Depending on where you live, you may be able to get a used PS4 for around $200 (or even less). At the same time you probably wont even be able to get a graphics card capable of playing PC ports (Horizon Zero Dawn, Death Stranding, etc.) at decent settings for that price, let alone an entire PC.
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The main use would be playing kid games though. But I guess if they are lucky enough to find a reasonably priced console with a decent amount of kid games that would be the best option. They're not as easy to come by as one might think though.
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I think most kids would probably like the more colorful platformer games like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, or indie games like Stardew Valley and Terraria.
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Probably yes. I don't see how this is an argument for or against either system though. As I mentioned earlier there's also the aspect of software prices. They've mentioned Disney Infinite and I can find a key for the Collection including all 3 Gold Editions for ~$5 on Steam whereas I've only been able to find one Gold Edition on Amazon for around $70. That's quite a price difference and I assume Steam/PC-games will come out on top in almost every comparison.
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I wasn't really making an argument either way in that post, just suggesting some games since you said it was difficult to come by games that kids would enjoy...
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If they are not PC users, even an old one and they don't have the necessary knowledge to use one, better stick to a console, current gen ones are getting cheaper and also many second hand ones are becoming available, since avid players (and not only) are emptying the shelves for next gen. Also, as jiggakills mentioned, it's way cheaper to buy a used console bundle, than a good PC. but be careful when buying second hand if you do.
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Yeah, it's the second-hand buying process that makes me wary of this option, to be honest. If there was a way to know the state of the hardware it would be easier but one usually has to resort to buying from unknown people with the implications that follow.
This is probably going to be the best option anyway. I think I was hoping there would be some for me unknown option regarding PC hardware comparable to a PS4 at this point but I guess it's still hard to beat the value of a console for strictly playing games.
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Also voting for the PS4 even though it is nearing the end of its lifecycle since there are games at a fraction of the price now and an okay pc cost as least 3 times more. It seems like you have a limited budget so unless you have a current pc you can just get ps+ and a ps4. PS4 and Xbox1 prices are dropping so it is easier to get into it as ever as there are a shortage of both newer consoles.
Personally I prefer PCs as well, but they require a higher initial investment then you can get hundreds of cheaper games with it. For someone with a higher budget I'd recommend getting a pc, but for someone with a limited budget definitely a ps4. The PS4 also has decent resale values as it is much harder to resell pcs without an even larger decrease in value.
It seems like you made up your mind about the Xbox and that is a good idea as well.
If the PC is going to be used for both education and gaming it would be the better choice in the end regardless of cost in comparison.
If just gaming voting for PS4 then reselling within 2 years, if for education and gaming voting PC.
The age of the children is a factor though under 12 voting consoles, over 12 voting PC. Also with the depth of educational gaming software this would be an additional bonus to their long term education.
PC building guides do make building PCs fairly easy, but sometimes pre-built prices are even better than building it yourself.
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I assume the budget is somewhere around $300 as they initially wanted to get a PS4 and possibly second hand. It's not really my decision in the end but the main reason I'd suggest an Xbox over PlayStation is library sharing and I also have some leftover hardware that I can donate, like older controllers. That might not be very important in the end though.
The kids are both under 12 so I guess it does make more sense with a console. Although I'm hesitant on advising anyone to buy second-hand it might just be the most sensible option in this case.
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a console is perfect for kids, you let them play what you want
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For that budget I'd probably go with a Serie S + Gamepass (You can get gamepass really cheap with gold->ultimate upgrade for $1) . I'm considering getting one for my nephew and share my pc subscription.
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True, there are only 11 games under the "Family and kids" filter, some platformers might also be a good fit. EA play is not yet included on pc, but it's already on console, some good games there as well.
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PC is awesome, but you're not going to match the power for the price of a console these days. I've done dozens of custom builds (actually am doing three this weekend :) ), and while you can build a machine that is close to the price of a console, it won't be the same power. The console builders are getting an economy of scale, plus they are planning on a lot of their profit coming from their game studios.
I would also advise you to go XBox vs. PS. The multimedia features there are significantly better, and it's also pretty easy to do things like take over your Comcast cable box so that you don't have to device switch to watch TV, etc.
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Well, personally I would vote for a pc but it's probably since I can't get used to a console that said you might want to consider a Nintendo switch. It's rather user friendly, portable and there are a lot of kid friendly games going around (and if I am not mistaken the price also seems to be a bit user friendly).
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My sister asked for advice regarding buying a second-hand or new PS4 as a Christmas present for the kids in their family and I figured it would be cheaper in the long run to buy a comparable PC. But I'm kind of having second thoughts mainly regarding user-friendliness but also with regard to software prices since it's quite possible they simply won't buy as much software to make it worth, what I assume is, a higher price for comparable PC hardware.
If anyone recently has been in a similar situation choosing between hardware I'd appreciate any feedback and advice you're able to provide.
I'm probably going to try to steer them towards buying an Xbox if a console becomes the ultimate decision, mainly because then I can "share" my game library with them and I have at least a couple of kid-friendly games obtained from Games with Gold and probably some I've bought on a deep discount for nostalgic reasons.
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