To PC or not to PC: that is the question.
The Console vs PC (master race) argument has been brewing for decades and as consoles become more powerful and in turn more like PC’s, the similarities start to outweigh the differences. While the differences are few there are still some important ones that make me choose console gaming as my preference. Here are three reasons why I personally choose to game on a console over a PC.
The GeForce RTX 1080 Ti ($799 AUD) and RTC 2080 Ti ($1,249.00 AUD) graphics can be more expensive than any console on the market.
While it is possible to purchase a PC to use for gaming at a lower price, it’s pretty easy to see that even the higher spec gaming consoles are a much lower entry level into gaming. When you factor in peripherals, a comfortable chair, speakers or headphones and monitors you would easily be looking at close to $3K for a low to mid level set up.
(You could argue that you need a couch and TV for a console, but I’m assuming that most people already have these in their house for watching TV.)
Even factoring in a mid-generation upgrade (eg. Xbox One X/Playstation 4 Pro) you would still be looking at little over $1K for the 6-7 year generational period. I would say most PC gamers would have a hard time not spending money on upgrades to their PC every few years, whether it’s a new graphics card, upgrading the ram etc, there is always 100+ ways to spend money on a gaming PC (and a lot of them come at a high cost if you want quality parts). Apart from the occasional custom controller to add to the collection or an external HD there isn’t really any way to upgrade your console setup. All that money saved can be spent on living expenses or getting that new PlayStation first-party exclusive which won’t be available on PC for another 3 years.
“Alright, I’ve just sat in front of this computer working for the last 8 hours, now to relax by continuing to sit in front of this computer. for 3 more hours”
This might not be the case for everyone, but this is about my personal decision to game on console, and it’s an important one. As someone who works full time on a PC(currently working from home due to COVID-19) and spends a considerable amount of their time running a small business from another PC there is 101 different things to distract me from playing games.
If I was to sit down at a PC with the intention to play a game for a few hours (I generally don’t get more than a few hours with everything else in my life) there is a high chance that I would never actually play the game. Between software updates, an email from a customer marked “urgent”, a google alert informing me of a bug on my website, or a facebook notification letting me know my mum tagged me in a post. Two hours into a “gaming” session and I would probably just be doing more work
“I’ll just reply to this last email and then I’ll play the game”.
The fact that most console games have very few graphic/performance settings is also a blessing, as it’s possible to get completely distracted trying to optimise the game for your system, rather than just enjoying the experience. Sure, I wasn’t able to play Doom Eternal at 120 frames per second, but does that mean I enjoyed it any less? No.
Being able to switch on a console and know that apart from a game update there is little that will get in my way from being able to fire up a game and play distraction free for several hours.
Couch, beers and a good game. What better way to relax?
As an 80’s/90’s kid there is something special about the memory of gaming on a weekend with your friends. Crowded around a 20 inch TV in your lounge-room on the couch, beanbags or the floor and taking turns in some split screen Goldeneye 007 or Mario Kart on the N64.
While the days of split screen gaming are now distant memories, the living room is still my personal choice for gaming. It might just be a mental thing, but when I finish up an 8 hour day in front of a PC for work, being able to go into a different room, open a beer and get comfy on the couch while playing a game helps put me into a relaxed mindset. This also goes hand in hand with avoiding distractions, but it’s an important physical differentiation that helps me get out of work mode and into gaming mode.
The living room and couch set up is also an important factor as it allows me to spend time with my partner as I game. Sure, she could pull up a chair and sit next to me if I was on a PC, but it’s not as comfortable for her and it makes the whole experience centred around me, rather than being able to spend time together doing our own thing.
Console, I choose you!
Without question, if you want the highest possible frame rate, graphical fidelity and precision when gaming you will always be best off with a high end gaming PC, and the more money you throw at it the better it will perform. For me though, these things come at a trade off for my money and overall enjoyment. And at the end of the day I play games primarily to enjoy them.
And if you enjoy gaming on console too, feel free to add me as a friend on Xbox, PlayStation or Switch. I’m always keen to plan with some new people when I get a chance to jump online.
Xbox: Eight Lives 8
PlayStation: EightLives8
Nintendo: SW-3802-9880-9308
Let me know what you think? do you play on PC or Console and do you have a preference?