I disagree, the latest consoles have a historically weak launch lineup and don't run the full steam library, mods and all. On a compute per dollar comparison, sure they are a fantastic deal, but in terms of gameplay experiences per dollar they don't do nearly as well. They are like locked down budget computers, and it's almost as hard to get them at msrp as gpus too.

Here's a much more nuanced view: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3596551/microsoft-xbox-serie...

I'd say I agree it's a terrible time to build a high-end PC system. But I'm also saying that based on idle searches for components. I bought most of my PC parts in April 2019, and my (mid-range $300) GPU in spring 2020, with no issues with availability.

But it seems like motherboards are 25-100% more expensive now, and we are still waiting on $200-300 graphic cards from this generation.

I do think, though, that comparing a relatively single-purpose item like a gaming console to a general purpose desktop computer is also going to have pros and cons on both sides.

I'd much rather be shopping for mid-range (or last generation but still quite performant) computer parts than trying to get one of the consoles right now.

Here in Europe I'd have to spend about 450-500 on 2060, which is a cheapest previous gen GPU. I reckon that gives you a decent 1080p experience, not more.

A PC is used for much more and has much more expansion capabilities. Not to mention my PC is better than any console even though the GPU costs as much as a retail PS5. If I was on the console upgrade cycle I could wait until PS6 to upgrade my computer. That's a portion of the PS4 cycle and all of the PS5 cycle for ~$1200 (no need to upgrade storage and other accessories for a new build).

People on the high end could even wait 2 console cycles to refresh.

This gen of console spec is exceptionally good vs PCs, see https://youtu.be/WebInZUvcGA

Indeed. I’ve considered selling mine though and buying one again when it all gets cheaper at some point.