The Console vs. PC debate has continued since the dawn of gaming – Almost anyway. I have friends that often debate with one another as to why they stick firmly to a single gaming rig. For me, the console has always been my gaming platform of choice, at first I never gave much thought why that was the case but after another recent argument over which is better, I decided to compose a short list of why I’m a console gamer.
1. Simplicity
This is the most obvious factor which draws gamers to the console world. I never have to worry about whether or not I have enough RAM to run the next big release or if my Graphics Card can support the latest games. All I have is one console, a console which game developers develop for, they know the limits and they don’t attempt to surpass them. Games developed for the PC don’t do this. They expect gamers to keep up.
2. Online Gameplay
I have an Xbox 360 and because of this I have Xbox Live and so do millions of other people. I have the opportunity to connect to every one of them when I jump online to play. I don’t have to scroll down Server Lists looking for which one has the most population so I can join in. I generally select one option and Xbox Live does the rest. I never know who I’ll be up against and I like that.
3. The Cost
Consoles don’t come cheap, neither do games for that matter. In fact PC games generally cost less than Console games. Despite this the hardware costs are way too great for me to think about switching my gaming preferences from the Console to PC. For me to play one of the latest PC releases, such as Starcraft II, I would have to pay over £500 (around $800). I paid less than that for my console when it was first released and that still plays games just fine, as well as upcoming releases for the rest of the year and beyond. Many hardcore PC gamers spend a lot to keep up with every new AAA title and I respect their dedication. Almost as much as game developers seem to respect their Bank accounts.
In the end As long as we’re all playing the same great games it doesn’t matter what you choose to play them on. I’m not really saying that either platform is that much better, consoles are just my personal preference. Who knows, maybe in a few years I could be writing an article entitled “Why I’m a PC Gamer.” For now though, Consoles truly hold my gaze.
Let us know in the comments section what platform you prefer to play your games on and why.
Related posts:
I find it funny that cost is an issue and considered a pro for consoles. Do you not already own a pc/laptop? Don’t you need to factor in that cost on top of a console in order to compare it to a gaming pc? Since when were consoles a PC replacement? You might spend $800 on a gaming PC vs $300 for a PS3. But don’t you also have a ~$500 computer sitting around anyway which would be replaced by the gaming PC? I feel that this is an issue that is missed on many when comparing the two. Everyone that owns a console will also own a PC of some sort. People that own a gaming PC will not own a separate PC solely for working. It only makes sense that the cost of whatever PC you currently own be factored into the console cost if you’re debating dollars and cents.
I just bought a top of the line gaming laptop for 700 an it will be able to play games maxed for the next 5 years which until I have a family I will be using
hi there forgot too mention my wii ps3 and xbox 360 are pluged in too my projector and buying macbook air with a 256 gb ssd
hi there wow you want talk big screen i have a 20 foot buy 20 foot projector screen and projector too soo my screen drwafs every ones tv
@ Sparky
If thats your take on the article then fine. Personally I’d boil it down to cost and simplicity more than the three you picked out.
So basically your argument for consoles is that you are poor, stupid, and lazy.
PC is all about knowing what you want and knowing how to get it.
Having some huge sound system and a great big T.V. is optional. I can play a console on a small ten year old (or older) T.V. quite easily. For that argument you can also include the cost of HD Monitors and Sound Systems for a PC.
The main point is that generally speaking a PC will need an upgrade every couple of years to play the latest games.
@Daniel Beckett
Very true, I used to play on a Commadore 64 monitor circa 1986, older than my self. Big TVs are definately optional
Another grossly misinformed console fanboy.
You forgot to mention the costs of a sound system and TV to play your console games on.
Upgrading is optional and not necessary at all (Graphics cards more powerful than both consoles are well under $100 now days, less than the cost of a game)… at worst your computer will play a game at console level.
You don’t really need a super sound system…. isn’t that sort of optional? Most people already have an LCD TV so I wouldn’t really consider as an item you need to purchase to play console games.
Hi Phil,
I agree on PC graphics a bit better,
well but, I have assassins creed on PC runs very smooth with x360 controller, there are few crashesh but nothing to take serious, but i still did not complete the game and id not feel that much fun like playing on consoles.
I have more than 20 games on ps3, almost when wants to play games always go for my ps3 either multiplayer or singleplayer. Its really so much fun…
i really cant explain in words but i competed most of games and still playing them without getting bored and realy a funn…..
till now not a single game has crashed on me on ps3, almost very small loading time compared to my pc experience.
@ Ashutosh Tiwari
Its cool about your english, not my first language either so i understand.
I don’t get it though… exclusives? terms of series? You said they were exclusive to consoles and not released on the PC, which is not true :)
Ofcourse graphics arent everything, but if you get the same exact game, with better graphics to boot, why is it not better? and most of the time, there are gameplay improvements.
Easeness? Its not hard for me to install a game :)
Response? I can run most games at 60fps on my PC.. Xbox struggles at times, depending on the game.
Loading Time? Umm, i think my hd is faster than xbox’s dvd drive :)
Sound Effect? 5.1 speakers on my PC… TV speakers on my xbox :(
Exclusives I’ll give u that one :P
I’ll also give you that some PC’s experience bugs and crashes more. The same has happened with my xbox, but not as much.
Sorry, dont get what your trying to say afterwards…. and we’re not doing war, just exchanging opinions :P Its all just a matter of choice, if u want it simple and satisfactory… or if u want it the best it can get, but tolerate complexity.
About trophy’s and achievements, PC’s have Games for Windows Live, which award achievements and such and is connected to your xbox account, its almost exactly like the xbox. Works in GTA 4, Gears of War, Street Fighter 4, etc… Even Dragon Age for the PC, which doesnt utilize Games for Windows Live, has achievements. So there are awards for PC just like the PS3 and Xbox :)
hi Phil,
first of all sory for bad english, I am not fluent in writing or speaking.
Well, talking about exclusives, i was talking in terms of series.
Its not just the graphics that holds in games but also experience, easeness, response, loading time, sound effect, exclusives for sure, no or say very less freazing. Almost bugless the game consoles arebest, so are the PC’s but just taking that graphics on PC’s best and we can do everything in PC will never save it.
I am not here to do war, its just matter of choice, but if u compare things i have to say that “consoles-so simple small amount of hardware, but too great the things than expectd..
PC-so complex the hardware, but still too slight the difference I see between PC and consoles”
So ants dominated the elephant(just kidding)..
and also there are trophies and achievement points that actually enhances the experience (for me atleast). a gaming fun with reward system is really appreciable and extra edge.
@ Ashutosh Tiwari
Sorry, its kinda hard to understand you (i know, english is not your first language) but ok…
The exclusives you mentioned…. I have Gears of War, The Last Remnant, Mass Effect and Fable 1 installed on my PC right now… I dont have to check google or wiki lol
PC’s is for people with know-how… consoles are for the mainstream. That’s how I look at it. I have PC and a couple of consoles and I like them all (but still prefer my PC waaaayyyyy more) Just wish more devs would develop games for the PC.
And thats all im going to say… dont feel like writing half a bible just to get all my points across :P lol
Hello Phil and Hi FrostbYte
PC can do everything and bla bla…, console only games.
actually console is doig what it should, dont expect anything else, actually it not meant too, otherwise i should start comparison of mobile/laptop/pc and bla bla….
so this point closes…………..
Consoles have bigger library, PC’s don’t : this is true check on google u surely will get the answers. I have played lot games on PC for free, but most of them aren’t interesting and boring, i love to play 3D games…. which are not free
yes console games do price more than PC,
eg. CoD:MW2 cost INR1000 while PS3 cost INR2700 in my country(India).
In PC, game and graphics are better than consoles but multiplayer is the biggest fuck, no dedicated server, sometimes works sometimes doesn’t (dont say anything about network connection, its broadband and no issues at all), it works seamlessly on even P4 HT but still have few freezes.
In PS3 no issues with multiplayer, i got yo level 15 in three weeks with lost of play, no issues with graphics or frame rate. (a simple plug and play system) Can play any game without installing them at any time. Even I started playing it again without getting bored and actually it was a lot fun otherwise i never felt that relaxed and fun while playing on PC. I dont know what makes playing on PS3 soo much fun the same on PC actually sucks.(not talking about issues of any gameplay garphics or audio). I am getting what I am actually paying for and there is no online fee for playing online.(otherwise I never would have bought ps3). I am still paying CoD WaW with lots of fun while its started get bored on PC.
Another this exclusives are the reasons that drives ps3 purchase(which is another reason to purchase console otherwise PC’s are better).
Hardware:
Core i7 is the upgraded version of P4 with HT includes 8 parallel logical cores. There is duplication of most of the hardware on the single core with lots of pipes on same duplication which makes any OS while looking at processor as 8 different cores. The logical core division is nicely integrated with MMU and there is BP. there are few microinstruction block instead of one, but i think they divided the single microinstruction block into lost of pipelines and duplicated few common and complex microinstructions, otherwiese combined to make parellel access. This is my understanding from architecture (however I am still confused at some parts completely, I am still studying the architecture, sory for any mistake). And this is all done for multimedia applications (other applications such as scientific and other geological/seismic application gives almost same bechmark as P4 with overclocking and core 2 duo 3GHz). Which is the processor for the peoples like us use for gaming (which in my sense not really in true a high end application). And the most importatnt thing it is completely backward compatible with extra speed increase for multimedia. Together with high end graphic card it gives edge as gaming rig. But on other side Cell alone used to create most of things flawlessly. yes the Nvidia RSX giving some help but still it is 2 vs 1 fight in which even PC are slightly good but not actually good for me.
Even I compared the graphics of Crysis and Uncharted 2, and u will surely notice all similarities. I for one was not able to find even any slight difference. Cell is completely the multimedia processor than just upgraded version of GP processor. its complete new technology. If Sony unlocks the final SPU then no way any comparison to PS3.
But still for me as my comparison goes there is slight difference for any multiplatform game of recent times (after mid 2009).
If things are simple it is surely welcome and always prefered. Online gaming was the key feature of PC’s in earlier times. I first time played online on PS3 not on PC, then I purchsed MW2 PC game and it sucked, may be it is better for u as u started ur online career on PC 1st. but believe me there is no comparison to online experience u get on PS3/X360 than PC with that much simplicity. Sometimes the host throw u out in PC but that is not in PS3 and I can play even at bigining level. More the hassle while online it is like hell and frustrates.(well not 4 u but 4 me). The fun and relax feeling goes out of window and u start pulling ur hairs.
well talkin about older games, they are actually boring to me I love to play new games only.
If I pay money I get what i want and with more relax and fun feeling for which i play games. even in times i can call cust care to get issues solved.(well PS3 sometimes sucks due to limited service specific to region, x360 not but again money required on x360 to play which really gets me pissed and dont want at all to pay any more my hard earned money for just playing online that is why ‘fuck x360′).
and one more thing the games i mensioned for ps3 and x360 as exclusives they are not on PC plz chk the wikipedia/google.
For me realy consoles are best…(specially i love ps3).
Mm where to begin, well to begin with I say PC gaming wins hands down. I hear some people say it’s all about opinion but PC’s are just way too much more flexible.
In terms of cost, You can build a gaming PC for around ~$1,000 and it will run anything you throw at it for about a 2-3 years without having to upgrade anything, while console only cost around 300$ but they also have to pay for games, older console games you can easily emulate, but if u didn’t emulate any games and bought all of them yes the price is a bit of an issue though PC games do have a large collection of free to play games while most console games do not. Also if you think building a PC is hard it’s not and if you’re afraid to there’s no reason to, I built my first pc off of reading “Online” how to build a PC for about a week, it’s like building with legos you just have to follow the instructions. If you can’t do that you’re just lazy. I will agree though that PC’s do lose a little to console games in price.
PC games hands down have way better graphics than console games because of higher resolutions and a few enhancements.
Also as a reply to a couple people there is such thing as hardcore on consoles but hardcore means alot more on PC only because the games are about twice as more fast paced on PC than console. You tell me is it harder to shoot someone moving / aiming at you faster or slower? Think the answer is pretty obvious when it’s dumbed down. Can take a title like CoD for example, on console if some1 shoots u from behind it would take u about 2 seconds to do a full 180 depending on ur sensitivity while with a mouse if you have have good muscle memory u’d know how far you’d have to move ur mouse to do an instant 180 and shoot back.
If you’re having problems with OS and Hardware this is your own fault. Lets say u have 1,000$ and u were going to go build you’re own computer, you just dont buy every part because it fits into your budget. Quality matters, easy to know the quality just by finding reviews. After that sure downloading drivers and stuff is annoying but it’s not really a con, on average when I do a full reformat “wiping the computer” it will take me about 5 minutes to get all my drivers for my computer and i’ll be up and running to play any game i want. I stick with an older OS “XP” so i’m not sure what OS conflicts u’d have with vista and 7 but so far i’ve played over 100 Titles i’ve never had an OS conflict before just 1 video card conflict and sometimes if you just google the game and look at their support forums you can easily solve your problem.
Consoles matchmaking service is just horrible. If you like it i guess you like stuff so simple, but with most PC games, you can join your favorite servers maybe with people you know or just because they have a specific mod, you can choose between servers on how many people you like, and ping limits if you dont want laggers, admins for hackers or any annoyances. Not to mention match making can be a pretty boring wait, 5 minutes to start a match? Right after I post this i could load up CoD find a server load in and be playing less than 60 seconds from now.
I think one of the bigger plus’s is that PC games give you the option to play whatever you want, you might come to PC gaming just to play FPS but you might find an interest in MMO’s or RTS not to mention alot of games are Free 2 Play again is a huge plus for when you’re short on money and you’re bored of your current game.
From all the benefits you get from PC’s not to mention all the addition functions you can get out of it, I think it has way more bang for the buck. I would say the ONLY time consoles beat PC’s is when you cannot afford a gaming PC and all I can say is tough luck to you =) you’re really missing out.
As a PC gamer my PC cost me around 1,200$, the only 2 games i’ve ever purchased was WoW and CoD4 and i’ve played over 100 Free Titles, dont let the word free confuse you either, we’re not talking like Free, Pacman but it’s named something else, there’s LOADS of successful titles that make money from players opting to pay for extras in game or premium services and that’s how that make their revenue instead of a constant 10-15$ or more a month.
@ Ashutosh Tiwari
Ok, first, to start with the games you mentioned. Although the ones you listed for PS3 are true, the Xbox ones arent:
Halo
Gears of War
The Last Remnant
Mass Effect
Fable (only Fable 1)
All those games you mentioned have been released for the PC.
About the development tools, of course its easier and faster to develop games for consoles. Everyone has the same piece of hardware. PC’s have millions of different pieces of hardware, and making a game compatible with all that hardware is hard. And each toolkit is different for each hardware… I remember when the PS3 came out and the developers were all complaining that it was so hard to code for it compared to the Xbox.
About your other points, of course you get retards that pirate games, but u get guys cracking and chipping consoles too. I think Microsoft bans players with chipped systems daily. And I know guys that have their Xbox’s banned from Live and only play Single Player on their consoles. So I guess it works both ways.
And yes, consoles are a good and simple way to play games… but thats about all it does (watch movies too)… and I wouldnt say flawlessly… I’ve gotten one 360 RRoD on me… and games that bugged out or crashed. The only console that I havent seen any of that happen with my own eyes is the Wii. (Of the big 3 out right now) But of course, its a rare occurrence on the consoles.
Now, I will have to totally disagree about the graphics comparison. Just look at the 360′s and PS3′s max resolution, 1080p. Depending on your graphic card and monitor, PC resolution can go much higher, and I wont even mention multi-monitor options. Plus, there’s AA and AF options and much more. I’ll use Dragon Age:Origins as an example, since I started playing it again for fun. The console versions you cant even pull back the camera for tactical view and everything looks jaggy and grainy compared to the PC version. I couldn’t even look at the console version after playing it on the PC. IMO, the PC has THE BEST graphics out there. GTA 4 is another example… after playing it on the PC on max settings, I thought the console version almost looked like a PS2 game.
I’m pretty sure devs could make Uncharted 2 and GoW 3 for the PC, and make it look even nicer. (BTW, the i7 uses a different socket system, has more cores (the latest has 6), totally different memory sub-systems, etc… I would hardly call it a P4 with HT and higher clock frequencies) And you dont need a high end PC to play high end games. My rig was $800 and I play almost everything on max (note i said almost).
The Cell processor is pretty powerfull but from what I remember, there is only 1 physical core, with 8 SPE’s/SPU’s to split up the tasks. (I may be wrong on this one, dont know much about the Cell) I hardly think that compares to Intel’s latest i7 with 6 individual physical cores. But I dont know, I might be wrong. (WTB PS3 benchmarks :P hehe)
I dont know if consoles have the biggest game library. The PC has been around for years, I think much longer than consoles. Plus, you can emulate classic console games on the PC perfectly, sometimes even better (PCSX2 emulates PS2 games with better graphics than the original PS2). Although in regards to recent releases, consoles do have more…. its not fair! :P hehe
Achievements? Sorry, there’s Live for Windows too, where you can get achievements, etc…
I have consoles and PC, and as you can tell, I prefer my PC for gaming. I enjoy playing on my consoles, but my PC is a much better gaming experience, atleast for me. Everyone has their own opinions of course :) I only use my consoles for exclusives.
Cheers! :)
@Xiphias
this is why we can’t have nice things :(
Piracy drives devs away from the PC platform… although there is piracy on some consoles (PS3 still hasnt been cracked, right?), its nowhere near as rampant as on the PC.
Developers dont want to spend years making a game just to lose tons of money.
One more thing, the development tools for consoles are available with greater flexibility of hardware usage and making actual development faster. The PC game development on other hand needs developers extra effort to make it work fater. Compare the hardware’s of two PC vs Console. Now its upto developer if they can use that piece of hardware.
Actually a very small piece of hardware with limited memory and great piece of hardware moster with lot of power, but still console manages to be powerful enough as a game machine.
And there are some games which I love:
PS3:
God of war
Uncharted I & II
inFamouse, Resistance 2,
motorstorm, Heavy Rain,
MAG, etc. etc.
X360:
Halo Series,
Forza series,
Gears of war (boring game),
last remnant,
mass effect,
fable series, & etc. etc. etc.
Can u get these on PC, NO….!, that is why ppls are buying consoles for these reasons and they are getting for wat they pay.
otherwiese they would have through these consoles years ago.
Well sory for my poor english if I made any mistake, I am from India.
my psn id: ashgamer10
I have to admit here dat, the gamers mostly stick to PC coz once upgrade PC and pirate the game and play and they mostly play Single Player. I never experenced the online on PC. It must be good enough. In all, I know ppls, who just stick to PC coz they can do piracy and lost other things which console cant. First of all, The consoles born to do just gaming and entertainment in such a simplistic way that u never have to bother anything than just play. And console do their duty seamlessly and flawlessly. And for most part this is really needed. Games are for fun not to bog down in technical stuffs or crashesh.
Console does everything in gaming from graphics to gameplay very much like PC, and the boundry between the PC and Console game graphics is blurred. You will actually find very few differences in effects. game consoles are created by keeping in mind that they will exist longer and somthing 10-15 years generally.
If u notice the graphics of uncharted 2, God of War 3, u will agree that the performance and graphics on consoles are not bullshit. Its just the developer can use it or not. The latest Corei7 is just the extension of P4 with HT with higher compautation efficiency.
You need high end PC for either playing high end games or for developing them (or some scientific applications such as DSP also’s which takes number crunching power of processors.
By keeping this in mind the cell in PS3 has been created with highest performance in computation. (Its another concern that it is powerful than but difficult to develop for than X360, beleive me its true, I have some programming exp with CELL). The cell alone can handle most of things seamlessly. If consoles ever have possibly increase in RAM they can take down PC’s. (wow! that was deep)
Anyway, Console gaming is not bullshit the online is fatser better simpler and really a fun (a real fun of game).
PC: better graphics (not best), lot of technical things to know and work on, better for techy guys. I recommend PC for the regular gamers who have lot other things to do than gaming technically.
Consoles: Simplest, Nice graphics(very very near to PC), no Frame rate or crash problem (so dont wory about these things just start plug and play), Lower cost, better performance
PC is daily changing technology, it can not stop (otherwise we will not get job, really bad).
ANd one very important thing for which I have purchased consoles are exclusives on consoles. even the most multiplayer developers go for console only games such as Final Fantasy XIII, Beyonnetta, Red Dead Redemption, Battlrfield: Bad Company, and lost more which are truly differentialte the game console from the crowd. I know lot of you will agree that console has bigger game library than PC. That is why ppls purchase them otherwiese everyone sticks to PC. The piracy is another reasons for multiplatform developers to switch to Console only games. I am sure lot of from u have done piracy one way or another. (whether u accept it or not its true, even for me).
I have PS3 and I actually enjoy it more than PC bcoz of its simplicity speed performance, great graphics (noe no need to compare graphics anymore a very small piece of hardware kicked PC see GOD OF WAR 3, exception for this is crysis/cryengine 2 & 3).
I promise if sony unlocks one more SPU on PS3 it will go beyond uncharted 2′s visual fidelity.
Money wise wen I got my PS3, the offer for extra game, fun trophies or achivement points, winning in co-op and multiplayer worth ur money spent on console games. Just an example, I am still playing COD:world at war after 8 months bcoz I am still unlocking the trophies (something like take a fun chsallenge, I never get frustated coz of loosing, I actually enjoy) & playing multiplayer for compiting with peoples.
finally its all up to ur choice bcoz everything begins with choice. I respect every gamer for being true gamer and accept the fact in its form do say “it sucks becoz it has this thing good or bad”. If u lv something more, u blindly neglect the common problems in it.
Happy gaming!
Ashutosh
I’ve found owning a PC for gaming a whole heck of a lot cheaper than having a console would have been. Mainly because if I’d gone for a console I’d have had to (shudder) BUY games instead of just torrenting them ;)
@Xiphias
That is very true, but it’s also part of why A lot of games don’t get released on the PC. At least I think so.
PC vs Console debates, never gets old :)
I currently have a PC, 360 and Wii. I would have to say that I prefer gaming on my PC way more than any console. I have a 2008 PC that cost me about $700-$800, and I’m able to run most games on highest settings. Even with games that I have to turned down the visual settings abit, the visuals are far superior to the 360 and PS3 games I’ve seen.
I buy consoles for very specific reasons.
The Wii I bought because some games are just fun to play with a group of people, and some of the games are very innovative due to the unique controls and such. But thats the only pro going for the Wii.
The 360 I bought because of some of the exclusive titles available for it that are not available on the PC. If all the games on the 360 were available on the PC, I would definately be selling my 360.
Simplicity: I can definately see simplicity being a big pro for consoles. Heck, my 60 yr old mother can get infront of the Wii and start playing with no problems. Get her infront of a PC and she’ll faint lol U probably will have to upgrade your PC every 2-4 years to keep up with the ever evolving games, every 4-5 years a new console will come out that will make the the former console obsolete, and you’ll have to “upgrade” too. Also, although PC games suffer from more bugs and crashes than consoles, its not like consoles are free from this problem. I’ve had my 360 crash, bug out and even bricked once.
Online Gameplay: Ok, when I read the article and saw this, I had a good chuckle. Are u seriously saying that online play on the consoles is better than the PC? Cause you’re too lazy to choose a server, consoles are better for online play? lol Seriously, I think consoles are too limited in this area. The sheer number of online games available on the PC trumps the consoles. Also, I’ve had routers that don’t play well with the 360, where I had to configure a bunch of junk just to get online with the 360. PC was basically plug n play.
Cost: You can buy a console alot cheaper than a PC. But what exactly can you do with a console? Play games (ohhh and watch movies)…. thats it. A PC can do much more. If you were to split up the cost of consoles and PC’s according to functionality and utility, you are spending much more on a console, that does only one thing… play games. You can do much more on a PC than you can with a console, so to me, that justifies the somewhat elevated cost of PC’s. (I have bought 2 360′s, cause one bricked, and the cost of both almost reached the price of my PC)
Just to finish up, imo if you want to do more than just play games, get a PC. And if you just want to play games, get a PC too! lol :P Consoles are for the masses, the people that are not tech savy, or for people that dont want to spend alot of money. PC’s are for people that want the most out of games and to get the best gaming experience possible.
I can’t disagree with the gist of the article and most of the posts here. I have never been able to enjoy console gaming beyond the occasional ‘party’ game (Wii sports, GH, etc.). Its probably my ineptitude with handhelds. I just can’t work them and have never been better than ‘sloppy’ with them. I suppose its like anything…if you can’t dribble well you probably don’t like to play basketball. (That’s me too).
My take….Console:
Pros: Cheap hardware, bigger game selection, quick setup and play
Cons: Inferior graphics, handhelds (for me), more expensive games (usually $10-20 extra), limitation (movies and games yes, often not much else)
My take….PCs:
Pros: Everyone generally has to own one anyway, Flexibility (run ‘everything’), mouse and keyboard gaming (for me), cheaper games (usually)
Cons: Expensive h/w (for high end gaming), Fewer game choices, Compatibility & maintenance issues (not for the feint of heart)
Now, generally speaking, since most need a computer anyway (unless you can word process easily on an Xbox), if you want to game, you really have ‘limited’ additional investment in hardware to do so. That means, maybe, an extra $200 for a good, solid video card, an extra $50 for a beefier power supply, an extra $50 for a better CPU, and an extra $100 for some additional memory. That’s $400 extra and in line with what a gaming console (not bare bones) would cost. You’ll already have a monitor or TV since you need it regardless for a console or PC.
That makes it a wash for costs of PC vs Console. If you aren’t ‘handy’ with PCs, the console is very,very likely the way to go. I like to tinker and hate handhelds so my direction was laid out for me. To each their own. Have fun!
Finally, thank you for removing “me”‘s comment, it was offensive.
@Daniel
Good point. Sometimes I forget that I work in software and have an extensive background in computers. I have the knowledge to install new hardware, set up vpns, etc. to make PC gaming a very worthwhile choice; most gamers lack that skill base.
General statement:
I enjoy difficulties I run into with my PC such as driver issues. They are part of the puzzle that makes the whole experience interesting. However, that in no way contributes to my gaming.
I hope I in no way implied that PC gaming is superior, because it clearly is not. As Patrick has stated, you miss out on a number of great games as a PC gamer. I, for one, am still waiting to play Red Dead Redemption. If only my xbox 360 hadn’t RRoD!
I think something a lot of people are missing about the article is that I’m talking about PC vs. Console for gaming. I’m not even considering all of the other uses people can get out of PC’s. This is mainly because a low-end PC can do pretty much anything a high-end one can except play games.
PC’s are more expensive, unless you are one of the few that know what you are doing with the hardware etc. A majority of gamers won’t know how to manually insert new hardware or even what to look out for.
@me:
Your comment is unwarranted, bigoted and will hopefully be moded out.
Another factor (and the main one) that actually pushed me from PC to console (I started off on PC) was dealing with driver conflicts and the like – even when I had a game that my rig could comfortably run, I’d often have to mess around with things just to get it to work. Then I’d get another game, there’d be a clash, and I’d need to mess around with things some more. On Console (PS3 in this case), you put the disk in and it just works. I still have a PC that can handle slightly above-PS3 graphics (for photo and video editing), but unless it’s Civilization, Gal Civ or Hearts of Iron, I play my games on PS3, because at the end of the day, I just enjoy it more (I play Civ Rev on PS3 far more than I play Civ 4 on PC these days). I also prefer the gamepad to mouse/kb (you can set up a gamepad for many games on PC, but it’s more work with drivers, compatibility and so on).
Also – for guys on 360 that haven’t played PS3 – many PS3 games give you an option of both ‘quick match’ _and_ dedicated servers (Killzone2, SOCOM, Warhawk, Motorstorm, MGS4) – so you get the best of both worlds for a lot of the exclusives (as an Aussie, the dedicated servers make a _huge_ difference for me, as peer-to-peer connections with US/European games are much laggier than dedicated game servers). The third-party games, however, tend to just be peer-to-peer and matchmaking.
@Xonder – your post is pretty poor. I’ve known many gamers on all sides of the fence over the last two decade, and the only claim that I would come close to substantiating is that many (but not all) PC gamers tend to be a little elitist and close-minded. There’s _nothing_ more hardcore about gaming on PC – a game is a game is a game, and if you’re looking at competitive gaming, the level playing field provided by console standard specs actually creates a more, not less, ‘hardcore’ competitive experience.
@me – I’d say you’re lucky the admin here haven’t deleted your post – it doesn’t really add to much. While I’m not an XBL person m’self, and think paying for P2P gameplay is a bit crazy when you can get pretty much the same (or, for games with dedicated servers, better) for free elsewhere, it’s a legitimate choice for consumers to make – respect diversity mate, world’s a better place that way.
@Axe99
That’s exactly how a few of my friend felt, they used to be really into PC gaming but got fed up with hardware and OS issues. I understand that if you have the technical know how it’s easy to get around stuff like this but it’s still a huge hassle.
I think you should rethink your cost section. A PC is not just for gaming, and the actual cost necessary for high end gaming is not extreme. For instance a solid graphics card, say the 5770 series should only run you $160 at most. I just built a high powered PC for my friend for under $900, pretty cheap considering the utility he will get out of it.
Additionally, while consoles may be convenient they lack the flexibility of PCs. I cannot count the hours added to almost every game I buy on the PC by mods.
Finally, your evaluation of online gaming is a joke. I guess if you don’t like having choice and making decisions console gaming’s online functions are superior, but I prefer the ability to decide how and who I play.
@Paul
That’s exactly what I like about online gaming on a console but I wouldn’t call it lack of choice, maybe streamlined?
I love the fact that in under five minutes me and all my friends can be in a game playing together. We can travel seamlessly between game types. Matchmaking isn’t really as restrictive as people think with most games. Take Halo 3 for instance, I can pick pretty much any game type I want through Bungie’s matchmaking service.
I guess it’s a to each their own kind of deal, I understand why PC gamers like the choice when it comes to online gaming, but I’d rather just get into a game as quickly as possible and start fragging.
I also understand the price argument although I don’t agree with it. I know PCs are for more than just gaming but if I had a high end gaming PC all I’d use it for is downloading movies, gaming and as a word processor. Yes, If I could there are a few PC games I’d play, especially StarCraft II. I’m not doing high end Photoshop work or graphics rendering so having a high end machine doesn’t really justify the cost of the extra upgrades, adding things would be solely for gaming purposes. The extra capability is nice, it’s just far to expensive for what I would do with it.
Mods are the great thing about PC gaming, I’ve always been jealous of stuff like Garys Mod and the crazy Fallout III modding community.
Plus I’d miss out on all the great console games, I hate to say it but almost all new awesome games only get released on consoles. I realize there are a few exceptions to this rule though.
I’ve modded @me’s comment, I replied to him on my phone and didn’t realize what he actually had said.
I wouldn’t say I’m a fan boy, maybe poor is a better word? I’d love a PS3, I just don’t have the cash flow as a student to buy one.
I’m sure Daniels in a similar situation.
Maybe someone would like to donate theirs ;)
Couldn’t agree more with Nicholas Abbate’s thoughts. I recently built my own “gaming” PC (obviously considerably more than the cost of a console) and had really hoped that Windows 7 would be the ultimate gaming platform. It is…but not really. It’s probably the best PC OS that supports gaming so far, but I’ve still had a myriad of issues to deal with.
I’d say this; console gaming is still the platform for the masses. HD gaming has closed the visual gap and online gaming has become very accessible. The breadth of software is abundant, and “old” titles sell for as little as many “old” PC titles.
If you can’t afford the best of both worlds, stick with a console.
1. Consoles Sucks
2.Graphics Limits on Consoles
3.My PC it’s from 2007 and im sitll playing current gen games on MAX on good FPS and i only payed 600$
Amd 6000X2 4Gb RAM 9800GX2 570SLI MOBO Antec Power Quattro 1000 Watts 460$
Amd 6000 80$
4GB Ram 60$
SLI MOBO 80$
9800gx2 180$ used
Antec true power quattro 1000W 60$ used
Cheap PC that run’s everything on Max at 1920x1080P
Play Modern Warfare 2 on PS3 then on Xbox 360 and finally on PC
PS3 Cheap Textures and that’s on the fake Up-scaled 1080P
Xbox 360 Better colors and rich textures close to pc but jagged corners (no anti aliasing) and no Anisotropic textures just bi-linear textures but better than PS3.
And i can tell you that because i have the 3 systems and i play 3 of them on my Vizio 32 sv320xvt
4. I don’t need to buy specific hardware for the PC like mic headsets or controllers.
5.The best of PC Dedicated Servers(NO 18 players limit it can be 40or 60 players so you must have skills to play against them) if someone get mad because is loosing too much and decide to leave the game we do have to wait for migration host like Console gamers because the game in on a server not on a console Except for the crap of (Modern Warfare 2 )good game but is a port from xbox 360.
6.Consoles ares for Kids not for Hardcore gamers except for the ps3 for people that only use it for movies. Like Me :D
@xonder
Thats’s all well and good by your PC doesn’t seem “cheap” at all, that’s quite an expensive piece of hardware you have there. Way more money than my graphically inferior 140 dollar Xbox.
I get the graphics argument completely but I imagine to the average gamer the differences are rather negligible. Sure they look better but are they THAT much better and is that slight jump in graphics quality worth the price of an expensive gaming rig.
I purchased a reasonably high end Toshiba laptop 3 years ago before I started university, it cost over 1000 dollars Canadian. Granted I purchased it at a bad time, the core 2 duo processors were just coming out and were really expensive. Like most laptops of that era it has an integrated graphics ad video card, meaning I can only play low end games. No Star Craft II for me.
Back then if I wanted a gaming grade laptop I would have been spending between 1500 and 2000 dollars. I’m not sure about prices now. I really wasn’t interested in PC gaming though and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on any great games. Now I wish I could play Starcraft 2. I know desktops are way cheaper but that still isn’t an option for me, I travel a lot and live in 2 places, lugging my desktop around on public transit isn’t an option.
I always respect PC gamers, it takes dedication to stick with specific games like they do. The problem is for the most part they show no respect to console gamers, I guess you could call them elitists?
I’ve been playing games my whole life, it’s kind of what defines me as a person. I’ve always thought of my self as a hardcore gamer. Just because I game on consoles that means I’m not?
I don’t think that’s fair to say at all.
I suppose my point about online gameplay was mostly from a lazy point of view. It could be grouped in with simplicity more than anything.
I play on both PC & Gaming Console but I prefer gaming on console cz the graphics on consoles are far far better on consoles than PC. I get graphics like of FIFA 2007 of PS2 when I play FIFA 2010 on my PC.
This is only ma experience m sure there will be a lot of conflicts to this bt never mind…..
I’ve heard this argument a couple times before, and in the end it all comes down to opinion. If your talking about a pure gaming machine, and I assume you are, then I would say that consoles are likely the way to go.
1. Simplicity-I build my own PCs, and have for some time now. When I first started I had no clue what I was doing, and I can understand how it would be intimidating to most people who have never opened up their computer case, but like anything else once you learn the basics it’s easy to do. (RAM goes into RAM slot on Mobo, not much harder than that.)
2. Online Gameplay-I really don’t get this argument. Is it that hard to click on a server listing. Most even say right next to the server name whether it has a lot or a little activity. Takes about 5 seconds.
3. Cost-This is likely one of the best factors in consoles favors at the moment right now. (As for how long that lasts I’m not sure.) My current rig, including my speakers and both monitors, and cost me about $1,100. It’s a pretty powerful machine, and I can run most games on the market with little issue. I got a lot of stuff on sale and at discount when I could as I have a very limited budget. Most should consider however that with a computer you not just paying for a videogame console, your paying for a computer, and it can do much, much more than a PS3 or Xbox360. (That kinda justifies that cost.)
If your looking for something just to play games on get a console. You may not have the best graphics in the world, but you’ll be close, and for a lot less money.
For me it comes down to cost, paying 400 for a console every 5+ years is much easier and more cost efficient.
As for online play, maybe it’s because I grew up gaming on consoles online but I love matchmaking services. I’ve never been able to get into the online portion of games that don’t have them. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 on the 360 was a perfect example of this. I know to most PC centric gamers this sounds like a crazy idea but I really don’t like finding my own game through dedicated servers. I want to jump right in and play again.
Then again… Maybe I’m just lazy.