Australia: we earn a lot here comparatively, which means companies can charge more so they do. For instance: Our minimum wage is close to $24 AUD an hour.
I'm a fan of modular EVERYTHING -- but my gut feeling says that a modular console is just a small PC in disguise. There aren't very many things that could be (essentially) hot swappable in a console: CPU, GPU, RAM, storage. That's the basis of a build-it-yourself PC.
What it might also mean is that while Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo can make money off of the entire set of components currently, a hot swappable console in the future might mean that those monies will need to be shared with a whole bunch of other aftermarket providers. If they are already losing money over sales on hardware, a hot swappable console will likely mean even more money lost to other makers.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see some of these consoles be hot swappable -- but CPUs are becoming more and more capable, to the point that a discrete GPU might not be required (and potentially reserved for AI use only). If we get to that point, the price and size of a PC might match or even surpass that of consoles at some point in the future.
I don't think consoles are nearly there yet. A gaming PC that will reliably deliver 4K-level gaming for 4-5 years will cost at least twice what the Pro does. Most games, like me, stick to 1080p graphics and sweat the hardware as long as possible. Even so, last year I upgraded to a mid-tier 3060 graphics card that cost me roughly $300.
Basically, $700 is still a decent price for the GPU upgrade. The fact is that most previous consoles were actually under-powered compared to gaming PCs at the time, but the development tools and skilled developers could make that hardware sing. PC hardware is notoriously bloated and under-exploited by developers, which is why consoles last longer while delivering better-looking games each year. Once consoles started sharing the same lane with PCs (since the 360), that advantage began to disappear , and this new price hike is just evidence to me that the advantage of closed console ecosystems is gone.
As for opening hardware, I only open PC boxes. I've tried to open a few laptops in the past and it's usually a disaster. I'm impressed you could open and reassemble your PS5 without any serious issues. I don't have the patience!
The high costs of consoles in South America and Australia are a really fascinating topic...
South America: unsure.
Australia: we earn a lot here comparatively, which means companies can charge more so they do. For instance: Our minimum wage is close to $24 AUD an hour.
> Two screws left. What had I done wrong?
Nothing, you're just the MacGyver of gaming hardware!
Hahaha I wish!!
It would be great if consoles were easily customizable. That would settle at least 1 dispute between PC and Consoles once and for all 😅
I'm a fan of modular EVERYTHING -- but my gut feeling says that a modular console is just a small PC in disguise. There aren't very many things that could be (essentially) hot swappable in a console: CPU, GPU, RAM, storage. That's the basis of a build-it-yourself PC.
What it might also mean is that while Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo can make money off of the entire set of components currently, a hot swappable console in the future might mean that those monies will need to be shared with a whole bunch of other aftermarket providers. If they are already losing money over sales on hardware, a hot swappable console will likely mean even more money lost to other makers.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see some of these consoles be hot swappable -- but CPUs are becoming more and more capable, to the point that a discrete GPU might not be required (and potentially reserved for AI use only). If we get to that point, the price and size of a PC might match or even surpass that of consoles at some point in the future.
Well done, sir!
Your idea to update consoles incrementally a la PCs is pretty interesting, albeit a world I'm not sure I want to live in.
Then again, four years into the current console-gen, I still haven't upgraded from a PS4, soooo maybe I'm not that target audience, haha.
I don't think consoles are nearly there yet. A gaming PC that will reliably deliver 4K-level gaming for 4-5 years will cost at least twice what the Pro does. Most games, like me, stick to 1080p graphics and sweat the hardware as long as possible. Even so, last year I upgraded to a mid-tier 3060 graphics card that cost me roughly $300.
Yeah it's interesting. Decent read on what you are saying here: https://press-start.com.au/news/playstation/2024/09/15/a-pc-with-ps5-pro-level-graphics-would-cost-a-fair-bit-more-according-to-digital-foundry/
Prior consoles I've owned have been very set and forget. This is the first time I've felt the need to open one, and it seemed easy enough to do so.
That's a good read - similar to the comments I saw this morning on Linus Tech Tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FglPnj1eu2o
Basically, $700 is still a decent price for the GPU upgrade. The fact is that most previous consoles were actually under-powered compared to gaming PCs at the time, but the development tools and skilled developers could make that hardware sing. PC hardware is notoriously bloated and under-exploited by developers, which is why consoles last longer while delivering better-looking games each year. Once consoles started sharing the same lane with PCs (since the 360), that advantage began to disappear , and this new price hike is just evidence to me that the advantage of closed console ecosystems is gone.
As for opening hardware, I only open PC boxes. I've tried to open a few laptops in the past and it's usually a disaster. I'm impressed you could open and reassemble your PS5 without any serious issues. I don't have the patience!
Thanks! I was chuffed with myself too. But not keen to open it again any time soon.
That’s some interesting insight about the lifecycle of consoles too. 2nd week in a row, I’m learning from you comments.