: Spend $500 for an entertainment device / game console?

: OR

: Spend ~$750 (My current budget) for an entertainment device / game device /
: productivity device / rendering (?) device / etc?

I've recently got myself a new PC that's more than ample for gaming, and the appeal is definitely there.
The initial cost is, of course, massive and they can be a big old headache (5.1 Dolby Digital/DTS was a much longer road to achieve than it should have been).
You also always feel more aware of stability and random issues...

But the rewards are, well, rewarding. Games are so cheap on Steam, especially with the regular offers. A 24 hour 75% discount saw me nab Deus Ex Human Revolution and all it's DLC at the weekend for only £5. Those kinds of savings really help pretty quickly.

Though I suspect that once the new consoles hit, they will be able to achieve better graphics and performance than the PC, just from the benefits of such focused optimisation.

But mods. Mods can be so damn brilliant.
Skyrim is like a completely different game on the PC with a few mods like Frostfall, SkyRE, SkyTEST - Realistic Animals and Predators, Autovariants and 3DNPC.