Earlier this week, after much anticipation and speculation, Nvidia finally unveiled its RTX 30 Series graphics cards. With significantly improved performance, these GPUs aim to make 4K gaming the standard across its Ampere-based lineup, and with 4K displays penetrating the market more than ever, the 30 Series comes at an opportune time.

The higher-end RTX 3090 model promises up to 8K/60fps performance when it launches on September 24 for $1,499; the flagship RTX 3080, which will launch on September 17 for $699, will offer twice the performance of the RTX 2080. However, the RTX 3070, which will be available in October, looks more affordable and may be a viable alternative to the PS5 and Xbox Series X for PC gamers.

Priced at $499 and offering 8GB GDDR6 video memory, this entry-level GPU can outperform the $799 RTX 2080 Ti, according to Nvidia. While solid 4K/60fps performance will depend on system requirements, the RTX 3070 should be more than adequate for 1440p/60fps and could be the GPU to buy for most PC gamers.

Sony and Microsoft's next-generation consoles promise 4K/60fps with graphics architectures modeled after AMD's upcoming RDNA 2 chipset, keeping Nvidia one step ahead of its rivals. The RTX 2080 Ti, released two years ago RTX 3070 delivers even better performance than that for nearly $300 less.

Building a gaming rig powerful enough to take on next-generation consoles can be quite expensive, and Nvidia has made the barrier to entry a bit easier with the RTX 3070. In fact, it is theoretically possible to build a suitable rig for just over $1,000. Upgrading an existing rig should be even cheaper. [The biggest games coming out this year, including "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War," "Cyberpunk 2077," and "Watch Dogs Legion," will no doubt spur more titles to support ray tracing. Nvidia also announced that battle royale champion Fortnite will be the first Unreal Engine game to adopt this rendering technology.

At this point, the Xbox Series X lacks a true exclusive killer app, given that Halo Infinite has been pushed back significantly to next year. On top of that, first-party Xbox games such as the upcoming Forza Motorsport, Fable, Psychonauts 2, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, and State of Decay 3 will all be available on PC, and Xbox Game Pass will also be included. This does not even count nearly all third-party games that will be released simultaneously on both the Xbox Series X and PC. From the looks of it, Microsoft does not seem to care how individuals play their games as long as they play them.

Sony's PS5, on the other hand, has "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" launching this holiday season and "Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart" due out within the console's release window. Both games are likely to be single-player titles and will not be playable for more than 20-plus hours. There will be no titles like "Horizon," "Forbidden West," or "Suicide Squad" to show off the capabilities of next-gen consoles: titles like "Forbidden West" and "Suicide Squad: Take Down the Justice League" are still a few years away. Forbidden West" and "Suicide Squad: Take down the Justice League" are still a few years away.

Like the RTX 2080 Ti, Nvidia recommends a 650-watt power supply unit for the 3070. Those who already have a power supply are in luck. Otherwise, you can find quality power supply units online for around $100, and by the time AMD and Intel announce their next CPUs, the preceding 8-core CPUs should be much cheaper. Other components such as storage and ram can also be found for under $100, and Nvidia has made the most important and expensive components more economically feasible, whether an individual is building on top of an existing rig or creating one from scratch.

Now that Covid-19 has brought historic unemployment numbers to the U.S., inexpensive pricing makes a lot of sense. Interestingly, the current pandemic could lead the PC market to record sales. According to research and consulting firm Jon Peddie Research, the entry-level PC category is projected to grow 21.7% or $3.6 billion. The report also notes an increase in racing simulation builds that include "premium audio, racing wheels, racing seats, and other elements" as TV stations broadcast sim racing events.

Before attention turns to next-generation consoles featuring AMD technology, Nvidia has a shot at the GPU competition. The AMD Big Navi GPU is rumored for this fall, especially if Sony and Microsoft adopt the RDNA 2 architecture. But if you want to enjoy the many benefits of the PS5 and Xbox Series X on your PC, the Nvidia RTX 3070 will likely be the GPU to get.