PC vs Console? Which game platform better?

[RandV]

I answered a question that clearly had one correct answer.

The fact that a hypothetical PC build could run a game I have zero interest in playing better doesn't matter to me, especially when 90% of my favorite games are developed for consoles. Different platforms are going to appeal to different tastes, but apparently that doesn't matter. The car with the highest horsepower is always the best option, after all.

Nothing exists in a vacuum. Can we stop pretending that there's objective truths in matters of personal taste? If you prefer PC gaming, fine, good for you. The gate-keeping and smug sense of superiority is not necessary to validate your enjoyment.

The thread was asking which one was better, not which one meets our personal preferences. You can weigh the pro's and cons and try to pick a winner while still understanding that some peoples personal preferences will outweigh make one side the better pick regardless. And while I'm sure you'll come across plenty of dicks about this online this thread's been perfectly civil, no one's doing that here.

I mean if you want to talk about being elitist, I would fall into the 'PC' gamer for budgetary reasons in that I can't afford console gaming. Last game console I bought was the Nintendo Wii, then I started playing ice hockey and just never had the extra money for a newer console and their expensive games. Because a PC is multipurpose, I build one that will last me for a long time then partake in bargain game purchasing. I just built a new PC in December so I have a lot to get caught up on, but prior to that I was using a 10 year old machine that topped out at Skyrim or FFXIII, or small maps in Civ VI.

So there, console's are just too elite for me.

 

[Osprey]

I mean if you want to talk about being elitist, I would fall into the 'PC' gamer for budgetary reasons in that I can't afford console gaming. Last game console I bought was the Nintendo Wii, then I started playing ice hockey and just never had the extra money for a newer console and their expensive games. Because a PC is multipurpose, I build one that will last me for a long time then partake in bargain game purchasing. I just built a new PC in December so I have a lot to get caught up on, but prior to that I was using a 10 year old machine that topped out at Skyrim or FFXIII, or small maps in Civ VI.

So there, console's are just too elite for me.

Dirty PC peasant! You can't afford the latest and greatest, so you make do with horribly outdated hardware and old games on sale, like hand-me-downs when the wealthy are done with them. If it weren't for the console master race paying full price to subsidize games for you, you'd have nothing!

 

[Shareefruck]

Honestly though, he's completely right (about that last part anyways, I disagree with the first part). The only reason I play more games on PC and fewer games on Console is because I can't justify the cost of consoles but can justify the cost of a PC.

It absolutely is not worth it to buy a PS4, Switch, AND an X-box, whereas it's absolutely worth it to buy a solid/capable PC even if you never plan to play a single game in your life on it.

I completely disagree with the suggestion that the purpose of this thread is to take into account what other people value, separate from our own opinions/values, though.

 

[Morbo]

how can you "abhor PC gaming". such a ridiculous premise to begin with.

 

[Shareefruck]

I do abhor the types of games that are typically associated with PC gaming, though.

 

[Osprey]

I do abhor the types of games that are typically associated with PC gaming, though.

What types of games do you think are typically associated with PC gaming, if I may ask? For me, I can't think of PC gaming without thinking of strategy games like Civilization, SimCity, Age of Empires, RollerCoaster Tycoon and many, many others. If anything typifies PC gaming, I would say that those do. Right after them come Western-style top-down RPGs like the first two Fallouts, Baldur's Gate, Divinity: Original Sin and Pillars of Eternity. Then, even though indie games are available on consoles, there are more on PC and they tend to start out there before being ported. The indie scene is, thus, kind of halfway associated with the PC, IMO, and you're a big fan of indie games, it seems.

 

[Mathew Barzal]

Whichever one my friends are on.

 

[Sega Dreamcast]

The entire argument is pointless because everyone has differing preferences. The reasons I have for liking PC might be the same reasons someone has for disliking it.

It's not dissimilar from buying a car, in that you can buy a car that's more expensive but more powerful and fun to drive, or you can buy an economy car that will simply do it's job reliably.

Just like a performance car, PC is better but with a bunch of caveats, such as cost, requisite knowledge of computers, and ease-of-use. The average person will find consoles are more convenient and cost-effective.

But f*** paying for online multiplayer, though

 

[Shareefruck]

What types of games do you think are typically associated with PC gaming, if I may ask? For me, I can't think of PC gaming without thinking of strategy games like Civilization, SimCity, Age of Empires, RollerCoaster Tycoon and many, many others. If anything typifies PC gaming, I would say that those do. Right after them come Western-style top-down RPGs like the first two Fallouts, Baldur's Gate, Divinity: Original Sin and Pillars of Eternity. Then, even though indie games are available on consoles, there are more on PC and they tend to start out there before being ported. The indie scene is, thus, kind of halfway associated with the PC, IMO, and you're a big fan of indie games, it seems.

It's true that Indie games are the exception to that sentiment because they technically come out on PC first, but I tend not to associate indie games with PC gaming because they're usually based on a style that is so often rooted in console gaming. They're essentially making games in the spirit of console/arcade games, but on the PC.

Most games that are designed for an endless/limitless, massive online multi-player experience where social interaction/customization is a huge component is what I would typically associate with PC gaming, and I do despise what the attitudes of those games generally turn gaming into (an addictive alternative lifestyle/hub/playground/place to hang out/modding community rather than a cohesive and specifically directed work to experience that has nothing to do with the environment).

When games are the former, I kind of despise/scoff at the medium and find it to be a soulless time-waster activity. When games are the latter, I'm interested and more likely to get an inspired/passionate feeling about them.

Obviously there isn't a clear divide free of overlap, where PC games are exclusively the former and console games are exclusively the latter, and of course that line is blurring as time progresses, but it seems obvious that there's a different culture/vibe that each at least APPEAR to have or that the platforms are more suited for, and I do feel very differently about those differences.

To me, it's kind of similar to the differences between the general vibes of XBox and Nintendo.

 

[Osprey]

Most games that are designed for an endless/limitless, massive online multi-player experience where social interaction is a huge component is what I would typically associate with PC gaming, and I do despise what the attitudes of those games generally turn gaming into (an addictive alternative lifestyle/hub/playground/place to hang out/modding community more than a cohesive and specifically directed work to experience that has nothing to do with the environment). You know, games that you play with a headset, games where you have a clan that you meet up with, that's sort of the cliched picture of what PC gaming often looks like to me.

Are there really that many of those types of games that are PC exclusive any more? There's World of Warcraft, but, other than that and a few others, there aren't that many major online-only games that aren't cross-platform nowadays. Games like Fallout 76, Anthem, Overwatch, Destiny 2, Battlefield V, GTA Online, Rainbow Six: Siege, Conan Exiles and even The Elder Scrolls Online are on consoles, too. On top of that shift, a lot of the PC community has gotten tired of the life-absorbing experiences like WoW and have gone back to appreciating single player games, indie games and online games with smaller servers. I'm not sure that the culture that you're referring to is really associated with PC gaming very much any more.

 

[Shareefruck]

Are there really that many of those types of games that are PC exclusive any more? There's World of Warcraft, but, other than that and a few others, there aren't that many major online-only games that aren't cross-platform nowadays. Games like Fallout 76, Anthem, Overwatch, Destiny 2, Battlefield V, GTA Online, Rainbow Six: Siege, Conan Exiles and even The Elder Scrolls Online are on consoles, too. On top of that shift, a lot of the PC community has gotten tired of the life-absorbing experiences like WoW and have gone back to appreciating single player games, indie games and online games with smaller servers. I'm not sure that the culture that you're referring to is really associated with PC gaming very much any more.

It's true that the lines between the two are being blurred, but aren't games like Overwatch, Fortnite, and Apex Legends ultimately still more suited to being played with a keyboard and mouse rather than on controller, and aren't they predominantly most popular on PC by design? While they're cross-platform, I still see them more as products of the PC gaming culture rather than console gaming culture.

 

[Aladyyn]

It's true that the lines between the two are being blurred, but aren't games like Overwatch, Fortnite, and Apex Legends ultimately still more suited to being played with a keyboard and mouse rather than on controller, and aren't they predominantly most popular on PC by design? While they're cross-platform, I still see them more as products of the PC gaming culture rather than console gaming culture.

That's just because they're shooters though.

 

[Shareefruck]

That's just because they're shooters though.

Right, and I typically do associate online multiplayer shooters in general with PC gaming for that reason.

 

[Osprey]

It's true that the lines between the two are being blurred, but aren't games like Overwatch, Fortnite, and Apex Legends ultimately still more suited to being played with a keyboard and mouse rather than on controller, and aren't they predominantly most popular on PC by design? While they're cross-platform, I still see them more as products of the PC gaming culture rather than console gaming culture.

I really don't know, since I haven't played any of them. I don't think of them as PC games, though, because they're popular on multiple platforms, and if I don't think that, I doubt that most people really associate them with PC, either. Also, I imagine that they were designed with console-friendly play firmly in mind, so I'm not sure that I'd call them typical of PC games, since a typical PC game would exploit the keyboard and mouse, not be big on achievements and so on. I just wouldn't hold games like that against PC, since I think that they're a product of cross-platformness. If you imagine two large circles (PC and console) slightly overlapping, the overlap portion is what most AAA developers are aiming for, since it's the sweet spot that appeals to both markets, but it's not fair to call that area typical of either PC or console.

 

[Aladyyn]

Right, and I typically do associate online multiplayer shooters in general with PC gaming for that reason.

Hasn't been the case for the past 10 years or so.

 

[Commander Clueless]

It's true that the lines between the two are being blurred, but aren't games like Overwatch, Fortnite, and Apex Legends ultimately still more suited to being played with a keyboard and mouse rather than on controller, and aren't they predominantly most popular on PC by design? While they're cross-platform, I still see them more as products of the PC gaming culture rather than console gaming culture.

I would agree with the keyboard/mouse statement, but many (including most of my friends) do not.

While I think this was PC centric in the past, console shooters are huge. The only real PC holdout is strategy games, and those are a dying breed (unfortunately).


With the exception of the outlier that is Nintendo, consoles and PC have sort of met in the middle (well actually I think consoles have become more like PCs over the last generation, but I digress). I don't really think the "culture" differences are really all that significant anymore, aside from the minor disputes seen in this thread.

 

[Shareefruck]

I really don't know, since I haven't played any of them. I don't think of them as PC games, though, because they're popular on multiple platforms, and if I don't think that, I doubt that most people really associate them with PC, either. Also, I imagine that they were designed with console-friendly play firmly in mind, so I'm not sure that I'd call them typical of PC games, since a typical PC game would exploit the keyboard and mouse, not be big on achievements and so on. I just wouldn't hold games like that against PC, since I think that they're a product of cross-platformness. If you imagine two large circles (PC and console) slightly overlapping, the overlap portion is what most AAA developers are aiming for, since it's the sweet spot that appeals to both markets, but it's not fair to call that area typical of either PC or console.

Hasn't been the case for the past 10 years or so.

I would agree with the keyboard/mouse statement, but many (including most of my friends) do not.

While I think this was PC centric in the past, console shooters are huge. The only real PC holdout is strategy games, and those are a dying breed (unfortunately).


With the exception of the outlier that is Nintendo, consoles and PC have sort of met in the middle (well actually I think consoles have become more like PCs over the last generation, but I digress). I don't really think the "culture" differences are really all that significant anymore, aside from the minor disputes seen in this thread.

Maybe it's already blurred more than I'm aware, then. My feeling is that it's starting to get to that point where it's the same, but is still notably more present in PC gaming than in console gaming.

In any case, though, a part of the argument is also be who's to blame in the first place for the mentality that (for me) presently corrupts gaming on both platforms, based on what you're saying. They still hold their respective stigmas for me because of the history. I mean, it's not like the attitude/style of game that annoys me is gone now and no longer relevant. It's just everywhere.

Another consideration that this affects is the cumulative total of what has existed/exists in both platforms overall. There are still more games on consoles that I appreciate/respect than games on PC, cumulatively, because of this history, at least when you exclude emulation. There's no reason to only restrict this evaluation to the current latest generation of games.

On an unrelated note, do we consider handheld gaming/arcade gaming to be console gaming, or their own separate thing?

 

[aleshemsky83]

Oh I mentioned load times and all that, but another thing is the media center capabilities of PC especially with Plex now developed nice and clean. All you have to do is label a show with the title and something like "All in the family S01E01" (using tvdb.com as a guide for episode order) and it'll be all sorted.

The PS3 had really good capabilities for playing media but the PS4 just didn't carry it over. I don't think it even had a media player app for the first few years.

 

[Commander Clueless]

On an unrelated note, do we consider handheld gaming/arcade gaming to be console gaming, or their own separate thing?

I'd say handheld is it's own beast, although the Switch muddies those waters a bit.

 

[Osprey]

On an unrelated note, do we consider handheld gaming/arcade gaming to be console gaming, or their own separate thing?

When the lines are blurred like that, I'm inclined to put them into categories according to how they're controlled. If a handheld device has dedicated buttons for gaming like a controller (like the Switch, Vita or DS), I'd put it in the console category. If it uses a touchscreen (like an Android or iOS device), instead, I'd probably put it in more the PC category, since touchscreens are often just a convenient alternative to mice and most games that use one can be somewhat easily converted to the other.

I guess that you could also just say that handhelds that are dedicated to gaming go with consoles and those that are multipurpose devices and not necessarily designed for games (ex. phones, tablets) go with PC. That's an alternative criterion that essentially reaches the same result.

I don't mind the notion that all handheld devices are a separate category from console and PC, but then you're lumping dedicated gaming handhelds and touchscreen devices together, and I'm not sure if that makes the most sense. That's just me, though.

 

[Shareefruck]

When the lines are blurred like that, I'm inclined to put them into categories according to how they're controlled. If a handheld device has dedicated buttons for gaming like a controller (like the Switch, Vita or DS), I'd put it in the console category. If it uses a touchscreen (like an Android or iOS device), instead, I'd probably put it in more the PC category, since touchscreens are often just a convenient alternative to mice and keyboards and most games that use one can be somewhat easily converted to the other.

I guess that you could also just say that dedicated gaming handhelds go with consoles and multipurpose devices which are not necessarily designed for games but can play them (ex. phones, tablets) go with PC. That's an alternative criterion that essentially reaches the same result.

I don't mind the notion that all handheld devices are a separate category from console and PC, but then you're lumping dedicated gaming handhelds and touchscreen devices together, and I'm not sure if that makes the most sense. That's just me, though.

If we're lumping them together, then yeah, I would definitely say that I have overwhelmingly more respect for console/hand-held gaming over the years than I do PC/mobile gaming, which has only recently become tolerable for me now that Indie games have become such a big thing.

If we're separating them, it's a little closer, but I'd probably still lean in that direction. One has consistently charmed me whereas the other has always historically felt garish, soulless, and unappealing to me.

 

[RandV]

Most games that are designed for an endless/limitless, massive online multi-player experience where social interaction/customization is a huge component is what I would typically associate with PC gaming, and I do despise what the attitudes of those games generally turn gaming into (an addictive alternative lifestyle/hub/playground/place to hang out/modding community rather than a cohesive and specifically directed work to experience that has nothing to do with the environment).

This is just the current big publisher trend that extends to both PC and console. Saying something like this is what PC gaming is would be kind of like saying for the past 15 years console gaming was just Madden and CoD. This is just the reality of the market. There's always going to be types of games that draw the biggest crowds or generate the biggest revenue, and these games are either the quick online matches or soul sucking mmo/'live services', or some mix of the two.

Which is unfortunate for some of us, my personal preference leans towards single player strategy, RPG's, and what I would dub 'Nintendo games'. But while much of the market isn't geared towards me I still have more than enough to choose from. I think the distinction you're getting at though overall is there's more money sunk into console exclusive single player games, series like Uncharted or God of War. But these have still faced significant decline on console in favour of games like CoD/Battlefield/Destiny/etc, and again that's on the publishers.

 

[RandV]

The entire argument is pointless because everyone has differing preferences. The reasons I have for liking PC might be the same reasons someone has for disliking it.

It's not dissimilar from buying a car, in that you can buy a car that's more expensive but more powerful and fun to drive, or you can buy an economy car that will simply do it's job reliably.

Just like a performance car, PC is better but with a bunch of caveats, such as cost, requisite knowledge of computers, and ease-of-use. The average person will find consoles are more convenient and cost-effective.

But **** paying for online multiplayer, though

Like I said in my other post while there's the obvious high end high cost PC market you can also go in the completely opposite direction and make it cheap enough that consoles look expensive.

On either platform the most fundamental way to be a budget gamer is to build up a backlog and stick to yesterdays games. This can be applied to both console and PC, but one is vastly more accommodating and cheaper than the other.

 

[Shareefruck]

This is just the current big publisher trend that extends to both PC and console. Saying something like this is what PC gaming is would be kind of like saying for the past 15 years console gaming was just Madden and CoD. This is just the reality of the market. There's always going to be types of games that draw the biggest crowds or generate the biggest revenue, and these games are either the quick online matches or soul sucking mmo/'live services', or some mix of the two.

Which is unfortunate for some of us, my personal preference leans towards single player strategy, RPG's, and what I would dub 'Nintendo games'. But while much of the market isn't geared towards me I still have more than enough to choose from. I think the distinction you're getting at though overall is there's more money sunk into console exclusive single player games, series like Uncharted or God of War. But these have still faced significant decline on console in favour of games like CoD/Battlefield/Destiny/etc, and again that's on the publishers.

I think that's an exaggeration. I feel that the reputation of PC games throughout history has generally been stuff like Starcraft, Half Life 2, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Dota, etc. Whereas I think it would be a stretch to say that the reputation of console games throughout history has been Call of Duty and Madden. It's not just about popularity, it's cultural influence, word of mouth, and acclaim as well. Taking advantage of connectivity has always been a likely staple/highlight of PC gaming in a way that has only recently shifted towards the middle.

That said, I'm generally not a fan of the PC games that don't fall under this mold, either.

I think part of my perception also comes from the fact that there's no Nintendo-equivalent of PC, and perhaps also because I'm a bigger fan of Japanese developer sensibilities than that Western (often medieval) aesthetic/developer sensibility that so many PC games seem to have.

I agree that this is on the publishers and not the hardware, but to me, the publishers are a huge component of the assessment.

 

[Osprey]

I think that's an exaggeration. I feel that the reputation of PC games throughout history has generally been stuff like Starcraft, Half Life 2, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Dota, etc. Whereas I think it would be a stretch to say that the reputation of console games throughout history has been Call of Duty and Madden. It's not just about popularity, it's cultural influence, word of mouth, and acclaim as well. Taking advantage of connectivity has always been a likely staple/highlight of PC gaming in a way that has only recently shifted towards the middle.

That was his point, I believe. It's an exaggeration to characterize console gaming as Madden and Call of Duty, just as it is to characterize PC gaming as grindy, online time wasters. That's being as unfair to PC gaming as PC gamers sometimes are towards console gaming. I understand your point that there tends to be more charm found in console games than PC games, but I don't think that it's fair to compare what you like best about consoles to what you like least about PC. That's like a PC gamer praising the PC because it produces deep titles like Civilization and Pillars of Eternity and knocking consoles because they produce yearly-regurgitated titles like Madden and Call of Duty. If you want to compare what you feel are the worst examples of PC games, perhaps the worst examples of console games would be a more fairer comparison.