Discuss video games with anyone and you will inevitably hear someone interject with the opinion that PC gaming is the best way to experience video games. This is even the case now that there have been at least eight new home console generations released since the 70s.
While there are some definite benefits to playing on a home console over a personal computer, there is a reason why PC gamers call themselves the PC master race. As such, let’s explore some of the reasons why PC gaming is still the best way to experience the medium.
Access To More Games
One huge endeavour for major game console developers is securing exclusive rights to some of the best games on the market. Sony has always had access to the Uncharted series and Microsoft have Halo. There was even a time when you could only play Grand Theft Auto Games on a PlayStation. This means that the only way to play all the games you wanted was being able to afford both major home console releases at once.
PC gamers rarely encounter this issue as developers are perfectly happy to release a PC port of their exclusive content at a later date. As a result, PC gamers end up with access to more of the top games on the market. This is even true even though Nintendo is still reluctant to share some of their major titles, like Mario or Pokémon, with PC gamers.
Improved Graphics
There are many reasons why you may choose to play a certain video game; however, a lot of gamers agree that graphics make up a big part of new video games. While it is still fun to play the original Sims on PC, we now live in a 4K world that can produce some highly realistic games. As such, modern gamers want the best graphics in newer games as possible. Therefore, these gamers are better served playing on PC.
Both of the most recent consoles from Sony and Microsoft have graphics cards that are only capable of rendering a specific amount of graphical data. While the PS5 has the more powerful graphics card of the two, you will need to upgrade to the next console when newer games surpass the capabilities of this technology. PC gamers are already capable of using a much more advanced graphics card than the ones used in the latest generations of consoles. What’s more, these games only need to pay for an updated graphics card instead of an entirely new system when the current graphics systems become obsolete. Therefore, PC gamers are able to experience improved graphics and a higher frame rate when they play new video games.
Mods
While a huge video developer will put everything that they can into a new title to make it as good as it can be, there are some clever souls out there that like to improve on these ideas themselves. These people are known as the modding community, and they are responsible for programming some of their own ideas and improvements into a game.
However, some consoles are not advanced enough to process some of these mods. Fortunately, PCs can enable you to program and test out your new ideas on the same system. PCs give gamers the ability to access game files and assets without having to mine through console firewalls. Also, it is easier to download mods onto a PC, which is why only PC gamers can experience the additional fun of taking down a giant chicken in Bethesda’s Skyrim while it is raining trains and cheese wheels. Also Read – All Time Best GBA Games
More Space
Storage is essential to a gamer because you can download more games and apps with more storage. You may think that a PC would struggle for storage space because it has so many other uses. However, the exact opposite is true.
The current PlayStation and Xbox consoles have between 300 and 600GB worth of memory. With some of the most recent games like Hogwarts: Legacy taking up around 130 GB of storage space, console gamers can only ever store around six games at a time. This is nothing when you think about the storage capacity of a PC. Many new PCs can hold up to 1TB of data, so why wouldn’t you start out with the highest storage capacity available? What’s more, you can also free up more space by compressing your game files just like you would compress a PDF file with PDF tools. There are ways to expand the console storage capacity, but it seems pointless when you think of the advantages a standard PC can offer gamers.
Better Control
Video game console developers have worked tirelessly to create some of the most ergonomic controllers for their systems possible. This was even the case when Nintendo released the ghastly Nintendo 64 controller and Microsoft released the chunky nightmare that was the first Xbox controller. However, it doesn’t matter how ergonomic these controllers are, they will never compare to a keyboard and mouse set-up.
A standard console controller has around eight buttons for issuing commands and a movement stick. A standard PC has around seventy-two keys and a mouse to use for movement. As you can see, the PC has so many more possibilities for game control. You also have the option of linking a wireless console controller to your PC if that is what you are used to.
Easier To Fix
The consoles made by leading developers are made using specialist equipment. This means that you will need to ship them back to the factory if they break. This is something that people who encountered the Xbox 360’s infamous red ring of death are all too familiar with. As such, repairing a broken game console can be extremely expensive and time-consuming for the average gamer. Repairing this one fault could take Microsoft engineers a minimum of six months at a time.
On the other hand, fixing a gaming PC involves finding the source of the problem. From there you can just head to your nearest PC shop to replace the part that is broken.
Games Cost Less
While repairing a video game console can end up being quite expensive, it is also worth noting that the retail price for PC games is much lower than for console games. PC gamers are fewer than console gamers which means that developers need to find a way to entice people to buy these games. The way to do that is with lower prices.
What’s more, PC gamers are more likely to have access to downloadable video game software as opposed to the disc drive of a console. This means that developers can make downloadable PC games much cheaper by cutting out physical production costs. A full gaming PC may be more expensive than the average games console, but you will save yourself money on the games themselves in the long run.
Summary
The debate between console and PC gamers will never end. As mentioned before, there are plenty of advantages to playing video games on a console rather than a PC. However, anyone looking to experience the advantages listed above should consider using a PC for gaming instead.
