Just about everyone will agree that the PS5 and PC are excellent systems with their own merits.
Even so, though, which one is a better choice?
The PS5? Or, the PC?
By the time you’re finished reading this guide, you will know the answer to this question.
What Is The PS5?
The PS5 – short for “Playstation 5” – is the newest iteration of the Playstation game console.
Every feature and function that the PS4 offered can be found in the PS5.
Each one of those features and functions has been greatly improved.
As a result of these improvements, the PS5 can play better-looking games at a higher frame-rate.
What Are The Specs?
The PS5 offers the following specs:
- 8-core AMD Zen-2 based CPU clocked at 3.5 GHz
- AMD RDNA 2 GPU with 10.28 teraflops of power
- 16GB of GDDR6 RAM
- 825GB SSD with maximum loading speed of 5.5GB per-second
- 4K Blu-Ray Drive
You can, as a result of these specifications, play games at up to 120 FPS with ray tracing, render games up to 8K, while also harnessing VR and 3D technology.
Every game for the PS5 can be played at the highest possible settings and a steady framerate.
The same cannot be said of the PS4, of which there are multiple versions.
Each one of these versions offers its own unique specifications, making some games look, and run, better than on other versions.
Since this is the case, you should expect there to be another version of the PS5 released later on.
To play the newest games, by the time the upgraded PS5 comes out, you will most likely need to purchase a new PS5 console.
What About The Games?
Since the PS5 was released less than one-year ago, the library is still rather small.
Even so, though, just about every major title released within the last year is available for the PS5.
Some of these titles include Deathloop, Resident: Evil Village, Hitman 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Watch Dogs: Legion; along with various others.
None of those titles are exclusive, and they can all be played on the PC, as well as other systems.
Right now, the PS5 only offers a couple of exclusives, such as Demon’s Souls and Returnal.
That being said, you can play any PS4 game on the PS5.
As a result of this feature, you have access to an even larger assortment of games, including every single PS4 exclusive.
So, if you would like to play The Last Of Us series, for example, you can do so on the PS5.
Through the Playstation Now subscription service, you can also play some PS2 and PS3 titles.
What Can You Do With The PS5?
The PS5 is a game console. So, the main thing you can do with the PS5 is, of course, play games.
But, that’s not the only thing you can do with the PS5.
You can watch Netflix. You can browse YouTube. You can surf the web. You can listen to Spotify. You can watch Twitch. You can watch Blu-Ray movies and shows.
Even though the PS5 is a gaming system, you can use it as a fully-fledged entertainment system.
What’s The Cost?
The cost of a PS5 is $500.
Right now, though, the number of PS5s available, for that price, is limited.
Many people are purchasing from resellers, who often charge quite a bit more than $500.
To go along with that, even if you score a PS5 at its intended cost, you may want to purchase some extra peripherals.
Just as an example, a single wireless controller costs $70.
You must also consider the cost of games, along with whether or not you want to play online.
A new game, that isn’t on sale, will cost $70.
If you want to play online, you’re going to need to purchase a Playstation Plus membership.
One-year of Playstation Plus costs $60.
So, if you purchase a PS5 at the intended price, one extra controller, a new game, and one-year of Playstation Plus, the total cost should be around $700.
What Is A PC?
A PC – short for “personal computer” – is a computer that, in this context, can play games.
Everything that a regular computer can do, you can do with a PC that is meant for gaming.
Just like the PS5, a PC runs on an operating system and relies on specific hardware.
Unlike the PS5, you can choose your operating system, while also choosing your hardware and customizing nearly every other aspect of your experience.
What Are The Specs?
Every PC offers its own set of unique specifications.
This is part of what makes the PC, as a gaming platform, unique.
You are free to choose the specs you would like, for the games you wish to play.
To go along with that, if you want to upgrade your components at some point, you can do so.
So, as an example, if you want a new GPU, so that you can play the newest games, you can do so without building a new PC.
What About The Games?
Just about every major release, with the exception of console exclusives, is available on PC.
Many of these titles offer improved graphics, as well as an uncapped framerate.
For you to play those games, and enjoy those improvements, you will need the right components.
Even if you don’t have the best components, you still have access to plenty of games.
To do so, you can lower the settings of a particular game. This reduces the graphics quality, but improves your framerate and your experience.
To go along with that, you can play any game that’s ever been released on PC.
Since the PC, as a gaming system, has been around for quite some time, you have quite a few games to choose from.
You also have access to emulators for nearly any console that’s ever been released.
The act of playing some of these games may be a little tricky.
You will often need to adjust the settings of each game, or even run certain adjustments, to ensure the game runs well.
Playing games on the PS5 is considerably easier, since you can just press “Play”.
Right now, the PC has some modern exclusives, but not a lot.
Some of the most popular modern exclusives include Half-Life: Alyx and the Total War series.
You can find plenty of older titles that are exclusive, though, such as World Of Warcraft and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines; as well as quite a few others.
Even though the PC offers relatively few exclusives, the sheer assortment and variety of games available on the PC is exceptionally vast.
You can play many of these titles on lower-end hardware, making it easy for you to play games without investing too much money.
What Can You Do With A PC?
Everything that a PS5 can do, you can do on a PC…with the exception of playing PS5 exclusives.
So, if you want to watch YouTube, listen to music, turn on ray tracing in games that support it, watch a movie, browse the internet – and so on and so forth – you can do so on your PC.
The PS5 is a closed-system that is dependent on Sony’s software and hardware.
A PC is very different, though, and supports a wide variety of different software and hardware.
Rather than being restricted to one digital platform, you can use Steam, Epic Games Launcher, Origin, UPlay; along with many others.
Each one of those platforms offers its own library of games, as well as plenty of features.
Every one of those platforms also gives you the ability to play online, without paying a fee.
You can use the software you like, as well as the hardware you like.
So, if you want an Nvidia GPU, rather than an AMD GPU, then you can install an Nvidia GPU.
If you would like to upgrade your SSD without paying for an upgrade kit, you can easily do so.
Those are just a few examples of the flexibility that a PC offers.
What’s The Cost?
Even though a good gaming PC can be affordable, if you want the same features a PS5 offers, you will need to spend more than a PS5 costs.
Right now, calculating the exact cost is a little tricky, since there is a GPU shortage taking place.
If that shortage wasn’t taking place, though, and components were more readily available, you would likely need to spend at least $1,000.
Even though that’s a lot more, a PC offers certain benefits that a PS5 does not.
The main benefit is that a PC is more than just a gaming machine.
You can use your PC to play games, file your taxes, write stories, edit videos, watch movies, edit photos; along with many, many other possibilities.
To go along with that, you can customize your PC, so that it fits your exact specifications.
You are not restricted to the software and hardware of any particular manufacturer.
So, if you want to game on a new digital platform, you can do so.
Along those same lines, if you would like to upgrade the components in your PC, there is nothing stopping you from doing so.
PS5 Vs. PC
The PS5 is a great system that offers plenty of power, as well as convenience and affordability.
For those who want something affordable, convenient, and effective, the PS5 is a great choice.
A gaming PC is, comparatively, less convenient and less affordable.
But, for those who want something that offers tremendous versatility, plenty of games, along with the ability to perform many different tasks, a gaming PC is a fantastic choice.