We live in an age of absurdly realistic graphics, stacks of teraflops, game streaming from the cloud, and such demand for new consoles that they can’t be made quickly enough.

Gaming has gone mainstream, and yet the same argument that’s been debated for decades remains: is PC gaming or console gaming the best?

There are many ways to approach the argument – which is why it tends to persist – from available games, accessibility, price points, popularity, and convenience. Gaming is rather unique in the entertainment space in that its customers are more committed to their sides than when it comes to the likes of movies, shows, or music. Naturally, the debate can get quite heated, but all factual points tend to be fairly made.

Looking at much of the key features of gaming and the hardware required to be a gamer in the modern era, we look at the battle of PC versus console gaming.

Digging into the hardware itself

The place that all PC backers will start is the hardware. Historically, computers have been able to offer a higher standard of gaming due to the hardware available. Even though many of the most popular games aren’t all that demanding of high-end hardware, it does offer a higher ceiling for game fidelity. Still, last year saw the much-hyped PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X usher in a new generation of console gaming.

Comparing the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, strictly in terms of specs, the Microsoft console comes out on top with a narrowly superior CPU (8-core, 3.8 GHz AMD Zen 2), GPU (12.0 teraflop AMD RDNA 2), and 1 TB custom NVMe SSD. The Nintendo Switch OLED, as you’d assume, doesn’t compare in these regards, but it cannot be overstated how appealing its hybrid nature is, offering the chance to play console games on the go.

By comparison, the leading pre-built gaming PC right now, which is considered to be the Acer Predator Orion 3000, dwarfs these specs. It’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU gives it some 20.3 teraflops, while it also boasts an Intel Core i&-10700 CPU (8-core, 4.8 GHz) and 512 GB SSD plus a 1 TB HDD. Of course, the big kicker for all of this extra computer clout is the price.

The Acer Predator Orion 3000 sells for around £1200 on a good day. For that price, you can get the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch with money to spare and perhaps even a Switch Lite as well when there’s a sale on. It’s this colossal cost of entry that will always keep consoles in contention, especially as building a gaming PC is often more expensive. For example, a high-end CPU will cost at least £350.

 It’s all about the gaming ecosystem

In console gaming, be it the PS5, Xbox Series X, or Switch, you’re not just buying into a type of gaming: you’re buying into a branded console ecosystem. You pick your console based on which one has your preferred games. This is why the PS4 obliterated the Xbox One and why the PS5 jumped well ahead of the Xbox Series X. Then, of course, the Switch boasts all of the Nintendo novelties that have become iconic in gaming.

In PC gaming, players are free to join whichever game store or launcher platform that they want for free, download them all to their computer, and play as they choose. Increasingly, previous console exclusives are coming to PC, too. Many Xbox games arrive on PC, and Sony continues to rerelease their biggest exclusives on PC, not that they launch in a particularly good state. Still, PC gamers have a tremendous range of options open to them.

Steam and Epic Games may be heated rivals, but any PC gamer can have an account with both, pull in free games from both, and buy exclusives from either. Players don’t feel the need to commit when gaming on a computer – an ethos that runs through all forms of computer gaming. Even in the browser-based gaming of online casinos, you can get free spins no deposit bonuses, which allow players to get free gaming time before committing any real money. It’s indicative of the freedom and non-committal nature of PC gaming.

If nothing else, functionality wins the debate

At the end of it all, Microsoft tried to make the Xbox an all-media entity but failed – particularly with the Xbox One – and the PS5 revels in being a pure gaming machine. Even a half-decent PC is also capable of handling your work, editing, web browsing, typing with ease, messaging, research, video calls, and everything else that’s become a necessary part of our everyday lives. Perhaps the one way in which any of the consoles beat a gaming PC is in portability.

Both the Xbox and PlayStation are much easier to take from place to place than a gaming PC, but the biggest winner here is the Nintendo Switch. The ability to play it as a proper home console on a TV as well as on the go was a genius move from the Japanese gaming giants. It’s just a shame that they’ve been somewhat lax with the first-party releases, allowing PC platform Steam to muscle in with the portable Steam Deck. If considered an extension of PC gaming, the Deck gets it another nod.

Console gaming is easier, more accessible, and does boast a superb range of exclusive games – more in regards to Nintendo and PlayStation – but if you can meet the initial costs, PC gaming still reigns supreme.