270°

PC vs. Console: Which is Better?

Enigma of Gaming Furever has been playing games for almost his entire life. One thing you learn when being a part of this sub-culture is that the people who populate it tend to be very... tenaciously fanatic when comes to decisions they make. This causes gamers to debate a lot. One of the major debates that has cropped up more often of late than usual is whether PCs or dedicated gaming consoles are superior to the other. There are points to be made for either side. This week, he tries to apply his analysis onto this debate and attempts to come up with a satisfactory answer. For this analysis, he will look at several factors and analyze them to see whether PCs or Consoles do better in that category.

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CrAzYbRoS4703d ago

I will always be a console guy, myself, but you're right, it is a personal preference thing. I grew up on PS2 and Xbox Live, and because of that, a ton of my friends reside on there. Lately I have found quite a plethora of smaller indie games to enjoy on computer, which is what I really am excited about.

Sites like Kickstarter, Humble Indie Bundles, and Steam make the PC a better gaming destination now than in the past.

Blankman854702d ago

Lol I love these Jerry Springer type articles that have only one purpose, to start a fight!

ABizzel14702d ago

Simple answer.

PC is better because...

PC is better for playing games at their best. They offer the best fps, best resolution, best controls, and an overall better experience whether it's larger multiplayer maps / player count, mods, etc...

PC games cost a lot less than console games starting at $50, and quickly dropping in price. There are a lot of PC games that are F2P and are actually really good games, which is rare among consoles (PS3 leading the way on console).

Console is better because...

It's simple. Simply plug in your 2 cables, stick the game in, and play.

Consoles also allow you to share your gaming experience with your friends, via Split Screen.

Consoles are generally cheaper to buy than a gaming PC (although you don't need a max spec. PC to play games). And consoles games / graphics are good enough for most people.

Exclusives.

ChickeyCantor4702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

"Console is better because...

It's simple. Simply plug in your 2 cables, stick the game in, and play. "

Doing the same with my PC. Where only one cable is necessary; gamepad. Steam allows me to "click and play". It's already hooked up to my 52" trough HDMI. As a console lover, I miss absolutely nothing when I play on my pc.

Games that don't support a Gamepad can be used with XPadder to emulate keys and mouse to your gamepad.

It all comes down to the games you want to play. But I don't get why "console" people don't want pc gaming as well. I mean everything is pretty much plug and play nowadays

A-Glorious-Dawn4702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

They both have a place.

I have a PC and PS3 and I am very glad I have both.

The PC is great for melting your face with pretty graphics, and anyone who knows me knows I'm a graphic whore. Also the openness of the platform means that you get the community improving your games and making new ones. DayZ is definitely a highlight of this generation for me. The money saving potential as well, The amount of games I whore in the steam summer sale is ridiculous, it puts console game prices to shame...

But the PS3 has a very well deserved place under my TV. Obviously Sony's exclusives are a must have for all gamers, They are the reason I bought a PS3 and finally got on console. They don't disappoint. The gems like Demons souls and Ni No Kuni (and Starhawk <3) make me very, very glad I bought the console, Sony has some incredible talent working exclusively for them and I am being a part of that no matter what.. But other things as well make it worthwhile, like the fact that it's easy to set up and use, it's much quieter than my PC and also more reliable.

Diagnosis of problems with a PC can be a headache for even the most well versed computer wizz. I remember a time when my PC would shut down while playing games. Diagnosing the issue and fixing it took many hours and a lot of frustration. And it's happened a few times. I am really so glad that when frustration reached it's peak I could just say "screw you PC", flick on the ps3 and relax... But I'd never give up PC gaming, as I said before, with the graphic whore that I am, and with the amazing games PC gets, I guess the frustrations are worth it.

Kin23g4702d ago

PC is far better, but consoles are more comfortable. I say, it's a tie.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4702d ago
Getowned4702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

yes I agree it's personal preference in the end, but performace wise PC is King. I play on both so I don't really care, I couldn't really pick one over the other. I do game on my consoles more than my PC but not by to much. There are things I like about both PC's and Consoles. I do love the freedom of the PC and PC is better in ever aspect, even when people complain about not wanting to use a M&KB they can always hook up a controller, there are plenty of controller programs out there. You can hook your pc up to your tv and be lazzy on your couch just like with your console. I Have my dualshock hooked up to my PC for certant games which was vary handy sometimes. I will always have a gaming PC and a Console or two.

My comment may sound like I am on the PC side, but I'm just being real PC is better with out a doubt, but that dosn't mean we have to like it better or dislike it. I like both and I will continue to use both. Consoles for exclusices and lazyness and PC for everything else. The other reason I do like consoles tho is that you don't have to worry about your console running certant games because all (for example) PS3s are the same(more or less).

Really this article is 100% useless, it's boring, stupid and I lost intrest in a few paragraphs. who approved this garbage ?

solar4702d ago

I am a PC elitist. Been gaming on PC since Commander Keen and Wolf 3D. But i dont care what others want to game on. I love my PC centric games, console players love a dumbed down gaming experience, and that's fine with me. Have fun on whatever platform you want. But gamers are not equal via the platform we play on. PC's and consoles are different animals.

SilentNegotiator4702d ago

I would have sided with consoles a few years ago, but the experience has gotten less and less convenient over the years. At this point, I'll just as happily deal with similar issues on the PC and then play my game with some pretty settings. I primarily play on PC right now.

Still, I'll always prefer the (theoretical) advantages of consoles. Everything being equal works better for me...no tuning, games designed to be work well and be relatively issue free for that specific HW...that sort of thing.

crawling1824702d ago

While I'm mainly a PC person, I love my PS3 and Vita. For me my console is indispensable for its exclusives and I'll admit that I usually enjoy Action/Adventure games on a console and FPS/RPGs on my PC.

schlanz4702d ago

Simple answer is whichever platform gives you the most current gen games. PC has a few games I can't get anywhere else (Diablo, Guild Wars, ect) but PS3 and Wii have more exclusives I would never dream of missing out on.

Obviously in a perfect world everything would release on one platform (PC) and consoles would be a thing of the past, but as that has not happened with it, I'm happy playing right along.

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Shok4702d ago

Not one of these again........

Regardless of what the author says, any article with "Which is better?" in the title or anything akin to that should be automatically rejected.

CrAzYbRoS4702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

I think that's why they call it an opinion piece. I agree that there are a lot of them, but as the old saying goes, "If you don't want to read it..."

Personally, I like hearing varied voices.

Shok4702d ago

Nah I'm just sayin, all these kinds of articles do is encourage flame bait, whether the author meant to do that or not. We can't have actual civilized discussions here on N4G when it comes to comparative articles.

Feralkitsune4702d ago

@Shok, dude. People will flame each other rather the article is flame bait or not. Welcome to the internet.

swice4702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

@Feral

True, but it doesn't have the same flavor as N4G

Irishguy954702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

Yeah but

http://n4g.com/news/725072/...

That's the way this site is.

josephps34702d ago

Yet you were compelled enough to click on the link and make a comment and then check for updates and reply. Huh? Obviously its still a relevant topic and judging by the number of other people here it is a interesting topic.

Shok4702d ago

"Yet you were compelled enough to click on the link and make a comment and then check for updates and reply."

Um, yes, and........?

"Obviously its still a relevant topic"

Nobody said anything about relevancy. Holy crap man you're REALLY over-thinking my comment lol.

MysticStrummer4702d ago

"Obviously its still a relevant topic and judging by the number of other people here it is a interesting topic."

N4G seems to exist primarily for providing links to worthless opinion articles, with or without flamebait titles, so sure it's relevant to this site but I bet it's not interesting enough for most people to read before commenting.

MadLad4702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

If you are willing to front the initial cost of a gaming pc, then that is the superior way to play games.

If ease of use and a relatively cheap initial investment is what concerns you most, then it is console gaming.

Not much there for discussion. I think everyone knows the pros and cons of both platforms when it comes to games.

josephps34702d ago

Yup its as simple as that. PC has a much higher upfront cost but you do get a better experience. Is that relatively better experience worth the cost? Up do you to decide. If you game a lot and its a major part of your leisure time and provides a lot of enjoyment then its worth it to you. Other people may enjoy video games but also enjoy biking or cars or camping and choose to spend top dollars in those activities. Simple. Done. End of discussion.

avengers19784702d ago

my thing isn't the start up cost, it's the upgrading, 360 and PS3 are both 6 or so years old and games that come out on them now are better then when they first came out, but A 6 year old pc, even with higher end tech, would still need to be upgraded to play games that are currently coming out...
PC's are better, but for the price, slightly better isn't really worth the, much more expensive.
Hell if you bought a high end gaming rig in 2008, you still probably needed to upgrade to run, say battlefield 3 at full capacity.

Bladesfist4702d ago

Yes but the consoles play BF3 on Low. A Gaming PC from 2008 could also play BF3 on Low.

MadLad4702d ago (Edited 4702d ago )

That depends, really.

There is a build I am looking into at the moment that ($1,200), if I were to build it now, it should be able to handle games for a good while moving forward.

The only thing that ever really needs to be upgraded within a 3 - 4 year window is the graphics card, considering you put out for a quality build. I feel that, considering you do well with your cash, a gaming pc could last you about the length of your (average) console generation, this one being a bit long in the tooth. Update to gpu potentially needed. And this is me talking about still playing many games at high, or at least medium setting at full HD.

There is indeed extra cost that comes with pc gaming, however, and gamers need to decide whether or not that cost is worth it. For me, it definitely is. I put enough time into playing that I can easily justify footing the bill to enhance the experience. The difference, in my opinion, definitely justifies the cost - open platform, access to steam, being able to play games at their full capacity (and then some, depending), etc.

To be honest, I would say that a good number of people would see pc gaming a bit differently if they were to choose it as their platform for just one console generation. That's just me though. I still say that people should own both, considering they can afford it, if only for the exclusives. I just know, considering I had to choose one or the other, that I would stick with pc gaming.

JBSleek4702d ago

Both. End of discussion no fighting no arguments they both have pros and cons and as a gamer it is better to have both. End.

SolidSystem4702d ago

THey are equal, different crowds will like one vs the other.

I love my PC, i've been an avid PC gamer for years. I have built and rebuilt my machine 5 or 6 times.

I'm slowly liking consoles more simply due to the ease. no longer do i spend hours frustrated when trying to set up my virtual surround sound, or wondering if i have my settings right. I put the disk in and play.

but I do like how PC is open. I have options to use great software like Steam, and I can even mod some of my games.

Personally, Ill probably use both for ever. PC has great games I cant get on consoles, consoles have great games I cant get on pc.

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