With the growing anticipation of the next-gen consoles being released, and Nvidia’s belief that Geforce gaming laptops will become the largest console in the world, the debate over consoles and gaming laptops is larger than ever, and will continue to grow. Are gaming laptops truly the future of gaming? Or will traditional consoles be here to stay? Let’s put it up for debate…
So first of all let’s make a case for both. Consoles are usually much cheaper than standard gaming laptops. I’m sure you could find a laptop cheaper than a PlayStation 4, but can it run Call of Duty: Modern Warfare without exploding? Probably not. Either way, consoles are seen as the all-in-one package for gamers at home. You are pretty much guaranteed that any game you buy on the system will run pretty well (or at least at a playable state). Everything is seemingly handled for you, and all you need to do is buy the console and a game and you’re good to go.
Gaming laptops are similar as of right now, they boast a little bit more customisation than traditional consoles, but they do take some of the PC building aspects out of the picture, offering another all-in-one package. The thing with a PC is that almost every game will also be released on PC, there’s no more console-exclusive problems when it comes to the platform. And there’s only a handful of games that are only on console and not PC. You also have the added ability of carrying it around wherever you go. Travelling? No problem, play DOOM at the airport. In a business meeting? Boot up a quick game of Apex Legends and no one will notice, try whipping out an Xbox One whilst in a meeting and not getting noticed…
So both have their own benefits, the problem comes down to price: consoles are much cheaper and gaming laptops are much more expensive. The question of which is better now surfaces since it’s most likely the next-gen consoles will be more expensive than the last ones, and gaming laptops are finding new and better ways of improving the hardware whilst decreasing the price. So as the two platforms get closer to each other in price, it’s hard to figure out which one is better. Then again, consoles in the future might decline in price, and gaming laptops might increase in price, and so will go the eternal dance of consoles and laptops…
So what do you think? Which one is better? Consoles or gaming laptops? And which one will be the future of gaming? Let us know your thoughts!
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PC Specs
Since I do work a lot editign videos and doing mapping a laptop always is a better choice, plus I bought the one I'm using 3 years ago for les than 600 bucks and it performs way better than any console available.
PC Specs
Now, if I where thinking only about gaming, I would probably get a console for next generation. (Even then I would miss the chance to travel with the laptop since you can never know if you will find a tv where to plug the console)
PC Specs
Another disadvantage about buying a laptop besides the price is the fact you have to do some "research" since two diferent models with the same specs can have a difference of 10°c or more when on heavy load (Plus the sillicon lottery)
PC Specs
A laptop is only really good if you travel a lot in my opinion. I got a surface book 2 with the gtx 1060 and it runs DOOM, Monster Hunter World, Cities Skylines and everything else I tried flawlessly. Since I got it I haven't taken my Switch to any work trip I went on, consoles just feel so damn restricted and limited in almost every way, as a PC gamer I don't even really wanna bother with consoles anymore.
PC Specs
Used to have a gaming laptop when i was in college abroad as having a gaming desktop was just not practical. Now I prefer the combination of desktop & console. I have more friends on console unfortunately and there are exclusives that only come out on pc months or years later. PC for everything else multi-plat and PC exclusive.
PC Specs
Probably none, both are really expensive compared to a traditional pc, consoles are not that expensive but rather internet service, games, and laptops are just overpriced like 500 bucks more.
PC Specs
Physical Console games are cheaper than games on PC, be it steam, origin, uplay, gog or epic.
PC Specs
In the long run pc is cheaper because of the pc games discount (you can even download or get games for free Epic/torrents), dont have to pay for online stuff.
PC Specs
Dude Physical console AAA games become 20-30 euro 2-4x months after they get out and then the discounts start and they even cheaper. A year later most are 10-25 euro without a discount. Not including Nintendo their games are always expensive. And there are more PS Store discounts than steam discounts.
And if you pay the STUPID subscription to play online you get 3-6 games every month. And if you hack your console you have all the games for free as well.
PC Specs
agree about paying for online but console games also get discounts, for example I bought god of war for like 20 euros less than a year after release (a digital copy at that).
Another thing you need to remember are second hand/used physical copies of games, they tend to drop price much faster, like sometimes you can get a new game for 40-50 euros because people decide to sell games after completing them once.
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@Citamlaka Oh I agree. I totally forgot to mention the second-hand market.
PC Specs
A console is as portable as a gaming notebook, allmost everyone already has a pc, so the gaming notebooks are nice, but a very niche product. For the price of one of those laptops you can have a mid range pc plus a console (U$S 1.000 + 500)
PC Specs
Im a pc gamer but if we are talking gaming only, then i would definitely choose consoles cuz nothing beats standing next to friends all with joysticks having fun and im not a fan of gaming on laptop. And we shouldn't concider laptop's multitasking cuz we're comparing gaming here.
Plus it doesn't make sense to compare them as they are way too different
PC Specs
And lets not even talk about how overpriced af gaming laptops are
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I don't like laptops... never did, likely never will.
And for that reason, I take the side of the consoles, for once.
tho, I still prefer a simple tower computer over both any day.
PC Specs
I will always go for gaming desktops however gaming laptops are way too expensive especially at launch. So I definitely understand why some people would be more inclined towards consoles.
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have a laptop that i like very much, specs in icon, but i want the next gen console for the vr and exclusives that the pc wont have
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I have a laptop with a 1070 and a Xbox one x. Each serves it's purpose.
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A 1660Ti laptop for $1000 is a great value for money choice, if you need portability. It is a bit more powerful than a GTX 1660 desktop for gaming. Otherwise cheap consoles or PCs are a better choice any day.
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Preferably I'd rather have a mini-itx tower over a laptop or console BUT if I had to choose one, I'd honestly choose a laptop like the GPD P2 Max over a console for the sake of portability.
Thanks to the Nintendo Switch I have completely fallen in love with the idea of portability in every way possible.
http://gpd.hk/gpdp2max
PC Specs
Personally left whole laptop thing last year. I still have one, but nope. Laptops are too expensive and underpowered.
PC Specs
Remember that console is just for playing games while with laptop you can do much more. Can you bring your console on the ex. vacation or abroad and use it wheenver u want it? no you cant
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I can plug my console into the tv in my hotel and my laptop needs to be plugged in for power if I'm gaming. Either way I have to be tethered to game.
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but can u use your console when u are outside? No. Or in the mountains?
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Switch...
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the console also needs to be plugged in for power?
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Console needs power and tv, laptop needs power. Either way I'm tethered down for gaming. In the mountains, if I don't have power for a console I will have a dead laptop.
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The standard 'gaming' laptops are just multimedia/programming laptops with decent i7/Ryzen (at best) and a two years ago mid GPU. Consoles are better at gaming than those, unless you really need the mouse/keyboard.
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based on 10 mins of googling I'm pretty sure that for a price of a high end gaming laptop (like rtx 2070 or higher) you can get a similar or better desktop, base (or maybe pro) version of ps4/xbone, 40 inch 4k tv and some decent laptop for browsing/watching stuff, not sure how comparing laptops directly to consoles makes any sense.
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but you still need to buy windows, mouse, keyboard and monitor which they can easily cost more than 100$, but still gaming PC is cheaper than gaming laptop
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well you can use non activated windows for free (means just no wallpaper customisation and the watermark).
You'd have to buy a mouse for a laptop anyway so no point in counting that. And a decent keyboard should be about 50, I think.
Also you could just use the TV as a monitor lol, I mean 4k at 40-43 inches has more PPI than 24 inch 1080p one.
PC Specs
Other option (not sure how I didn't think of that when I was writing my original comment) is to get a gaming monitor for the same price, the TV I found was like 350$, should be able to get a pretty decent gaming monitor for that much (which you could use with both pc and the console).
All in all I think gaming laptops aren't good bang for the buck.
Personally I'd get the desktop pc, console, tv/monitor, basic laptop combo over it.
PC Specs
That is just nVidia marketing crap. Laptop and console don't even compare. Unless you are talking about Switch and even then, reason to own one or other or both will depend. They otherwise serve completely different purpose and target audience. Laptop is great as PC on the go, you get all benefits of multitasking, productivity and gaming, potentially at higher FPS, in one package,...
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... while consoles are more meant as something you have stationary next to TV or monitor, you can't use them on the go or without power socket, and are dedicated gaming device. While yes, they might have less stuff to put in a bag to carry with you, they just aren't device you would use on the go. Plus price wise, for gaming laptop you will pay more than double amount you will for console.
PC Specs
So I really see this having no point in terms of comparison, other than Jensen making silly statements to dominate the press, because it keeps everyone talking about nVidia, instead of competition. Because that is what his role in nVidia is, to be marketing person. Doesn't matter how outlandish his statements get, as long as media is basically reporting everything he says.
PC Specs
At the price gaming laptops are being sold they have no chance to compete against consoles whatsoever. They don't need to be just as affordable, but, in my opinion, also upgradeable to a much higher extent than they are now.
Their big positive is portability and desktop OS. While both big pluses, I don't think it's enough to offset their price.
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comparing a laptop to a console is like comparing a smartphone to a gameboy
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I love desktop gaming, familiar peripherals and environment. When I'm on the go I usually default to my Nintendo Switch especially because of the ability to suspend games.