Gaming laptops are easier to compare to consoles than desktop PCs because of how much closer they are to consoles’ plug-and-play approach, and because there are fewer ways to customize a laptop compared to a desktop PC.
Therefore, we have compared consoles to gaming laptops – and the former came out as the clear winner.
Cost
Consoles are still more affordable despite the global chip shortage inflating electronics prices.
This is made evident in the table below.
| Gaming device | Price |
|---|---|
| PS4 Pro | R7,000 |
| Nintendo Switch | R7,500 |
| Xbox One X | R8,100 |
| Xbox Series X | R12,000 |
| PS5 | R10,500 – R13,500 |
| Budget laptop | R15,000 – R20,000 |
| Midrange laptop | R20,000 – R30,000 |
| High-end | R30,000 – R60,000 |
Performance and utility
The new generation of consoles has done much to close the gap between console and PC gaming performance. The current generation of consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X) can run games at 4K resolution in 60 FPS, unlike their predecessors (PS4 Pro, Xbox One X), which could only run games at 1080p resolution at 30 FPS.
Dedicated graphics cards, however, enable laptops to have higher graphical fidelity and framerates, but this requires a compatible display, which costs more to produce.
It is also worth noting that consoles are limited in their general usefulness, as they are primarily restricted to gaming and entertainment, whereas you can use laptops for much more.
Ease of use and portability
Consoles are accessible – hook them up to your TV and boot up your game. Laptops, however, often require users to download additional drivers and software to play the wide variety of games available.
On the flip side, you can take gaming laptops anywhere, although battery life is often an issue.
The Nintendo Switch is the only modern portable console, but it has significantly worse performance and a smaller games library than gaming laptops.
Game selection
God of War (2018) was ported to PC and released on 14 January 2022.
Game selection is where PC takes the cake – the number of available games far exceeds those on current consoles, and with some technical know-how, you can even install emulators that run older console titles.
Consoles have exclusives, but with developers opting for more PC ports of these games as time goes on – like with PlayStation’s God of War (2018) – this argument is losing relevancy.
In 2022, the choice between buying a console or a gaming laptop ultimately depends on the player’s priorities. If all you want is gaming, consoles are the better bet.
Loading ...
