Long story short: On the long term, a gaming console is cheaper and more hassle-free, compared to a gaming PC.
My kid is a 9 year old that mostly plays Fortnite and Roblox, but he watches some guys that scream all the time gamers on Youtube and dreams of becoming a gamer as well. He also has a Nintendo Switch, but that does not seem to be enough anymore.
This year in June, when the planets aligned properly for his Zodiac sign, I agreed to buy a PlayStation 5 for him. This was the next step in creating his gaming environment. Some time ago, he wanted a gaming PC, but lately, he was more inclined for PS5 and I took advantage of that.
He already uses my old work laptop, where he plays Garry’s Mod, so there is no real need for a gaming computer right now.
Why I prefered to buy a Playstation 5 and not a gaming PC?
PS5 is cheaper than a gaming PC
The initial idea was to buy a gaming computer, but a console is cheaper if used over a long period of time. The initial acquisition price is lower and it guarantees that all the new games work.
The gaming computer may be good now, but it might require hardware upgrades in the future, if you need to play all the new games.
For the PS5, you might need to buy an external SSD and after that, you are good to go.
Also, I find the PlayStation 5 to be quite stable, after the initial setup it’s really struggle free for the parents. I cannot say the same thing about a gaming computer, as a lot of things could go wrong there (trust me, I know, as I work in IT and have done Windows support a while back).
After some analyses and a little convincing, I decided to buy the PlayStation 5 Disk Edition, even though the PS5 Digital Edition has a smaller price.
I can sell the game DVDs when my kid gets bored of them
It was a mandatory requirement that the gaming console has disk support. After using the Nintendo Switch for over 2 years, I learned that digital games might be cheaper, but they cannot be sold, when not needed anymore.
I don’t know how other kids behave, but my kid doesn’t play a game after he had already finished it. Or after he decides that the game is boring.
So, if the game isn’t digital, we can sell the game and use the money to buy other games.
Unless the digital games are VERY VERY VERY cheap, I buy games on external support, because I can resell them.
I can buy cheaper refurbished games
Also, another reason for buying a PlayStation 5 Disk Edition is because I have the possibility to buy refurbished games. There are many sites where you can find good as new games at smaller prices, compared to the ones on the Playstation store.
For example, I bought two Spider Man games for less than 60 Euro, from rebuy.de. More exactly, Marvel’s Spider Man 2 (80 Euro normal price) and Marvel’s Spider-man: Miles Morales (60 Euro normal price).
And the good thing about this is that I can sell the two games and use the money to buy other games. And this doesn’t work if you buy digital games.
PS: I know that PC games are cheaper than PS5 games, but my kid does not play too many games, so the PS5 is still a good option for us. Also, a gaming console does not require any maintenance on my side.