Why You Should Build a Gaming PC with Your Kids Instead of Buying Gaming Consoles

I really don’t want to contribute to the PC versus console debate, but I will throw in my two cents. Before going any further, we need to grasp why the debate of PC vs console is a silly argument to begin with. The PC versus console comparison is truly like comparing apples to oranges. Once you understand the hardware that goes into both devices, and how they are used, you will understand there is really just no such thing as a “gaming computer.” If we had to identify an actual “gaming computer,” it would really just be called a gaming console, like the PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. These consoles exist primarily for the sole purpose of gaming. You can’t do much else on them besides limited internet browsing and watching movies, and you can’t do either of these on the Switch. On the other hand, with an actual “personal computer,” you can not only play video games, but you have an entire system of hardware and software dedicated to allowing you to do everything a gaming console can do and more: edit documents, send emails, access all corners of the internet, do any and all programming, access to unlimited hardware, access to unlimited software, etc. All of this, and more, can very easily be accessed on a PC. Realistically, if you want to be a YouTuber, you will eventually need to do sound and video editing on a computer. Simply based on these facts, it is easy to see why gamers and YouTubers choose the PC over consoles. 

My thoughts on the PC vs console debate with regards to price, longevity, and performance are as follows. Yes, in the short run, an Xbox or Playstation is going to cost, relatively, less than a solid gaming PC; however, the PC’s higher upfront investment will result in a much longer and greater return on the initial investment. In the long run, you will probably spend more money on purchasing new gaming consoles to stay up to date with not even the latest technology and games when compared to the PC. For example, let’s take a look at the Xbox One and Xbox One X. There was a four year difference between the release of both of these consoles. The Xbox One cost $400 for the base configuration, while the Xbox One X cost $500. In four years, almost $1000 was spent on both of these consoles. The reality is that you could have easily spent $1000 on the PC in the same year the Xbox One came out, and you could have built a computer with better performance metrics than the Xbox One X. Let me repeat, you could have been gaming at a higher level of quality and performance than that of an Xbox One X when only the Xbox One was out.

This is very characteristic of PCs, and is generally due to the speed at which the computing market grows. The gaming console market cannot keep up with the speed at which new technology comes out, so by the time the next generation gaming console is out, available PC components are already years ahead in terms of performance. We’ll define gaming performance as processing power and graphics rendering. For all of these reasons combined, it is really difficult to make any major comparisons between PCs and consoles. 

The only other argument that really exists in favor of consoles is that of complexity. Generally, no hardware and software configuration is required for consoles; they are truly plug and play devices. The myth is that you need to be a tech guru to configure and build your own PC. This myth is just not true. Yes, you should know what you are buying and some things to look out for, but you do not need to be an expert by any means. There are also an unlimited amount of resources to help you configure and build PCs as well. One of these resources is my Computer Building Basics guide, which should help you get started.

Let’s not lose focus of what you are trying to accomplish in building a PC. You are not only going to be building a gaming PC with your kids, you are going to be helping them build a machine that will meet the technological demands of their elementary, secondary, and even collegiate education. You are not just setting them up with another device to play video games and surf the internet, you are setting them up with technical skills that will last them a lifetime, and even set them up for interest in the STEM field. These qualities alone are priceless.