4 Terrible Things About PC Gaming

"A few weeks ago, I wrote an enthusiastic piece about the games I was looking forward to playing on my new PC. This, however, is the complete antithesis to that upbeat article. This is the depressing Yang to the light and happy Yin I spewed all over the internets.

"I am going to point out some cold, hard truths that the PC Fanboys out there might dislike."

[TrendyGamers]

Great picture!

[dedicatedtogamers]

Seems like this person is new to PC gaming.

1. Teh HAXXORZ
The PS3 and 360 have proven that hackers can be just as prevalent in popular games. He uses the example of DayZ, a popular MOD. You're mad that a mod is getting hacked? Be grateful you can even HAVE mods on PC
2. You be missing drivers
Drivers have been a part of PC gaming since...forever, and it's not that big of a deal. It can sometimes be a pain for about 3% of PC games out there, but mostly for older games. The author's example sounds like he has a crap PC.
3. Where's the space?
Isn't the same true for consoles and (lol) smartphones? At least PCs have an easy option to add more space. Yes, PC games are big but the advantage is that you usually don't have to hassle with discs. And guess what? Transfer those big games you're not playing to your big data drive then transfer them back when you're actually going to play them. Easy.
4. Defective parts
Yeah, that NEVER happens to consoles. Wasn't there this one..oh... I forget... "Red Ring" fiasco? At least on PC you can swap the part instead of the whole system.

[Rageanitus]

Agreed.... its the same excuses apple users say when talking about PC's yes its more open but the problems only occur when the USER messes around

[Rageanitus]

Agreed.... its the same excuses apple users say when talking about PC's yes its more open but the problems only occur when the USER messes around.

Just like spyware on your computer

[T900]

"Great Picture"

I think its misconception created by the media. Tbh ever since the advent of Windows 7, PCs in general have been darn stable.

I have had Windows 7 installed on some of my PC since launch day, there yet hasnt been a crash, its that darn stable, Nvm a format and a reinstall.

I think PCs over time have gotten to be very user friendly, While its rather the consoles that have become a headache(ill explain later).

The article complains about:

Hacks- Its funny they mention hacks then criticize the PC, Its PC gaming that has dedicated servers which may be used to ban hackers. Rathers its consoles where users have no control over whom to ban or do anything in this matter.

Missing drivers- About the only driver that needs a update every odd month is the Graphics driver. Which too isnt a requirement. It may be done at your leisure. Its simular to getting a firmware update on consoles. Yet on consoles if a firmware update comes, you are bound to take that update before you can play. Its like a requirement on you. With PC you may do an update at your will.

Where did all the space go? - Seriously if anything its the consoles that come fitted with very small hard drives and are much limited in this aspect than the PC. In fact its the PC that can be equipped with multiple hard drives to overcome the Space issue, good luck getting that even on the next gen consoles lol.

Tower Critical- Personally if cooled well PC parts can last a very long time. One of my PCs is 4 years old now I bought the original I7 back in 2008. Its darn more reliable than a console. In this day and age its the consoles that generally die within 2-3 years then need to be completely replaced(hello RROD, YLOD). Whats good about PC a single part goes bad you can get it replaced on warranty no need to throw away the entire box. PSU went bad, get a replacement with your warranty, GPU went bad again if there is warranty use it. PC parts generally have 5 year warranties. Good luck getting those on consoles.

I think most of the points mentioned on the article are rather baseless and are infact better on the PC than on any other machine, be it even consoles.

[TopDudeMan]

Yeah, it's still totally worth it, regardless.

[Blackdeath_663]

yeah i agree. as long term solution its definitely worth it besides most of those problems are non existant if you know what you are doing. one thing that boggles my mind is that many console gamers also have a laptop/desktop or some other form of pc why dont they just get a gaming pc that can do all those things at the same time! while my only issue with pc gaming is the cost if you look at the bigger picture its actually also much cheaper.

[ProjectVulcan]

Never been easier to get into PC gaming. Gone are the days of driver hunting for the most part, so many things are simplified. Obviously PC gaming isn't as easy or as fast even now to initially use as a console, but once the time and effort has been put into creating the machine it......is.

I have had a stable machine for a very long time now and it has been forever since i have done anything but update the graphics drivers, which are automatically found for me and a few clicks gets them updated!

As for broken hardware then sure, anything can break.

The difference is with a PC you only have to replace the broken piece. I have had broken consoles which have been replaced then i have to jump through those DRM hoops too!

Added to the fact that most quality PC parts have impressive warranties. I have had many components that have 'lifetime' warranties, including graphics cards. Most of the parts however actually have a 3 year warranty.

I have already had 2 broken PS3s, which I forked out over 100 quid to fix, and about 5 broken 360s since it launched.

Using broken hardware is hardly a good argument in favour of console IMO....

[decrypt]

@Army_of_Darkness

Console gamers... dont care about graphics, its why Wii is the number one selling console this gen.

Hell even the PS3, 360 gamers may think they are playing on some high end hardware but really they are just playing on 6 year old locked down PCs.

In regards to the thread. My youngest brother who's 13 years old now, plays only on the PC. He plays games like:

BF3, TF2, Red Orchestra.

Guess what he was 11 years old when i got him his first PC. He hardly ever has a problem with his PC in regards to drivers or any sort of trouble shooting. I guess people complaining on N4G either have the IQ below that of an 11 year old's or simply haven't given PC gaming a serious try, Personally i think in most cases its the latter.

[Anon1974]

Maybe it's worth it for you, but all these reasons just eventually made me shrug and give up on PC gaming years ago. Over the years I've had multiple dead videocards, RAM, drives, power supplies and motherboards. I've fought countless hours over decades of PC gaming with drivers. As a father of two, my gaming time is limited these days. I'll be damned if I'm going to waste a minute of my gaming time tweaking settings or fiddling with drivers or upgrading hardware. That's what I love about consoles. The sheer convenience of it.

If I was a young man with nothing but time on my hands, I'd probably still be into PC gaming but for me the pros don't even come close to outweighing the cons. This article is right on the money.

Edit: I just read wynams comment below. I'm in the exact same boat. I'm a tech guy, a developer, a programmer. It's not a matter of being computer illiterate. I did the PC gaming thing, now I just don't have the time or inclination. Once I went consoles, it was just heaven for me. My PS3 with PSN+, my Vita and my 360, I'm an extremely satisfied gamer. And on top of it, the majority of games I want to play are on consoles, with many never seeing PC release.

[Norrison]

Seriously, those problems are non existent for every PC gamer I know. If you knew what you're doing when building a PC and installing your programs, you wouldn't get a single problem

[R6ex]

Like darkride66, I'm giving up PC gaming once PS4 arrives.

Having ditched the consoles for a powerful gaming rig, my quality gaming experience disappeared. Frustration is what comes to mind every time I play game on the PC. I don't like the keyboard. Its troublesome to map keys on the Aimon PS Elite. Not all games can be played on the Xbox Wireless controller. Drivers get screwed up. Firmware gets corrupted. No sound. Difficult to lay back on the couch with the mouse etc. etc.

Sure. The PC's graphics rocks, but come PS4, I'm not going back to the PC for a good few years. As a busy working adult, time is really really precise. That 1 or 2 hours max of free time per day, must be quality. Consoles allow you to just power-up the system and play. Wasting the night on installation, drivers update, modifying settings etc. isn't exactly quality time.

[Bolts]

Like the poster above just said. Know WTF you're doing then you'll be just fine. I have never spend a night looking for drivers and tweaking my settings in a decade of PC gaming and this after playing some really bad release day turds. The recent Dead Island and Rage games come to mind.

But just like everyone else I'm waiting for the nextgen. BF 3 showed me that this gen of consoles are done for.

[WiiUalpha]

The only game I ever had issues with on my PC was Unreal 2k4. Other than that one single game I havent had issues with PC games since this millenium began. Yeah back in the days of Civ 2 or tiefighter maybe but those days are over...

Seems odd that so many people are just now bringing that up. Guess it's just a case of console gamers reading a complaint somewhere and running with it like its fact.

@Darkride, I've been a PC gamer for 25 years or more. In all that time I have only had 2 issues with my PCs. One had a modem fail and the other had a video card fail. You must not take very good care of your PC if you go through all those broken pieces.

My guess is you arent really a PC gamer at all or even old enough to be a father of 2. Your entire post sounds more like someone who just wants to pretend to be a PC gamer in order to justify your stance.You are taking things beyond the extreme of what reality is in your post.

[krazeecain]

Cool story bro.

[MEsoJD]

I grew up gaming on pc and consoles. That said, the last few years pc gaming has overshadowed my consoles. Hell I have Dark Souls(favorite ps3 game) in native 1080p running at 60fps through a simple mod. I think pc gaming has never been better. Also I don't buy the whole, it's too expensive argument. If a piece of hardware is slowing down, I just replace that part. The majority of users here use pcs so why not load up steam? To each his own and I still love console exclusives.

[General Shrooms]

Those are only problems if you are computer illiterate.

[Vladplaya]

Quote for the truth.

Except the cheaters, and even than, its not quite the PCs fault, but rather the company that makes the game, if they wanna do something about cheats, you won't run into cheaters very often at all. DayZ is a mod, so the guy can't even do anything about the cheats as he doesn't own ARMA's source code.

Either way, pointless articles is pointless, you have hard time with PC, stick with your console and be happy, while rest of the smart people would be enjoying superb gaming experiencing on their computers with minimal hassle, just because they can...

[SnotyTheRocket]

I love the games on PC, but hate the Community (most of it, anyway). I can't go through a round of BF3 without being accused of using "TEH 1337 hAx0rZ", it gets annoying.

[frjoethesecond]

Agree. Also hate the attitude of a lot of PC gamers that console players are ignorant peasants. The ones who shun one platform over another are the ignorant ones IMO.

All consoles and PC gaming master race FTW!!

[TekoIie]

I only play RTSes on PC but I ussually find very nice people :)

Probs because it's a team game sometimes.

[Irishguy95]

There are two, the first is, lack of split screen
The second is...once you go Pc, it's hard to play on a console again

*Runs back to Cave

[The_KELRaTH]

I enjoying gaming on both PS3 and PC. These days though it's the PS3 that will lock-up mid game requiring a reboot far far more than my PC. I've also had to replace 2 PS3's due to BR drive failures (MW2 texture streaming killed the 1st).
I've been a PC gamer for many years and over time issues with PC drivers, OS errors have reduced an awful lot but unfortunately there's been a big increase in poorly coded games that are released with little testing and cause issues with the PC and consoles too (can't comment on the 360 but there plenty of game issues on the PS3).
As for the article, I think it was highly exaggerated and just written to get attention.

[gamernova]

Such a whiner. PC gaming is awesome.

[Mariusmssj]

Well I found many things wrong about the article but I will only point out one.

You can have steam to install games into as many harddrives as you want.
IF you can't use it, that's a different matter all together http://upit.cc/i/c6f7362c.p...

[CrustifiedDibbs]

Steam mover is a handy program that lets you move steam games around with one click. I think this guy should have done some searching before his dumbass rant.

[Mariusmssj]

When I installed Torchlight 2 steam actually allowed me where to install the game. This article is lacking knowledge on few things.

[LightofDarkness]

Yeah, I use it all the time to move games to and from my SSD.

[wynams]

I was a diehard PC gamer from 1995 - 2008. Then as I had less money/time to troubleshoot and upgrade I shifted to consoles.

I am far from computer illiterate (I troubleshoot PCs for a living). I much prefer to spend my free time playing as opposed to tracking down a driver, or slapping a new heatsink/fan in, or upgrading an OS .... not a console fanboy, PC games look better and are typically much more moddable, are cheaper, etc.

So the trade off of lower resolution gaming is worth it to me, but ymmv depending on your $/time resources and bandwidth to troubleshoot PC problems.

One last plug for being pro-console ...I can trade in my games when I am done with them.

[Mariusmssj]

You make it sound like a PC breaks down on daily basis

[wynams]

I did not mean to imply that, rather that PCs need more maintenance than consoles.

[dredgewalker]

Yeah, been gaming on pc for years and I usually clean my current rig every 3 months so the dust won't accumulate. I don't really have much of a problem with maintenance since it's one thing you need to know how to do when you go pc gaming.

[vortis]

"PCs need more maintenance than consoles"?

You must not own an Xbox 360.

[TekoIie]

Elaborate... I have never done any maintanence on my 360 and it's working fine.

[Somebody]

Yes, it is one last plug for being pro-console. Considering that both Sony and MS are trying to find ways to kill the used games trading business for next gen. Why do you think they have been shoving season passes and exclusive bonuses down your console throats all this time?

[kesvalk]

on the 5 years i had my wii, it broke 3 or 4 times...
on the 7 years i had my PC i only had to change my font once...

not even counting the indie community and mouse and keyboard, that would be overkill.

[GamerSciz]

I started with computers when I was about 10. I remember AOL 3.0 being the first "internet". I never enjoyed/got into programming but I was a gamer from the get go. Since I liked computers early on I figured I would learn everything I could and took a bunch of classes in highschool then got my degree in Computer Science/IT. Now I work for a company as primary tech support and unless this is the new NBC show "Revolution"...I feel technology and the knowing of it will be a valuable asset for years time.

Anyways, the SSD's are a bit overrated in my opinion considering their high failure rate and being over priced. I mean, 30 seconds faster getting into a game (I can do without if I have to sacrifice that much storage space). I personally have a 2TB and I have 1.18 free. My STEAM folder is a little over 80gigs (Gamersciz is my STEAM name if you want to see what games I have). I also a have a few non-steam games but still.

Viruses and drivers is another issue but there are plenty of free low key AV that work just fine as long as your not an idiot and click on every plugin that you "NEED" to download or click links from emails of people you don't know. You just need to picky about what you click on and don't be trusting of even people you know. Easiest solution is if there is a link in an email and you don't want to click it...just google it. Something will probably come up either it being a virus or a legit site.

Now drivers on the other hand is probably the number one cause of gaming problems. Best thing to know is what graphics card you have and don't rely on the card software to keep you updated. If you are having issues with graphics, check out your cards manufacture site and see if you have the latest driver. 9 out 10 times it will solve your problem.

That's my 2 cents. Sorry for wall o' text.

[Aggesan]

Thing i dislike the most about pc gaming is the elitism in games. Never have I heard anyone dictate what I should do or how I should play like when I'm on my ps3, but I do all the time in pc gaming. It's like some people are playing not for fun but like it's their damn profession.

[Picnic]

Right aggesan - it's the equivalent of discussing about board games with someone and they start spouting off about the type of cardboard that was used rather than about the game itself.

[Bolts]

This of course is but utter nonsense. Console gamers have been counting pixels and spend as much time comparing zoomed in screens as PC gamers. There was a time when the Xbots and PS3 fanboys waged daily war over useless crap like the "Power of Cell" and frame rates for years.

The reason you're not hearing it now is that at this point both consoles are crusty fossils and nobody gives a rats ass anymore.

[JBSleek]

More along the lines of 4 things wrong with my PC.

[Mad_Mack]

Well in my defense I can hardly write about things that are wrong with your PC

[Picnic]

Erm.. how about the obvious one that you can't play console exclusives on it, at least legally. That's a huge one to me. The console manufacturers take ages making some of their exclusives to be system sellers. People who make games for the PC have no such requirement to make a 'system seller'.

[Bladesfist]

Emulation is legal if you own the game, it just means we have to wait till the next generation before playing all your ps3 / xbox 360 exclusives.

[dedicatedtogamers]

There are plenty of "PC exclusives" that cannot be played on consoles, so your point is kind of...pointless.

The world of PC games is a shark pool. Each game has to stand on its own legs. When people get a console, there are pre-packaged games on the store shelf, staring them in the face. PC games don't have much (if any) store shelf space so companies rely on word of mouth and quality of product.

[Eldyraen]

I can see your point in some of the more frustrating issues--hackers especially but there are console hacks as well (but much harder to do and fewer people doing them). Hardware issues exist with every bit of tech to some degree or another though so it's not PC centric issue.

Drivers... I can definitely agree that they can be a pain (especially with first boot and for new users and/or features) but they can also get fixed/updated to add more performance independent from game updates so there is a trade off. Consoles have it much easier though as hardware variety isn't the problem (which is your point: going to one to the other can be frustrating).

Space issues though, if you have played either Xbox 360 or ps3, should had been a give in. Many games have optional or required installs on consoles and if you ever looked at their downloadable games' catalogues then 5gb+ is pretty much the norm on a "typical" console game. More wide open, varied, better looking games would naturally be a huge increase (DC universe for ps3 for an example is massive by console standards but is about normal or even small for modern PC games). It has more to do with consumer awareness than anything as every PC game has requirements on the box or in game description for online stores (it's been there for as long as I remember).

As I said I can see some of your points but HDD space is the least of the frustrating/confusing issues and every piece of software has clear requirements listed somewhere.

[wynams]

There is no universal right answer ... either the higher maintenance costs (time/$) of PC gaming is worth it to you or it isn't. Moving along ...

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

lol he only found 4! Great platform!

Console problem list:

1) on disk dlc.
2) cod in every other shooter.
4)Hackers(if you don't buy the next cod)
5)paying for dlc that is free on pc(minecraft skins, some l4d content).
6)Horror genre dead.
7)Hardcore tactical shooter genre completely dead.
8)can't upgrade.
9)less innovative indie game.
10)take hardcore games and turn them more casual try to grab the cod crowd (like BF3 & ghost recon).
11) need aim assist.
12)no mods(user content)
13)downloading patches(on ps3 anyway is a pain)
14)Companies sticking as many features in it as possible.
Instead of a device customized for your needs it now is everything for everyone in a box.
15)Console gamers buy games even if they have the lesser version than other console (Skyrim ps3, cod ps3) then pre order the next version.
16) You need to buy a whole nother console for hundreds of dollars if you prefer a different controller. while on pc..
http://www.buzzle.com/img/a...
http://www.tech.sc/wp-conte...
wiiU pro controller might be added to the list.

on top of that a huge console company just spent big on cloud gaming. so more restrictions incoming.

[SnotyTheRocket]

░░░░░░░░░░░░▄▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▄
░░░░░█░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▀▀▄
░░░░█░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒░█
░░░█░░░░░░▄██▀▄▄░░░░░▄▄▄░░░█
░▄▀▒▄▄▄▒░█▀▀▀▀▄▄█░░░██▄▄█░░░█
...█░▒█▒▄░▀▄▄▄▀░░░░░░░░█░░░▒▒ ▒▒▒█
█░▒█░█▀▄▄░░░░░█▀░░░░▀▄░░▄▀▀▄▒ █
░█░▀▄░█▄░█▀▄▄░▀░▀▀░▄▄▀░░░░░█
░░█░░░░██░░▀█▄▄▄█▄▄█▄████░█
░░░█░░░░▀▀▄░█░░░█░█▀██████░█
░░░░▀▄░░░░░▀▀▄▄▄█▄█▄█▄█▄▀░░█
░░░░░░▀▄▄░▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▒░░░█
░░░░░░░░░▀▀▀▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▀

[Dugstar]

I think PC gaming is easier now as GFX cards are not as expensive as they used to be. I bought a 8800 GTS (640mb) for £40 and its played everything I have thrown at it albeit it not having full on AA and all that carry on but still looking better than there console counterparts...

I think its safe to say having a an amazing GFX card isn't a must now as it used to be years ago but if your competent enough with Computers getting games running isn't really an issue as a quick Google search or checking the Manufacturers website usually solves any issues and in all fairness that should really come as second nature nowadays.

As for DLC that's a different whole ballgame as "consolers" get it right in the arse in that respect always.. But getting a Optimized version of a game is always an issue with PC so In fairness Consoles have there good points as does PC gaming...

[Trago1337]

lack of split screen and Japanese games, THATS IT. other than that PC if FAR superior. but if you have consoles and the PC, non of this matters lol.

[Saryk]

The cheaters is one of the PC downfalls, I will agree with this point.
Updating drivers or drivers in general is a rare occurrence, unless you just reinstalled or a new system, deal with it. I get the download bullshit from my PS3 and 360.
Space is space, it is finite on any system.
I went through 4 Xbox360s in a year; the only time in my life where I thank the gaming gods I bought a extended warranty. And I bet the only person Gamestop hated to see when I walked in with a broke 360. But in the end, shit breaks!
But these things are not that big compared to all the pros the PC brings!

[taquito]

the only, ONLY drawback of pc gaming is, going back and playing a console game after, they just look so jaggie, sub-hd, awful framerates, screen tear, long loads, its like going back 2 generations

its like going from a vita to a gameboy color

[Eldyraen]

I know what you mean as its true even for the best looking upcoming console games (GoW:A, Beyond two souls, the last of us, etc). They do look great but I can't help but think of what they would look like on PC or next gen consoles even. Resolution alone is a huge difference but newer/better AA, tessellation, physics, etc that consoles just can't manage now its no contest.

Thankfully console exclusives are typically gameplay or storyline heavy enough that they can suck you in pretty quick and most of the time you aren't asking yourself, "What if...?". Same thing is true though when going back to even much older consoles and games as sometimes it's just easy to overlook visuals (but not always). Minecraft is an attest to that as noone who has played any new game even years before it arrived can say its top not visually. But when it all comes together it can really be impressive.

[aquamala]

I just played Tom's Clancy's Future Soldier on PS3, every review says how good the game looks, it just doesn't to me. objects and terrain in the distance is blurry, I notice jaggies and slow downs in animations.. should have waited to get this one on PC instead

[tuhi009]

Rarely have those problems.

And Driver problems ?? Seriously ???
Dont you have INTERNET on your PC ??? Update the driver or rollback to a Prev one.

[Coach_McGuirk]

lol, whining about hackers in a mod

[Sidewinder-]

"I spent a good portion of my early PC gaming experience playing DayZ"

Another one of those babies first pc gamers.

[Donnywho]

You really have to enjoy upgrading a PC and everything that goes along with keeping your Specs up to date to really make it as a PC gamer. I almost think you have to enjoy the tweeking more than the gaming but I'll keep that as an almost and just end this.

[Norrison]

If you built your pc correctly and installed everything correctly most of the problems mentioned here won't happen.

[Luke_fon_Fabre]

I will always like consoles more because of some specific games that are only legally available on them.

[BitbyDeath]

The biggest problems with PC is that game devs can't support the latest hardware or be shunned by the market.

Hence why a game which came out 5 years ago is still one of their best looking.

[carlocgc]

didnt read the article in its entirety i assume hes moaning about the meager size of the SSD not the fact that he cant choose where to install but games will only benefit from SSD if they are saved to it. which he cannot do cuz its too puny jus sayin

[Saturne3]

Im probably going to switch to PC gaming in some years from now im slighty happy with ps3 and 360 at the moment but most of my favorite games run amazinly better on a gaming pc and that´s exacly what i prefer - a better gaming experience.

Not to mention that mods are a ton of fun.

Only some very few exclusive games keep me interested on consoles like Last of Us and Killzone on PS3 the 360 not that much at least nowdays and i still dont understand why xboxlive charges for online play.

[KontryBoy706]

I've been on PC gaming for 3 months, built my first rig myself. I couldn't be happier and these issues this guy is writing about are ridiculous. If your graphics card burns out that's why there are warranties and RMAs. EVGA give like 3 years warrenty free. The majority of PC problems come down to User Error. No one told this dude to download all his games and his OS on his SSD. Duh... it's going to take up more space than what he had. I use a 1 TB drive 7200rpm for Steam and Origin. My SSD is for my OS and my other programs. The only thing I agree on are the hackers or being accused of being a hacker because you may be having a good game. Aside from that PC gaming is where it's at. I tried to go back to console after my first month and couldn't get through one game of BF3? It's not even the same game.

[wastedcells]

Putting in effort is a problem for most people.

[PersonMan]

Until PCs can boot straight into a game browser controllable with only a controller, I'm going to stay on console. I love to just turn it on and launching a game without touching a mouse or a keyboard. It's just so easy to enjoy my game.

Here's what happens on PC...

Start up computer
Wait for Windows to chug on a bunch of crap
Launch Steam... wait for that.
Launch MotioninJoy and click enable to use my PS3 controller
Launch desired game
A window pops up asking me to log into some service... whatever... gotta click start game
Game finally loads
Change a shadow setting or something... uh oh... I have to restart the game for the changes to take effect. Damnit.

On console:
Push button on controller
System turns on
Slide game disc in (if it's not already in)
Tap X to launch it
Game loads
Game is being played.

[Norrison]

Only a slow PC would do that, mine boots up in about 30 secs tops and Steam is already opened, only F2P games ask you to log in to their server.
BTW, when you open games up they already have the recommended settings for your computer on.
PC is like this
Start up
Launch game on steam or from desktop
Press play
Game loads about 5x faster than on a console
Play

Consoles
Wait for Console to turn on
Start Game
Wait for console to read disk
Wait for console to load the game (specially on games like uncharted damn that takes so long)
Press start to play, wait for the game to load AGAIN for like 10-30 seconds.

I think the winner is clear here

[AIndoria]

You do know that there is no winner and it's just a matter of personal preference, correct?

[PersonMan]

I'll admit, I don't have the beefiest computer. It's got two Xeon dual core processors, 5GB of RAM and a 560Ti. It plays anything I throw at it.

By the way... Ubisoft games have their own game launchers and network to sign into so not only F2P games have log ins.

Every time I start GTA IV, I have to log into rockstar network, or play choose to play offline. It's still an extra click.

Every time I play Assassin's Creed Revelations, it opens up the Ubisoft dialog and then I have to start the game from their launcher. That's extra clicking between me and the game. Same thing for Prince of Persia.

Crysis 2 asks me to log in every time I play. I usually just cancel it.

I do not have the money for a large SSD drive, so I'm stuck with slow boot times.

On console, it starts up in about 5 seconds. I grab the controller and hit X, the game launches without any interruptions. Wait a minute or so for the game to load (not a big deal to me). Then I'm off playing. It's just a much easier way of playing games.

Please don't get me wrong. I like gaming on my computer, but it's sometimes too much work. Plus, I don't like using Windows.

[jamesensor]

Ahahaha what a piece of shit of an article! Most all reasons are dumb, pushed to make pc platform look like a nightmare omg.. I have some consoles and pcs but pc isn't what he's saying to be lol friendly console backer, that's what he is. Maybe he should get a pad or tablet, gaming there is much more simple xD

[yeahokchief]

Even if I had the ability to cheat in a game, I would not want to. To me games are all about developing some type of translatable skill and you're never going to learn anything by cheating. It doesn't matter if you win or lose anyways if there are no stakes.

I'm looking forward to DotA2 on PC. I think they'll do a good job of weeding out the cheaters in that game. Even if they don't I just fucking love DotA and i'm going to have fun with it regardless.

For GTA V i'm going to try and get it on both PS3 AND PC depending on requirements which i'm hoping won't be too stringent seeing as how the game will run on a 360/ps3.

I like how there are less hackers and cheaters on consoles, but at the same time I want to experience GTA V at the best quality so i'll get the best of both worlds.

Still buying most of my games on console though like Hitman V in November and exclusives like Battle Royale which releases on the same day.

[Steadyhndz]

After glancing at this for a minute or so...here is why this is the dumbest argument against PC gaming...

Hackers are found in all major platforms..The PC, The PS3, and The Xbox 360. PC FPS games is the head of the pack of hackers, but I haven't seem to see it as a problem. Being a regular PC FPS Player I've come across more than enough hackers, but it's not a problem...

Hackers in console games are the worst imo. Lets talk Xbox for example. Xbox hackers is no associated mostly with something that has almost nothing to do with the game...but it's DDoS. A simple tool to push your bandwidth so you lag...not even sure why I associate it with the work "hack."

Drivers:
Drivers are something that are very simple...if you own a PC that is used for games...know how to use it. It's very simple to update drivers for video games because it's automatic for almost every single PC game...Almost every game that has been released after 2007 is automatically updated...then you might say "what about graphics drivers" Well guess what, go to google and search "Nvidia driver" if you have an Nvidia card, or google "Ati driver" If you have an ATI card...that simple. If you can't figure that out, but write articles for a gaming website...then you shouldn't be writing articles talking about PC games especially.

120GB of game space you say....well lets take out the OS...so 90GB of game space....lets see for myself I have World of Warcraft (About 15GB), TF2, CSS, CSGO, DoDS, and many other Steam games, along with Battlefield 3...that's funny I have more games than a regular PC player and I haven't even filled up 100 GB total

Your damaged GPU could result in your mistake actually. Being that you seem to be inexperienced with PC's I wouldn't trust you putting in a GPU into a computer...You may have held the graphics card with static electricity around you...maybe you were putting it in while standing on a carpet? Lets say it wasn't your installation process, and it's an actual GPU problem...you said it was only a day old...well wouldn't you contact the manufacturer or store you got it from to tell them it's at least "DoA"...you probably don't know what that means since you've written such a poor article about PC gaming, but it means Dead On Arrival...in other words the part was bad from the beginning, and being that it worked for a day..they may consider it a DoA...depends how nice the rep is.

I'm gonna end this rant....this author is a joke. I don't like to talk smack about writers, but cmon man at least know what you're writing about

[BongSmack]

I agree to some extent with what you've said.
But if you say you've filled up less than 100 GB and have a bigger library than most gamers You're fooling yourself.
And I'm guessing you only skimmed the article. If you had read it clearly you'd have noticed that he said he paid a professional to put his pc together for him so it's not his fault GPU is fucked. (It's kind of funny that you tell him to "at least know what you're writing about" when you aren't even clear about the article you're writing about.)

[Bladesfist]

my Steam drive has 150 games installed and takes up 1TB of space out of my 2TB steam drive.

[AIndoria]

The thing I love about consoles is, that I can pop in any disc and start playing without having to worry about "Yourmum.exe has stopped working. Please report this error to yourM$dad." and I can enjoy that on couch with my friends.

I am a PC and a PS3 gamer. Sure, PC has great graphics and some really really great games, but I'd still prefer my PS3 because
1.) I've got friends on PSN that I don't have with PC (Personal problem)
2.) I love the Exclusives PS3 has (PC has exclusives too, don't take me wrong, but I love the PS3 ones :P)

As you can see, that is my personal opinion, and it relates only to me (you, for instance, might have friends who play on PC, no matter.)

LET THE PEOPLE PLAY WITH WHAT THEY LIKE. Stop being elitist fanboys (PC gamers and console gamers, both) and shut up.

[BongSmack]

Problems 1, 2 and 4 all have some validity. But problem 3, seriously, who's dumb enough to think that they can fit a library of games on a ssd?

[kingduqc]

kinda weak "terrible things"

Hackers can be booted from server by admins, on console you can't deal with it (try play cod 4-mw2 on consoles nowadays)

Drivers nowadays are so easy to pick up and instal it's a stupid argument

and gpu damage is mostly caused on the user side, plus consoles fails way more

[MadMen]

There is only one issues with PC Gaming

Errors - Users, non hardcore, cant deal with issues beyond their capacity, until this is solved and simplified you will always have an issue.

Consoles have been successful because they are a closed system.

Now anyone who loves PC gaming obviously is not a common consumer and will defend it to the death unfortunately you or I do not make up the large % of gamers, the common consumer does.

[stuntman_mike]

I find building PC's addictive, when i built my first one i didnt really know what i was doing (but it worked out alright), but since then it's like a bug. i'm always looking at new hardware and thinking of my next build (even tho i cant afford it lol).

PC gamer is much better now than say 10 years ago. most of the stuff you dont really need to touch as it does it for you.

[Dugstar]

I think errors always end up solved in some way for PC gamers ..especially those just starting out and you learn from them and solving errors comes as a second nature.

I agree with jizzinmy pants though haha .. sometimes you will move from playing a FPS on the PC to the console and cant aim for your life..

Must admit I love the smoothness of some games on the PC when your hitting the sweet spot in actual Frames per second compared to some of the console counterparts... Borderlands 2 is the most recent ... uncapped FPS and FOV on PC .. yes please..