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00:00Hey guys, I'm Tom the Tech Jap and now that the PS5 and the Series X have arrived, well
00:05for the lucky ones among us at least, it got me thinking because both these consoles have
00:09AMD based CPUs and GPUs, tech that's closely related to the AMD Ryzen and Radeon graphics
00:15that you can get on a gaming PC like this.
00:18So with AMD hardware across the board, I thought this would be a pretty interesting time to
00:22do the definitely not controversial topic of gaming PC versus console, or specifically
00:28Series X and PS5.
00:30Which is best?
00:31Which should you buy?
00:34Now before I go too far comparing PCs and consoles and kick that particular hornet's
00:38nest filled with snakes and electrified sharks, I should say that I own all the consoles and
00:43the gaming PC, which honestly I do feel incredibly lucky to have and this is just going to be
00:48my experience of the pros and cons of each.
00:50And with that in mind, I've teamed up with AMD and PC Specialist to give away this amazing
00:56gaming PC worth over £2,000.
01:00So let's start with the gaming PC and in this particular system I've got the ridiculously
01:04powerful and water cooled AMD Ryzen 9 5900X as well as the top end AMD Radeon 6800XT graphics
01:13card.
01:14This is high end stuff, ideal for high refresh 1440p and 4K gaming.
01:18And what makes this setup even more interesting is the 6800XT has 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM which
01:25gets an extra boost thanks to SAM or Smart Access Memory.
01:29And this can actually help boost performance when you pair a Radeon 6000 series graphics
01:33card like this with a Ryzen 5000 CPU by allowing the system to utilise VRAM more efficiently.
01:40So this is a seriously powerful combination and is better value in terms of performance
01:44than last gen PC tech.
01:46Now I know what you're thinking, hang on chap, this is absolutely overkill compared
01:50to these guys and fair enough, this costs about four times as much as the consoles.
01:54Well it's not meant to be like for like because one of the key advantages as you guys
01:57know of a gaming PC is that it's basically infinitely customisable.
02:02Whether it's a pre-built system or one you part pick and build yourself, I can spend
02:06hours in PC Specialist System Configurator just playing with different setups.
02:10But crucially you have the option to go for high end specs and seriously outperform the
02:14consoles if you've got deep enough pockets.
02:17Now on the other hand, consoles are easier to pick up and play.
02:21They're small-ish, well at least compared to a mid-size ATX PC like this.
02:25They're well optimised, accessible and you can be in a game in just a couple of button
02:29pushes.
02:30Plus if you have a decent TV, especially if it's a good size 4K one with HDR, then the
02:35PS5 or the Series X is an extremely good value proposition.
02:39And I love just being able to flop onto the sofa and play something with the minimum of
02:42fuss and local split screen and couch co-op games are great fun.
02:46And from a hardware perspective, these consoles are also way better than before and while
02:50not exactly cheap, compared to an equivalent powered PC, these two are incredible value
02:56for money.
02:57So consoles win, that's the end of the video?
03:01Maybe.
03:02The thing is, PCs are more complex beasts.
03:04They're more expensive for similar performance, they're bulkier and just not quite as approachable.
03:10But to my mind, that's kind of missing the point.
03:12PCs are a lot more flexible when it comes to tuning your experience to be what you want.
03:16Whether it's ultra high refresh rates or the highest graphics settings at 4K, running
03:21other programs so you can live stream in parallel, mod games and even maybe do a bit of work
03:26sometimes.
03:27It's a pretty classic argument, but I use this PC not just for games, but it's also
03:31a very powerful video and photo editing machine and I could do some CAD 3D rendering if I
03:35knew how to do those things.
03:38You can also upgrade any part of your PC at any time or customise the look and if you
03:42prefer gaming on your TV, then a smaller mini-ITX PC makes for a pretty convincing
03:47console-like experience.
03:48And that's the other thing, it's not just about purchase price, because yes, straight
03:52away this is going to cost you a lot more upfront than a console, but then you've got
03:56to consider the online subscriptions for multiplayer or game passes on these two.
04:01You could just play all your old games or log into Steam on this and it doesn't cost
04:04you anything extra.
04:05And also, most of the time, games on PC are cheaper, especially now premium console games
04:10have hit a wallet smoking $70 or so.
04:13Ultimately though, it is the games that count and even PC master race diehards will admit
04:18that they'd love to play Spider-Man, Last of Us or Ghost of Tsushima, which as I'm
04:22saying it, I do realise are all PS5 exclusives.
04:26It's also really important where your friends play online, because except for a few games
04:29like Call of Duty Black Ops and Fortnite, which are cross-platform, if all your mates
04:34are playing on Xbox, then that's a good reason to get an Xbox.
04:37But let's dive a little bit deeper into the power of these machines, because the consoles
04:41especially have had a massive upgrade in terms of performance.
04:45And most games now will target 4K at 60 frames per second, even with relatively high graphics
04:50settings.
04:51So playing games on a new console finally feels like gaming on a PC.
04:56But 4K60 is kind of like the holy grail for consoles because most modern TVs are 4K and
05:02support 60, higher end ones have HDMI 2.1 and 120Hz refresh, variable refresh rates,
05:08all those extra bells and whistles, plus you'll get a much better HDR experience as most TVs
05:13are significantly brighter than monitors and generally console games are better optimised
05:17for HDR.
05:18But most new TVs are 4K60, so immediately you can get the most out of these consoles.
05:24What's interesting though is that even on PC, we're now getting some pretty impressive
05:28upscaling technologies, in the form of DLSS with Nvidia graphics cards and the new Super
05:33Resolution with AMD's GPUs, though the latter is brand new on the 6800 series and I haven't
05:38been able to properly test it out yet.
05:40But I'm hoping to see wider use of this tech as it means a boost in performance, with very
05:44limited effect on image quality and potentially means we could even play in 8K with something
05:49like reasonable frame rates.
05:51Like the 6800XT though here, both consoles do support ray tracing, which allows for more
05:55realistic lighting, shadows and reflections.
05:58But this is where that kind of customisation and all those extra graphics options that
06:01you get with PC games comes in handy because depending on your spec and also what resolution
06:06you play at, you can enable ray tracing and then tinker the settings so you still get
06:09a playable 60fps.
06:11And unlike with a PC, older backwards compatible games like Red Dead Redemption 2 that ran
06:16at 30fps on last gen are still limited to 30 on the new machines, unless the developer
06:21updates the game with a patch.
06:23Whereas on PC, most games can run at whatever frame rate your machine and monitor can manage.
06:28And then you can still tweak the settings to hit the right balance between frame rate
06:31and graphics quality.
06:33Now in a first for games consoles, both the new Xboxes and Playstations support HDMI 2.1,
06:38which means if you hook it up to a compatible TV, you can get up to 120fps in games, although
06:44again, the game also needs to support it.
06:47Problem is, this tends to be limited to multiplayer modes or with reduced graphics as with DiRT5.
06:52And as I say, you'll also need a TV that supports 120 with HDMI 2.1, and these tend
06:56to be the latest, very expensive models.
06:59However, with PCs, you can do whatever you want really, whether it's just a bulk standard
07:031080p60 setup, or you're going to go 120, 240 or even 360Hz if you've got a compatible
07:09monitor and you can output those kind of frame rates.
07:12I recently did a blind test of each and you can tell a difference, just...
07:16Okay, I think this is 360.
07:17It is.
07:18Is it?
07:19It is 360.
07:21In each case though, it's amazingly smooth and you get that sort of instant visual feedback
07:25to your inputs.
07:26Importantly though, you can get a 1080p 27-inch 144Hz monitor for as little as £250 to £300,
07:33whereas a TV with 120Hz will set you back anywhere from £1,200 to £3,000 depending
07:38on the model and the size.
07:39And even then, there's only a handful of games that even support 120.
07:43Not only that, but also most good PC gaming monitors also support a form of variable refresh
07:48rates, which the Xbox does also support and the PS5 is due to, and this can help reduce
07:52screen tearing and just make everything feel smoother.
07:55Again though, while most monitors have some form of this, whether it's FreeSync or G-Sync,
08:00only very high-end TVs have this function right now.
08:02And one of my personal favourite reasons to go for a PC is that it is compatible with
08:06an ultra-wide monitor.
08:08And as I've always said, once you go ultra-wide, you can't go back.
08:11It's just a really cool, immersive gaming experience.
08:14And while you can hook these consoles up to an ultra-wide, you either get pillar boxing
08:18on the side or just a stretched image.
08:19It just doesn't really work.
08:20Now, if you're thinking, Tom, stop waffling on, this is getting boring, get to the exciting
08:24bit.
08:25Well, I'm here.
08:26Let's talk about storage.
08:27I know, exciting stuff.
08:30But while PCs have had SSDs or solid-state drives for years now, the consoles not only
08:35have just caught up, but are actually now right at the cutting edge, with both the Xbox
08:39and PS5 using forms of ultra-fast PCIe 4 storage.
08:45And load times, coming from the older consoles, are just so much faster across the board.
08:48Problem is, while the 1TB expansion card I have here from Seagate is a really good idea,
08:53it is quite expensive.
08:55It costs almost as much as the Xbox Series S by itself.
08:58And right now, there aren't actually any compatible, expandable storage drives for PS5.
09:02SSDs on PC, on the other hand, are much cheaper.
09:05And you also have the options of whether you want to go 512GB, 1 or 2TB, etc.
09:10There's just a lot more options.
09:11And also, genuinely, it's quite a bit cheaper.
09:14Now let's talk design.
09:15And this is where things get a little bit tricky, because design is so subjective.
09:19Personally, I think these both look great, and I actually really do like the PS5, although
09:22I know not everyone does.
09:24Undoubtedly, these are both much more compact than most PCs, though even the smallest, kind
09:28of like NZXT H1 Mini PCs are a little bit bigger.
09:31So what Sony and Microsoft have managed to cram into such a small form factor, that's
09:35also cool and almost completely silent throughout, which is a big upgrade, especially over, say,
09:40the PS4 Pro, is very, very impressive.
09:43And that's the advantage of being able to just design one SKU, just one product, or
09:46I guess two, the Series S and the Digital Edition, compared to PCs which just have a
09:50million off-the-shelf combinations.
09:53But being modular means that you can customise your rig any way you like.
09:56Go with a theme, or keep things simple and understated.
09:59And depending on the size of the case, you can fit it with all the storage, add-in cards,
10:03lighting or cooling rads and fans that you want.
10:05Not only that, but you can also overclock your PC to get a bit more performance for
10:09free.
10:10But really, when it all comes down to it, I'm sure you guys would agree, it is all
10:13about the games.
10:14Where can you play the games that you want, and also play them best?
10:17And both Xbox and PlayStation often get amazing exclusives.
10:21If you're after a console and a PC, then I think you can make arguments for either,
10:25but personally I would go with a PC and PS5 combo, as you get all of Sony's exclusives,
10:30and as I say, Xbox exclusives are also available on PC.
10:33But the PS5 has a bit of an ace card here, because it's new DualSense controller has
10:37next-gen haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which can adjust how much resistance they
10:42need to be pushed down.
10:43So dunking an NBA or firing a gun in Call of Duty, it feels great and I think it's a
10:48genuine advantage over both PC and Xbox.
10:51When it comes to playing older games, the Xbox does pretty well, it's got a ton of titles
10:54all the way back to the original Xbox, and it improves them with better frame rates,
10:58load times and even smart HDR.
11:00The PS5 is a little bit more limited, offering almost all of the PS4 library, also with performance
11:05boosts and faster load times, but only a limited range of older PS3 titles via PlayStation Now.
11:11Xbox also has Game Pass, where for a monthly fee you can download and play a whole range
11:15of games, which avoids the big outlay for each game, however if you do stop your subscription
11:20then you do lose access to those games, so it is another ongoing cost to factor in.
11:24PC on the other hand has, what, 40 plus years worth of games you can find and usually run
11:29with a bit of fiddling.
11:30Hello?
11:31Sites like GOG have also updated older games that should run well on Windows 10, plus you
11:38have the option for Xbox Game Pass as well, and you can even stream your games if your
11:42PC isn't up to much but you have a decent internet connection, using the likes of GeForce
11:46Now or Shadow.
11:47The only thing that is really a pain in the ass on PC though is all the different launchers
11:51that you need to install.
11:52You've got Steam, Uplay, Origin, Epic, Battle.net, Blizzard, I'm sure there's more.
11:59It can be tricky to get going sometimes.
12:02But I would also say don't worry if you're a little bit scared about building or buying
12:05maybe your first gaming PC.
12:06There's so many great retailers out there and as I say I've teamed up with PC Specialist
12:10here in the UK and using their configurator tool you can pick exactly what you want for
12:14your budget and it makes sure the components you choose are compatible with the rest of
12:18the system.
12:19It basically takes all the guesswork out of a new build, saves time and frustration.
12:23But of course if you prefer you can also pick and choose the parts you want, assuming they're
12:27available and build it yourself and this will save you a bit of money.
12:31So which should you buy?
12:32Well I'm going to give you one of those really annoying non-answers because it's completely
12:35up to you.
12:36It's what games you play, where your friends are playing and also how much money you have.
12:39If you can afford to buy a pretty impressive high-end gaming PC then this is probably going
12:44to give you a better gaming experience over a console.
12:46But you cannot deny the value for money, the accessibility and of course also those
12:51exclusives that consoles are really worth buying.
12:54So hopefully by watching this and also listening to my voice start to get horsey because it's
12:58been quite a long video it's given you some idea which is better or maybe just reaffirmed
13:03your own purchase decision that you've already made.
13:05But enough of me waffling on because I know why you stayed this long or maybe you just
13:09skipped ahead because you want to know how you can win this PC right here.
13:13Well, nice and simple.
13:14All you have to do is make sure you're subscribed to me on YouTube.
13:17Just click that little button below.
13:18You may already be.
13:19Hit the like button and also leave a comment saying what your favourite game is and maybe
13:23what game you'd be most excited to play on a new PC if you were to win.
13:27The only other requirement is if you have Twitter, head on over there and follow me
13:30at The Tech Chap and also follow AMD UK and PC Specialist.
13:35You'll see my post which has this PC in it where I mention these things and just follow
13:38those accounts and that's pretty much it.
13:41I really do hope you guys found this helpful.
13:43If you do want to see more from me, as I say, hit that subscribe button below and I'll
13:46catch you next time right here on The Tech Chap.
13:48I hope there was nobody on that bus.
13:51Nobody we know at least.