A member of game forum “The Corporation” has posted an interesting thread on the subject of the cost of PC gaming when compared to consoles. The typical perception by consumers is that creating a dedicated PC gaming setup is more expensive than creating an equivalent console setup. Kitsune disagrees with this perception. In the fox’s opinion ”in order to get ‘the full experience’, consoles need to be connected to a HD home theater system.” The post then cites an example of a $2000 Xbox 360 system — which could easily surpass the cost of a mid-range gaming PC.

Whilst it’s true that in a next-gen console war HD is more important (and requires more cash), is HD really essential? Percentage wise, how many people will buy a HD TV and surround sound speakers just for the Xbox 360? Outside of the hardcore gaming scene, consoles have never been the only (or even main) reason for upgrading home theater kit. Likewise, casual PC gamers tend not to buy $2000 PCs just to play games.

Whilst hardcore gamers will probably need to spend more money to fully enjoy HD console games (and therefore bring it into closer price parity with PC gaming) the majority of the population won’t be affected. Here’s one for the hardcore multiplatformed gamer: did you spend more on your console/home theater setup than your gaming PC?