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Chips aren’t improving like they used to, and it’s killing game console price cuts (arstechnica.com)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by j4p@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world
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"These price increases have multiple intertwining causes, some direct and some less so: inflation, pandemic-era supply crunches, the unpredictable trade policies of the Trump administration, and a gradual shift among console makers away from selling hardware at a loss or breaking even in the hopes that game sales will subsidize the hardware. And you never want to rule out good old shareholder-prioritizing corporate greed.

But one major factor, both in the price increases and in the reduction in drastic “slim”-style redesigns, is technical: the death of Moore’s Law and a noticeable slowdown in the rate at which processors and graphics chips can improve."

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[-] Psythik@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

If you're willing to get a base model, sure. The PS5 Pro is a $700 console, and that's not including the subscription fee for multiplayer (which doesn't exist on PC unless you're into MMOs).

Edit: Also every Playstation (and Xbox) game eventually comes to PC, so unless you're so impatient that you have to play the latest games right fucking now, there's no reason to own a console. Even Switch games are fully playable on PC, at higher resolutions and framerates as well. I sold my Switch because the games look and run so much better on my gaming rig.

[-] FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 1 points 1 week ago

Also every Playstation (and Xbox) game eventually comes to PC, so unless you’re so impatient that you have to play the latest games right fucking now, there’s no reason to own a console.

This isn't true yet (the games thing). Playstation haven't brought or even suggested that they'll bring every game to PC. Microsoft are, sure, which is amazing - but Sony very much still want to protect their walled garden of consoles. Playstation, more specifically the 30% cut they get of all game sales, and their online subscription fees, are the only thing keeping Sony afloat. If sony were to go full PC like MS, Playstation and Sony would go down like the Titanic.

As for the "there's no reason to own a console", eh I see the point and I agree to an extent but I also disagree. My Series X's UI is just so much better than any PC UI, not to mention the features. Quick resume for one is an absolute game changer, and it's not on PC. Everything that you could ever want to do while playing online is just so much easier to do on a console than on a PC. I say this as someone who plays more and more on PC these days, and wishes I could boot my PC into a Xbox OS type UI.

this post was submitted on 04 May 2025
130 points (97.8% liked)

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