Gaming: PC vs. Console?
By Jeffrey | June 10, 2007
Probably the most hotly debated subject among gamers is whether PC or console gaming is the best.
Both sides have their weapons: PC has Quake, F.E.A.R., Half-Life, and countless MMO’s - some better than others - while the console has Final Fantasy, Halo, and the Marios.
But while PC was the clear victor less than 5 years ago, the tide has begun to turn to the point that the question is:
Is it even a war anymore?
It used to be that the war wasn’t a war at all.
Computers were astronomically more powerful than their console brethren of the time, and would routinely outrank at every resolution and with every feature.
Sure, the NES, the Genesis, the Super Nintendo, and so on, had some great games - even some of the all-time greatest games - but the PC had the graphics, and with games such as Doom, the online gaming world would begin to take off.
Doom wasn’t even the first of the online games. MMO’s owe their very existence to early online text-based games known as MUD’s.
Consoles were a niche market then, as although millions of consoles were sold it was not the mainstream media that as it exists today.
In fact, most of the non-propriety games on console would be released in better form on the PC anyway.
You’d never find Mario and his pals, Goldeneye, or Crash Bandicoot installed in Windows, but other popular games like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear: Solid, and Resident Evil 2 all were ported over.
Like most ports, even those today - I’m looking at you Halo, they had their problems, but typically the advanced graphics, sound, and even cheating features overweighed their problems.
A common question universally asked at the time of a PC release was whether you could find it on console.
Today, that question is reversed into, “When will Halo (2) come out for PC?” or “This doesn’t run as well as it does on my 360.”
Such a remark would be almost laughable a decade ago, but now it is the norm.
The reasons for this are diverse, and each are equally responsible.
First off, PC games are far easier to bootleg. With programs like CloneCD, Alcohol, and Daemon’s Tools, copying a PC game is as easy as ripping it and burning or mounting it.
Consoles are far harder to achieve this.
No console game will work by simply ripping an original and burning it. Each system has its various forms of copy-protection, and none are beatable without some form of modchip or softmod.
Techniques like that can get expensive, and at the very least are beyond the capabilities of most casual gamers.
Because of this, developers see a vast new field to release games in with little chance of losing profits to piracy.
Second, consoles are tweak-free. You buy the game, pop it in, and you’re up and running.
On PC, the process is typically: buy the game, pop it in, install it - after agreeing to various EULA’s, open it up, set the graphic and sound options, then begin playing.
This problem is part of the reason I mainly game on console now. I have gotten tired of endless tweaking, installing, and troubleshooting of games on my PC.
And lastly, consoles own the multi-player crown.
Not too long ago, that would be a crazy statement to make, but today it is the truth.
There is no easier way to game with friends than to have a console, 4 controllers, and a big couch to sit on. Most PC games don’t even offer same-system multiplayer.
If in-person isn’t your thing - read my rant on BDA’s - then the console holds the crown in online gaming as well.
No service can compare with Xbox Live and it’s ease of use. Microsoft, for all their faults, struck gold with the service and have made it simple, yet feature-filled. Sony is following the same path with its up and coming online service for the PS3.
With the exception of Steam, which has a great online service, few PC games can compete with the slickness of consoles in this area.
So with the advantages consoles are gaining over their PC cousins, the question must be asked: Is PC gaming dead?
Not by a long shot. If people are into MMO’s - and World of Warcraft tells us that millions are - then PC is still the place to be. And while the consoles are catching up with first-person shooters they still can’t quite compete with a keyboard and mouse.
But for gaming in general the consoles rule the playground. And that’s where it counts, because by becoming universally general they are becoming increasingly mainstream.
No technical know-how required, no online service finding is necessary, and gamers no longer need to know what .cfg or .ini files are.
So the war is winding down, and while consoles may have been the initial underdog they have emerged champion.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, my Xbox is calling my name. Or, at least, some 12-year-old with a headset is.
Topics: Rants |
PC’s are still the ultimate online gaming experience. Sure certain games are better on a console with your mates round, football games and things like the wii really excel in this and its just something a PC cannot offer. However in terms of online gaming and the overall experience PC’s are far superior to consoles. You can watch movies / play games / browse the internet load up multiple voice comms servers, work, manipulate multimedia etc etc. all on one machine. PC offers you a gateway to anything you can possibly want online, consoles simply do not offer this.
PC’s are in general more for the hardcore gamer who competes online, although console games are becoming more prominent now then they used to be PC games still rule the roost with professional gaming, which are mainly based on FPS / Strategy games. Some games simply aren’t viable to play on a console due to the number of options and keys required to play. Games like starcraft / WOW / FPS couldn’t come close to a PC, unless of course you plugged a mouse and keyboard in. And lets face it, the new consoles are basically a PC in a smaller case.
Console have now opened up online gaming to more people, however PC’s have been king in online gaming for a long long time and its only recently they have started to come close, but they are still a long way off. FPS games on a pad is still LOL. As for XBOX live, its a required service for you to play online which you also have to PAY for. You don’t have to pay to play online on a PC unless its subscription based, and lets face it typing with a pad and manipulating options is far easier with a PC.
I’d always go for PC, if i want to go play with other gamers i go to a LAN party, if not i can kick back hook up my 2 sreens watch a movie play wow listen to music and chat to people on voice comms and MSN at the same time. Something a console just cannot offer.
Posted by: Zaylril on September 26th, 2007 at 9:22 amYeah sure PC’s are great for MMO gaming, but when it’s crunch time, the Console win’s, for single player fun time. I am building a PC with a AMD gaming chip.
But I wont just use it for gaming, I will be running multiple applications, and befor you start yes a AMD chip can handle that, but just not as well as a Intel chip.
Console for me, but I will play games with friends online with the new PC cause the old Xbox is getting pretty slow online lol.
Posted by: Kane on October 1st, 2007 at 4:34 pmWhen it comes to gaming, consoles are way better. i think its time for pc’s to step aside and go back to the things they do best
such as making word documents and catching viruses.
Posted by: Zakkarakus on October 11th, 2007 at 9:27 amI always believed PC is better than Console, untill I played games on XBOX 360 at High-Def.
XBOX 360 worth $400 performs at par with a Gaming Desktop which costs $2000.
I don’t think there is any point debating if PCs are any better cuz if they are, they cost way too much.
I think for some games, PC is better from the point of view of gaming experience and ease especially shooting games which are easier to play with Keyboard and Mouse. Most games run very well on a console though.
And as for playing Music and Movies, and XBOX 360 does that as well.
1 Downside I see on consoles for modern games is that for many games there are no cheats available for console while on PC there are plenty of cheats down to the point that one can edit files in Hex-editer etc and expand game substantially.
Posted by: Amol on October 29th, 2007 at 11:37 amI have boths things, and it depends on the game, for me fps and rpg, strategic games are way better on pc but sport games, arcade ones and fighting games better on console…
Posted by: Metalfox on December 28th, 2007 at 10:13 amso that’s why i got both and for online games as Zaylril pc is better for all the settings that you can manage.
most of u people are saying consoles are better just because u have bought a new 360 or ps3 but u dont quite have an up to date pc, pc´s are so much better at gaming allthough u have to install the game and sort the graphics options 1st, but look at halo 2 for vista….u can play while it installs and fps games are so much better on pc´s its just ponit and click, if there was a multiplatform fps game for the pc and console u would get walked all over by the pc.
Posted by: Nick on December 31st, 2007 at 3:23 pmpcs are way better. the multiplayer is better and has better graphics. some ppl just buy a console like a 360 cuz they think it its cheaper than a gaming pc that can cost thousands, but they dont realize that they can buy a graphics card, a motherboard/cpu combo, and some RAM for the same price as a 360. you dont have to buy a pre-set gaming rig like an alien ware,just buy the things separately. you dont have to buy a nvidia card that costs 500 dollars, you can get a card thats just as good for less than a 100 dollars of of pricewatch.com
Posted by: bob on January 16th, 2008 at 3:51 pmWhy do you feel you need to have the latest hardware in your PC? Be a smart gamer, you don’t need to have the latest graphics card or the latest CPU!!!! Or definitely you don’t need the latest monitor!!!
I revamp my pc every 3-4 years, aka buy a new one, the one I just bought now cost me 1200 Euros and I only need a new graphics card that I will get when the price is right.
Dual core E6600
2 Gig ram
350 Gigs HD
GF7500 LG
Windows vista
sound car 7.1
1200 euros
- I never buy newer graph cards because they are too expensive and only a few games take advantage of them = no need.
- Be smart with the games you buy, unless you are a fussy player, you don’t need to play games full AA and at the highest resolution, I’m sorry but games in my pc look great already at 1084 res and up with zero AA.
- Anyway if you want a console to compete with your pc in the resolution department, you will need a HD TV if you don’t have that then a PS3 or Xbox 360 will be a waste IMO, so the price adds up.
Posted by: Pyro-Chan on January 21st, 2008 at 6:21 pmPC’s give more control, larger variety of controls, and look better. There are tons of more games for the pc as well and better multitasking. And seriously, i don’t feel like paying regularly 30 bucks for XBL. I personally like the keyboard and mouse feel for more precision, especially for FPS’s. But it is all in your preference.
Posted by: Sahel on March 17th, 2008 at 5:35 pmGive a thought to this. Why have consoles increased in price? Hardware, the components that have brought it closer to PC. Where does console have to go from this point? The only place consoels can go is forward including new features such as true internet browsing, keyboard and mouse support eventually for the previously mentioned, more memory for increasing complexity of games, HD-DVD/already incorperated Blue Ray drives, larger hard drive disks for incorperating mods that can not be slapped onto DVD.
Why are all these improvemtnts going to take place? That is the progression of technology. The most important fact is that Sony and Microsoft are going to be fighting each other relentlessly to make better consoles. The price point of the PS3 hurt its sales and both companies are selling their systems below the price it actually costs to make the console. This is bad because this is reflected in the price of games. 60.00 per game.
Right now you can buy a PC by my estimates and the parts I would buy online for about 850.00 and have a gaming PC that smokes the already aging consoles 360 and PS3. 850.00 seems like a lot right. It wasn’t too long ago when Sony was asking for 600.00 for their system. Take into account the direction the console market must go in order to sway customers of the current console generation to upgrade to the PS4 or the Xbox 720?
There are going to have to be marked improvements and the only way to do that is to increase features, and hardware as I mentioned above. The fight between Sony will heat up and the prices will raise. Consoles used to be acessable for their pricing will soon become more and more expensive. We will see the same game coming out for xbox 360 and xbox 720 because of the drastic increase and price I see coming. Theres no way around it.
PC hardware manufacturers DO inf act feel threatened by consoles. This is seen by price drops in hardware. I’m not talking about your 8800 Ultra GPUs but processors like the e8400 core 2 duo 260.00 and the 8800gt which can now be found for 200.00 These components can easily out perform the PS3 and the 360. Sure there are other components to take into account which I have and reached 850.00 if you are a smart shopper NOT 2000.00 like someone previously mentioned.
So, console prices will inevitably go up and PC hardware vendors will keep their components at a price that provides a better alternative IMO. When PC becomes the cheaper and superior gaming platform you will see people starting to shift over to PC as they will have picked up keyboard and mouse skills from gaming on console. THAT, the support of keyboard and mouse is inevitable for consoles. Its been demanded, and lets face it. Sony and Microsoft will provide true web browsing and nobody will want to scroll with analog sticks to select each key.
I have been a gamer since Hovertank 3d came out. That was the real first 3D shooter released by id software. I make all these presumptions because I’ve watched gaming for a long time and knew that when console gamers got their games playing at higher resolutions due to HDTVs which is just technology taken from computer monitors that this would happen. This is a small blip on the gaming timeline as PC will always be more customizable an always offer the best gaming experience.
I can firmly say that because Nvidia and ATI make the graphics cards that go into consoles. After a console is released it sits there and ages while Nvidia and ATI continue to make faster graphics cards. I currently have a PC that makes Bioshock on 360 look like sh**. So until you have gotten over your odd fear of keyboard and mouse and actually sat down with a powerful PC to play games you are just making an uneducated assumpion that gaming on consoles is better.
Also don’t underestimate the power of marketing. There is no large entity to advertise for PC. All you see is xbox and playstation commercials on TV. This gives the illusion that consoles are completely taking over. Consoles are catching up currently but there are a LOT of PC gamers out there. Don’t kid yourself.
Another thing I read which was by Zakkarakus, He said,
“i think its time for pc’s to step aside and go back to the things they do best such as making word documents and catching viruses.”
And if they did that you would not have any games to play at all. That is a stupid thing to say, and I’m being nice. PCs create the games you play. I don’t see a console running Zbrush and 3ds max. While were at that throw out all your movies as well because they were edited or special effects at some point in whatever movie were done on PC. See how versetile the PC is and how limited consoles are. Give me a break.
Go pay Microsoft 10.00 for 3 maps for Gears of War and I’ll download my content freely released by the developer, oh and then theres mods which I could go on and on about. Where do you think the current generation of game developers came from? The mod commmunity on PC. So if PC gaming dies so do your games and ther will be nobody with the skillset to create the current games you all love to play.
Consoles are an alternative, not the best of gaming.
Posted by: Brian McLeland on March 23rd, 2008 at 10:08 pmGaming on PC’s will never die, because the games for consoles are developed on PC’s, and PC’s are used for a variety of other purposes, and as long as that happens, games will be made, therefore making PC’s for gaming - in a limited sense of the word - invincible.
Posted by: Sn2351 on April 18th, 2008 at 6:54 amreason why consoles dominate the online is because everyone wants a cheap gaming platform. or they crave the aim assists they cant get on pc for the fps haha. all my friends that never played fps on pc quit console and went pc for the fps. mouse > controller. cant argue that. theirs been online gaming since before 1998. i dont know what game exactly was the first. but my first was Starsiege tribes and 300+ people are still playing it today. that was released 1998 for pc. i have a $650 computer. and i can run all source games, cod4, bf2 witch is unbelievably better than console version game play wise. and better graphics. and it wont go out of date. Oh yea! i don’t pay 50$ a month to play my games online. i dont understand why someone would buy a 360. for what? halo? not even a decent fps shooter. adn the console is already out of date. should atleast get a ps3 even though its more expensive. but hey!!! you dont pay to play online. so what would really be saving you money? 360 or ps3? i just may get a ps3 with a friend for GT5 and a G25 racing wheel. you cant argue with pc. console is budget gaming. thats all it is. another reason why i don’t like console is because you CANT tweak it. ima laugh if all the console kids can say about me is my bad spelling and grammer. im not checking this after i post this. i can care less what console kids think of me. their the ones missing out.
Posted by: mattie on April 24th, 2008 at 8:18 pmconsoles verus pc thats a tricky one.
Posted by: quake addict on June 10th, 2008 at 1:18 ami like to think im not biased becuse i have a high end pc (plays quake4 and halo) a n64 and a ps2 add that to the fact that before i got n64 i was hooked on pc than began to swap back and forth repetedly (and no i cant spell that word)
quake too me always worked better on pc than on console the only quakes i havnt compared are quake4 and quake wars.
add that to ease of use for online gameing, there are still quake1 servers active though i did find it difficult to play quake1 online at the start (till i downloaded ez quake FREE!)
and sure iv got a couple of virisus in my time (not from EZ quake but from crappy demos)
but AVG (which is free) deals with those eaisly.
Consoles will always outsell pc its got a strangle hold on the market but does that mean that PC gameing is dead, no! not by a long shot it is very much alive!
I game on PC and Xbox360 but still think PC gaming is still the best. My reasons are as follows:
1. Titles become better when they get moved to pc an example is Gears of War.
2. Games have a content in them an example Battlefield 2 (PC) vs Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (Xbox360), BF2 has things like jets and huge maps.
3. Would you rather play with 128 (PC) people in a FPS server with huge landscapes or 20 (Console)?
4. Play Crysis on a PC then tell me Xbox360 has better graphics.
5. Easier to find your friends on PC with programs like Xfire and Gamespy.
Posted by: Alan on June 10th, 2008 at 7:17 pmTHE consoles made for NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBS!!!!!!!!! whos doesn’t know how to intall a game !!!!!!!!!1
Posted by: RYO on June 21st, 2008 at 12:12 pmI don’t think that either will specifically die.
PC’s have their own pros. Like unbeatable graphics and ability for modding and upgrading. But PC’s tend to lack in both ease of use and the fact that a true gaming PC will always be more expensive. If you want to play anything online you know that a difference in hardware makes a difference in who dies or not.
Consoles are good in their right too. The pricing is always stable (if you look in the past Sega Genesis’ and Super Nintendos were selling for $500~600 and the games sold for 60) and with the casual gamers mixed in with the hardcore you can always find someone to have a good time with online. Even with HD support consoles will never be able to top PC graphics that are constantly improving rather than putting out a new generation every 4 years.
Some developers may not produce PC games any longer but they will only alienate the hardcore gamers they should be pleasing the most. and those who don’t have a console will find a way to emulate it within a few years anyway…
Generally I play on my console when I’m in the mood for single player or some easy-going online games, and I reach for my mouse when I’m ready for some MMO action or to have my ass handed to me by people with dedicated T3 servers at their disposal.
It’s all just a way to make shit out of time anyway…
Posted by: Ryce on July 29th, 2008 at 11:43 pmxbox 360 is the winner whan it comes to breaking!
Posted by: gavin on August 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 pmdude pc will always be the best i dont have a very high pc my one is costed around 600$ and i can play DMC 4 on dx 10 and i can get a good fps and the graphics is way better than xbox360. i played xbox 360 on 1080P and it still couldn’t beat my pc graphics and a tv which supports that is minimum 600 $ so yeah add that to ur 360 s price
Posted by: Sajaan on August 18th, 2008 at 2:47 pmYou guys are leaving out one thing…how much does a new Xbox game cost? You must be mad if you want to pay that! I have had two Xbox 360’s and they both broke! I have a PC that I bought 5 years ago and it’s still running! Sorry but you can’t beat that, Xbox 360 is for lazy people who know nothing about technology!
Posted by: Stu on August 25th, 2008 at 11:14 pm