Despite what Sony says, the PlayStation 4 Pro cannot compete with PC

As Andrew House explained, data has shown that console gamers tend to move into the greener pastures of PC gaming halfway through the lifecycle of their preferred console. A system tends to peak three to four years into its life, and this is usually when some console gamers decide to get into PC gaming. Since this is the case, Sony believes releasing a mid-gen upgrade will keep people on PS4 and off of PC.

Sony may be trying to compete with PC in terms of keeping users on its system, but when it comes to graphics and other factors, the PS4 Pro isn’t even on the same playing field.

[Hoffmann]

Sure it can compete with a gaming PC, and I say that as owner of a $2k machine and a PS4.

Can it compete with the price? Of course.
Can it compete with the controls? Of course
Can it compete with the graphics? No, not even with HDR and not with the PS4 Pro either.
Can it compete with the big amount of games that are available on PC? Not really, but at the same time you have still a lot games being exclusive on Playstation, so it depends completely on your gaming preferences.

And graphics are often damn similar..due to the games being not optimized for PC's and programmed to look similar as on Playstation and Xbox there. The big time of the totally superiour PC versions is over since around 10 years now.

[Spectre_StatusN7]

Exactly. PSpro will outperform any PC with a $400 budget by a long shot.

[Antifan]

True. But PC gaming is cheaper in the long run. PSN can't compete with Steam when it comes to game variety and prices. MP is free on steam, which puts Steam far above PSN in my opinion.

[Rude-ro]

@antifan
Not really. It all equal outs. To build a worth while PC(not the "you can build one for $600" ones), you are at about the price of three consoles. On average that is about 16 years of gaming on consoles.
Games are cheaper, no doubt there, but they also eventually push you to upgrade components.
The savings would not be huge overall unless a gamer is more of an indie gamer or free to play gamer. To get the wow factor with any game that is worth while for the wow, one is spending money.

[fanboysmackdown]

And why would you build a $400 pc to game on?

[ABizzel1]

@fanboysmackdown

Because not everyone has the money to build a +$600 gaming PC, and the reason why budget builds are by far the most common builds on most PC sites in the $400 and less range.

The GTX 970 is the most popular graphics card, and the PS4 Pro is in the same league. The majority of GPUs in current gaming PCs rank below the 970 in performance which means the PS4 Pro is more powerful than most gaming PCs at least when it comes to GPU performance.

The truth is high-end PC gaming is the niche group, meanwhile the majority of PC gamers are getting by with APUs, bottom end GTX 730's, PC quick fix GPUs like 750 Ti's, and the low to mid range from R7 360's - GTX 970's, which represent the PS4 and the PS4 Pro.

[Cindy-rella]

I have a proper capable pc but id rather to buy a ps4 pro and games for it when its released.

[Babadook7]

@Antifan.

"PSN can't compete with Steam when it comes to ... prices."

You can buy discs used for a fraction of the cost and/or sell them used later. Either way the cost of console games is cheaper than steam if you do so.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@ant- I'm not sure why you said PC would be cheaper in the long run and then brought up a list of features on PlayStation 4 that you technically don't need to pay for technically speaking if I'm playing a subscription-based game on PC am I not choosing to pay for it? Can I say console gaming is cheaper because I don't need to pay for specific MMOs and then list MMOs from PC?

No multiplayer is free on Steam on the select games that say it's free.

Multiplayer is free on select few games on PlayStation 4 that state they are free..

You cannot say both in any respect are absolutely free in regards to playing games it's specific on game-by-game basis.

Steam just like Xbox Live just like PlayStation network is a distribution platform technically speaking what you're referring to is not the distribution platform PlayStation Network what you're referring to is PlayStation Plus this subscription-based service that gives you free games as well as the ability to play specific online games.

You could play specific subscription-based games that you purchase from Steam.

You could play subscription-based games that you purchased from Battle net.

If you're going to compare please compare the service is based on what they are why on Earth are you comparing steam the distribution platform against a subscription-based service?

Mind you I own a PlayStation 4 as well as a gaming PC

My PlayStation ID is EDMIX.

My Steam ID is Edmix_the_Shogun

Also the prices on steam are base by publisher I don't know what you're talking about, look up how that pricing Works Sony or valve don't control the prices of other people's games, this seems to be a stupid myth that people keep throwing around, go look at how much Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is right now on Steam and come back at me with that...

Steam , PlayStation Network, Xbox Live origin and just about every other distribution platform is going to have sales simply because the publisher is determining where they're going to be lowering the price of their games.

Console gaming by default will always be cheaper in regards to games simply because you could purchase the disk used I can purchase Black Ops 2 for probably 2 or 3 bucks good luck getting that for that price right now today on Steam you have to wait for Activision to give you permission lol

[nix]

I don't think any sane person thinks Pro is going to beat PC in graphics. Probably when it comes to 400 dollars PC, a possible yes.

[EverydayGuy]

Who wants to build a PC just to outperform the PS4 for a cheap price? If I was spending that much, might as well go for the performance too. The fact of having a Personal Computer it would be more beneficial to invest in a high spec computer than to build just for the sake of outperforming a low price console.

[ChronoJoe]

To counter argue what others say, while it does 'average out' over a large number of games one thing to bear in mind is that attach rates aren't especially high. Often when it 'averages out' is after buying 20 games on top of your system, but that's not the average number of games that consumers buy, and for what it's worth, the sales on the PS store are actually far better than they used to be on the PS4 era.

For instance games like Battlefield 4 and Dragon Age Origins have been sold under £5, even big titles like Uncharted 4 get half-off sales only a couple of months after launch while indies can be picked up for under £3. Saying that steam is the only way you can get good deals and cheap games just isn't true anymore.

Requiring plus to play is an additional cost, but it does recoup that cost with the games on offer.

[bouzebbal]

PC fanboys are locked in their power bubble and generalize to every PC size against Pro specs, which is again pure fanboy way of thinking.
If the argument has to make sense, why not compare Pro with what you can get at the same price in PC? how about first party games?

[freshslicepizza]

@EDMIX,

Your argument is very weak about online gaming. Most games now come with some form of online play and both Microsoft and Sony charge on their consoles (not the PS3). You dont pay to play people online on the PC other than subscription based games such as MMO games. So let's stop the nonsense. PlayStation Plus and Xbox live would be severely handicapped in its membership numbers if they dropped the online pay wall and you know it.

I play people all the time on the PC and never paid a dime for that feature.

[PlayableGamez-]

Can it compete with price?
No it cannot. PC is cheaper than consoles.

Can it compete with controls?
No lt cannot. You can use any control input on PC as you please.

PC has better frames higher resolutions higher texture res. Better AA and more... night and day difference.

[Kaneki-Ken]

One thing PC don't have is an exclusive game that have Amazing story telling rather PC have amazing multiplayer exclusive game. This is why I love PlayStation since NaughtyDog, Santa Monica, Sucker Punch, Guerilla Games, Cambridge Games, SIE Japan Studio, SIE London Studio, Media Molecule, more made amazing action pack stories.

[TheDreamCorridor]

"night and day difference."

Hahahahahahahaha

Oh, I needed a good laugh today.

[PlayableGamez-]

Better exclusives are subjective. PC has more exclusives factual.

[bluefox755]

When you say "PC has better frames higher resolution higher texture res" Which PC are you referring to? The $400 PC at walmart? Or ANY prebuilt $400 PC? If so, he is right. The PS4 Pro will outperform any prebuilt $400 PC, and probably remain quite competitive against even the savviest, most corner cut, self-made gaming PC for at least a few more years (due to PS4 Pro price drops keeping it competitive). It's not about how it can perform (otherwise Sony would have simply released a $1500 console with the best hardware), it's about performance per dollar. Bang for buck.

[Dasteru]

@Kaneki-Ken:

Planescape Torment still has the best story of any video game and it is PC exclusive. Other classics such as Icewind Dale & Baldur's Gate II are also at the top of nearly every list of best game stories and writing.

[Imalwaysright]

Kaneki-Ken

Go play Planescape Torment. I guarantee you that you won't find a game on consoles with better story than it.

[SirBradders]

There is no way a PC can outperform the ps4 pro even at double the price. Ive built pc's and only a few games might look and perform better.

The overall experience I.e. Games taking full advantage of the pro will be more games better optimises percentage than pc.

I don't know if that makes sense I'm drunk.literaly

[Aloren]

@Kaneki-Ken Well, there's starcraft 2 ?

But the important thing is not that PCs don't have an exclusive game that you think has an amazing story telling, the important thing is that PCs not only have dozens of good or great exclusives in genres that barely exist on consoles (Starcraft 2, Total War Warhammer, SWTOR, cities skyline, League of legends...), but PCs also happen to have 95% of the games with an amazing story telling that come out on consoles.

[bluefox755]

It can absolutely compete with mid-range PCs. Comparing a $400 console to a $1200 PC is just stupid. Compare the PS4 Pro to a $400 gaming PC, and tell me it "can't compete". This article is silly, and I say this as someone who does the majority of my gaming on PC.

[Death]

What about two $400 consoles in the span of 3 years? Can $800 worth of consoles compete with a 3 year old $1200 PC? What about the $150 on online sub fees for console? Now were at $950 with another $60 renewal fee coming up. Its not as easy as a $400 console vs $1200 PC.

[Huguinho]

funny when comparison comes, PC´s free online gaming is aaalways forgotten.

[s45gr32]

Is the freedom of the PC that entices gamers away from consoles.

Free online gaming
Mod Support

Able to choose which gaming input the user wants. Gamepad or kb and m doesn't matter

A wide variety of games and exclusive genres:

MMO
RTS
Graphic Adventure
MOBA

This does not mean PC is perfect. Windows is too automated
Maintenance/hardware compability

The PS4 Pro feels like a slap to the face of gamers destroying the last thing consoles had: Hardware that could last 5 years or more. Along with price.

[I_am_Batman]

The thing is most of these are identical on the standard PS4. Controls and games catalogue is exactly the same. Price is a little better on the PS4 and graphics are a little better on the PS4 Pro. I don't think that Sony will successfully keep people from going to PC gaming if they really want to switch. I also don't think that Sony should even worry about people switching to PC gaming in the first place.

Both PC gaming and console gaming have their pros and cons. In my opinion Sony should focus on the stregths of their platform instead of the weaknesses. Raw power isn't even close to the most important factor that distinguishes PC gaming from console gaming anyway.

[Hoffmann]

Hey Bruce, cool to see you again

Cold Greets, Victor

[Errorist76]

Owning a PC AND a PlayStation gives you the best of both worlds.

[zb1ftw777]

Both consoles "compete" with PC fir graphics.

The AVERAGE PC user has WORSE graphics than consoles.

And lets be honest here, only the BEST PC's trounce consoles for graphics, everything else is in the same ball park.

[Hoffmann]

That is not true.

You can build a 600 bucks PC that gives the most Playstation 4 games a run for their life already.

Add that you don't have to pay 60 bucks extra per year to play online and that you get many games cheaper you might even save some bucks over the course of 2-3 years.

[Errorist76]

@Hoffmann

I game on PC and PlayStation and I tell you there are more uniquely amazing exclusive games on PlayStation than there are on PC...by a long shot. Of course that matter is subjective.

[JackBNimble]

If you're just buying the parts then you might be able to build a good pc. But if you need the case, mouse and key board, monitor, OS, then there isn't much chance that you're going to build a quality pc the would give the ps4 a run for your money for $600 American.
At least not in Canada where I am from since the Canadian dollar is shit right now.

[neoandrew]

Can it compete with the controls?

WAT? You now you can use a controller on pc? And windows pc will soon have HDR too?

Maybe PC game version look similar, but on pc you always have 60 fps if you want to. And for me this is important.

[Hoffmann]

Fun Fact: You can even connect an Atari2600 Joystick to a pc these days

[jmc8888]

Fun fact: Atari 2600, Commodore 64, and Sega Genesis all used the same cord input so you could use the controllers on any of them.

I remember trying the Atari 2600 and C64 controllers on the Genesis and they worked!!!

[steven83r]

Well PC may have more games but they are $2 crap games. As far as exclusives PC can't compete. Especially if we consider actual AAA Games with High end Graphics and not that top down crap. I have an $1800+ PC and have no idea what to play on it. Can you name any games that are not on Consoles and Look like the Witcher? Games like Tomb Raider, Witcher, Uncharted and so on. All i find on PC is Black Desert Crap or LofL and P.O.E. People say console can't compete but i have yet to see a PC exclusive on a sub $600 PC run anything as good as Uncharted 4.

[tontontam0]

PC is cheaper in the long run if you plan on waiting a year or more before purchasing a game, so it is only cheaper when you want to play old games.

[Mega24]

Can you post your specs, maybe PM them to me if you want.

[Zhipp]

Of all the things you mentioned, I think the number 1 area the ps4pro can't compete in is controls, but that goes for pretty much any console. PC gives you a hell of a lot of options in that department. The PS4pro pretty handedly beats my rig graphically, but I still can't use a Logitech gaming mouse alongside a PSmove navigation controller to play DOOM on it.

[Angeljuice]

Which PC are they talking about? I have one upstairs that I built in 2003 (it was kick arse at the time), my PS4 beats it hands down.

Ate they talking the Average gaming PC(about equal to PS4)? Or high end machine?

It's apples versus oranges.

[Artemidorus]

Backwards way of thinking.

PC games are cheaper
Keyboard and Mouse are superior
Graphics are much better on PC.

The gap for PC and console are BIGGER than they were ten years ago.

The days of consoles matching decent PCs died this generation.

[ludicrous]

so everyone here would say that xbox scorpio is useless because everyone will get a PC that can play all of the games better (Now), but the ps4pro isn't useless because no one have the money to buy a pc capable of running game that are even with PS4pro? Does xbox scorpio have higher spec than ps4pro at a higher price, but everyone here can afford a PC with much higher spec than it, yet no one seem to be able to afford a PC higher than ps4pro now? Am I reading it wrong or something doesn't make any sense here? it is just me or it is N4G? Again, a bunch of BS.

[2pacalypsenow]

Of course it can, the main reason the Xbox was created was because Microsoft feared Sony would take majority of PC gamers. Consoles will still get majority of the attention from devs and publishers.

[ShowanW]

Xbox was created so Sony wouldnt have complete dominance in the living room...

Nothing to do wit PC

[2pacalypsenow]

Yes because Bill Gates knew Pc's would be in the living room in the future and didn't want Sony to own the market.

[Captain_Tom]

Yeah and MS sure stopped Sony ;)

[Death]

The original PlayStation had no impact on PC. Xbox was created to showcase DirectX capabilities. There are plenty of articles and interviews on the internet about it.

[2pacalypsenow]

PlayStation didn't but Ps2 did it was taking gamers away from PC, and Ms was trying to get into the living room. Sony didn't want to partner with Ms so they went with the Dreamcast (it has Windows CE) and once Sony killed that Microsoft decided to make their own console to combat the Ps2 in part because Sony didn't want to partner with them.

[Death]

Got a link to back any of this up?

[2pacalypsenow]

http://www.ign.com/articles...

"Kempin claims that Gates always had qualms that the living room computer would, at some stage, metamorphosise into an alternative PC that could threaten Microsoft's dominance of the traditional market."

MS was afraid PlayStation would overtake PC since consoles were taking market share away from the PC, this was around the same time MS was pushing WebTV and MSN TV and wanted to incorporated into the Dreamcast but Sony ended that.

Here's another good read if you're interested.

http://www.vg247.com/2011/0...

“Bill (Gates) was going on one of his annual think weeks, where he goes off with this stack of documents produced by people across the company on various different topics. He requested that we in the DirectX team do an analysis about what was known about PlayStation 2 and conclude whether, in fact, PC gaming was in danger, whether the PC platform was at risk.”

[PurpHerbison]

I personally didn't know anybody that left PC for PS2. Not one single person. I've known PC gamers that played PS2 on the side, but during an era when PC games were at their absolute best... Its hard to think PC was losing people to the PS2. Don't get me wrong, PS2 is probably the best consoles will ever do but I mean... Nothing on PS2 could compete with games like Starcraft, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress Classic, Diablo II, Warcraft III etc etc etc

[Death]

Thanks for the link, it's a good read and something I have seen before. At the time of the PS2 launch, Sony had stated they were going after the PC gaming market with the PS2. Work on the Xbox was already being done, but it was a grass roots effort by a small handful of Microsoft employees. Once Gates seen Sony's statement about going after PC gamer, the Xbox became much more viable for Microsoft. It's no secret Microsoft wants to be in as many living rooms as possible, but it's not something different than what was already in place. They had already seen the shift in how people use PC's and wanted to be on the front line when the shift took place. Laptops and tablets and to a degree mobile phones made a bigger impact than PC's hooked to gamers PC's. The plan to have living room PC was already in place with Windows Media Center. Xbox worked more as an extension of the platform.

I'm honestly not sure why Sony targets PC with the Playstation. I don't understand how Sony feels they are in competition with the platform.

[uth11]

It's not going to convert the guys who routinely drop $500 or more on just a GPU.

But for the other 80% of the PC market who isn't invested in the latest expensive tech, it offers an interesting value proposition

[bluefox755]

This. There is this notion that all PC gamers have a $1500 system, when in reality, most "gaming PCs" are about as powerful as a PS4, perhaps a little more so. The average consumer simply doesn't want to drop a ton of money on a top of the line gaming rig (understandably so).

[fanboysmackdown]

Maybe you believe that but the 99.99% of the rest of us thinks your comment is really stupid.

[Errorist76]

@rookiesmackdown

Your diwnvotes show otherwise.

[Death]

If I dropped $1500 on a PC in 2013 instead of $400 on a console, what am I likely to do in 2016, drop another $400 on an upgraded console or maybe upgrade my GPU on the system I already invested $1500 in? Keep in mind if I play online there has been an additional $150-$210 cost in sub fees with console. The only way $400 vs $1500 applies is if I start gaming today. In reality its closer to $1000 vs $1500 depending on the GPU you bought with your PC and if you game online.

[Princess_Pilfer]

The average consumer (in the US and Europe)can drop 450 USD and get a PC that's over 40% more powerful CPU wise than the PS4 pro (and 11% more powerful GPU wise) *and* they aren't paying for the price of PS+ which means it's actually cheaper long term. If you don't buy anything on sale the PC price hit's about $600, which is about the same as the PS4 Pro assuming that the PS4 pro has a 4 year lifespan. Not to mention PC games being cheaper.

So lets not peddle misinformation disguised as fact, because the fact is if the average consumer bothered to put in any effort or do basic addition they'd know Pc gaming is quite capable of providing a machine that's both more powerful and cheaper in the long term. Consoles are for exclusives and convinience, not price.

[Sokol]

Precisely, as a owner of little bit more powerful pc than my Ps4 - Im finished with spending money on upgrades. Here and there to keep it up to date by the days of maxing out games I'm done with for few years. Best decision I ever made.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed.

[seanpitt23]

...And I and many others don't give one flying f#%K!

[MCTJim]

Console gamers just want to drop in the game and play for a reasonable price. PC gamers have always had deeper pockets to get the best experience.

[Chevalier]

Exactly. When exactly would a PC gamer suddenly turn into a console gamer. The average customer wants to get a console for ease of use. The PC argument is always a stupid one. How is a non upgradeable console ever going to compare with PC? It's unfair and stupid comparison.

I keep on seeing PC gamers suggest it is better, but, honestly what on computer is similar to GoW, TLOU, Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank and other Sony exclusives? I just can't think of anything like those games exclusive to PC.

[Mrveryodd]

can i use photo shop???? na

[nitus10]

I have a high-end PC and I don't use Photoshop since you have to pay for it so I use The Gimp instead because it can pretty much do everything Photoshop can do. I fact I don't even pay for my operating system or applications and can get them updated automatically or manually (my choice) for free. Surprisingly everything I do is legal.

Oh! I almost forgot I don't run Microsoft anything on my machines so I don't have to worry about my OS phoning home.

[TKCMuzzer]

Really? I have never bought a PC 3 years into a console cycle. I don't game to be spending money on an upgrade every 2 years, I game to play games, relax, socialize and have fun. I don't have the patience to be obsessed with having the best graphics all the time. You will always be chasing that moving goal.

[B1uBurneR]

It can compete with PC, If they sold 40 million consoles that is a hell of a competitor.

[GreenUp]

The PS4 Pro is perfect for 1080p 60fps gaming. This is the standard setup pretty much on PC with a GTX 970/ GTX 1060 which the PS4 is pretty much using. Tflop wise at least. Processor is clocked low but most games are more GPU bound than CPU bound. If DayZ ever comes to PS4 Pro, lmfao good fucking luck.

[Errorist76]

It's highly unlikely many PSPro games will run at 60 fps due to the limited CPU. They already stated they will strive for higher details instead.

[Movefasta1993]

60 fps gaming????HAHAHAHA can;t even handle tomb raider ata locked 60 with that trash cpu.

[robschneider11]

Even a GTX 960 puts the PRO to shame

[frostypants]

Again, as always, it depends on the PC because "PC" is not a fixed platform. It will hang with a $400-$500 PC. Probably outperform, in fact, due to more efficient architecture.

I'll stick with my philosophy that PCs don't make sense if you spend less than $700 or so (not including OS or display).

[Death]

I dunno, the Rift capable $600 PC that was just announced this week would be a pretty competent gaming machine.

[Princess_Pilfer]

No, it won't. The PC has a *way* more powerful CPU and a more powerful GPU.

Your philosophy is wrong. a $600 PC, if you bought it today, would have a 40% more powerful CPU and an 11% more powerful GPU *and* you don't have to pay for online (which drives the real cost of a PS4 pro up at least 150 USD, if not more, meaning the PC is quite possibly cheaper) and brand new PC games are frequently being sold for a good $10 off even at launch. In the long term it will play games that look and run better while being comparable in price.

If you'd dropped 900 usd on a computer like 2 months after the PS4 launched you'd *still* have a PC that's significantly more powerful than the PS4 Pro. Even if you don't upgrade, if you add in the price of the PS+ to a standard PS4 (400 usd at launch +$50x8 years) you're looking at 800 usd, which is only $100 less, an amount you can *easily* save on games over the 8 year period. To be honest, it would probably be a smaller gap because some of the parts you'd use to build that computer would have been 1 or 2 years old at the time (the cpu and motherboard, specifically)

The only difference is that the cost of a PC is frontloaded where consoles spread it out, cus it isn't actually cheaper.

[Vasto]

PC can not compete with PS4 Pro.

[showtimefolks]

come on now daily something about ps4 pro

yes it is not a high end pc
yes it will not have the same specs as scorpio

but it will cost $399 and come out this year. let me know when you can build a pc for $399 that can play games in 1080p 30/60 fps(depending on game), do 4k upscale or can handle VR

i have nothing against pc gamers but don't act your system can be build under 400

and unlike xbox one ps4 exclusives are actual exclusives that will not come to pc

or did pc elite gamers forgot about the petition(down right begging)to sony to bring bloodborne to pc

[SilverDemon]

And spidermanPs4.......and horizon.......and persona5.....and journey.....and byond 2souls......and Nioh......and uncharted

Just get a ps4 already -_-

[showtimefolks]

nioh looks like demon souls is it hat hard?

horizon yes sir

[SilverDemon]

Haven't you play the beta???
Dude you missed out it was amazing

Yes its hard however,unlike souls game, it has random drop system so armor,weapons, etc won't be determined by the area you play but by your luck (I like using katanas but always get axes and spears -_-) it has co-op (and mybe pvp)

[SouljAx360]

I think updating consoles is a great idea, but it's not gonna keep me away from PC gaming. PC Gaming is so much more than graphics. However, this will be great for the PS/console exclusives that I want to play. And there are a lot of them out and coming out.

[robschneider11]

I can't understand why anyone would feel the need to downvote this comment.

[mysteryraz11]

The only 10 or so ppl with these super expensive pcs aren't a threat, I doubt Sony cares about pcs over 600 dollars they are no threat, get over yourselves pc gamers

[sadsatan]

120hz 4k is nice if you can afford it

[TheDivine]

There is no 120hz 4k yet. FYI.

[sadsatan]

FYI: http://www.techradar.com/re...

[TheDreamCorridor]

Maybe PC gaming will become superior when a PC exclusive game unanimously wins Game of the Year like console games have done for years.

Until then, it literally sounds like a mental disorder to pay 5x the price of a PS4 to build a high-end PC so you can see a crispier bush 5 miles away on The Witcher III: Wild Hunt.

[Str8Chaos74]

Same mental disorder that has you buy a console twice that still won't do 1080p at 60FPS.

[TheDreamCorridor]

I'm not buying a PS4 Pro.

[showtimefolks]

Str8Chaos74

or how pc's are getting consoles ports oh wait consoles is where most publishers focus on making money

should i take your words or publishers?

i guess your 400 pc can do upscaling 4k?
can your 400 pc do VR or 1080P?
or how about 1080p with 30 fps can your pc do that?

pc gamers are always comparing to consoles while console gamers respect the fact pc's are stronger

but why do pc gamers feel so threatened by console gaming?

[Str8Chaos74]

Threatened by console gaming? I have a PS4 and if you read any of the comments here including your first one. I'd say console gamers are the ones trying to make all the comparisons. And enough with the 400 dollar argument. Does that included the 4k TV? Can can you make money or run a business with your console? Can you print photos or design something? No you can't. It is and will always be a stupid comparison. I don't even know why I bother, there is no rational discussion on this site just fanboy drivel like the comment I originally replied to. Unless you mindlessly praise the PS4 you get arguments and disagrees. Going to play Gears of War 4, have fun with the bickering. "or how pc's are getting consoles ports oh wait consoles is where most publishers focus on making money" No clue how that has anything to do with anything I said but whatever, enjoy gaming.

[nitus10]

That's funny since I do have some games that I run on the PS4 that are 1080p @ 60fps. A simple search using "PS4 games running 1080p @ 60fps" will find them. If you can't be bothered you can try the following: http://www.videogamerplus.c...

[WheatBread]

Price-wise it can, but other than that no.

[Str8Chaos74]

This is such a tired argument, PC will always have better graphics and performance, it just depends on how much money you spend. Also a PC does more than play games. So they price comparison is just dumb. The bottom line is both are great in their own ways. Also don't forget that 4k TV price on your $399. The article is correct no matter how hard you fanboys try to deny it.

[Errorist76]

Exactly....every real gamer should own a PC and a PlayStation anyway.

[Red_Renegade]

if it depends on how much you spend, then pc isn't always better.

[NotanotherReboot]

I agree with all your comments m8

[medman]

It can if you're a gamer that has no interest in pc gaming, and there are obviously millions of those around. Personally, I game on pc and console, but not every gamer wants to go the pc route, just as not every gamer wants to go the console route. Why is that so difficult for people to understand?

In addition, the author seems oblivious to the fact that the vast majority of pc gamers game on pc's that are low to mid range....only a very small fraction game on the high end. This author talks about 4k, this and that, while the fact is that when Oculus and Vive launched, only a very small fraction met the spec requirements.

http://www.bbc.com/news/tec...

http://www.fool.com/investi...

http://techfrag.com/2016/01...

All of which is a reason why the Vive and the Rift aren't exactly lighting the world on fire from a sales perspective. This author needs a serious reality check. Instead of celebrating gaming as a whole, too many want to draw lines in the sand and quantify everything. I buy games to play great games. The simple fact is if you're not gaming on pc, you're missing some tremendous exclusives. If you're not gaming on console, you're missing some tremendous exclusives. Stop the nonsense.

[masterfox]

Of course it can't compete against PC is going to be way above it, you may ask why ?, well is simple just go back to the PS3 games like God of War III, Ascension, The Last Of Us, The Uncharted Series, just to name few, PC couldn't even compete against those games :O, hell now lets go to the present go and see the new Spider game trailer, or the new updated Horizon game, or that Days Gone new IP, I mean if the PC or PC gamers are saying is so damn good with their plus thousand dlls GPUs, if so damn good were are the damn games then ?, where is God of War killer on PC ?, where is the Uncharted series killer on PC?(LOL TR doesn't count), or where is those Spider Man visuals on PC ?, yes the answers for all those is NONE!!.

PC gaming has alot horse power that all console combines could be hard to reach but cause their multi-iteration GPU/CPU infrastructure in all gaming rigs is going to be hard for you to ever see that power be realized, in the past Crytek was harnessing that power with Crysis and Warhead but they lost their way very badly, PC gaming right now the only game it has that it can prove it prowess is a game that probably will never see the day of light as a complete game, yes I'm talking about Start Citizen.

[nitus10]

I did see the latest video of Star Citizen and it was impressive as it should be, but this game has been in development from October 2012 (about four years) and so far we have seen tech demos and test releases which to be fair are actually quite nice but what will get people talking is a proposed release date and IMHO many people will forgive a release being deferred as long as it is not deferred for too long.

In July 2014 Developer(s) said "Consoles couldn't possibly handle Star Citizen" http://www.pcgamer.com/cons... What I said at the time is that the PS4 and the XB1 can be considered high mid range PC's and that they are effectively cutting out a huge chunk of the gaming market and IMHO any developer/publisher that wants to ignore what could be tens of millions of potential sales in the PC market alone is either arrogant and/or has little business sense.

[FlyingFoxy]

The thing i like is the high hz, playing games at even 80-90+fps with a capable monitor is so much smoother than 60fps even in any type of game. This is probably why i won't upgrade to 4k any time soon, still way too demanding and i prefer the high refresh rate you get with 1080p/1440p. Can't beat the smoothness of high refresh rates, it just makes motion so fluid and silky smooth.

[nitus10]

I have a 55" 200Hz HDTV and games even at 1080p 30Hz do look nice but when you pay a game running at 60fps it does look so much smoother especially if the game is fast paced such as what you have in FPS's. High resolution and frame rates are nice and can add to the overall enjoyment of any game, however this is subjective and IMHO the best game is a game you truly enjoy playing no matter what other people say.

[medman]

@flyingfoxy
You're chasing hz the same way many chase resolution, yet you think you're "doing it better". I hear many pc only gamers claim they couldn't play on anything less than 144 hz....and when the capability jumps up above 200, they will then claim to not be able to play anything less....meanwhile, not long ago 60 hz was the max and they were touting that as the bees knees. Just stop it already. I would much rather play a great game at whatever resolution or framerate than some crap at higher rez just for the sake of it.

When you move on to higher framerates above 120, are you going to be one of the one's claiming that you couldn't possibly play on console when consoles achieve 80-90 fps? You sure will be.

[mastershredder]

Ohhh geeez, soak your head for reals and stop this console PC shite. I own PC rigs and I game on console for a reason. Power and numbers is for dumbasses that are standing around their cars trying to impress themselves.

[King_Lothric]

PS4 is on a console market and not on a PC market. PS4 is dominating the console market. They are not competing against PC.

[Yohshida]

Complains about high cost on PC, yet pays 800$ on consoles, 120$ on online and an average of 20$ more per game in 3 years. Could have gotten a real good rig for that.

[Errorist76]

And you call yourself videogamelab...what a joke.

[Malice-Flare]

well, if the Steam Hardware Survey can be trusted, the average Steam PC is a core i5u with Intel HD Graphics. i think the pro can compete...

[SH1ELD]

PC strength lies in the road map and Sony have addressed the demographic of console gamers who wants to play with the latest tech without jumping ship. 3 years upgrade sounds more reasonable for pc gamers unless you are a nerd.

[lastking95]

Sure cant, pc and xbox best combo lol

[Errorist76]

PC and PlayStation you mean...why own an XBox when all games are in PC anyway?!

[zivtheawesome]

why is everyone saying that PC games are so much more pretty than PS4? i was with the PC not long ago and i never seen a game as pretty as Sony's latest exclusives.

[pyroxxx]

Gimme a fu****g brake,.. outside ARMA3 and that was 2013, there is nothing on PC,.. (Pillars of Eternity was pretty good also) Not only can consoles compete, they straight out dominate gaming. Hell even the biggest games in the industry usually release a year or more later on PC, like GTAs,.. I find this PC mustard race thing so funny, when they get to play games I don't even look at anymore,.. not to mention exclusives.

[Yohshida]

What about civ and Star citizen tho? What about 500000 people playing csgo at this very moment?

[SquidBuck]

bruh most pc players play mobas and not much else.

[TheBurger29]

We dont need new games every year. PC games last longer and some have huge modding communities which extend game live for who knows how long. Id rather have a great modded game that last me 4 years than uncharted that you can play the story a few times with a boring mp.

[Ryuk_2007]

Why are all you fanboys trying to downplay the pc? I could of sworn yall had high end pc. You know.. to play all those xbox cross plats without the need for a xbox.....

[SquidBuck]

Stop generalizing.

[Ristul]

I have a gaming pc and still plan on picking up the ps4pro and nx. I like my pc, play starcraft 2 on it but I still prefer consoles.

[Silly gameAr]

So? Will that stop people from playing games? You needed to write an opinion piece about something that everyone knows including Sony? Its common sense. They'll let anyone make gaming sites and hire anybody to write for them it seems.

[MartinB105]

Show me a match for Uncharted on PC, then we'll talk.

[Bladesfist]

I have no idea what this even means. You want a game scored as highly as uncharted? check metacritic. You want a game with better graphics? Check battlefront or battlefield 1 at 1440p or 4k. I reckon this is just a silly non argument though and I am wasting my time replying.

[Errorist76]

He totally has a point. I game on PC but there are no games even comparable to the best PlayStation games on it.

[Bladesfist]

@Errorist76 That's all personal opinion though. I doubt a bunch of Moba gamers would think UC4 could compare to their favourite game. I own a PS4 and my favourite game on it is Bloodborne. It's not amazingly better, incomparable even, to dark souls just because it is an exclusive. That's just silly.

I don't get why fans of certain games need to push their choices on other people, just play whatever you like on whatever you choose. To me this reeks of, I can't think of an objective measure of why x is better than y so err, X is better, lol!

Just a couple comments down from this "exclusives on consoles are much more fun to play to me". It's not even about good games, it's just about brand loyalty.

[Elda]

Don't care!..buying the PS4 Pro day one!

[nitus10]

I won't mainly because I don't pre-order so the first batch will most likely be sold out. No problem I can wait since I have a PS4 which is still under warranty and I also have a high-end PC which IMHO the best of all worlds.

I do think the PS4pro is excellent value for the money, especially when you consider it comes standard with a 1TB disk, is graphically twice as powerful as a standard PS4 and is only $100 USD more expensive.

[philm87]

Not everybody wants to sit in front of a monitor playing games, particularly if you're in an office all day for work. I played Doom on Ultra settings on the PC, but it looked much worse than PS4 because I had to sit so close to the monitor.

[Errorist76]

That's a ridiculous statement. You could've still moved away and played with a controller.

[philm87]

If I'm playing an FPS on the PC I at least want to make use of one of it's main advantages by using a mouse. Anyway the being in front of a monitor all day at work is a more important issue. I want to be slightly further away on a comfy sofa :P . I know you can plug a PC into a TV but that's just a pain unless you have your computer near a TV anyway. There's no question that PC can achieve better graphics as the hardware isn't limited apart from the user's wallet, but that's the point, £350 is an absolute bargain for 4K capable hardware, even if a lot of it is upscaled.

[zb1ftw777]

Sony wont be able to compete with the MS gaming ecosystem in a few years time.

MS Live on Azure ecosystem has too much research and billions spent on it for nearly anyone else to catch up now.

Sony will end up renting from MS for online infrastructure, just like many other companies.

And they will pay hefty royalties to do so.

[Errorist76]

Oh yeah...Azure...like The Cloud and stuff...lol.

[zb1ftw777]

Unlike the Cloud, which was all claims, Azure (which the Cloud runs on), is the largest commercial network infrastructure on the planet and has been generating billions for MS for years.

There isnt a commercial platform in existence that is currently competing with it.

So yea, there is that.....

[Manashake]

Just look at some PlayStation exclusives. That alone is worth buying a ps4. No, I'm not a fanboy, neither fanman. 🌈

[_LarZen_]

I think it can. I have a high-end gaming PC and I'm getting an PS4Pro. And with the Scorpio coming I might just skip upgrading my PC that I had planed to do sometime next year.

[DivineAssault]

I agree to a certain extent.. Sure it has its gems but exclusives on consoles are much more fun to play to me.. Im not buying the pro to compete with the PC. Im buying it for the best console experience and PSVR.. Plus its way cheaper than a rig..

[Wotbot]

Fixed platform will always out perform a PC with similar performance, pure optimisation.

Most console gamers are only console gamers so it really doesn't matter. I'm only a console gamer so PC gaming doesn't really enter my world except on comparison videos.

[obidanshinobi]

PS4 Pointless.

[ChronoJoe]

The thing is I think a lot of people that do buy a high-spec PC mid-lifecycle are just bored and looking for something more. They're not looking for something that's explicitely at a certain spec, they're just looking for something that's graphically better than their console.

Obviously the PS4 Pro won't capture the interest of all of the people that do this. Some will be looking at particular games and experiences that they can only have on PC, but for those that are just looking to drop some money down on a better gaming setup yet don't have a really specific drive to go for PC, then the PS4 Pro offers a good option for those consumers.

[kevnb]

depends what you mean by compete, it still doesnt have the same experience.

[finite]

PS4 Pro, you are not just paying for the Console you might also need to purchase an HDR Ready 4K TV which is not cheap. £300 for Console 400 for TV = how much approx to take full advantage of the consoles new features and power.

[woozy123]

Being the guy who wants to buy PS4 Pro i desided read his impressions, i will share my reading thoughts:
quote:: "PS4 Pro isn’t even on the same playing field."
Ok i get impression that PC is really far better than a Pro.
quote: "Fanboys can say whatever they want about how their system is “the most powerful console ever”
What it has to do whit PC? this is console wars nothing agaist PC. no one says it's more powerfull than PC.
quote: "However, playing Mankind Divided on a PS4 Pro after playing it on PC was jarring, to say the least"
I thought that Pro version must be really bad. I'm still reading...
quote: "As soon as I started the game, I immediately noticed the lower frame rate"
I can live with that you can't get everything for 399$.
quote: "As far as textures and lighting go, the PS4 Pro can — perhaps not compete with PC — but at least get close"
Not that bad afterall, i guess that 20 Fps difference and slightly worse textures and lightning is really "jarring" to him that even makes Pro in "not same playing field" as Pc are.
quote: "I decided to invest in a gaming PC is because I see more value in updating my PC every few years instead of my consoles."
What? really? I thought that consoles are all about value. hmmm... really don't know how to get better PC than a Pro for 399$.
Remember Pachter article about Pc racist? The author of this article is exactly that, the article are so overblown, it's ridiculous.

[DillyDilly]

No Console can compete with a PC until said Console can do everything & I mean everything you can do on a PC . That line was Sony's desperate attempt at selling the Pro. No Console will ever replace the PC. No closed off system what limits what you can actually do on it will never replace an open system with no limitations

[Silly gameAr]

I don't think Sony is desperate to sell the Pro. Are you serious?

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

sure it can, better price and more conffort, regardless of what you say.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

No. It cannot. Longterm value is probably squarely in the PC arena.

[n1kki6]

Is it ok for me to own a monster PC and a PS4 or do I need to pick a side?

[blawren4]

PC is not a console. there is a very large number of configurations, graphics cards, cpus, memory, keyboards, etc. there are only 3 console manufacturers and built to specific specs that work for that entire console generation. That is the strength of the console market. That's like comparing off the line cars to the tuner market. no way to compare these, nor should they be.

[toddybad]

Pc gamers are desperate for console owners to care. Theyre different mediums built for different lifestyles. I dont want a pc so dont care. I compare consoles not console v pc.

[Babadook7]

What Sony said is exactly true. They never said Pro was the most powerful platform ever. They just said it was to convince 'some' PlayStation fans to upgrade their PlayStation rather than jumping ship.

[senorfartcushion]

Haha no, no it can't.

[Tzuno]

Aaaand all costs money, relax people this is why we have crazy prices.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

well, i mean, they already are lol

[Gantrfaxx]

It can compete.
Shouldn't we be playing what we like more, not what is "better"?

[Gwiz]

I think they use the word " compete " on very strict feature based terms.Not so much in performance but the aspect of having games that will upgrade like they usually would when replacing your GPU or CPU,w/e in a PC.They can't compete with the amount of power but they could in terms of adding power and having a BC to games upgrading along that line.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Yes it can, in one important way. There will be new PlayStation console upgrades every 2 years. Just like the PC cards coming out every year or every other year. PS4 Pro will have a two year life span.

[iTechHeads]

Which PC?

[ziggurcat]

"As Andrew House explained, data has shown that console gamers tend to move into the greener pastures of PC gaming halfway through the lifecycle of their preferred console. A system tends to peak three to four years into its life, and this is usually when some console gamers decide to get into PC gaming. Since this is the case, Sony believes releasing a mid-gen upgrade will keep people on PS4 and off of PC."

Sony isn't saying they're trying to compete with PC here, though. they're saying that they released the Pro to entice people to stay on console rather than move on to PC. nothing about this says that they released the Pro in order to compete with PC.

[Captain_Tom]

Haha ok. What a hack!

PSVR sold out instantly, so at the very least we know it is "competing". What we don't know is if it will have any legs, and to have legs a platform needs lots of games.

So far PC VR has been nothing but shovelware for the most part, and PSVR is getting AAA support within months of launching. I know which horse I would bet on in the short term...

[robschneider11]

Once you go 60 frames per second there's no going back and unfortunately the PRO won't be capable of it consistently like any mid-high end PC will do.

[Lulz_Boat]

even the OG PS4 can compete with PC. Uncharted 4 prove it.