Rex says
Everyday utility math — the kind you'd otherwise pull up four browser tabs for. I keep it to one clean answer.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total PC cost
$1,948
Total cloud cost
$1,199
PC minus cloud
$748
Electricity over the period
$248
PC cost per hour played
$0.54
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter pc build cost ($).
- 2Enter comparison horizon (yr).
- 3Enter resale value at the end ($).
- 4Enter average draw while gaming (W).
- 5Enter gaming hours per week.
- 6Enter electricity rate ($/kWh).
- 7Enter cloud subscription ($/mo).
- 8Enter mid-cycle upgrades ($).
- 9Read your total pc cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 10Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Compare a build's purchase price, electricity, and upgrade cycle against a cloud subscription plus the bandwidth it consumes, over the horizon you actually play.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- PC build cost: 1600 $
- Comparison horizon: 5 yr
- Resale value at the end: 400 $
- Average draw while gaming: 400 W
- Gaming hours per week: 14
- Electricity rate: 0.17 $/kWh
- Cloud subscription: 19.99 $/mo
- Mid-cycle upgrades: 500 $
Results
- Total PC cost: $1,948
- Total cloud cost: $1,199
- PC minus cloud: $748
- Electricity over the period: $248
- PC cost per hour played: $0.54
What each field means
Inputs
- PC build cost ($)
- The pc build cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1600 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Comparison horizon (yr)
- The comparison horizon used in the calculation, measured in yr. Starts at 5 yr so you have a working example on load.
- Resale value at the end ($)
- The resale value at the end used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 400 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Average draw while gaming (W)
- The average draw while gaming used in the calculation, measured in W. Starts at 400 W so you have a working example on load.
- Gaming hours per week
- The gaming hours per week used in the calculation. Starts at 14 so you have a working example on load.
- Electricity rate ($/kWh)
- The electricity rate used in the calculation, measured in $/kWh. Starts at 0.17 $/kWh so you have a working example on load.
- Cloud subscription ($/mo)
- The cloud subscription used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 19.99 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
- Mid-cycle upgrades ($)
- The mid-cycle upgrades used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 500 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Total PC cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cloud cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- PC minus cloud
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Electricity over the period
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- PC cost per hour played
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does cloud include the games?
Some services bundle a library, others only stream games you already own. If yours is library-only, the comparison tilts further toward cloud.
What about latency?
Cost isn't the only axis. Competitive shooters remain meaningfully worse over cloud regardless of what the spreadsheet says.
Accuracy and limitations
- Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.
- Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.
- Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Gaming PC vs Cloud Gaming Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gaming-pc-vs-cloud
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gaming-pc-vs-cloud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaming PC vs Cloud Gaming Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Gaming PC vs Cloud Gaming Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/gaming-pc-vs-cloud) (2026).