Console Shock Podcast 143: The Gaming PC Value Equation
Release Date: 03/08/2025
Console Shock Podcast
Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! It’s been a turbulent few weeks for Xbox. From announcing major job cuts to dropping hints about Windows playing a bigger role in the platform’s future, the brand finds itself at its most uncertain crossroads yet. What lies ahead for Xbox? Trev and Stu dive into the speculation… Topics covered: 🕹️ A look back at Microsoft's early years in gaming 📉 Xbox’s historic struggles against its biggest rivals 🔀 Could a 3DO-style open hardware approach for Windows-based Xbox consoles actually work? 🖥️...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Stu’s got his hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 and gives us his honest review — no over-the-top YouTube theatrics here! Plus, the long-rumoured Microsoft x ASUS collaboration is finally official: meet the Xbox ROG Ally, a new handheld console. But will this be the Steam Deck killer, or is the real story the custom gaming-optimised Windows OS it runs? Here’s what we’re covering: 🎮 How does the Switch 2 launch compare to the original Switch? 🏁 First impressions of Mario Kart World 💡 Did the Switch 2...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Trev’s finally done it — he’s bought a PS5! The big question is: why now? Is a PS5 still worth it in 2025? Can it coexist peacefully with a Steam Deck, or is a showdown inevitable? We dive into all that and more in this week’s episode. Also in the mix: 🎮 Stu shares his thoughts on Deliver At All Costs for PC. 🆕 First impressions of the PS5 — what stands out, what falls short, and what surprised. 📺 Trev gets hands-on with PS5 YouTube streaming. ⚔️ First impressions of Space Marine 2 — and a...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! In the latest instalment of our "Saving the System" series, we turn our attention to our all-time favourite gaming platform — the legendary Commodore Amiga. Its fate was sealed the moment Commodore collapsed, but can Trev and Stu breathe new life into this classic machine? Join us as we dive into what could have been, what went wrong, and what should have been possible. This episode includes: 🎮 Thoughts on Oblivion Remastered 🖥️ Could the Amiga 1000 launch have been handled better? ✨ Why the Amiga 500...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! We’ve been speculating for months, but now the Nintendo Switch 2 has been fully revealed! We break down the announcements, react to the hardware, and ask the big questions — is this the upgrade we were waiting for? 🕹️ Did Nintendo nail it or miss the mark? We talk expectations, surprises, and what we’re still hoping to see. 💰 £75 for Mario Kart World — are you kidding?! Is this the new normal for premium Nintendo titles, or just a launch shocker? 🛒 Whatever happened to pre-order deposits? Back...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! 🎉 is here! 🎉 Trev and Stu join in the annual YouTube tradition of Marchintosh, dedicating an episode to all things Apple Mac in March! This year, we’re flipping through a couple of Macworld UK back issues from 2004 and 2005, reminiscing about an era when Apple was transforming into the tech giant we know today. Join us as we dive into: 🎮 Stu's new obsession: Robocop: Rogue City 🎞️ Were 80s and 90s movie-licensed video games actually better than we remember? 📖 Was Macworld UK just a reprint of...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Nvidia has just unveiled its latest generation of RTX graphics cards, and the prices are absolutely eye-watering. But is it really worth dropping thousands on a gaming PC when a £350 second-hand PS5 could deliver a great gaming experience? Let’s dive into the debate! 🎙️ In this episode: 🕰️ Looking back & ahead – We reflect on the podcast’s journey and where it’s headed. 💰 GPU sticker shock! – Are the astronomical prices of modern graphics cards justifiable? 🎮 Console vs. PC – Is a...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Are console generation leaps becoming less significant? Back in the day, each new system felt like a revolution—but have we reached a point where improvements are harder to notice? Has graphical fidelity gotten so good that new technologies struggle to stand out? Trev and Stu look back at console generations from the 90s to today, breaking down whether the leaps were truly bigger in the past or if we’re just seeing things differently. 🎮 Stu's been streaming Call of Duty on our channel 🐵 Trev’s...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! The Nintendo Switch 2 was officially unveiled just days after our last show, and now Trev and Stu finally get to dive in! What did we make of the slightly unusual trailer, and what does the future hold? Will the original Switch finally see a price drop when the new model launches? Tune in to find out! Trev visits 'CEX Prime' on Rathbone Place. Reminiscing about video game shopping in the 90s, including Woolworths! Stu shares his thoughts on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Cheap controllers from Amazon, are...
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Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Trev and Stu are finally back together after the Christmas break, with a whole bunch of new retro/modern gaming ramblings. This time around we dive into Bazzite, a SteamOS-like operating system that can turn Windows machines into Steam Decks, as well as looking into some of the PC gaming handheld news to come out of CES 2025. We also speculate what we might see in the upcoming Switch 2 reveal. This was recorded before the actual reveal a few days later! General overview of Bazzite, and why you might want to use...
info_outlineRetro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Nvidia has just unveiled its latest generation of RTX graphics cards, and the prices are absolutely eye-watering. But is it really worth dropping thousands on a gaming PC when a £350 second-hand PS5 could deliver a great gaming experience? Let’s dive into the debate! 🎙️ In this episode: 🕰️ Looking back & ahead – We reflect on the podcast’s journey and where it’s headed. 💰 GPU sticker shock! – Are the astronomical prices of modern graphics cards justifiable? 🎮 Console vs. PC – Is a £350 pre-owned PS5 better value than a high-end gaming rig? 🖼️ Upscaling & frame-gen – Have these technologies narrowed the image quality gap between PCs and consoles? 🚀 The PS5 Pro conundrum – Is the PS5 Pro a true alternative to a high-end gaming setup? 🕹️ A blast from the past – How gaming PCs like the Commodore Amiga stacked up against their console rivals. 💾 PC gaming on a budget – Do cheap digital games offset the high cost of hardware? 🎛️ Handheld revolution? – Are low-end gaming PCs, like those from Valve & ASUS, the real value champions? What do you think? Team PC or Team Console? Let’s discuss! Check out Trev and Al's other podcast where they reminisce about a different episode of Star Trek every month! : https://longrangesensors.com/episodes Intro/Outro Music - Turn The Page (Tutorial Theme) - Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998) - Sony Playstation - Composer(s): Hiroshi Okubo