Play to win

Posted on 10 Mar 2009 at 12:43

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Does the success of consoles such as the PlayStation 3 spell the end for PC gaming? Martin Korda compares the platforms to find out.

PC gaming is doomed. This statement has been doing the rounds since the 1980s, when games consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Master System began selling millions of units. Yet despite the widespread popularity of consoles, the PC continues to offer key advantages over its competitors. Most notably, PCs have superior visuals and storage devices, and in recent years internet connectivity has allowed PC gamers to play each other online.

The way video games are played has recently been transformed by two powerful consoles: Microsoft's Xbox 360 in late 2005, and Sony's PlayStation 3 in early 2007. These added hard disk storage devices, high-definition visuals and fast internet capabilities to console gaming's already extensive list of features and affordable prices. Nintendo has also helped revolutionise console gaming with its Wii system, a console that's propelled mainstream gaming to new heights with its interactive and innovative Wii Remote, Nunchuck controllers and balance board. These make playing games more fun and less reliant on gamepads, which not everyone can handle easily.

On their release, the 40GB PS3 and 360 consoles retailed for approximately £400 and £300 respectively, but over the past year prices have tumbled. A new 360 now costs around £130, a 40GB PS3 approximately £250 and a Nintendo Wii about £180. These prices have led to an explosion in console gaming popularity. The console market is now estimated to be worth $8 billion (around £5.6bn), compared with the PC's $1 billion (around £700 million).

With the lifespan of the current crop of consoles estimated at six years, the next generation isn't likely to start appearing until around 2012. So here's the question: with consoles apparently enjoying such dominance and with prices now so low, is it worth spending up to £1,500 on a new gaming PC, which will probably need at least some components upgraded in the next two to three years? In short, should your next games PC be a console?

Counting the cost

To answer that question you need to consider a number of factors, ranging from the type of games you're interested in playing to the amount you're willing to spend on your hobby. From a financial viewpoint, the discrepancy between a new console and a cutting-edge PC may not be quite as high as it initially appears. A canny shopper can pick up a quad-core PC with a good-quality 22in LCD monitor and a mid-range 3D graphics card for under £1,000. A machine of this specification will have considerably more power than any of the consoles currently available. However, you should also budget for another outlay in two years' time. For serious gaming, you can expect to pay approximately £200 for a new mid-range 3D graphics card. You'll also face the potential headache of installing the new hardware.

What about the cost of a console? Unless you already own an HD TV, the price of a complete console gaming setup can be surprisingly high. For a mid-range 32in LCD HD TV, you'll be looking at an outlay of at least £300. Although the Wii isn't HD-compatible, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are. Run either on a standard TV and the visuals won't be dissimilar to the PS2's or those of the original Xbox. You'll also need an HDMI cable (which costs around £20) if you're looking to buy a PS3.

Although the PC's and PS3's online gaming services are free, the Xbox 360 requires a yearly subscription of £40 to Xbox Live, which will amount to another £120 over the remaining three years of its lifespan.