Is PC gaming really gone?
Is PC gaming really gone?
Cryptocurrency mining may significantly impact PC gaming. Video games might become limited to consoles only. It becomes very difficult to get a new graphics card from Nvidia or AMD since crypto miners buy them as soon as they appear online. The cost of a top-tier GPU could rise above $10,000 in the coming years due to high demand from miners. As a result, PC gamers may struggle to play games because they can't afford the necessary graphics cards. Only older, used models will be available online at inflated prices.
Similar to the mining revival a few years back, this situation will eventually fade away.
Moreover, the inability to obtain a new 3080 right now won't make PC gaming worse than consoles.
What's going on? Everyone seems eager for a 3000 series, it's tough to come by. Mining isn't some mysterious barrier preventing anyone from playing. In fact, many people mine and play together. Not everyone is purchasing 50 cards just to stock up on mining stations in their warehouse. 10k for a GPU? Never. Man, look for a microcenter and be patient lol, or join an EVGAs que system.
I'm more concerned with developers ability to actually release worthy and awesome to play pc games than I am with hardware requisitioning ... so much more that can be achieved with what most people currently have in their pc's.
I can count on my fingers the play worthy titles that I had my hands on in the last couple of years...
I don't want to focus on the GRAPES rule, but there are additional factors preventing parts from entering. Some of these involve mining and others political in nature. I'll skip the debate and suggest you look up the current reasons for import delays.
If I need to upgrade once more, I hope AMD and NVdiA or others develop something much superior than what we're seeing now.
The scarcity of PC parts stems largely from the high demand among desktop gamers. The market was already growing before the mining frenzy began. Everyone who is prepared to spend money on a card has an equal claim, just like the next person in line. It doesn't matter whether they play games, mine resources, or use them for decorative purposes.