GameSpot tried to build a Pc which costs around the same as a console.

[bouzane]

Mr.Playstation said:

MohammadBadir said:
PCs cost more than consoles but the cheap games make up for the price. That's literally it. Why's this so hard for some people to understand?

Second hand console games are also extremely cheap, I don't know why some people think that all new console games can only be bought for $60 when one can easily find them second hand for $40.

I never pay more than $5 for titles like Arhkam City, Portal 2, Witcher 2, Skyrim, Bioshock, etc... I get GOTY editions with all of the DLC for a fraction of what "bargin" bin console games cost. So yes, PC games are far cheaper. If I purchased my Steam collection on consoles the multiplatform titles alone would cost more than my entire Steam collection and PC combined (at the aforementioned "bargin" bin prices)!

Additionally, Sony and Microsoft subsidize their hardware, especially early in their consoles' lifecycles. This serves to increase their cost to performance ratios but it is temporary as they need to eventually turn a profit (at least Sony does, the Xbox division seems to be a charity). A year from now the cost advantage of the hardware will be diminished somewhat making console gaming an even poorer bargain.

Edit: Additionally, I don't have to pay to play online (or wait for the DDoS attacks to end) further erroding the savings. Also, the Gamespot comparison is outdated and poorly done (Assassin's Creed for a PC / console performance comparison, seriously?)