Mobile gaming is the most accessible platform for Indians. PUBG mobile, Call of Duty Warzone has teens and adults alike dazzled. A hobby and pastime which was once local and only limited to a small group of people are now globally accessible practically anywhere on innumerable devices. However, lots of Indian gamers who grew up on a PC or a console still seek larger, more tangible experiences. Indian consumers are very price-sensitive and video gaming is an expensive form of entertainment. If you purely desire to play games and are willing to spend money you will either buy a game console or typically build your PC.
The cost of video gaming in India
Hardware:
A PC on average is around 60,000.
If you don’t like the inconvenience of building your PC, you could always buy a pre-built gaming PC from a company like Alienware (A Dell subsidiary) starting at 2,70,000 or MSI with a starting price of around 75,000.
Companies like MakeMyRig.com, PCMonster. can build you a custom gaming PC as per your workflow. Aftermarket parts are cherry-picked and they charge you for assembling the PC.
The other option is to build your PC, which Indian consumers often do with guidance from online sources. Covid-19 rendered prices of several components; namely, the graphics card, unreasonably high. In a normal world, you would be expected to spend a minimum of 60,000, for an average decent performing gaming PC. Component pricing in India is usually higher than in the US, due to GST and import taxes.
At the end of it, how do you know you bought or built the right kind of computer? Well, you can rely on PC gaming’s most touted slogan; 1080p 60 FPS ie Frames Per Second. A quantifiable standard for what one’s gaming experience should be like.
- Pre-built PCs are an option.
- Typically modular and parts can be swapped.
- Can be custom built for any workflow.
- Prices depend on the configuration.
A console on average is around 35,000. (brand new prices)
As for consoles, representing team green is the Xbox and the Playstation team blue. There is also the incredibly popular Nintendo Switch; not officially available in India and therefore no warranty. The initial investment for consoles is the lowest starting at around 25,000 and going up to 50,000. For the price, you get the game console and one controller. You can buy an extra controller separately for 4,000 to 5,000. Games requiring good directional audio, like an FPS game, will benefit tremendously from a good pair of headphones. So be prepared to spend some extra on that. Games consoles are very user-friendly, where plug and play is the motto.
- A handful of companies make game consoles.
- Generally, only the storage is upgradeable.
- Price typically depends on the storage configuration and few select features.
- Repairs are discouraged as they void warranty.
Games:
PC games can be dirt cheap or even FREE!
PC games are relatively cheap and are almost entirely digital purchases. Popular online game store platforms like Steam, EPIC games, GOG.com, HumbleBundle, and more give comparatively large discounts on video games during sales. Also, STEAM in India features regional pricing for certain titles and publishers, so a new $60 (INR 4,400) game in the US won’t necessarily list for the equivalent of $60 on the Indian website. Steam’s summer sale, occurring in July and the Christmas sale towards the end of the year, gets customers frenzied and will usually crash or slow down the site within the first few hours of the sales going live. EPIC Games’ store debuted in late 2018, offering one free game every few days until Christmas ended. Now they distribute free games once every two weeks, so be sure to claim them. Free-to-play games like Apex Legends, Fortnite, and more also thrive on PC. If you play a variety of genres and don’t crave the latest on launch day, then, you can get by without making a single purchase for several months.
- Relatively cheap games and sometimes free.
- Steam regional pricing for some games.
- Game distribution is largely digital-only.
- Free online multiplayer.
Console games cost more and not often free
Consoles are like printers, which are sometimes sold for a loss. All profits are largely derived from cartridge sales. A brand new console game retails for a fixed $60, with more exclusive editions selling for higher prices with some extra content. Even in sales you often won’t find four-year-old games selling for anywhere near PC version prices. Trading your physical games for new ones or different ones is still unique to consoles and can help you save some money. Retail chains like CEX usually have a good library of games or you could also try online classifieds like OLX. A monthly video game subscription from Xbox or Playstation will get you games for a competitive price while also allowing you to download free games sometimes. This still requires you to spend some money monthly.
- Each new title is around $70 (INR 5,700).
- Game discounts not competitive with PC versions.
- Can trade your games for other ones.
- Required to pay for online multiplayer.
Online experience
PC- unrestricted and free
Online gaming is free on a PC. Whereas you will be required to buy a subscription (INR 4,000), preferably annual when playing multiplayer on either game console. Xbox Live Gold (INR 489/ month) lets you download and keep a few free games every month, usually older titles, and offers discounts on game purchases. Xbox Game Pass starting at INR 489 a month is another service that grants you access to over one hundred games. Game Pass is also available for Windows 10, allowing you to play a lot of Xbox games on PC. So if you pick an Xbox and play multiplayer you would likely pay for the annual Gold Subscription and if you desire a larger library you get the Game Pass.
Console- pay for play
Playstation Plus just like Xbox Live Gold enables you to enjoy online multiplayer, access store discounts, and download free games every month.
The convenience of video gaming in India
Operation and maintenance
Learning the PC
On the PC, research and learning is a big part of the experience. You will have to do it simply because whenever you build a shopping list and try to buy your desired part, chances are that it won’t be in stock. You then either wait or pick an alternative, but not all parts are built the same and there is extensive research and reviews available to sift through.
Not to mention you will be “required” to do your hardware troubleshooting, because guess what, your CPU and GPU typically won’t fit in just about any other PC you can find in your neighborhood. If something goes awry you can’t immediately troubleshoot by swapping parts with a friend or neighbor. A good majority of us won’t have the convenience to do so.
You will have to learn some basic “Do’s and Don’t” when it comes to monitoring expensive hardware. For example, at least checking the temperatures of your CPU and GPU once in a while or when you face issues.
I’ve not had one of those freelance or contract hardware engineers come over to my house to fix a PC since 2005. Not to bad mouth them, but typically it is regarded as a risky affair by most enthusiasts and even my friend running a repair business. In his own words, “Want your work done? Tell them to do it right in front of you within the hour if possible. Don’t send your PC or let them keep it overnight unless you REALLY trust them and even so, take a marker and write your name on each part.” Yikes. And in some instances, reliable repair shops could be quite the journey away and gaming PCs are not lightweight.
The warranty periods, terms, and conditions are also high variance. Each part having its unique warranty period and different service center. You could be running to different places if multiple things break down.
- Requires more effort and attention from the user.
- Troubleshooting is part of the experience.
- Can require knowledge on how to assemble a computer.
- Be careful with repair and services market.
PC parts warranty breakdown
- HDDs about two years
- Gaming RAM sticks about ten years
- Graphics cards and PSUs around three to five years
- Pre-builts- one year
Just playing the console
Most console platforms have a reputation for being relatively error-free after the first year of it’s launch. In case of technical difficulties, you should phone their helplines and communicate your specific problem. When your Xbox is not working, you can open a ticket on call and ship it to the address they specify. In some cases, they might ask you to drop it off. Xbox sadly does not provide post-warranty period support and you may be forced to ship the console to the US or EU for repairs. Not feasible.
Playstation’s warranty is much simpler. They don’t repair units, instead if your Playstation breaks within the first year you get a replacement in about two weeks. Be sure to keep your purchase invoice and Sony warranty card ready. Post-warranty period Sony will offer you a brand new Playstation for half the price.
- Xbox has a repair and replacement policy but only limited to its original warranty period.
- Playstation will only replace your console within the warranty period and offer you a brand new unit for 50% off post-warranty period.
Conclusion:
Your decision can be easy, so long as you know what you want. Do you have more time? Do you have more money? sometimes it can be as simple as that. I hope you found this blog post insightful.
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