September 15th 2024.
Is the PS5 Pro really worth the price compared to a gaming PC? As a reader delves into the cost comparison, it seems the difference isn't as significant as one might think. While the PS5 Pro's £700 price tag may seem steep, it's important to consider the equivalent cost of a similarly specced PC. And the results may surprise you.
At first glance, I, like many others, laughed at the idea of spending that much money on a home console. It seemed like a ridiculous amount and I couldn't imagine anyone shelling out that kind of cash for a birthday present or family entertainment. But as I thought about it more, I began to wonder if the new hardware and its capabilities justified the steep price.
So, let's take a look at the PC side of things. After doing some research and considering the specs of the current PlayStation 5 and those of the PS5 Pro, I was able to put together a decent gaming PC with an AMD CPU and GPU. However, even with some budget choices to keep costs down, the final price came out to just over £750. And that doesn't include any software or the potential for errors and crashes that come with PC gaming.
In contrast, the PS5 Pro benefits from fixed hardware and software, allowing developers to optimize games specifically for the system. This closed ecosystem means less hassle for the end user in terms of updating drivers and settings. Plus, the PS5 Pro should theoretically run games designed for it better than an equivalent PC would, thanks to the developers' knowledge of the system.
When it comes to hardware upgrades, the difference in costs between a 1TB and 2TB hard drive is around £50. And while the increase in GPU costs is hard to quantify, the original PlayStation 5 was considered to be on par with a Nvidia RTX 3060 - a difference of around £100 from the one in my build. So, it's not unreasonable to assume that the PS5 Pro's updated hardware could warrant an increase of £150-200 in price.
But when you compare the digital version of the original PlayStation 5 to the digital version of the PS5 Pro, the price jump is over £300. And it doesn't even include the vertical stand, which would add another £25. This seems excessive, especially when you consider that the base model is priced at £389. It almost feels like they're trying to make up for losses on the original model. And as a side note, I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing 3D printed vertical stands on Amazon and eBay for a fraction of the price.
After doing this cost comparison, I can confidently say that I cannot build an equivalent PC to the PS5 Pro for the same price. And even if I did, it probably wouldn't run games as well as the console. So, while the increase in price does seem steep compared to the original PlayStation 5, it may still be worth it for the convenience and optimized performance.
That being said, I still believe that £700 is a crazy amount to spend on a home console. And with the ever-increasing prices of new consoles, I can't help but wonder how much the PlayStation 6 or next Xbox will cost. Will we eventually reach the £1,000 mark? As someone who is perfectly content with 30fps, the promise of 60fps fidelity isn't enough to make me shell out more money. What I really want is for Sony to focus on delivering great games.
And let's not forget about the cost of the full PlayStation ecosystem - with the PS5 Pro, PlayStation VR2, and PlayStation Portal, we're looking at a price tag nearing £1,500 before even purchasing any games. Overall, while the PS5 Pro may not be an easy sell, it's still a viable option for those looking for a top-of-the-line gaming experience.
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