Console gaming is cheaper.
WHen I stopped getting money from my parents I found pc gaming to be a far cheaper alternative to console gaming.
I spend $350 on parts and perpherials on amazon and made myself a pc that can perfectly run any game I've tried so far on high settings, and any game over the next few years should be lag free if played on medium settings. I had never build anything electronic before and it only took me an hour and a half to make the computer. Just watched a youtube instructional video while making it.
I buy most of my games for under $10 on steam, and thats not just indie games, but full games as well. The retail value of my steam library if bought today would be $700, but thanks to all the amazing deals I've waited for I've spent under $100. Over the next 5 years I will probably spend $200 more dollars on occasional upgrades(I don't want to play all my games on super maxed out settings) and $200 on games.
Total cost should be $850 for 6 years of owning and playing on a gaming pc which I will also be using for work and school. I got windows 7 for free from my father's work, but even if you add that in its $950.
I bought my xbox around a year after launch and in my 5 years of ownership, I have spent around $800 on games, $400 for the console, $200 for perpherials such as controllers, and wireless adaptors, $200 for xbox live, and I would still need to buy myself a pc for school and work
So total cost $1600 for 5 years of gaming + at least $200 to buy some crappy computer for school and work.
In the one year I owned my ps3 I already spent more than I estimate my pc already cost me and will cost me over the next 5 years.
