Why are PCs better than home consoles?

[Guest]

Just tell me all the ways in which PCs beat consoles like Playstation and Xbox please. Every comment helps! 😀

 

[benjii]

Out of curiosity, why do you want to know?

PC's have interchangeable hardware for one, so if money was no object you could constantly maintain the highest spec available. Unlike consoles which are stuck with the same hardware, although that does have advantages likes better optimisation. PC's also serve a multitude of other purposes other than gaming. Those are the two main differences as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Epis]

PCs also have access to the Steam service, which is completely free of charge to use unlike Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus - Steam also has very large sales twice a year (Steam Summer Sale and Steam Holiday Sale).

Some would argue that gaming is easier on console because of the controller, but a controller can also be connected to the PC and with new services like Steam Big Picture you can sit back on your couch and play games like you would on a console. I find a mouse and keyboard is best for MMO, MOBA, strategy and FPS titles, while a controller is best for third person, side-scroller and racing games.

There is also exciting new technology like the Oculus Rift and Virtuix Omni coming to PC, this technology has the potential to completely change the way people play games.

Finally, in many games, mods can be downloaded to bring a whole new look and feel to a game (for example, Skyrim, GTA IV, etc.) which is just not possible on consoles.

 

[wanderer11]

Well there are pros and cons to both consoles and PCs. I'll consider the pros of one to be the cons of another.

Consoles: Easy to set up (no software to ever mess with and hooking it up is as easy as plugging in 2 cables), can play with several people in one room, cheaper up front cost, may be good as a media server (that's all I use my ps3 for). I think that's pretty much the only ways a console is better than a PC.

PC: Can easily be used for tasks besides gaming, allows you to mod games, gives you choice of controller or keyboard/mouse controls, games can be much cheaper, there are no generations so games from 15 years ago will work fine on a modern PC, (may be a pro or con depending on the person) lets you build your own machine, can run higher settings (resolutions) than a current console, and it can also be used on a tv like a console.

I'm sure I missed some things but those are the points that come to my mind.

 

[eodeo]

PC isn't better. Not if you don't count the facts that it has better graphics, controls, games, gameplay and you can do actual work on while using the software of your choice. The only downside of consoles is that the next gen are obsolete and underpowered compared to PCs today, even though they haven't even launched yet.

Other than that, consoles are great.

 

[teddymines]

PC gaming is a lot better for the reasons above, but it does have a significant weak point: stability. The amount of variation on the PC is huge: motherboard, memory, GPU, drivers, OS, game updates, overclocking, etc...which is why you see so many posts on how to fix game crashes.

Personally, the latitude you get on a PC to get better performance and graphics far outweighs the stability risk.

 

[computertech82]

Pretty much the same as said above. There is also graphics. Graphics on the pc are far better than consoles, even the new ones yet to be released. There is a video comparing a ps4 to a pc. The pc completely destroyed the console (far superior looks).
And mods are pretty HUGE for pcs, seriously changes your games. Get alot more for your money.

 

[popatim]

Where to begin, pc is customizable to the performance you are willing to pay for and you are not locked into $200 worth of hardware. PC's are upgradable. Pc is much more versatile, you can download multiple videos/apps/etc while streaming a movie on one monitor, playing a game on other, and running a vm/server on a 3rd. On a pc you can store what you want where you want it and not be limited or restricted in how big a drive you add is or what you can backup or backup to. For me at least, keybd/mouse is far superior to a gamepad.

 

[jaguarskx]

I'll give you one huge con for playing game on the PC. Say you spend $1,200 to build a PC today to play games. With a budget like that you can build a PC that has much better hardware than either a PS4 or Xbox One will have. Games will perform just as well or better with higher graphic settings than is available on the consoles. So you are pretty happy with your rig playing Crysis 3. A couple/few years later Crysis 4 comes out, you still have your original rig. It performs just as well as it did when you first bought it. However, Crysis 4 increased the hardware requirements because by then newer more powerful graphic cards and CPUs have come out. While your rig should still be able to play Crysis 4, it's not to the same level as Crysis 3. Should you keep the same rig when Crysis 5 comes out it will run even worse. So what am I telling you? If you want to get the same level of performance in future games coming out years later you will need to spend money to upgrade your PC.

For consoles, the hardware basically does not change. Assuming the PS4 and Xbox One can be bought today, any game you buy between today and say 2018 for those consoles will be playable by all those console owners. Additionally, everyone's experience is basically going to be the same because all PS4 and all XBox One will have the same hardware. So if you are looking for a low cost option to play games and do not want to worry about upgrades or a total new PC, then consoles are the way to go. Of course if your console breaks between now and 2018 you will need to buy another to continue playing.

Having said the above, I only play games on the PC.

 

[cats_Paw]

I dont know why people keep comparing PCs to consoles.

Those are two different machines. Sure they might have more similar hardware nowdays than ever, but the way to define what things are is what is their purpouse.

Comparing PCs to consoles is like comparing cars to motorcycles, or trucks to cars.... They are better depending on what you want to use them for.

Now assuming we are talking about gaming only, what kind of gaming? What games will we be playing? How many people will be playing? WE will play with friends or family?

There are a lot more questions like those that would have to be answered before an eficient answer can be provided to "what is better", becouse the question is never what is universaly better, but what is better for who.

That is why normally people who give good advice, first ask a lot of questions.

 

[Eisbrecher34]

To me there are a few reasons I prefer PCs over consoles:

First, PCs can be ran at higher resolutions than Consoles, and in some cases have better FPS than the console version too.

Second, PC games can be very cheap if you don't mind waiting for sales. You can get AAA games for half the price sometimes of even a AAA used console game if you know where to look.

Third, mods. It can't be taken for granted. Mods are wonderfull and can make an old game feel brand new again. Unlike DLC from the developers, mods are usually free and are created by the people who actually care for the game: i.e. the community.

Consoles have their perks also though. Exclusive games come to mind as well as being a lot cheaper. The problem is though that you can't do much to tweak them though and the games themselves are a lot more expensive over the long run.

To sum it up, in my opinion consoles are better for the light - moderate gamer who stays with mainstream AAA games. A PC though is for the hardcore gamer who likes to tweak both the system and the game itself and get the best visual experience.

 

[benjii]

To me there are a few reasons I prefer PCs over consoles:

First, PCs can be ran at higher resolutions than Consoles, and in some cases have better FPS than the console version too.

Second, PC games can be very cheap if you don't mind waiting for sales. You can get AAA games for half the price sometimes of even a AAA used console game if you know where to look.

Third, mods. It can't be taken for granted. Mods are wonderfull and can make an old game feel brand new again. Unlike DLC from the developers, mods are usually free and are created by the people who actually care for the game: i.e. the community.

Consoles have their perks also though. Exclusive games come to mind as well as being a lot cheaper. The problem is though that you can't do much to tweak them though and the games themselves are a lot more expensive over the long run.

To sum it up, in my opinion consoles are better for the light - moderate gamer who stays with mainstream AAA games. A PC though is for the hardcore gamer who likes to tweak both the system and the game itself and get the best visual experience.

That's a good point about the mods. Certain games (skyrim) are made infinitely better by a strong modding community.

 

[Arterus]

Also, the hardware in consoles is very outdated. For example the new PS4 and XBO that are coming out within in month or two have gpu's that are supposedly be equivalent to a 7750/7850 and those video cards are already 2 years old!!! But some people prefer consoles over pc! To each is own!

 

[BuLisTiK]

Just tell me all the ways in which PCs beat consoles like Playstation and Xbox please. Every comment helps! 😀

For comparison standards the xbox one and ps4 processors are comparable to that of a laptop processor. PCs will ALWAYS be better than consoles because the hardware can be upgraded with significant mention to graphic processing units. IMO mouse and keyboard add way more functionality for controls. ( 5 button mouse + 5 keys with other hand + any other keys you can realistically reach with that other hand) hell you can even add additional peripherals like foot pedals, ect. As opposed to what? 2 thumbs + 4 maybe 6 at the most fingers working at once. Moving a mouse to aim in FPS games is superior to the etch-a-sketch method used on thumb sticks, plus look how well real time strategy games like Command and Conquer went over when ported to consoles (junk compared to keyboard shortcuts and dragging boxes over units with a mouse.

Consoles on the other hand afford people the ability to remain uneducated when it comes to system specs, limited customization of your hardware/software, paying for crap you don't need, and belonging to a group of people who are bias because of an emotional attachment to a console/brand/company/game. Most PC games only require an internet connction to play online, not a monthly/yearly subscription to a "premium" service

Almost all games that are exclusive to a console (halo) can be played on PC. Most of the time with better graphics (watchdogs) or more multiplayer slots (battlefield 3). Every thing that you can do with a console you can do with a PC, use a controller or attach to tv to play from a couch.

Only real advantage to a console is the price and ease of use/setup for people who are too broke or too dumb to learn anything about the information age and how technology works.

 

[Adam Landsberg]

I have two pc's. One Is on my tv 42inch hd it runs a shitty AMD A8 5600k APU with built-in HD7560 its not fast..

But I use it to play skyrim, Mortal Kombat, Tomb Raider 2013, and many more games that rock on a Game Pad. I use the MicroSoft Xbox360 Wireless remote. works great in any game that supports it.

If friends come they forget its a computer until i tell them they think its a Xbox 360 or ps4 playing on the screen.

I also run a I5 2320- Gtx550ti and 4gb ram as my main pc..
Its also not the fastest PC around but it is where I play my games that are simply crap on a game pad or on ps3 or xbox360.

Those include Starcraft2, Call of Duty black ops 2, Call of duty ghosts, Planetside 2, world of tanks.

So I will never buy a ps3/ps4 xbox 360/one I prefer the pc.
I can run Hulu and Netflix on it from my country that does not allow it
I use a firefox/Chrome plugin.

ps3/xbox new and old gen cant use this plugin and wont support hulu or netflix in my country.

Instead of using money which i dont have on a Console and still need a PC
I will upgrade my main pc and use its cpu and gpu as my "tv gaming pc"
that is already a good upgrade I use it sometimes and it plays any game the same as a ps3 or xbox360.

PC all the way....