Gaming Nexus writes: "As I waited for Gran Turismo 5: Prologue to load onto the borrowed PS3, I couldn't help thinking that the line between PC and console sure is getting blurry. As the lengthy installation was followed by a number of abortive (but eventually successful) attempts to download a patch file, that formerly bright, stark line took on the blurry appearance of the lane markers at the bottom of the pool. This intrigued me, of course, because motor racing games are one of the primary reasons I still maintain to the spouse that I need a top-of-the-line PC in the house. I've always found console games to be deficient in a number of ways to their PC-based brethren, but I'm nothing if not open-minded and I'm always willing to refresh my BIOS, er… bias. Could this be it? Could this be the game that convinced me that there wasn't enough difference between the two to justify the additional costs and hassles of maintaining a Vista box??
I suppose I ought to spell out my reasons for preferring the PC-based games over the console games as a precursor to the following discussion. First and foremost, it comes down to the controller. On the PC, there is a plethora of wheel/pedal options, up to and including my current set-up, Logitech's fabulous G25 force feedback wheel. The separate H-gate shifter and the three pedal floor unit combine with the robust force feedback of the wheel to provide a very realistic driving simulation. Thumb sticks with their quarter inch throws and a collection of seemingly randomly placed buttons can't come anywhere near the level of control that even a lower-cost wheel provides."
