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Playstation 5 root keys obtained

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Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#151

Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread). Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game? That would seem even more skewed against the buyer:…

> Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread).

A console is cheaper, and can be left permanently attached to your TV; and the UX is more focussed than a general purpose PC, and optimized for controller as single input; you probably want a PC—probably a laptop—for other things, but unless you are going to buy a second PC for living room gaming, it isn't really a console substitute.

> Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth?

Yes.

> If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game?

Actually, its about the vendor charging developers for access to you; at release AAA game prices are pretty similar console vs. PC (over time, I think PC game prices fall further and faster, but like films games live or die by earlier sales. If you are a buyer that tends to buy games long after release, then PC is much more attractive.)

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#152

Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread). Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game? That would seem even more skewed against the buyer:…

To me the big plus is compartmentalizing, having my games in an isolated environment designed /optimized for that makes it easier to keep my computer safe because I no longer have to consider GPU driver availability / stability in Linux or even running Windows in my computer and that's a big plus.

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#153
post #91
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I already spend all day sat at my desk. I was a “PC gamer” for years, but consoles are better for plug and play group/sofa gaming.

Nothing is stopping you from connecting a PC to your TV to play games on your sofa.

Steam with a controller on your TV just isn't nearly as nice. I set it all up once (PITA on its own there) a few months ago after the steamdeck hype to show my wife some of the other games available in the world. It was kludgy at best and buggy at worst with some games.

I say this as a primarily 95% 3+ decade PC gamer. The other 5% goes to Nintendo exclusives such as Zelda or Mario.

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#154
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, If you look at both the PS5 and XBox One X, both of them are running customized AMD SoC's. But basically, that's just a AMD APU. If my memory serves me correctly, the PS3 for comparison had a custom Cell CPU which was used for supercomputer clusters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3_cluster So they must have had some kind of edge compared to normal PCs.

> had some kind of edge compared to normal PCs. They did, but the Cell SPUs were hard to program and that edge quickly eroded as the Cell proved to be a dead end and x86 CPUs continued to evolve.

It was the GPUs that evolved, not the CPUs. The original PS3 design didn't have a dedicated GPU (but, I believe, two Cells instead, one being dedicated to graphics rendering). A GPU was added as it became obvious that this design had a massive advantage over the Cell design.

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cheaper than a gaming PC They're subsidised by the game prices. You still pay for it in the end. > Home entertainment system. Youtube, Netflix, blurays etc. You can use a PC in the same way. If you position it well, you can even have a dual purpose work/entertainment PC.

>You still pay for it in the end. Only if you buy new games at launch. Consoles still have physical media, so from few days to few weeks you can grab games at a large discount.

It's true over the whole population - it's known that the hardware is discounted. You can play the price game of course, just like you can buy discounted steam keys or wait for sales, but on average people don't seem to do that.

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#156

Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread). Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game? That would seem even more skewed against the buyer:…

>Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why?

Yes. Because of scale and optimization.

But that's more of a side-effect than the real reason. It's mostly about having a device you can switch on and instantly play. No installing drivers. No picking parts. No incompatibilities.

I've been building my own PCs for over a decade but I'm losing interest. It's such a hassle. I do 90% of my gaming on my Switch. Games I had on Steam for years and barely touched I suddenly play through in a week on the Switch. Why? Convenience.

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#157

Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread). Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game? That would seem even more skewed against the buyer:…

Playing on a TV is different than on a desk. Of course you can do both with a PC, but often you don't have your PC in the right place to play on the couch in front of your TV.

There are console-exclusive games, depending on which types of games you like those exclusives can be extremely interesting.

A PC is more expensive, almost always has been. If you need a desktop PC anyway, that might not matter much as you only need to factor in the better GPU for gaming. But with the GPU prices right now even a mid-range card is more expensive than a full next-gen console.

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#158
post #93

Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread). Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game? That would seem even more skewed against the buyer:…

- Cheaper than a gaming PC. Of course it depends on your setup but for the same price ($500 MSRP) it would be hard to build a decent rig that plays the current gen new games perfectly - It just works. Games can have bugs but no hassle with installation, drivers etc. Games are more or less better optimzed because all the devs are working on the same hardware. No 100s different CPU and GPU. And one operating system - E…

This list is good but clearly targeted at ps & Xbox. The arguments are a bit different, but even stronger, for 2021's highest selling console (switch)

- even cheaper, and not a case of paying later for $70 games

- exclusives: by far the biggest draw to switch

Interesting enough to spur Valve to launch a portable competitor so it'll be interesting to see how those pros hold up.

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#159
post #93

Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread). Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game? That would seem even more skewed against the buyer:…

- Cheaper than a gaming PC. Of course it depends on your setup but for the same price ($500 MSRP) it would be hard to build a decent rig that plays the current gen new games perfectly - It just works. Games can have bugs but no hassle with installation, drivers etc. Games are more or less better optimzed because all the devs are working on the same hardware. No 100s different CPU and GPU. And one operating system - E…

It just works is a huge one. Driver issues and OS versions are such a huge pain even now. Many games require brand new drivers (which very often very very unstable), and the MS store required your windows version to be up to date, and everyone has their story about windows update being stuck for months on end.

That's before you get into the "openness" of PC - if you want to play a game on steam but your friend has bought it on the Microsoft store how do you play together? How do you voice chat? What do you do when the Xbox services don't work when docker is installed?

Re: Playstation 5 root keys obtained

#160

Given all the issues described in this thread, what is the upside of a game console (non-gamer)? Why not get a PC that you can automatically use for other things, can play games from any vendor etc (some of the issues mentioned in the thread). Are consoles cheaper “per transistor” or sth? If so, why? Is it about the vendor locking you in and charging more per game? That would seem even more skewed against the buyer:…

Consoles are on their last run in my opinion. Valve has improved the Steam experience for Steamdeck, along with the Proton compatibility layer. Then they added "Great on Steamdeck" that will encourage devs to aim for better controller support. Now there are rumours Valve is working on a new "console". Imho once there is a "console" that is basically Steamdeck with builtin Steam store and a powerful GPU... in otherwor…

> Consoles are on their last run in my opinion.

I've heard that for every console generation for the last 15 years. I don't think the arguments are any stronger now than they were in 2013.

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