It’s not that they’re not improving like they used to, it’s that the die can’t shrink any more.
Price cuts and “slim” models used to be possible due to die shrinks. A console might have released on a 100nm die, and then a process improvement comes out that means it can be made on a 50nm die, meaning 2x as many chips on a wafer and half the power usage and heat generation. This allowed smaller and cheaper revisions.
Now that the current ones are already on like 4nm, there’s just nowhere to shrink to.
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Consoles are just increasingly bad value for consumers compared to PCs.
zerofatorial@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
Are they tho? Have you seen graphics card prices?
Toneswirly@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
2060 super for 300, and then another 200 for a decent processor puts you ahead of a ps5 and for a comparable price. Games are cheaper on PC too, as well as a broader selection.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
You don’t need a top end card to match console specs, something like a 6650XT or 6700XT is probably enough. Your initial PC build will be more than a console by about 2X if you’re matching specs (maybe 3X if you need a monitor, keyboard, etc), but you’ll make it up with access to cheaper games and being able to upgrade the PC without replacing it, not to mention the added utiliy a PC provides.
So yeah, think of PC vs console as an investment into a platform.
If you only want to play 1-2 games, console may be a better option. But if you’re interested in older or indie games, a PC is essential.
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
You don’t need a graphics card. You can get mini PCs with decent gaming performance for cheap these days.
SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
My 4070 cost $300 and runs everything.
The whole PC cost around $1000, and i have had it since the Xbox One released.
You can get similar performance from a $400 steam deck which is a computer.
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
I can get ps5 graphics with a $280 video card, games are often way cheaper, I can hook the pc up to my TV, and still play with a ps5 or Xbox controller, or mouse and keyboard.
I suspect next gen there will be a ps6 and Xbox will make a cheap cloud gaming box and just go subscription only.
Skyline969@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
I mean, for the price of a mid range graphics card I can still buy a whole console. GPU prices are ridiculous. Never mind everything else on top of that.
turbowafflz@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yeah but remember to factor in that you probably already need a normal computer for non-game purposes so if you also use that for games you only have to buy one device not two
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
You can build a pretty capable PC for about $600. And you won’t have to pay for multiplayer.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Yeah, GPU prices are kinda ridiculous, but a 7600 is probably good enough to match console quality (essentially the same as the 6650XT, so get whatever is cheaper), and I see those going for $330. It should be more like $250, so maybe you can find it closer to that amount when there’s a sale. Add $500-600 for mobo, CPU, PSU, RAM storage, and a crappy case, and you have a decent gaming rig. Maybe I’m short by $100 or so, but that should be somewhere in the ballpark.
So $900-1000 for a PC. That’s about double a console, extra if you need keyboard, monitor, etc. Let’s say that’s $500. So now we’re 3x a console.
Entry cost is certainly higher, so what do you get in return?
Depending on how many and what types of games you play, it may or may not be cheaper. I play a ton of indies and rarely play AAA new releases, so a console would be a lot more expensive for me. I also have hundreds of games, and probably play 40 or so in a given year (last year was 50 IIRC). If I save just $10 per game, it would be the same price as a console after 2 years, but I save far more since I wait for sales. Also, I’ll have a PC anyway, so technically I should only count the extra stuff I buy for playing games, as in my GPU.
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
GPU prices are ridiculous, but those GPUs are also ridiculously more powerful than anything in any console.
gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Tbh the only consoles I’ve been really interested in lately are the switch and steam deck, simply because they’re also mobile devices.
cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
The Steam Deck is the only decent console because it’s not locked down.
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
The Steam Deck is basically a PC. You can get mini PCs with APUs of a similar performance for very low prices these days. That won’t perform like a current gen console but it’s a cheap gaming machine with a huge selection of low cost games and you won’t have to pay for multiplayer.
pewgar_seemsimandroid@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
they can be portable computers built for gaming