Is this expensive because of the components or because you feel systems were priced lower in the past and this is a small upgrade?
I think for the number of hours people put into it gaming systems are actually quite cheap. You get to have them functioning for 5-10 years with 100s of hours played. On a per hour level, it provides massive amount of entertainment.
Now, if you already have a strong PC (which you allude to) and game on that, your ROI is probably going to be a lot lower.
I see it as expensive mostly because we have not had any drop in price this generation.
For example, take last generation. The Xbox One launched at (all USD) $500, $400 without Kinect once that was an option. PS4 launched at $400. The PS4 Pro also later launched at $400, The xbox One X launched at $500.
This is a $200-$280 (including adding the drive) jump in price and the base model is still the same price or more expensive in some places than it was at launch.
On the flip side, I also do worry about what exactly we are seeing from Sony again. We know that Sony can get cocky when they are on top (See PS3, cross play, etc) and make decisions that are not good for gamers. I worry this is a sign that they are going that way again.
I think for the number of hours people put into it gaming systems are actually quite cheap. You get to have them functioning for 5-10 years with 100s of hours played. On a per hour level, it provides massive amount of entertainment.
Now, if you already have a strong PC (which you allude to) and game on that, your ROI is probably going to be a lot lower.