Gasp. Did he really just say that the PlayStation 5 Pro is worth $700? The Internet exploded with shock after Sony announced the price for its new addition to the PS5 family. While it’s undeniably expensive, as a seasoned PC gamer, I don’t find Sony’s console to be as exorbitant as it may seem at first glance.
Of course, when discussing a $700 console, the PS5 vs. PC debate naturally arises. Why opt for a console when you can build a more powerful PC for the same price? While it’s true that you can build a beefier gaming PC for $700, you can’t purchase one pre-built for that price. This is where Sony’s pricing strategy starts to make sense.
It’s worth $700
Assuming you have a budget between $700 and $800, the options for prebuilt gaming PCs in that range are limited. For example, you can purchase the Acer Nitro 50 for $700 with an Intel Core i5-14400F and an RTX 3050 GPU. While it’s a solid budget system for 1080p gaming, the PS5 Pro excels when it comes to modern AAA titles at 4K resolution, especially considering its purportedly larger GPU.
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One of the main challenges with a $700 PC is that most of them come equipped with current-generation components. Even our recommended budget gaming PC, the Dell XPS Desktop 8960, priced at $850 with an RTX 3050 graphics card limited to 6GB of VRAM. If manufacturers provided older CPUs and GPUs, you could potentially get a system comparable to, or even superior to, the PS5 Pro for $700. Unfortunately, such options are scarce.
When purchasing a prebuilt desktop, you are essentially buying hardware from the current or previous generation, rarely finding models two generations old unless they are refurbished. In contrast, the PS5 Pro features a CPU two generations outdated and a GPU one generation behind. If PC builders stocked older components, you could easily obtain a PC that outperforms the PS5 Pro for $700. Yet, that’s not the reality.
Taking into account the console’s plug-and-play convenience, the PS5 Pro justifies its price tag. However, I still recommend against purchasing it, as you could build an impressive gaming PC for $700 if you’re willing to get your hands a bit dirty.
Building a PC is a different story
For $700, here’s the PC I recommend building instead of opting for the PS5 Pro:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X – $159
- CPU cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 – $30
- Motherboard: Gigabyte A520M K V2 – $67
- Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 DDR4-3200 – $42
- Storage: Kingston NV2 1TB – $56
- GPU: Gigabyte Windforce OC RTX 4060 – $279
- Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L – $40
- Power supply: MSI MAG A650BN – $63
Although the total for this build is $737, the minor difference is negligible compared to the overall cost. This PC boasts similar CPU specs to the PS5, with the Ryzen 7 5700X offering eight Zen 3 cores clocked higher than the PS5 Pro’s CPU. On the GPU front, this PC features the RTX 4060, surpassing the raw performance of the PS5’s GPU and incorporating Nvidia’s advanced DLSS Frame Generation technology.
Building a PC involves some risk, but it’s likely less daunting than you might imagine. Our step-by-step guide on how to build a PC can assist you through the process, leaving you wondering why you were anxious about it in the first place.
One advantage of a PC is its upgradability. Opting for a PC over a PS5 Pro means you won’t need to make substantial investments for performance upgrades all at once to keep up with console performance. You can gradually add or swap out components over time, ensuring you’re prepared for future hardware advancements without compromising on game compatibility.
Sony’s $700 price tag for the PS5 Pro isn’t arbitrary; the console likely incurred significant development costs, and Sony carefully determined the maximum price to maintain sales. Despite the availability of more economical options on the market, the PS5 Pro unquestionably justifies its cost.
With a PC, you are not restricted to off-the-shelf choices. Building a PC will require time and effort, and things may not always go as planned. However, when considering the cost, a custom-built PC will deliver exceptional gaming performance beyond its price point.
