PS5 or gaming laptop? Which one should you actually buy in 2026

Remember the great Sony PS5 shortage of 2020? The time when everyone who wanted to buy a PS5 was super active on Discord and Reddit as mainline online retailers were simply out of stock? Something similar seems to be happening right now after Sony announced a global price hike for the PS5 recently. The new prices came into effect from April 2 but in India, the console is simply out of stock on Amazon, Flipkart and even Blinkit. Now the stocks should be back soon (hopefully) but will also see a rise in price. If I were to predict, we can easily say that the prices could rise by Rs 10,000 across all variants. This means that the PS5 Digital Edition price in India could go around Rs 60,000. 

Of course this is pure speculation at this point based on the global price hike. We’ll only get to know the official prices once the PS5 is back in stock. 

When the console does return to selling in stores and online, a question that many gamers might find asking themselves is should they still buy a PS5 with increased prices or is a gaming laptop a better choice? Let’s try to find out. 

Also read: You can play older Tomb Raider games for free on your PS5: Here’s how

(Budget) Gaming laptops in 2026

First thing’s first, if your budget is around Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000, most gaming laptops in this range will offer an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU paired with an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor. Now this combination is good enough for most modern games, more so if we talk about 1080p resolution. But, when you look at demanding titles that include ray tracing and path tracing, things start to get tricky. For instance, I wouldn’t be too sure of Cyberpunk 2077 or Alan Wake 2 running in the highest possible settings on a budget gaming laptop.

Now, that doesn’t mean that these laptops can’t run such games, they can, but not always at the highest settings. You might have to lower graphics quality, turn off ray tracing, or compromise on resolution to get that smooth performance.

Now coming to the display. Most gaming laptops in this price range focus on performance rather than screen quality. So while you may get a high refresh rate panel, features like 2K resolution or OLED displays are still rare in this price segment. 

Where does the PS5 have an advantage?

While gaming laptops can also double as work stations and be used for video editing and other office work, Sony’s console is built specifically for gaming. And this means that it results in a more consistent performance in modern titles. The console supports high-resolution gaming with optimised settings, so your games will run at smooth frame rates without manual tweaking.

Now, the PS5 doesn’t really run every game at native 4K and relies heavily on upscaling technologies to enhance your experience. But the overall experience is designed to feel polished and stable, something that budget gaming laptops can struggle to match. And if you already own a good TV, the experience becomes even better. You’re essentially getting a high-end gaming setup without worrying about specs or upgrades.

What’s better for beginners?

If you are new to the world of gaming, the Sony PS5 is the easier choice. This is mainly because it is an easy plug-and-play experience. You just need to connect it to a power source and your TV, turn it on, download a game, and start playing.

Gaming laptops, on the other hand, require more effort in setting up. You’ll need to install game launchers like Steam, manage drivers, and tweak settings to get the best performance. It’s not difficult, but it does require some familiarity with it. And things can get overwhelming if you’re doing this all for the first time. 

What about PlayStation exclusives?

One of the biggest reasons to consider a PS5 is access to Sony’s exclusive titles. 

Games like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered are now available on PC, but they typically arrive later. And recently, reports claimed that Sony might consider backtracking on its decision to bring PS5 games to PC entirely. Ghost of Yotei, for instance, hasn’t arrived on PC yet, even after months of release, and there’s no news about the same happening yet as well. 

Then there are upcoming and recently-unveiled PS5 exclusives that are too good to miss. Marvel’s Wolverine, for instance, is coming out in September this year, and it looks like a treat for all Marvel fans out there. So if you want to experience this game, buying a PS5 is the only choice you have. In addition to this, GTA VI will launch on consoles first this year, and there’s no word of its PC release. 

Basically, the aforementioned titles are some of the most in-demand games to launch this year. Which alone makes a solid case for buying the PS5. If you’ve always held back on getting the console, maybe 2026 would be the right time.

Who should buy gaming laptops?

Now, if you want to carry around your gaming setup wherever you go, a gaming laptop is a clear winner. You can technically carry around your PS5 too, in any bag or case (I’ve done that myself by bringing it to work several times), but it isn’t always smooth sailing. A PS5 is just not designed to be carried around. 

A gaming laptop, meanwhile, gives you the flexibility to work, study, and game on the same device. If portability matters to you, this becomes a major advantage.

The price factor

Let’s now talk about perhaps the most important factor – price. Simply put, to match (in case of modern-day titles) or exceed the PS5’s gaming performance with a laptop, you’ll likely need to spend more.

For smooth gaming at higher resolutions and better graphics settings, you’re looking at a budget closer to Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh. That’s where you get newer GPUs and better displays. A PS5, on the other hand, even with the price increase, can be yours for around Rs 60,000. Meanwhile, several retailers also offer special discounts at times, and that can reduce the price even more. 

So, which one should you pick?

So, what should you pick: a PS5 or a gaming laptop? The honest answer is that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. But in simple words, here are a few scenarios that might apply to you and help you decide: 

• If you want the best gaming performance for the latest titles at a lower price, go for the PS5.
• If you want a device for gaming, work, and content creation that can be carried around anywhere, choose a laptop.
• If your budget is under Rs 70,000, the PS5 might offer better value in some cases.
• If you can spend over Rs 1.2 lakh, you can get a full-powered gaming laptop with newer Nvidia GPUs. But there is a catch here. In the same budget, you can also get a PS5 along with a productivity laptop for around Rs 70,000. PS: Apple has also recently launched its most affordable laptop to date – the MacBook Neo. I received the device recently (read full review here) and even played a couple of compatible games on it. So, you can also buy the MacBook Neo to fulfil your work needs and the PS5 for those gaming sessions. And together, these two will cost around Rs 1,30,000.
  

In the end, it all comes down to your priorities. The PS5 is built for easy gaming, while a laptop offers much more beyond gaming. Knowing what matters more to you will make the choice much easier.

Also read: Why The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is still worth playing in 2026: Top 5 reasons