$1500 PC design challenge

[Crandaeolon]

I've been very surprised at how much the gaming industry has slowed down in its hardware demands.

It probably has something to do with console generations. These days, most (all?) AAA titles are developed for the current console generation first; the PC might get somewhat better resolution textures or other small graphical upgrades, but console hardware limits are the primary consideration.

[TinCow]

It probably has something to do with console generations. These days, most (all?) AAA titles are developed for the current console generation first; the PC might get somewhat better resolution textures or other small graphical upgrades, but console hardware limits are the primary consideration.

I never thought about that; you're almost certainly correct.