from the fediverse, i would expect the ps5 hate to come from the system being locked down, not your stated reason

By your math, getting the gaming PC only takes $100 more for hardware.

You forgot a very important part of the overall costs: software. PSN is >$100 per year, and games bought on their store tend to be more expensive due to the closed ecosystem. Insisting on buying a PS5 "because it's cheaper" is like buying small packages of non-perishable items at the grocery store. It ends up costing more in the long run., because corporations like to set up systems where it's more expensive to be poor.

And there's the risk of not being able to carry over your purchases if upgrading to a PS6 in a few years. Sony already has a track record of fucking over customers. For example, when people lost access to their purchased Discovery shows like Mythbusters when the Sony/WB deal expired.

Also, a $300 Chromebook is barely more than e-waste. Buying a bluetooth keyboard for your smartphone is usually a better investment.

And one more thing, all of these comparisons between console and PC and making up cases of people not having money always focus on cost of new hardware. Used hardware exists, especially for PCs. It's fairly easy to fix up an old PC or built one from a mix of components. I grew up poor, and in that situation you don't go around buying new stuff, you buy used items and hand-me-downs.