PCs Vs Consoles: Why I'm A Console Gamer

Lifehacker: "With the release of every new console, I always have to ask myself: is this the year I return to PC gaming and stop buying consoles? The answer, every time, is a resounding no. Here’s why."

[T900]

Article is clearly flame bait. Obviously written by a console fan who has no clue about PC gaming.

Reasons given:

1. Console games work out of box, every time

Really? maybe back in the snes, ps1, ps2 days before consoles went online. About now just about every game needs patches on consoles too. In fact i would say more games have problems running on console due to weak hardware than on PC. I could list a ton of games on consoles from last gen that still dont work well on consoles.

2. Console games are made for controllers

Maybe back in 2000's we had issues with controller on PC. Now in fact you can use any combination of controller you like on PC. Be it XBox controller, Wii, PS4, PS3, Mouse Keyboard. I would say PC is by far the most flexible platform in that regard.

3. Consoles get exclusives.

Lul Wat? every platform has exclusives. PC in fact has more exclusives than any console out there. In fact i have a hard time picking a exclusive that was released this gen that warrants buying a console up until this point.

PC due to having BC of about 30 odd years is the best platform to own if a games library is what you are looking for, there just is no contest.

[mochachino]

You obviously didn't read that this is a counterpoint article. There's a link to corresponding post about why PC gaming is better in the first paragraph.

It's more debate than fanboyism.

[XBLSkull]

I got a gaming PC setup that is way more powerful than my Xbox One or my PS4. I still play the consoles though because they give the most enjoyable experience, and they have the best games. I play PC for ARMA and Starcraft, you know, games I can only get for PC. There are occasions when a graphically awesome game comes out and I buy it because I like to see what my rig can do.

[starchild]

@XBLSkull

I have consoles in addition to my PC, but I don't see how they give a more enjoyable experience.

Aside from multiplayer games you might want to play with particular people why would you play any multiplatform game on consoles if you have a decent gaming PC?

I don't agree at all about consoles having the best games. 90% of games are multiplatform anyway, and the PC had just as many good exclusives I enjoy as any of the consoles.

[mabreu]

Technically, PC has way more advantages than consoles but the one big thing that consoles have over PC comes down to one word:

BRANDING

Not saying it's a great thing, but it has power (just look at Nike or Apple). The quality/experience will always be debatable, but in the end, the brand is what makes it sell.

PC gamers today are starting to sound like salesmen trying too hard. I don't blame them. PC is a better gaming experience. However, it all comes down to money. Sorry to say, consoles are making big money.

Maybe that will change. Who knows.

[ShinMaster]

Consoles are unique and provide a different overall experience than the same old desktop Windows PC. Along with online communities and exclusive games and content that are not available on PC.

[I_am_Batman]

Even though Windows recognises most controllers they aren't natively supportted by a lot of games. Some games don't support controllers at all so you have to map it to keyboard binds with software like xPadder.

And I see a lot of people bringing up BC when it comes to PC gaming. While it's true that Windows is backwards compatible to a lot of older games it's not like all the games work perfectly right away. Some won't work at all unless being played in a virtual machine. If a game is older than 15 years I'd actually be surprised if it works without any problems.

You can make almost everything work on PC though but if you don't know much about PCs you probnably won't even try.

[Imalwaysright]

This is the age of information. It takes about 5 seconds to find what you want and make almost everything work on your PC.

[DragonKnight]

@Imalwaysright: Yeah sure, you can find it, and then you get a situation like MotionInJoy where using it causes a Blue Screen of Death and you find out that it's pretty much trash now. So then you have to hope there are other software options out there that don't mess around with drivers and crash your computer.

Conversely, a controller always works on the console it's meant for, barring actual hardware problems. No fuss, no muss.

[IVanSpinal]

@Imalwaysright
give me the files drivers to play the classic version of Serious Sam 1 with the XB360 Controller (You can´t)

[Imalwaysright]

@ IVanSpinal

Don't understand why would you want to play a FPS with controller but I'm 100% sure that you can play it with a controller using Xpadder... After 15 seconds searching:

http://steamcommunity.com/a...

Here is someone using it to play serious sam with a controller. I'm sure that you can find where to download the program and find a video on how to set it up.

@ DragonKnight I've been using motionjoy without any problems for years but...

http://www.techspot.com/com...

[I_am_Batman]

Imalwaysright: Often times it's not as easy as clicking the first google page and follow the steps. If you are searching for very specific problems chances are you won't find a solution right away. And some problems are pretty simple but there still is no proper solution to be found.

Most recent example for me was not having a user selection screen in Windows 8.1. Windows 8.1 automatically logs into the last active user which is unpractical when you have different users working on one PC. One would think it's easy to find a solution for that but at the time I solved the problem there was none availiable (there probably isn't one now).

In the end I had to search for all kinds of User info in the registry and change the auto log in ID to nothing. It worked ... for one boot because the OS rewrote the changed values to default on reboot. I had to take away the write permission from the system so that the changes stayed permanent. It took me hours to figure it all out and I'm confident that the vast majority of users wouldn't be able to solve such a simple problem by themselves.

[SUCKxITxEZ]

I remember a glitch on the ps3 version of Oblivion that wouldn't let you complete the quest that cured you of vampirism, a problem that was never patched and I had to restart because being a vampire sucks in that game. I would much rather have had to spend 5 minutes looking for an unofficial patch or mod, then restart a new character after over 20hrs.

[herbs]

PC gaming can be a pain in the ass for sure but it is superior to console in every single way except convienence and that is just the reality. Way cheaper games, no bullshit online fees, emulators, mods, superior performance, any controller with any control scheme you can think of at the cost of having to figure things out mess with settings. Those are the facts...

[DragonKnight]

No, sorry but that's not exactly true. PC is superior for people who care more about silicon than games, but where consoles shine are the incredible experiences you won't find on PC. That's just the facts.

[Movieworld]

It's inferior in the most important way... Games. TLOU, Super Mario Galaxy, premier world class games 10/10 games that you can't play on a PC and there are many more examples.

[LightofDarkness]

Actually, what he said IS exactly true, as it is virtually fact. What YOU said has absolutely no basis in fact whatsoever, as it's an entirely subjective matter. You know, an opinion. Not a fact. He listed facts. You opined and passed it off as fact. That seems to be the last refuge of the console-only fanboy who, given an unassailable body of evidence that PC offers a far superior experience to those who wish to find it, abandons logic and reason in favour of blind devotion and ignorance. It's like a religious cult, denying scientific fact so they can remain in their comfortable bubble world where they're always right.

And @MovieWorld: I beat Super Mario Galaxy 2 last year using the Dolphin emulator on my PC. And Skyward Sword too. Don't worry, I bought the games in case you want to rebut with "bu... bu... piracy!"

[BeefCurtains]

@movie: for every ONE console exclusive PC gamers can't play, they can play 100 PC exclusives you can't... That's not a good argument you have.

But for ease of use, I enjoy my console gaming. I just don't have to think about it working, it just does.

PC gaming isn't always so smooth. But I like tinkering, so updates and finding drivers are part of the fun for me on PC (usually you don't even need to look, they just pop up). I just use each platform for the exclusives anyways, and on multiplats I usually just go with PC because I have a GTX 970, so graphically its way better looking than console (usually).

[bf000777966]

All the controllers you have are imitating the console's especially the ones of playstation

[herbs]

I don't know what you mean by controllers imitating Playstation or how that is a valid argument in any capacity. I use Wii U pro controller for all 3rd person PC gaming because of its superior battery life and setup custom maps for games utilizing plus or minus as a shift key enabling nearly limitless compatibility. The Witcher 3 setup for the Pro I have created is superior to either the PS4 or X1s because of said shift keys. For 1st person games I use Wiimote+Nunchuk+Balanceboard combo that I have programmed myself features rumble gestures and precise IR and works stellar in games like FarCry, Portal and Skyrim. Also these games are running at double the framerate compared to console versions which means twice the control fidelity.

[BeefCurtains]

Um, it's a good thing PC uses console controllers. Not a bad thing... There are PC controllers, and I can use basically ANY console controller I want. Can you use an X1 controller on your PS4, or PS4 controller on your X?1 (if you wanted too).

I know some people would love that feature on consoles. So it's not a "burn" to say PC copies console controllers.

[Findingcrybabies]

I was a PC gamers for many years. At the end of the day I just prefer the simplicity of console gaming. Buy the game put it in and play it. Don't need to upgrade jack until the next one comes out. No bluescreen or run as admin or get this upgrade this DL this stuff. If its a patch on console it just does it and you go.

[BallsEye]

I got 3 powerfull computers, 2 xbox ones, a ps4 (sold old consoles). Eventho my PC can handle best graphics out there in 4k without hickups I stil play on console. Me and my wife just preffer it. Been playing ESO on our beast computers, as soon as it released on consoles we switched to XO. Matter of prefference.

[Clunkyd]

@T900

Sorry bro but you're not doing a very good job defending your precious PC.

1. PC does have more problems than consoles.
2. Controllers are fully optimized from the start on consoles.
3. Cringe worthy argument, You're seriously comparing PC "exclusives" over AAA console exclusives? X'D
Quality over quantity is more important to me.

[Tsar4ever01]

Yeah, I gotta agree about how ridiculous that 3rd reason was, PC have games going as far back as the late 80's and they are Thousands, of pc titles that will Never see the light of day on consoles. All you gotta do is go to the steam store and check out the listings, and what you find their is not even have that actually exist in the pc realm.

[bjmartynhak]

You have good arguments. But consoles are more practical. No discussion about it.

[mochachino]

I'm just amazed at how good the DS4 looks in that picture.

[miyamoto]

fantastic design
the most beautiful controller ever made
loving it
no more cramps
no more painful wrists

OT

Q:Why I am a console gamer?
A:Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter 2 CE, Streets of Rage 2, Gunstar Heroes, Resident Evil, Gran Turismo, FF VI, Chrono Trigger, Uncharted 2, Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation

Q:Why I am a PC gamer?
A:Console Emulators

[KiwiViper85]

What controller gave you cramps and painful wrists?

[camel_toad]

"no more cramps no more painful wrists "

Be honest, was it a controller causing that or some private excessive activity? ;) Its ok I was young once too!

[theXtReMe1]

His points are exactly why I stopped PC gaming. More often than not, you have to jump through hoops to get games to run. Patches, drivers, settings, quirky controller support, etc....

It just seemed like a constant rat race to keep up with the hardware to play that newest technical achievement of a game. Then, when you finally had the hardware in place to play it, you hoped and prayed that when you threw the game in... that you could play it without pulling your hair out with driver installs and patches.

Whereas with a console, you put the game in and it plays... Maybe not to PC specification... but the ease of use far outweighs a few more polygons and effects boosts. At least, in my opinion.

[Pandamobile]

Maybe if you're technologically illiterate. But if you know your way around a computer, you can handle PC gaming just fine. 99.9% of the time everything works fine, and that 0.01% just caused you to learn something.

[Clunkyd]

@Pandamobile

"Maybe if you're technologically illiterate"
LOL the typical PC fanboy response. Maybe people just don't want to deal with the BS, ever thought of that?

There's a reason why consoles are so popular and mainstream, its convenient with less problems.

Deal with it.

[SUCKxITxEZ]

Seriously, I dropped out of high school at 16 and built myself a pc 2 years later, so this isn't rocket science.

[SteamPowered]

Guy, this isn't a spacecraft. All new patches and drivers and such are automatically downloaded when you sign into steam. It's pretty much idiot proof nowadays. If you have an Nvidia card it tweaks the games automatically for optimal card performance.

And give it a rest with the PC arms race. If you want the best performance, you're gonna have to pay for it. Or, you can play games at medium settings for a medium price.

[roland82]

I don't usually have problems with getting newer games to work. Some older games give me trouble like recently I bought fallout 3 and couldn't get it to launch but after a quick Google search I was able to fix it in less than 5 minutes.

[NeverHeavyMan]

Go through hoops to get games to run? Really? I hardly ever have that issue. Every PC is different, yes, but most modern gaming rigs don't struggle like you claim.

On occasion, absolutely.

[isarai]

I don't get the disagrees whenever someone brings these points up as if it's something that could never happen. I was so stoked to get a gaming PC and get to experience a whole new library and level of visual fidelity i never seen. First thing i did was buy Crysis Maximum Collection, STALKER series, and to revisit a favorite, Psi-ops. To keep things brief it took about 6hrs to find out Psi-ops just wasn't gonna run on anything but Win XP after countless fresh reinstalls and manually huning down patches for an old obscure game, STALKER took 4hrs of patch hunting, driver installs and updating, to get running then costantly "Stopped Working", Crysis Maximum Collection were the only games that worked fine and had gamepad support.

I still love PC gaming, but i leave the bigger games to my consoles cause all i have to do is jus put the game in and play it, plus nowadays i can play while it installs

[uth11]

It's why I mostly stopped PC gaming too.

I work a tech job, and the last thing I want to do when I come home is IT type work on my own PC. It used to be fun at one time, but it wears you down after a while. Sometimes I'd rather throw it out the window than fix it!

[DragonKnight]

I'm just going to point out that games like Batman Arkham Knight exist. Games that make you have to go into the .ini and mess around just to make it work properly because the devs didn't give a damn. Batman Arkham Knight requires 0 messing around with on consoles, so the situation is as follows.

Just because PC offers you the option to be able to mess around with stuff like the .ini or drivers or whatever, doesn't mean that that's the ideal situation that you should be engaging in. This is where consoles are superior.

Queue "but when consoles have a problem, you can't do anything about it."

Yep, but compare the infrequency of console games actually having problems of that magnitude compared to PC games and there's the problem right there.

[Bladesfist]

Generally if a PC game is broken you can search http://pcgamingwiki.com/wik... for a fix and be up and running in no time. If a console game is broken, Skyrim, Fallout 3 on PS3 anyone? What do you do?

You also need to realize that expectations differ, if a game runs at 30fps on consoles then you don't mind, if a game runs like that on PC, people will complain the game is broken.

I personally run Batman AK at 30+ fps at 1440p (without messing with any ini files). Not perfect of course and lots of people have issues with it.

If we are talking performance and you are complaining that some games on PC perform as bad as they do on console or even worse then should we also mention that 99.9% of multiplats will achieve better performance on PC or just leave that bit out?

[starchild]

Complete nonsense. I run into MORE problems on my consoles. Maybe some console-only people are used to it, but that doesn't make them any less real. How can I get a properly running version of The Witcher 3 or Thief or Assassin's Creed Unity on my PS4? You can't. Games like those are terrible on console to me and no matter what I do they can't be fixed.

Like Bladefist said, standards are simply different on PC than on consoles. Games like Batman Arkham Knight are actually really rare and even those aren't as bad as you imagine. Plenty of people are running that game at better than console quality, minus the missing effects that will be patched in later.

[DragonKnight]

@Both Bladefist and starchild: You really expect me to just suddenly forget the recent whinings of PC users about "poorly optimized" games and believe that 99.9% of games run better on PC? Lol. Ok, I'll be inclined to do so when you erase history.

[scark92]

Just enjoy the games, not what system it is on.

[johndoe11211]

Yeah but you can't enjoy certain games if you don't get certain systems.

[SuperbVillain]

my only issue about PC is using a ps4 controller with certain games. I am not proficient at all when using mouse and keyboard so i like to use my ps4 controller, but mapping is such a b*tch with games like BF4 I just stopped bothering and stuch with my ps4

[Ashlen]

http://ds4windows.com/

[SuperbVillain]

wow, nice. thanks alot

[SteamPowered]

There are just too many perks to being a PC gamer to just back off and go straight console.

[NeverHeavyMan]

Especially if you're interested, and can afford, a decent rig!

[raggy-rocket]

I prefer console gaming because noone wants to huddle around a PC screen with friends/family to watch TV or play games. It's simpler, no effort required except putting in disc, less complicated for people like me who don't understand how to build gaming PCs and don't really 'get' the hoops you have to jump through to play some games on PC

Consoles: They just work, a much more social and VERSATILE (TV, netflix etc on big screen) experience and in my experience, much more comfortable/relaxing (sit back on bed/sofa/big chair and just slouch and game). Also wireless controllers are much more relaxing to sit back and game with than a mouse and keyboard.

I will most likely never switch to PC gaming. I use PCs for classic games I can't get on console e.g TF2, Counter strike classic, HALF LIFE ( <3 ) and gmod and nothing else really. Of course I know console has most of these now, but woefully unsupported versions, especially when you look at TF2

[herbs]

Your argument is completely broken and baseless PCs are easily much more versatile than consoles in reality and you can hook them up to your TV use nearly any gaming controller you like.

[raggy-rocket]

Yes, but with a keyboard and mouse it's still pointless. Replace that with a controller than what's the point of getting a PC in the first place?

[herbs]

The way I make my Pro controller and Wiimote work is through Keyboard+Mouse emulation have streamlined the desktop so its all very intuitive no matter what controller Im using. I personally dont like mouse and keyboard even though it is the most versitile and accurate control scheme there is just not for me I like couch or active gaming. Obvious benefits of PCs many who are informed have stated above all you have to do is read the comments. Cheaper games, mods, better performance, emulators, etc, etc.

[raggy-rocket]

But you people are just saying things that, as I stated, I wouldn't really 'get' how to pull off on PC. I'm an idiot, I can't successfully download all the emulators and the mods. I've tried before to no avail. I get a lot of disagrees for not being computer-smart basically because console are MUCH simpler than PCs and they're perfect for PC-idiots like me who want everything to just work.

[Ragthorn]

Well, to go into the other details for PCs, there are not ONLY for gaming remember that. You can do all of your work MUCH faster on it, especially when your work requires video-editing or Photoshop! A Gaming PCs perks do not necessarily end with gaming itself. I have an HDMI cable from the back of my PC that goes ALL the way to the 60" TV I have in the Living Room! And I can take my controllers there to play a game! I understand that you like that convenience for console, but nowadays, it is EXTREMELY easy to get into building a PC and operating it. The main point I want to get to is that everything you stated is simply wrong and can be fixed. I see so many people here saying that "PC will never get these games like Uncharted, The Last of Us (which for the record, I really enjoyed)", but it really just strains my head to know that people HAVE preferences in games. Can you honestly play control a strategy game on console with a controller as well as with mouse and keyboard? Or do you have the mods to support all of these games? PCs are way much more versatile than consoles, and THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE FACT. It's not an opinion, but a fact nonetheless. Like what I stated, can you do your Photoshop or Video-editing work on console? Or do some coding work on console? I just want to enlighten you to the fact that Gaming PCs do not have just one function.

[DaleyX]

While the biggest perk for me to pc gaming has been mods, look at how long games like GTA IV and Skyrim have been kept on life support simply due to these alone. I am a firm believer in playing the games you enjoy regardless of what system they are on, some can only be found certain places like Red Dead, The Last of Us and Halo. The options are out there for all of us and to outright dismiss one out of personal bias is a bit silly.

PC gaming has come a long way in terms of being user friendly but you will be hard pressed to convert any console only players who don't know how to get PC output on a big screen TV for couch play and feel it's the only option for comfort.

[urwifeminder]

Times have changed most games are self patching and have controller support day one , games on pc in the last 5 years offer this i play more on pc now than console but i still like a bit of console action.

[SouljAx360]

"Both attract a different kind of person entirely, but that doesn’t make one better than the other."

Well, technically PC gaming is better for many reasons. But I enjoy both PC gaming and console gaming, because I love gaming. People who love gaming don't have to choose one or the other.

[DragonKnight]

"Well, PC gaming is arguably better for many subjective reasons."

FTFY

[Roccetarius]

https://www.reddit.com/r/pc...

Facts, you just gotta love them when it's not suiting your view.

[DragonKnight]

You didn't provide facts, you linked to reddit. What's more you linked to a biased subreddit. So what was that about suiting views?

[sovkhan]

Apples and oranges, get over it!!!

Both have their pros and cons, and the smartest move is to have'em both...Which the case for the majority here - a decent pc and one or more consoles.

Turning this into console vs pc crap is useless and childish.

[Sy_Wolf]

I'm a gamer because I like games. The platform is irrelevant to me as long as I can game.

[Abdullahbeyond]

The only thing PC is good at is graphics, otherwise you get games broken at launch, you get games 3 months after console release, some games take a year, some games also release unplayable at launch and they get pulled off, you miss console exclusive games and masterpieces like, The Last of Us, Halo, Gears of War, Heavy Rain, Alan Wake, Little Big Planet, Metal Gear Solid, Journey, Uncharted, Forza, Resistance, God of War, Killzone etc. Plus, some multiplatform games also skip PC and don't consider it at all. You have to upgrade your PC for some kind of games too, building a gaming PC can also be super expensive, Your back will start to kill you after 2 hours of playing, say you will miss your couch. there are even more downsides comparing to consoles, i will choose consoles over PC any day, if I was a PC gamer I would either cry for missing all these masterpieces and having to pay 1 thousand dollar just to have more graphical power than consoles which is unnecessary, or sell my PC now and buy both consoles and enjoy all the exclusives they have and play games like Halo5 and Qunatum Break, Horizon Zero Down and Uncharted4. Whew, thanks god I am a console gamer.

[herbs]

Sounds like you're just trying to convince yourself with that long winded completely uninformed paragraph right there. PC has excellent exclusives as well not to mention the majority of X1 exclusives will soon be available on windows 10 PCs and most Sony exclusives are generally not all that great in terms of gameplay or replay value. Nintendo games however are missed out on and that why I have PC+WiiU.

[Abdullahbeyond]

Yep, I forgot to mention Nintendo's exclusives and That's a shame, and SONY's exclusives are not great in terms of gameplay? Please tell me you are kidding.

[Str8Chaos74]

Well so far you have Bloodborne and that's it, besides remasters (TLOU and GOW3). I have not touched my PS4 in quite a while.

[ShaunCameron]

I can think of one reason. Consoles have the games I could care about, which happen to be largely exclusive.

[ninjahunter]

Passive aggressive intensifies.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

Console games work out of the box, every time

This guy is really that lazy to setup resolution, colours, and vsync? Seriously it doesn't take long and it isn't rocket science. Also very misinformed if you think you have to shop for individual parts every two years. More like 5 years and even at that you're probably only looking at replacing the GPU and CPU.

Consoles get more exclusives

This is wrong too. PC has more exclusives.

I mean I'm not trying to pick a side but get more informed before making a flame bait article.

[Hurfs]

Why do people think you have to set every thing up on PC games! Almost every game on the market today has an auto setup function, which well just does it for you. You only have to go into the settings if you want to tweak settings (you don't have too). As for updates Steam does this by its self, no need to do any thing so does windows and AMD and Nvidia drivers.

PC...... if you don't want to mess around you really do not have to any more.

[Tzuno]

Console Gamer might be due to comfort, exclusives, simplicity. Pc gaming is for better graphics, mods, cheaper games, in many cases you don't have to pay money to play online(Ps plus, Xbox live, not funny) almost any game you can play it even if it's old you can find it on pc, emulators, advanced multitasking while gaming plus the flexibility that windows offers you manage your data how you want etc. Choose your poison.

[asmith2306]

PC is an abstract term. I get very bored at the constant PC is better than consoles argument. What PC are we talking about exactly? Find me a PC that costs the same as the console being compared to. Then we can talk.

[IrishSt0ner]

PC is not an abstract term, it specifically refers to a general purpose computer operated directly by an end-user.

You'd like to see a PC that can match a console at the same price, which should be possible, but irrelevant to which platfrom is best way to play a game on.

The only comparision is the highest end rig possible against the console (on a well optimised game for both platforms) to see which platform performs better... and of course in that instance there is no debate, hence why the PC platform is deemed OBJECTIVELY superior.

Of course there are other SUBJECTIVE arguments to be had with exclusives, ease of use, preference, cost etc..

Notice one is fact, the other opinion.

[asmith2306]

In the context of PC hardware vs a specific consoles hardware, the use of the word PC is an abstract term. Good lad.

[Coachkeys]

To each their own. I do both because I'm a gamer. Best of both worlds.

[stragomccloud]

Because he doesn't have faith in the human ability to learn and build something great.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I'm turned off pc gaming by steam and uplay, my internet is craphouse and PC gaming is mostly digital now.

[Gardenia]

Consoles is couch gaming, sitting in front of your TV, no worries about your hardware. I personally think you cannot compare PC with consoles. It's the same as the difference between a handheld and smartphone game