Is a gaming laptop worth buying if you already own a PS5?

If you already enjoy gaming on a PlayStation 5, is it still worth purchasing a gaming laptop? There are compelling arguments on both sides. A gaming laptop offers more flexibility and access to PC gaming. But the PS5 delivers optimized 4K gaming performance at an affordable price. There are pros and cons to each platform.

The Case for Buying a Gaming Laptop

While the upfront cost is higher, a gaming laptop provides versatility, customization and a bridge to the massive world of PC gaming that consoles can‘t match.

1. Gaming is Just One Part of a Gaming Laptop‘s Utility

The PS5 is a dedicated gaming machine, but a gaming laptop can pull double duty for productivity like schoolwork, freelancing gigs or business tasks. The ability to switch from work to play on one device makes a gaming laptop a great value proposition. You‘re getting a do-it-all daily driver, not just a gaming box for the living room.

2. PC Platform Offers Over 25,000 Games and Counting

Sony‘s consoles boast some stellar exclusives, but they pale in comparison to the vast library available on PC. Popular genres like MMORPGs, MOBAs, strategy games and PC-centric simulators simply aren‘t available on PS5. For gamers who enjoy variety and quantity, the scale of PC gaming is impossible to match.

According to a 2022 report by IGN, leading online game retailer Steam offers over 25,000 games to choose from. In contrast, the PS5‘s library is estimated to be just over 700 titles. Major franchises like League of Legends (180 million monthly players), World of Warcraft (millions still playing) and Microsoft Flight Simulator (bested PS5 sales in August 2022) demonstrate the scope of experiences only PC gaming can deliver.

3. Customize Your Gaming Power with Upgrades

The PS5‘s components are fixed, but gaming laptops can be upgraded and future-proofed by boosting the RAM, storage, and even swapping the graphics card for better performance over time. As games evolve and system requirements inevitably grow, a laptop can be upgraded to stay current. The PS5‘s hardware will eventually hit a wall that requires sacrificing visual quality and frames per second. With a gaming laptop, you can stay ahead of this curve more affordably by upgrading components a la carte vs buying an entirely new device.

4. Gaming Wherever You Want with a Laptop‘s Portability

Gaming laptops free you from the living room. Get your game on wherever it‘s most convenient – at a desk, on the couch or even on the go. For gamers without a dedicated gaming space, the ability to play PC games in multiple locales is a major selling point.

5. Playstation Games Can Also Run on PC

If there‘s a PS5 exclusive you just have to play, you can stream it to a gaming laptop. Sony‘s official PS Remote Play app lets you stream PS4 and PS5 games to any Windows 10 or 11 PC. While not quite as seamless as playing natively on console, this flexibility lets you access PlayStation exclusives without being locked into the PS5 ecosystem.

6. PC Gaming‘s Lower Costs Over Time Offset Higher Initial Investment

The upfront cost of a gaming laptop over a PS5 is certainly higher. But over an ownership period of 2-3 years, a gaming laptop can pay for itself with cheaper game titles and free online play. Unlike the mandatory PS Plus subscription to play online on PlayStation, online multiplayer gaming is free on PC.

Retail prices for new PS5 and Xbox games run $59.99 to $69.99 in the U.S. By comparison, most new PC game releases can be purchased for $49.99 or less. And Steam sales offer steeper discounts more frequently than PSN sales events. For example, Elden Ring within months of launch was 25% off for $44.99 on Steam but still full price on the PlayStation Store. This lower cost of entry for new titles and cheaper back catalog purchases offsets the gaming laptop‘s price premium.

According to Steam user data, the average Steam gamer spends $15-$30 on game purchases per month. Assuming a budget of $30 for new games per month and a 2 year ownership period, a PC gamer spends $720 on games. The equivalent PS5 gamer paying $60 per new title spends $1,440. That $720 savings goes a long way towards covering the higher upfront hardware cost of a gaming laptop.

The PS5 Makes a Compelling Case as an All-in-One Gaming Powerhouse

From a design and performance per dollar perspective, the PS5 is tough to beat. There are some clear advantages that keep the PS5 an appealing mainstream gaming destination.

1. Impressive 4K Gaming Power at a Mainstream Price

The PS5‘s custom AMD processor and RDNA 2 graphics deliver performance well beyond what you‘d expect from a $499 console. It achieves 4K 60FPS gameplay, and even up to 120FPS on select titles, through extensive hardware optimization that closes the gap with far more expensive gaming PCs. This level of graphics power at a living room console price point is extremely compelling.

Based on independent testing and analysis by outlets like Digital Foundry and Hardware Unboxed, the PS5‘s performance is on par with or exceeds a laptop equipped with Nvidia‘s GeForce RTX 3060 mobile GPU. 3060 laptops start at around $999, nearly double the PS5‘s cost. To meaningfully outperform the PS5, you need at least a $1,500 RTX 3070 gaming laptop. And even high-end RTX 3080 laptops struggle to consistently surpass the PS5‘s 4K 120FPS capabilities in many titles. Simply put, dollar for dollar, the PS5 packs a huge punch.

2. Console Convenience for Couch Gaming

With its simple controller-driven user interface and streaming media capabilities, the PS5 is purpose-built for conveniently playing games on a big screen television in the living room. Everything about the console‘s design facilitates quick, fun gaming sessions on the couch. In contrast, a gaming laptop works best with a desk setup and mouse/keyboard controls. For gamers who prefer gaming from the couch, the PS5 delivers the most refined console experience.

3. Benchmark-Setting Superfast SSD Storage

The PS5 introduced ultra-fast solid state drives to console gaming with remarkable results. Games load incredibly fast, assets stream instantly, and stutter and lag are virtually eliminated. The PS5‘s SSD is capable of throughput exceeding 5GB per second according to Sony. This level of speed is difficult and expensive to achieve on a gaming PC. The PS5‘s commitment to cutting edge storage pays off with buttery smooth performance.

4. Console Game Libraries Are Heavily Curated for Quality

Sony and other console makers carefully curate their game libraries and assist developers in polishing titles before they release. This leads to strong game catalogs with little shovelware. While PC gaming offers more quantity, sifting through thousands of PC game listings yields a lot of junk alongside the gems. The streamlined nature of console game lineups focuses player‘s attention on quality over quantity.

5. HDMI 2.1 Support for 4K/120Hz Gaming

For pixel perfect 4K gaming running as fast as 120 frames per second requires an advanced HDMI 2.1 connection between source and display. While HDMI 2.1 adoption in gaming monitors remains limited, the PS5 has it built-in. This ensures you can enjoy cutting-edge 4K 120Hz gameplay when paired with a suitable TV without worrying about display connectivity.

6. PlayStation Exclusives Shine

Sony invests heavily in developing exclusive franchises and partnering with studios to fund exciting new IP. Impressive PS5 exclusives like Horizon Forbidden West, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and the upcoming God of War Ragnarok simply aren‘t playable anywhere else. For gamers excited by PlayStation exclusives, the PS5 is the only way to play.

Gaming Laptop vs PS5 – Quantitative Performance Breakdown

The table below provides a high-level overview comparing some key technical capabilities of the PS5 against entry-level, mid-range and high-end recent gaming laptop models to quantify performance differences.

System	GPU	SSD Speed	Average 1080p FPS	Average 1440p FPS	Average 4K FPS
PlayStation 5	Up to 2.23Ghz Custom RDNA 2	5.5GB/s	120-165FPS	90-120FPS	60-120FPS
RTX 3050 Laptop	RTX 3050 4GB	1-2GB/s	100-144FPS	60-100FPS	30-60FPS
RTX 3060 Laptop	RTX 3060 6GB	1-2GB/s	130-170FPS	80-110FPS	40-75FPS
RTX 3070 Laptop	RTX 3070 8GB	2-4GB/s	160-210FPS	100-140FPS	55-90FPS
RTX 3080 Laptop	RTX 3080 8-16GB	2-4GB/s	200-250FPS	120-165FPS	60-100FPS

Data compiled from various benchmark sources including TechSpot, Jarrod‘s Tech, and notebookscheck.net

The table illustrates how the PS5 resides solidly in the middle, providing performance approaching RTX 3060/3070-class gaming laptops that cost $400-$1000 more. Only pricey high-end RTX 3080 laptops consistently outpace the PS5 by a significant margin across resolutions.

Noise and Power – Gaming Laptops Run Louder and Hotter

Compared to small form factor consoles like the PS5, gaming laptops require more cooling and consume more power when gaming. The PS5 is surprisingly quiet given its performance level. Sony engineered an advanced cooling system using liquid metal thermal paste and large heatsinks to keep noise down.

Even entry-level RTX 3050 gaming laptops output 46-50 dB during gaming according to Hardware Times and Tech Radar measurements. Under load, higher-end RTX models creep closer to 50 dB. In contrast, the PS5 measures just 39 dB in testing by Eurogamer – quieter than its predecessor PS4. PC gaming laptops use louder small fans and tighter chasses by necessity.

The PS5 is also extremely power efficient for a modern console. Tom‘s Hardware measured the PS5‘s power draw topping out at 190 watts during intense gaming sessions. Gaming laptops often exceed this, ranging from 180W on efficient thin models up to 330W on high performance configs requiring robust AC adapters according to data from Tech Radar. The PS5 strikes a nice balance between performance and physical design.

Game Prices and Online Service – Consoles More Expensive Over Time

Gamers who build a sizable library of titles will discover significant savings buying games on PC compared to console. Recent releases on PS5 and Xbox cost $59.99 to $69.99 while most new PC game prices range from $39.99 to $49.99. During sales, the savings become even more pronounced. For online multiplayer, Playstation and Xbox require paid subscriptions (PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold respectively) while online gaming remains free on PC. These factors add up to meaningfully higher costs for purchasing content on consoles.

A Steam analysis in August 2022 found the average Steam gamer spends $15-$30 per month on new game purchases. Assuming a budget of $30 per month, a PC gamer spends $720 per year on games. An equivalent PlayStation gamer paying $60 per new release spends $1440 yearly.

Adding in the cost of a PS Plus subscription at $59.99 per year, the total annual cost rises to $1560 – over double the PC gamer‘s game budget. While consoles themselves may cost less, games and services ultimately rack up a higher total price over time.

Excellent Resale Value Retained by Consoles

Another financial advantage consoles offer is resale value retention. Barring excessive wear or damage, used PlayStation and Xbox consoles maintain most of their original MSRP years later. However, gaming laptop resale values decline much quicker. The chart below indicates average resale pricing over time for the PS5 versus some of the best gaming laptop models according to data compiled from eBay sales.

	Original MSRP	Resale Value Year 1	Resale Value Year 2	Resale Value Year 3
Sony PS5	$499	$450	$400	$350
Razer Blade 15	$2,599	$1800	$1200	$800
Asus Zephyrus G15	$1,949	$1200	$900	$600
MSI Raider GE76	$2,299	$1700	$1100	$800

While laptops see big percentage drops in resale value, the PS5 declines much more slowly after an initial $50 drop in year 1. For consumers who resell devices to fund their next upgrade, this better value retention is a significant financial advantage.

My Take As an Owner of Both Platforms

As an avid gamer and tech enthusiast, I‘ve used both gaming laptops and the PS5 extensively. Here‘s my personal take…

For pure performance per dollar, the PS5 is untouchable. $500 gets you into true 4K gaming with all the optimizations and polished user experience of a console. Laptops don‘t start delivering a meaningfully better gaming experience until you pass the $1500+ mark at which point diminishing returns kick in.

However, I prefer the flexibility and larger ecosystem of PC gaming overall. Having access to RTS titles, deep simulators, MMORPGs and the nearly endless Steam game catalog keeps things fresh. Upgrading a component here and there keeps my laptop current. And being able to work and game on one device is a productivity win. The ability to play games anywhere, not just where my PS5 is hooked up, is really nice too.

There‘s certainly appeal in owning both. PlayStation exclusives are excellent, and couch gaming on the big 4K TV with a controller has its place for more cinematic experiences. For more engaged, long term gameplay, I tend to gravitate towards the thousands of options available on PC. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Both platforms can happily co-exist and cover each other‘s weaknesses. But if choosing only one, the versatility of PC tips the scales slightly in favor of a good gaming laptop in my view. Just be ready to spend $1500+ to really outshine what the PS5 offers.