Source: Composite by G_marius based on jdegraaf's and włodi's images
Gamers have different choices when it comes to hardware. PC and console gaming have their pros and cons. Which format do you think is better? Why?
On netivist we are discussing some of dilemmas gamers face, such as the best new generation console, AAA or Indie games, and if we should buy physical or digital games. But above all these controversies, there is a recurrent topic of debate that seems to be far from being solved: PC vs console gaming.
PC gaming vs console gaming
Gamers are split about this issue. Although many of them have developed a strong loyalty to the type of hardware they use, the question is still open and many people throughout their lives change their minds about their preferred gaming format. Over the last few years we are obserbing a re-emergence of PC gaming, which was for some time overshadowed by the success of consoles and economically harmed by internet "piracy". Sales of PC games are increasing again, in particular in digital format thanks to platforms like Steam. Developers are once more creating AAA games and adapting some of their greatest console hits for PC gaming.
Advantages of PC
There are several pros to the use of a PC in gaming:
- More powerful hardware than consoles which allows in general better visuals and a faster framerate.
- Backward compatibility. Unlike with most consoles, with newer PCs you can almost certainly play your old games.
- The hardware can be upgraded, so your gaming machine doesn't have to become obsolete. You can buy a new graphic card or more RAM memory to run newer more technically demanding games.
- You can play with a keyboard, which gives you much more control in many games. This is particulary important in competitive online gaming.
- There are many PC exclusive games you will not find on a console, such as World of Warcraft, DotA2 and League of Legends.
- Finally, many PC games allow mods. So you can have a laugh customizing your characters or enemies in your games.
Advantages of consoles
However, consoles also have many strengths that have made them so popular in the last couple of decades. Some of the most relevant are:
- Consoles, even last generation ones, tend to be cheaper that PCs. Sometimes the graphic card of a PC alone requires a larger investment than buying a console and controllers.
- You can easily play a console while on your coach and use your TV. Relax time!
- Consoles can't be upgraded, but that is often perceived also as an advantage. You know that games are build for a particular configuration so all games will play well in the console. No need to buy new hardware.
- Similarly, games are optimized for the console controllers which have become increasingly sophisticated and comfortable. Some consoles are portable or offer remote play.
- Consoles have lots of exclusive games you could rarely find on PC, such as Legend of Zelda, Uncharted and Super Mario, and are also offering many indie games which were in the past usually only available in PCs.
You can enjoy both: PC and consoles, and each has its pros and cons but overall which one would you recommend: PC or console gaming? Vote and tell us about your experience with these formats.
If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option.
New to netivist?
Join with confidence, netivist is completely advertisement free. You will not receive any promotional materials from third parties.
Join the debate
In order to join the debate you must be logged in.
Already have an account on netivist? Just login. New to netivist? Create your account for free.
You are viewing a filtered list of comments. Click the button above to view all comments.
492 xp
22 posts
Last edited on 28 April 2015 @ 12:41
You are absolutely right. For the casual gamer (most people), a console is perfectly fine to play some cool games. Consoles have dropped in price and the gap between PC and Console is now a bit wider when it comes to pricing. Most people won't notice the difference between a higher frame rate (say 60 fps) compared to a lower one (30 fps), BUT for the trained eye, the difference is huge.
That said, there's much more to the debate than just Frame Rate and Image Quality. You can build a £300-£400 gaming PC which will knock out current consoles big time and the further we move from Xbox One and PS4's launche dates, the difference will be much greater.
Consoles' hardware is stuck in time too, so, if you buy a PC for (say, for £400), its hardware will never be worst than Xbox One/PS4, so the argument that you must update hardware regularly on a PC is not valid. But, on a PC, you have the choice to do so if you so wish. Games launched 1 or 2 years from now will be capped in terms of image quality on Consoles because they have a static hardware config, but on PC, publishers can push it further, so if you DECIDE to upgrade your PC, you will be able to take full advantage of those new features, but on the other hand, if you rather not spend any money on hardware upgrades, you will always be able to play the same game with better graphics and frame rates than consoles. You just won't be able to max out the image quality settings on PC (which will be much higher than consoles).
If you think that consoles are fine, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but at the same time you can't criticise people that value Frame Rates and Pixel density.
The same argument could be applied to watching movies: why should people buy expensive TVs, Sound Systems, Blu-ray players, etc, if they can watch the same movie on their mobile phone? Answer: experience.
PC gaming offers more possibilities for those who care about them and enjoy building and maintaining a gaming PC. This is a hobby. There are many comparable hobbies or choices, where people spend above average on something they like:
- Why buy a $5,000 bike when you can get one for $100?
- Why buy a $500 pair of shoes, when you can get some for $50?
- Why spend $30,000 on a new car, when you can buy 20 year old one for $5,000 or less?
It's all about the experience for the things you care about.
Then there's the exclusives:
This argument could be used for every platform, but PC has some types of games you cannot find on consoles, like MMOs and MOBAS. First Person Shooters are also a big advantage for PCs. You might think that playing these games with a controller is fine, specially if you never actually spent time playing them with a Keyboard and Mouse. But trust me on this, try it, practice it, and then go back to playing these games on a console, and then let me know your thoughts.
A quick google search will tell you that out of the 10 most popular games in the world, 7 are PC exclusives, and the other 2 also have a PC version (source: http://venturebeat.com/2015/02/16/league-of-legends-continues-its-dominance-as-most-played-pc-game/).
This article (netivist) is spot on about other PC advantages like backwards compatibility (i.e. you can play old games that you like without having to own multiple systems) and mods. GTA 4 and Skyrim are the most recent examples of this, but don't forget the biggest of them all, Half Life (another PC exclusive).
Another argument for PC gaming is simulators: If you are an hardcore fan of Racing or Flight simulators, anything that's available on consoles is just a joke compared to PC (yes, Gran Turismo and Forza are fine, but they are not true simulators). For these kind of simulators, hardcore players usually have hardcore steering wheels or joysticks, and other fancy, but extremely useful tools that enhance your experience to a level simply not achievable on consoles.
Triple monitors: Xbox One and PS4 are struggling to get 1080p (read: standard HD) content rendered at anything higher than 30 frames per second, on just ONE Monitor/TV. But with a reasonable PC you can power 3 monitors at well above 30 fps.
Why would you want 3 monitors? Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CT4LzBBH1A
Yes, that's a bit extreme and costs a lot of money, but if you are really keen to have something like that, PC is the only way.
So in sum: I think both platforms fill in a gap in the market, the same way mobile gaming does. PC, Consoles and Mobile games are targeted at different types of users:
- Mobile games: for anyone looking to have fun on their commute to and from work. (Target: Everyone)
- Consoles: for people who like to play games but want something more than mobile games and want a plug and play experience (Target: Casual gamers)
- PC: all of the above + game enthusiasts (people who care about the gaming experience and want to "level up" from console gaming).
Conclusion:
Both PCs and Consoles are perfectly fine. Games run well on consoles and chances are that people who never played PC games will not miss it, or at least will not notice the difference.
PCs are for people who don't mind spending a bit more money for a better experience (like buying nicer shoes) or for those who like to play MMOs, MOBAs, Strategy Games, or any other game genre which is not available on consoles, or at least is not optimised for consoles.
PS: I use the word "You" a lot in this comment, but please don't take it personally! When I say "You", I'm referring to everyone who is using the argument you did :)
1110 xp
341 posts
PC gaming sounds great in theory, but you need to spend so much money and struggle all the time updating your hardware that in the end it does not worth the effort. Just buy a console, who cares about frame rate or number of polygons. Console games are fun, and that is gaming about. Having fun. Too many wanna be professional gamers spending so much money into their fancy graphic cards and cooling systems.
Join the debate
In order to join the debate you must be logged in.
Already have an account on netivist? Just login. New to netivist? Create your account for free.
