.
Bazzite just works with Nvidia out of the box.
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.
PC
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.
Ending its life cycle is not the same as end of life though. Were 6 years into ps5 life and the ps4 was just surpassed in more online people by the ps5 in June 2025. I have a feeling you will have little issue with it being abandoned anytime soon, let alone 2 or even 3 years from now.
True, this is why I said in two years start thinking about a PS6, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend $700 on a 6 year old console when $300 to $500 more can get a mid-range PC or for the similar price get a Steam Deck/Machine. If they get a PS5 today then it will still be relevant for another 5ish years, but will they have buyers remorse if they had just waited for a PS6, who knows.
If you go console be prepared to shell out $20 a month for internet access.
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.
