Is PC Gaming Pricing People Out?
A few weeks ago I saw someone claim that PC gaming has become a hobby only for the rich. Looking at £4,000 graphics cards, I can understand why people feel that way.
To some extent I can understand what people are saying. For instance the insane pricing of the Nvidia 5090’s it can make sense. Yet in reality the 5090 is not a gaming graphics card, really it is a low end ‘workstation card’
One thing that I hear is that budget gaming is done, finished, gone.
Whilst I can see what people are saying, I disagree. True budget gaming has not ever been about new parts; it's always been about hunting for deals, new and used.
The first thing I wanted to look at was the price of new.
When I first started gaming way back in 1995 a gaming capable PC would cost between £1500-£2000, but what does that mean today? If we calculate this into today's costs for an entry level gaming capable PC would be £3177.77!
Read that again, £3177.77!! For a ‘gaming capable’ PC.
This is crazy to me that it would cost this! But I remembered we never paid that for my first ever PC because I bought a second hand PC for around £200 in 1995, which would be about £423 today.
Now can you buy a gaming pc that’s good today for £423. Sadly the answer is no. So I went on Facebook Marketplace to see what was actually available. Within a couple of minutes I put together this.
Power Supply - Seasonic 850w m12II evo - £25
GPU - Zotac 3060 12GB - £200
Motherboard and Ram - MSI PRO N760M- P- DDR4 - £120
CPU - 12900K - £200
Cooler -NZXT Kraken 240mm AIO - £50
Storage - Crucial 1TB SSD - £89
Case - Antec C5 (with 7 fans) - £50
Total, £734
Now this is just from Facebook Marketplace and I wasn't min maxing things. It was a cursory look at my local area and I would believe that using eBay or places like GPU Used and CEX you would get warranties and buyer protection.
This is the part that genuinely frustrates me. Building a genuinely good brand-new gaming PC under £1,000 has become much harder than it should be. But when we look at what a PC cost when I was 15, modern Gaming PCs aren't as expensive in comparison.
Yet they feel it though. This is true PC prices have gone up in the last year, but so has everything sadly.
The real problem for us all is that our disposable income has shrunk in the last few years because of prices rising across the board, not just in PCs.
This is why when I speak to people about a PC they have or want to get, my first mission is to plan something for them that is going to last a very long time. I'd rather recommend a component that's slightly older but gives you room to grow than sell you the newest shiny thing that you'll replace in two years.
A gaming PC is a large investment and should not be built to expire. For instance when I was lucky enough to build my latest system I deliberately decided that I wanted to build something that would last for 5 years plus and that was my consistent goal in building my own PC.
This is something that I brought to the design of the systems I designed for Rebel PC’s.
But the real challenge is that the budget part of the hobby I love is shrinking, which is why I wanted to know what a used PC would cost. Some people will say ‘just get a console’ and I can understand that, so let's look at the comparison.
‘Used’ PC - £734
PS5 digital edition - £519
PS5 Pro Digital -£789
Xbox series X 1TB - £669
Xbox series s 1TB - £519
So yes you could go console in some instances it would save you some money. However you would be tied into a single ecosystem and eventually, like every console generation, you'll move onto the next system .
The console world has some advantages though, want to play a game? Pick up your controller and turn it on and your gaming. With a pc it can be much more awkwards, yes you can still use the TV but it's not as convenient.
One thing a PC is great for is the parts that aren't for gaming, after all it's a PC so it's not just for gaming.
But the question we asked is PC gaming pricing people out. The answer is not a simple yes or no, because in budget PC Gaming the answer for new parts? Probably. Is the Budget world dead? No, because the used market is so vibrant now that you can build a great system today for less than a Playstation Pro.
The best part about that budget Facebook PC is that parts of that system can go on with you for many many many years! The case and power supply are great examples, they can move with you from build to build as time goes by
This is exactly why I created the Rebel One. I wanted to prove that a gaming PC doesn't have to cost several thousand pounds to be worth buying. Will it play everything at 4K Ultra? No. But for someone wanting to get into PC gaming, it offers a balanced system with a clear upgrade path, and will last for years.
When people look at the market place and see £4,000 graphics cards, or even special editions selling for much more, it's easy to think PC gaming has become impossible. The reality is those products aren't aimed at most gamers.