(Updated) Monster Hunter Wilds' high PC requirements suddenly make PS5 Pro look more affordable to Japanese players

Amid increasing concerns about the price of PS5s and PS5 Pros, Japanese social media this month has been full of people saying that it would be better to get a gaming PC instead. Japanese PC retailers were quick to capitalize on this with their ads, however the recently revealed high PC specs for Monster Hunter Wilds have caused Japanese social media users to do a U-turn. Now many are reconsidering getting a PS5 or even a PS5 Pro instead, as it would work out cheaper.

This big buzz about the high price point of PS5 consoles began when Sony announced that they would be raising the price of standard PS5s in Japan from September 2 onwards. People scrambled to buy PS5s before the new price went into effect, causing stores to run out. Even Xbox console sales briefly rose at the end of August, probably as a result. Many Japanese reactions to the subsequent unveiling of the PS5 Pro, which is due to go on sale on November 7 for 119,980yen (approx. $830 USD- based on current exchange rates), also centered on how expensive it was and concerns as to how different it will be to a standard PS5.

However, the announcement of the recommended PC specs for Monster Hunter Wilds seems to have changed many peoples’ minds. The Monster Hunter series is highly popular in Japan and Monster Hunter Wilds is one of the key games that is tempting Japanese gamers who have yet to upgrade to a 9^th Generation console. However, the PC version has some hefty specs- detailed below.

Monster hunter Wilds PC specs on Steam — The system requirements for Monster Hunter Wilds on PC, as shown on the Steam Store page.

Doing the math, many users have come to the conclusion that buying a PC in Japan for long-term use that’s capable of running Monster Hunter Wilds at 60fps on the recommended settings and above would set them back around 250,000 yen (nearly $1800 USD). Advice included “If you’re building a PC now, it’s probably best to get a PC in the 250,000yen range with an RTX4070 or higher graphics card.” This is making the standard PS5 and even the more powerful PS5 Pro (at just under 120,000yen) suddenly look super affordable in comparison. X users have been expressing amusement at this sudden U-turn in popular opinion.

PS5Pro発表後
「高すぎｗｗｗ」
「変化している個所全然わからないｗｗｗ」
「間違い探しレベルｗｗｗ」
「PCでいいｗｗｗ」

とか言われていたのにモンハンワイルズの推奨スペック発表したら「一番コスパいいのPS5Pro」「生半可なPCじゃ動かないからPS5Proでいい」になってるの笑う
— リンセ (@narou_zinka) September 25, 2024

Post translation: After the PS5 Pro announcement, people were saying:
“Too expensive, lol” “I don’t get what they’ve changed [from the standard PS5].” “It’s like playing spot the difference,” “PC is fine”
However, I laughed after Monster Hunter Wilds recommended specs were announced and they’re like “The best value for money is a PS5 Pro.” and “It won’t run on a mediocre PC so PS5 Pro is good.”

As a side note, Capcom is gradually dropping more info about the much-anticipated game. They revealed in their TGS Online Program broadcast yesterday evening that Monster Hunter Wilds will see the return of Yian Kut-Ku, a species of intimidating bird-like wyverns.

Monster Hunter Wilds is scheduled to be released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam) on February 28, 2025.

Updated on 9/30 to clarify that the PC price point mentioned in the article reflects users’ opinions on what PC it would be best to buy for playing Monster Hunter Wilds at higher settings. As kindly pointed out by one of our readers, it is possible to buy a PC that can run the game for around 126,000yen.