Is "PC Gaming" a different thing nowadays?

Gimpymoo · 21 Apr 2019 at 13:58

PC Gaming/Console gaming are pretty much the same thing nowadays.

All the things which did separate it in the past have been eroded away a long time ago.

Is "PC Gaming" just "Gaming" nowadays?

As a die hard PC enthusiast, that is hard for me to say but things are what they are.

Yes, we still have choice of hardware configurations, screen ratios (for some games), but for the most part, the gaming aspects have parity with the same releases.

Am I wrong?

flyinmunky · 21 Apr 2019 at 14:42

PC performance can be pushed beyond what consoles offer by large margins and always will.

It comes down to how much money you think is worth it for yourself to gain those extra benefits/features/performance.

Consoles for a lot of people will always be the best route. PC will always offer flexible options for most budgets and normally get newest and best versions of tech first.

Both can be used for gaming and always will be.

I wouldn't say PC gaming is just gaming due to the above.

Bishie · 21 Apr 2019 at 14:55

It's hardly worth upgrading, especially given the absurdity of hardware pricing! Most developers cater to the lowest common denominator anyway, and PC exclusives that push the envelope are virtually unheard of now.

Tupro · 21 Apr 2019 at 15:16

PC performance will always be better in gaming imo

the main things that keep me on the PC side are performance, including the ability to tweak various settings to get the game to play/look like you want
then theres mods, i know some console games have mod support now but not nearly as much as pc does, theres some games that i have enjoyed so much more just because of a few mods

i also like the way that players can troubleshoot issues and find fixes/workarounds.. i mean if something isnt working right on an xbox game then all you can do is wait for the devs to fix it and send out an update but on pc theres usually a fix that is found
ofcourse that doesnt apply to all game issues but more technical ones

on the other hand i can see the appeal of console gaming such as being able to play right out of the box and not worrying about whether a new release will run on your system or not
then theres the comfort side of things because lets face it sitting at a desk is never going to beat couch gaming

i used to love console gaming but since i made the switch i cant see any reason to go back

Gimpymoo · 21 Apr 2019 at 15:36

Tupro said:
then theres the comfort side of things because lets face it sitting at a desk is never going to beat couch gaming

I cannot enjoy "couch" gaming, call me odd

My post was not about PC Vs Console gaming, more about the differential between PC and console gaming a lot less than it used to be, heck, we barely have community dedicated servers anymore.

Is PC gaming and Console gaming now just "gaming" when all said and done?

Double07 · 21 Apr 2019 at 15:46

Its the same as it has been for a number of years. PCs are wildly more powerful if you are prepared to spend the money, but that does not really translate into the the same level of in game improvement.

For what they are consoles offer pretty amazing performance but its not that surprising given that for the most part games are being ever more primarily developed with consoles in mind and as such they are squeezing every last sinew of performance out of the consoles in order to provide as good an experience as is possible. Yes some games are made primarily for PC but they are usually because they just aren't really that feasible on consoles. If you look at what is in a PS4/Xbox 1 (even the standard versions), the level of performance that developers have managed to wring out of them is in some cases mighty impressive.

PC gaming is a different beast is probably a better way of looking at it, myriad hardware and software variations, high end tech that drives forward developments that end up on consoles down the line, overclocking, endless upgrade-ability, etc, etc. Consoles cannot really touch PC at the higher end but in terms of what console gaming costs upfront then they represent amazing value and there will always be people who prefer the ease of access of consoles to PC and vice versa.

In reality they both drive one another forward, but the gap has certainly closed with each generation of console, at least for the majority of usage cases.

Safetytrousers · 21 Apr 2019 at 16:05

Gimpymoo said:
then theres the comfort side of things because lets face it sitting at a desk is never going to beat couch gaming

I play all my games from my maximum comfy position with a DS4 controller.
(Ryzen 2700x, 2080ti)

Darujhistan · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:10

I'm starting to think Navi/Zen2/MOBO/RAM will be my last upgrade cycle, I would normally have built a new system with mine being 2012 vintage, in fact it's two years overdue already, in times gone by I built every five years from the ground up.

I think after this upgrade cycle, my PC will be kept alive only to play the kind of 4x Grand Strategy games you can't play on consoles.

Tupro · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:11

Gimpymoo said:
we barely have community dedicated servers anymore.

yeah that is a good point, i miss that.. unfortunately certain companies have gotten greedy and decided to do their own "rent-a-server" with higher costs, less control and less stability

Safetytrousers said:
I play all my games from my maximum comfy position with a DS4 controller.
(Ryzen 2700x, 2080ti)

I can use a controller for a few certain games but anything where an accurate aim etc is concerned then i just cant.. i need k/b + mouse

but overall its just down to preference, if you want to just pick up and play then you go for a console.. if you want a more custom experience go for pc
other than that there isnt a whole lot of difference really

Woodsta888 · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:14

The size of TV's and panel technology is another plus to bring console gaming to contend with PC gaming. I cant move to consoles until they go keyboard and mouse. I use a keypad (Razer Orbweaver) for comfort. Until they can integrate customisable peripherals, I couldnt game with the limitations of console hand controllers.

chroniclard · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:15

Not really any different than it was 10/15 years ago, just more and more expensive at the higher end.

Gimpymoo · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:32

chroniclard said:
Not really any different than it was 10/15 years ago, just more and more expensive at the higher end.

I would disagree.

Consoles were limited to lower resolutions, lower fps, much more lower system specs and most importantly, PC and console offered different game types.

Now, things are much more "on par" if you take out the top and low end.

chroniclard · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:36

Gimpymoo said:
I would disagree.

Consoles were limited to lower resolutions, lower fps, much more lower system specs and most importantly, PC and console offered different game types.

Now, things are much more "on par" if you take out the top and low end.

I think things are still much the same. Just that the higher end PC's are vastly more expensive.

Woodsta888 · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:43

chroniclard said:
Not really any different than it was 10/15 years ago, just more and more expensive at the higher end.

Really? Couldnt get much more than 50 inch standard HD then, and they were £10k. Thin TV's upto 85 inch 4k with quad core processors. TV's are much different than 10/15 years ago. :confused:

chroniclard · 21 Apr 2019 at 17:46

Woodsta888 said:
Really? Couldnt get much more than 50 inch standard HD then, and they were £10k. Thin TV's upto 85 inch 4k with quad core processors. TV's are much different than 10/15 years ago.

Yes but talking about the difference between console and PC gaming, I think its pretty much the same differences there always were. Maybe not quite so pronounced these days.

Noxia · 21 Apr 2019 at 18:14

Is the "I prefer gaming on the couch" thing a meme now? One HDMI cable and a controller and you can use your PC on the couch, never understood that as a point in console vs PC. That said, I'm sure a lot of people dont have PC in living room so may not be practical.

Edit: Couch not coach

Gimpymoo · 21 Apr 2019 at 18:27

chroniclard said:
I think its pretty much the same differences there always were.

There are less differences now compared to 10 years ago, nevermind 15.

Higher resolutions
Mods (To a degree, the console mod scene is active)
Online multiplayer
Refresh rates have got higher.

The majority of PC gamers are 60hz, 1080p.

Brazo · 21 Apr 2019 at 18:31

Gimpymoo said:
I would disagree.

Consoles were limited to lower resolutions, lower fps, much more lower system specs and most importantly, PC and console offered different game types.

Now, things are much more "on par" if you take out the top and low end.

I disagree

The Xbox one x is roughly equivalent to an RX 480. I know it’s touted as a 4K console but it simply isn’t.

Take for example last years Forza Horizon 4. If you want at least a lowly 60fps (who wouldn’t in a racing game) then the best it can do is 1080p.

If you want 4K you have to make do with 30fps and medium settings.

Woodsta888 · 21 Apr 2019 at 18:39

Noxia said:
Is the "I prefer gaming on the couch" thing a meme now? One HDMI cable and a controller and you can use your PC on the coach, never understood that as a point in console vs PC. That said, I'm sure a lot of people dont have PC in living room so may not be practical.

I guess you could play @ 4k in some games with a high end PC on the TV. I've linked mine up before in the living room when the Mrs is away. A valid point though for consoles where a desk commonly has to share a room with another use such as bedroom/dining room for PC gaming. Console is just a small box that takes up little room.

Tupro · 21 Apr 2019 at 19:41

Noxia said:
Is the "I prefer gaming on the couch" thing a meme now? One HDMI cable and a controller and you can use your PC on the couch, never understood that as a point in console vs PC. That said, I'm sure a lot of people dont have PC in living room so may not be practical.

Edit: Couch not coach

Woodsta888 said:
I guess you could play @ 4k in some games with a high end PC on the TV. I've linked mine up before in the living room when the Mrs is away. A valid point though for consoles where a desk commonly has to share a room with another use such as bedroom/dining room for PC gaming. Console is just a small box that takes up little room.

yeah then theres the argument of monitor vs tv, a lot of people wont do pc gaming on a tv because of response times and refresh rates... whereas some people prefer using a tv regardless