[afavour]

That doesn't really make sense. Consoles have always occupied a different space to PCs, not least because they plug into living room TVs. Very few people are going to trade that for a (considerably more expensive) PC.

Gaming PCs also require specialized knowledge, more maintenance, etc etc. Consoles are pick up and go. I very much doubt they're dead yet.

[Rohansi]

You'll likely see a lot more Steam Machine-like PCs because of this. SteamOS fixes most of the problems you mention. Price is the new normal and you should expect next gen consoles to come closer to it. It's not a bad deal anyway when you consider the bigger library, cheaper games, and no subscription required.

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steammachine

[afavour]

At that point I’d say we’re talking about a PC/console hybrid anyway so the distinction gets a little less useful.

[Rohansi]

But why? The Steam Deck and Machine are pick up and go like consoles by default. Only a small minority care that it's actually a PC you can use for things other than games.

The only thing that sets them apart is Steam's hardware isn't locked down.

[WhyNotHugo]

> Gaming PCs also require specialized knowledge, more maintenance, etc etc.

If you want to build it yourself: sure. But less technically inclined folks can just buy one pre-assembled from a computer shop.

[afavour]

You still need to stay on top of requirements as time passes though. Will game X run on my machine? By comparison a console game is for a generation of a console or it's for the next.