Current Events > PC gaming is overrated IMO

(+) Yeah! (+)

Always hear about the benefits and advantages to PC gaming over console gaming but personally I just don't see it. At best you're getting better graphics/framerate for most games, at worst you're spending a lot more money than you would on a console, and it requires constant maintenance/upgrades if you want to keep having the "best" version of games. Yes I realize there are other advantages such as emulation and more controller options, but in my experience trying to get into PC gaming is just more trouble than it's worth. I realize this might not be a popular opinion, but I just prefer the ease and simplicity of console gaming.

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Just get a gaming laptop and ignore the nerds telling you to build your own.

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You have thousands of backlogged games on PC

hulkhogan1 posted...

and it requires constant maintenance/upgrades if you want to keep having the "best" version of games.

i was going to agree with you until this

i haven't upgraded my pc since 2019 and it still maxes out games, and still even exceeds Recommended specs for games. in fact, most recommended specs call for a card that came out in 2016

hell im bored with my pc and i can't decide what to upgrade. i thought about just getting a new motherboard because all the other parts are fine!

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"constant" maintenance/upgrades is massively overstated

I bought my PC in 2018, and will keep using it for the next 4-5 years, probably beyond that. If I didn't have friends on consoles I would not be inclined to buy any of them.

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M_Live posted...

How much did u spend on it tho n be honest

hm i think if i had bought all the parts at the same time around 800-1000 dollars.


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I don't think the benefits are overrated per se. It's just that so many PC gamers don't understand that most console gamers just don't care about any of it. As someone who isn't interested in modding, or tinkering with my games to get the best performance, PC doesn't really offer me a massive amount that I can't get from consoles.

I mean it does offer some things, that's why I have a gaming laptop. But it doesn't get a massive amount of use compared to my other gaming devices.

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I've been a both gamer since first playing another world (or out of this world for us stateside). Last year bought a new gaming laptop. Been switching between it and PS3 depending on what I felt like playing.

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hulkhogan1 posted...

and it requires constant maintenance/upgrades if you want to keep having the "best" version of games.

Nope
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PC gaming is 100x better than console gaming. Free online, better graphics/option to change graphics settings, decades long backwards compatibility, high customization of software and hardware, combo with regular computer, emulators, better sales, etc. You have a computer already to do regular things daily right? Might as well have a gaming computer too. A console is just an extra thing to have when you don't need it. PC gaming just has too many advantages over console. Heck, consoles are becoming more like PC anyways, so...why compromise when you can just get the real thing?

tbh the annoying part is people telling you to spend $3k+ on a PC then when you ask for games they literally recommend minecraft/2d graphics indie games or 10 year old ass skyrim.

That said, theres no reason not to get a gaming PC if you game seeing that even if you go periods where you dont game, the device can still be used for other things.

I prefer consoles too. Graphics after the PS3 just don't get that much better. I've compared the graphics of PC and PS4 and they're only slightly better on PC. Not worth spending thousands just for that.

Shut the fuck up

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Back in the 360 days games on console regularly had shit frame rates and, at times, hilariously low quality assets due to ridiculous RAM limitations.

Nowadays, for big games, very consistent frame rates have become the norm and increased graphical quality has diminishing returns aside from heavy RT effects (which only a fraction of expensive cards can use week anyway). It's made me PC game a lot less, since the console offerings are just more much better than they used to be.

And now with consoles that that sport SSDs, the experience is even better.

Also console games are starting to sport option suites that target different resolutions and frame rates. It isn't the same level of customization as options menus, but I can get a 60fps setting suite optimized by the devs with no hassle.

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PC (Steam) games will never become obsolete. MS isn't going to release a version of Windows with no backwards compatibility.

I have no idea what will happen to the Switch's online servers, including all the games you bought, a decade from now.

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Damn_Underscore posted...

PC (Steam) games will never become obsolete. MS isn't going to release a version of Windows with no backwards compatibility.

I have no idea what will happen to the Switch's online servers, including all the games you bought, a decade from now.

There's no guarantee that Steam servers will be around in a decade either. Of course it 99% will be, but that's just a case of trust, not a technical difference.

This is kinda nitpicking though on the steam part. GOG games are a thing.

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hulkhogan1 posted...

you're getting better graphics/framerate for most games

hulkhogan1 posted...

there are other advantages such as modding, emulation, more controller options, etc.

and that's not to mention the huge library spanning generations, going back to the '90s

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FurryPhilosifer posted...

There's no guarantee that Steam servers will be around in a decade either. Of course it 99% will be, but that's just a case of trust, not a technical difference.

People keep saying the servers will go down, but Steam has been around for nearly 20 years now. Valve has a big chunk of the market and make a lot of money. I don't see why they won't be around for another 20 years.

FurryPhilosifer posted...

There's no guarantee that Steam servers will be around in a decade either. Of course it 99% will be, but that's just a case of trust, not a technical difference.

This is kinda nitpicking though on the steam part. GOG games are a thing.

Maybe, but there's no guarantee any video game company will be around either. Valve has a god a chance as any. And they did promise to release all the DRM if they go out of business for what that's worth.

And the reason I mention Steam is because my Steam library is by far my biggest video game library. The discounts are insane.

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I actually bought a gaming-quality PC back at the beginning of the year. Havent really done much gaming on it yet though lol. Havent really wanted to. It just seems like a hassle. Like, why go sit in a not-that-comfortable chair hunched over the keyboard when I could play a console on my 4K TV with surround sound reclining in a really nice chair using a controller to play?

Or maybe I havent given it a fair chance yet. I just cant stand playing with a mouse + keyboard and I know that there are still a lot of games that dont support controller play so thats very off-putting.

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rexcrk posted...

I actually bought a gaming-quality PC back at the beginning of the year. Havent really done much gaming on it yet though lol. Havent really wanted to. It just seems like a hassle. Like, why go sit in a not-that-comfortable chair hunched over the keyboard when I could play a console on my 4K TV with surround sound reclining in a really nice chair using a controller to play?

Or maybe I havent given it a fair chance yet. I just cant stand playing with a mouse + keyboard and I know that there are still a lot of games that dont support controller play so thats very off-putting.

there's no reason you can't do that with a pc

most games support controllers and if not you can just download a program and set up controller input, it takes like 5 minutes

i don't even have a dedicated monitor for my PC. i hook it up to an old hdtv that a friend didn't want anymore. it works well enough for me so i haven't felt the need to go out and replace it yet.

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rexcrk posted...

Like, why go sit in a not-that-comfortable chair hunched over the keyboard when I could play a console on my 4K TV with surround sound reclining in a really nice chair using a controller to play?

Get yourself a better chair bro. A GAMING chair (but really even a decent office chair).

rexcrk posted...

Or maybe I havent given it a fair chance yet. I just cant stand playing with a mouse + keyboard and I know that there are still a lot of games that dont support controller play so thats very off-putting.

These days, the only new games that won't support controllers out of the box (i.e. just plug it in) are ones where mouse is far superior (like a 4X game). And that was true like 4 or 5 years ago when I was really into PC gaming.

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What pc gamers don't tell you is about how many popular multiplatform games just straight up don't work on PC. The Bioshock games? Absolutely fucked. Tried to play Bioshock 1 on PC and the remastered version crashes so often

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Just get a switch bro, portable pc gaming and excellent quality. Nintendo consoles last longer than any pc ever would

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$2000 and I will likely be able to play any game that releases for the next 15 years.

Steam sales and 3rd party sites = games are dirt cheap, so if you know you will buy a lot of games, you're saving money in the long run.

Also when you're done gaming, BOOM you are now using a computer that you can do computer things with, without having to get up from your chair.

Metal_Bug posted...

$2000 and I will likely be able to play any game that releases for the next 15 years.

So a top of the line graphics card from 2006 would be able to play Death Stranding?

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The benefit for PC gaming imo is that if you already need a computer, you can just spend the amount you would have already spent on both the PC and the Gaming console and get a gaming PC. Now you have one device that operates as both. If you dont need a PC for PC stuff, just get a console. If you're already going to spend $1000 on a PC and $500 on a console, just spend the $1500 on the PC.

You'll save money on game sales, and the money saved there can be used to upgrade the PC as needed.

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^ what kind of non gaming PC costs $1000? I got a gaming laptop for like, $700.

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Metal_Bug posted...

$2000 and I will likely be able to play any game that releases for the next 15 years.

Steam sales and 3rd party sites = games are dirt cheap, so if you know you will buy a lot of games, you're saving money in the long run.

Also when you're done gaming, BOOM you are now using a computer that you can do computer things with, without having to get up from your chair.

The best GPU available in 2006 was the 7900 GTX. The RTX 2060, which is basically the bare minimum needed to play Forza Horizon 5 at 1080p 60fps, is 40x more powerful than the 7900 GTX in pure compute performance. And that's without considering the obvious improvements in optimization.

So yeah you're not gonna be playing games on your PC 15 years later.


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FurryPhilosifer posted...

So a top of the line graphics card from 2006 would be able to play Death Stranding?

Maybe on low settings idk. But even if I'm wrong about that, game graphics are heading towards an asymptote, are they not.

DarkRoast posted...

The best GPU available in 2006 was the 7900 GTX. The RTX 2060, which is basically the bare minimum needed to play Forza Horizon 5 at 1080p 60fps, is 40x more powerful than the 7900 GTX in pure compute performance. And that's without considering the obvious improvements in optimization.

So yeah you're not gonna be playing games on your PC 15 years later.

There's a niche section of YouTubers who try running modern games using old GPUs

The outcome is the games will run at a low but playable framerate. not nearly as smooth as a modern system, obviously, but they'll run

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DarkRoast posted...

The best GPU available in 2006 was the 7900 GTX. The RTX 2060, which is basically the bare minimum needed to play Forza Horizon 5 at 1080p 60fps, is 40x more powerful than the 7900 GTX in pure compute performance. And that's without considering the obvious improvements in optimization.

So yeah you're not gonna be playing games on your PC 15 years later.

the other statement was hyperbole but this is entirely disingenuous since there's a bit of a difference between forza 5 and say unpacking, two games released at the same time.

meanwhile, unpacking won't be running on PS4, PS3, wii u, xbox 360 etc. even if the hardware could easily run it.

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TheHoldSteady posted...

There's a niche section of YouTubers who try running modern games using old GPUs

The outcome is the games will run at a low but playable framerate. not nearly as smooth as a modern system, obviously, but they'll run

I doubt you can find a playable video of Overwatch on a GPU from 2006. And that's one of the most forgiving games available.


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DarkRoast posted...

I doubt you can find a playable video of Overwatch on a GPU from 2006. And that's one of the most forgiving games available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnCnbJLQB4

the gpu in this video is from 2007 but close enough. took me like 2 minutes.

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TheHoldSteady posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnCnbJLQB4

the gpu in this video is from 2007 but close enough. took me like 2 minutes.

I'm not going to lie, I did not expect a gpu from 2007 could run overwatch. Color me surprised :D

1280x800 with 30fps lol


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I just like pc gaming for emulating old titles tbh. Id be fine with just a ps5 or xbsx for current games but cant find one. My pc is still ok for playing playing current games despite using 2018 parts (2080ti and 9900k sysyem) so im not in a rush to get the new consoles


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It's one of those things that I know I'd love to delve into, but I'm too lazy and too tech illiterate to really get into it. Plus I just want to come home from work and just push a couple of buttons and play with no issues.

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PC Gaming is best for one single reason: Modding.

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*sniff sniff* I smell troll

hulkhogan1 posted...

and it requires constant maintenance/upgrades if you want to keep having the "best" version of games.

Here's a secret. You do not have to have the "best" version of games. You can choose not to upgrade for years and years and still have your system be ahead of current gen consoles.

I will say with recent developments on GPU prices it is harder and pricier than usual...but trying to get a PS5 would cost you more anyways.

There isn't anything better about consoles because they are essentially just more restricted PCs at this point. The convenient form factor is about the only real benefit and that can be done with PCs as well if you get the right case and parts.

Crescente posted...

decades long backwards compatibility

This is overstated as well, most older games I've tried to play are super fucking finicky with newer OS and there's always something breaking in these old shits that you gotta figure out.

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Oh look, it's insecure consolite number 103294820394 making a reassurance topic on something he knows nothing about.

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AssultTank posted...

Yeah, I still have a gtx1070 and haven't had any issues. I did fry my old 6700k and had to go to a 9700k, but... My PC handles 4k gaming just fine...

Never had issues with older games either, including Bioshock remastered (Which was mentioned earlier)

Are you sure you played the remastered version? It is quite notoriously a mess

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As someone with access to both, I honestly do prefer the convenience of console. I can simply obtain the game and know it will work as long as I have the relevant console. Messing with settings is purely about preferences rather than trying to squeeze out performance.

Do I see the benefits of PC? Absolutely. I often will go PC for older games or indies, that I know my laptop - which is getting a bit out of date for gaming now (the GPU being the bottleneck, a GTX 960M) - will be able to handle on the high settings. It's cheaper, and these days basically everything supports a controller. I don't personally give a shit about mods for the most part.

But if I'm going to play a major AAA title, the convenience of console is worth the extra $10 or so I might end up paying for the game. EDIT: And of course, there's the factor of that a lot of the games I've been interested in have been console-exclusive, at least for a long initial period.

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hulkhogan1 posted...

At best you're getting better graphics/framerate for most games

If you think thats the best case scenario then my friend you have short changed your imagination. Better graphics and frame rate is the bare minimum standard.

hulkhogan1 posted...

you're spending a lot more money than you would on a console,

This isnt true. Its actually much cheaper. Youre just getting confused because its a higher initial cost up front. But in the long run console players spend much more. MUCH more.

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Yeah

I ended up selling my 1070 for 400 bucks and just bought a PS5. Best gaming decision I've ever made.


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