PC games not possible on console

[ADP]

i think i wrote the original question wrong there. what im meaning is almost all games nowadays start out on consoles and are then ported over to pc ( as far as i know ) which means they run on all platforms however what i was meaning to ask is there any games which were written specifically for the pc and would be a struggle to run if at all on the new gen consoles???

First of all I don't personally know anyone who games on a PC that refers to themselves as being part of "The PC Master Race". I've only heard that term on the internet when opposing fan boys are going at it on some internet forums.

To answer your question most games when you count indies are actually made for PC, it is only the AAA games that are sometimes ported over to PC's from consoles.

Take a look at the PC version of GTA 5 for example. It is made to support 4K and can also support frames rates up to 144fps and above. One can argue that the PC version of GTA 5 will struggle to run on consoles.

In my opinion, a game running at it's highest possible setting is how the developers of that game intended it to look. If a game supports up to 60FPS, then that is exactly how the developer intended that game to be played. So any machine whether it is a console or a PC that cannot hit those minimums is struggling to run that game.

 

[Bishie]

There is no denying the technical superiority of the PC platform, however, consoles are generally much more accessible. When I introduced my best friend to PC gaming, his most prominent obstacle was the necessity to troubleshoot and tweak his system in order to achieve satisfactory performance. His system was more than adequate on paper, but due to poor driver optimization, terrible multi-platform ports, and long-winded workarounds - he simply gave in and bought a PS4.

You have to invest money, patience and time in order to game on the PC. There is significant appeal in being able to insert a disk, sit back, and play. PC gaming is undoubtedly the most comprehensive experience, but it's not for everyone.

 

[Moothead2]

Its worse on console these days. Plenty of times I've turned it on after a couple of weeks of not playing, saw about 4 things needed an update and thought **** it. With my PC its usually on all day and steam is opened as soon as I turn it on so most of the time everything is up to date when I want to play it.

 

[Bishie]

Its worse on console these days. Plenty of times I've turned it on after a couple of weeks of not playing, saw about 4 things needed an update and thought **** it. With my PC its usually on all day and steam is opened as soon as I turn it on so most of the time everything is up to date when I want to play it.

That's what rest mode is for, is it not?

 

[ADP]

There is no denying the technical superiority of the PC platform, however, consoles are generally much more accessible. When I introduced my best friend to PC gaming, his most prominent obstacle was the necessity to troubleshoot and tweak his system in order to achieve satisfactory performance. His system was more than adequate on paper, but due to poor driver optimization, terrible multi-platform ports, and long-winded workarounds - he simply gave in and bought a PS4.

You have to invest money, patience and time in order to game on the PC. There is significant appeal in being able to insert a disk, sit back, and play. PC gaming is undoubtedly the most comprehensive experience, but it's not for everyone.

I agree with most of what you said, but the convenience of consoles is becoming less and less. I also have a PS3 and it is not the ‘put it disc, sit back and play’ experience as it was when I gamed on my previous generation of consoles. We have to deal long installs and updates just like on PC’s, but that is to be expected. Then we hear about the PS4 digital version of Mortal Kombat X not being playable due to Licensing problems, and the game wouldn't work. I also remember when PSN was hacked, and I couldn’t even play some of my games. I don’t remember being locked out of my games on PC.

I just hope that these ‘next generation’ of consoles are better. I do plan on buying a PS4 because I like some of the exclusives such as Uncharted and The Last Of Us.

 

[mid_gen]

Naah, they only have to make sure the code runs for Directx/opengl and is compiled for the right system, it's pretty much exactly the same code base as consoles.

If only it was that simple You ever paid attention to the patch notes on your AMD/nVidia graphics drivers? Constant moving target and so many compatibility issues.

 

[Fr0dders]

Not many. Most experienced PC usets have some idea what sort of settings will cain performance compared to others, so there's little tweaking needed.

Don't kid yourself. You say not many, but then proceed to explain why its not really an issue since experienced PC users know what these settings mean.

No they don't ! that's why there's so many comments in the GTA V PC thread asking what settings to use and people copying and sharing each others. There is lots of tweaking going on, and its all trial and error. The sort of trial and error that would put most console gamers off. However, this is part of the fun if you're a PC gamer, so don't try and play it down.

(speaking as somebody who does both here by the way)

And Speaking of games possible on PC that aren't possible on consoles. Try Flight sims. Proper flight sims like DCS World. They wouldn't be possible on console.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

Consoles can run any title currently available really, just not as well as PC can.

In pure performance terms, the PC is the superior platform. It has more versatile controls available, it has higher frame rates, higher resolutions and higher visual fidelity. But they cost considerably more. For example my gaming PC is around 14months old and can run GTAV on 'ultra'. But it cost me £2,400 to build it (inc. monitor, KB, etc etc). However, it is unlikely I will need to upgrade it for a long time, games are cheaper and it is a more versatile system overall because it can be used for home office applications, web browsing, streaming and any number of other productivity applications.

I bought a PS4 in December, and already I have spent £700 on it. That includes the purchase of the console (2nd hand), an extra pad, games, PS+ subsciption, Netflix and so on.

If I simply add the cost of the 15 games I have purchased, the essential PS+ subscription and the extra pad (also essential imo) it's £364 spent since December.

By comparison, since november 2011 I have spent £384 on PC games. That added 40 titles to my library. Yes 40 games. No they are not all cheap and nasty either! Lots of new releases, AAA and a mix of slightly older classics and indy too. A real good mixture.

So my PC is far more cost effective for games purchases. In comparison, the same number of titles on a PS4, taking an average price of £15 for a 2nd hand title is £600 and as we know £15 for some of the main PS4 titles is being very conservative even in the 2nd hand market.

So let us suppose that in a year we buy 10 games on release (full retail) and let us suppose that the life of the PC and the console is 8yrs.

For a PS4, I will assume a new game costs £45 on release (they are normally between 39.99 and 49.99), and for a PC £29 (most new releases can be had for £28-£30).

Over its 8 year lifespan we would spend £3,600 on PS4 games. Then add 8yrs PS+ subscription £320. A sub total of £3,920.

The PC would weigh in at £2,320 for the same period.

Thats a £1,600 difference - easily the cost of a decent gaming PC. I should also note that I have not factored in the cost of a decent TV/monitor to use the PS4 on or a laptop/tablet which most people will need to on top of the cost of a PS4 as it can't do word processing / printing for example.

When we look at the cost of a new PS4 console with an extra pad, we are probably looking in the region of £340. If we add that to the total cost of the games and PS+ the total cost of a PS4 over 8yrs - assuming nothing breaks is £4,260

If we add the cost of the PC to the cost of the PC games we get a total of £4,720

So in that example, over a lifetime, the PC only costs £460 more than a console (assuming nothing bricks - which it didn't in my last build).

Thats not bad for a gaming rig that will last a good while, have versatility and perform well over it's lifetime and that price includes the monitor, keyboard, mouse, base unit and all components.

Additionally, if we increase the number of games bought per year, the PC actually becomes the cheaper option. For example, if we bought 20 games at full price per year on each platform, the PS4 would end up costing around £800 more than a PC over an 8yr period.

Of course these are simple sums, but when you consider the total lifetime cost - PC gaming is not that much more expensive than console gaming and in real terms it is a superior performing platform.

I do agree, though, that there is a lot to be said for just sticking a disc in, sitting on the sofa and playing. I also believe consoles to be far better suited to local multiplayer/co-op with friends/family. They are great for driving games, and they are even pretty good for FPS titles too if you can use a pad well (I can't lol ).

Oh and I also don't tweak and mess with settings, I select ones that allow a game to run well and then play it But some people like messing and tweaking and indeed they enjoy that more than actually playing the game!

 

[stopper]

If only it was that simple You ever paid attention to the patch notes on your AMD/nVidia graphics drivers? Constant moving target and so many compatibility issues.

Yes, but he/we was specifically talking about game developers

 

[mid_gen]

Yes, but he/we was specifically talking about game developers

That was the point. As a game developer you are expected to support all these different platforms, and they are constantly changing. It is most definitely not a case of 'write for DirectX, done!

 

[Fr0dders]

But it cost me £2,400 to build it (inc. monitor, KB, etc etc). However, it is unlikely I will need to upgrade it for a long time, games are cheaper and it is a more versatile system overall because it can be used for home office applications, web browsing, streaming and any number of other productivity applications.

I bought a PS4 in December, and already I have spent £700 on it. That includes the purchase of the console (2nd hand), an extra pad, games, PS+ subsciption, Netflix and so on.

I'm both, so not coming from a bias here, but you're not quoting directly comparable figures.

Netfix subscription costs if you want to watch it on your PC or your console, so isn't a console specific cost.

You've included the cost of games in your console figure, but not in the cost of the PC. Are PC Games free ? About the only extra directly comparable cost is the extra pad (assuming your PC build costs include peripherals and not just the tower & monitor) and PS+ since multiplayer gaming is free on PC but costs money on console.

And don't forget that PS+ includes free games, so ultimately pays for itself when comparing it with the PC which doesn't have a similar system. (it does have cheap steam games but we're going off track here)

Doesn't matter which way you construe the figures, PC gaming is more expensive than console gaming. How much value for money you think that extra cost is, depends upon what games you play and what you much you personally value those extra graphics options.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I think the fairer question is can a £300 PC look as good as a £300 console.

And continue to do so for about a decade for all future releases.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

I'm both, so not coming from a bias here, but you're not quoting directly comparable figures.

Why not? New games on PC are cheaper. The cost of a PC is a lot more at the start though.

Netfix subscription costs if you want to watch it on your PC or your console, so isn't a console specific cost.

I was using it to highlight what I had spent on my PS4, I have not included netflix or any other subscriptions in my calculations other than PS+ which is essential to using the console online.

You've included the cost of games in your console figure, but not in the cost of the PC. Are PC Games free ? About the only extra directly comparable cost is the extra pad (assuming your PC build costs include peripherals and not just the tower & monitor) and PS+ since multiplayer gaming is free on PC but costs money on console.

In my 8yr example have included the cost of games for both platforms, as well as the cost of the platform itself.

PC - £2,400 to build + £2320 in games over 8yrs = £4720
PS4 - £340 to buy (with a 2nd pad) + £3600 in games + £320 in essential PS+ subscription = £4260

In my personal example, I didn't include the cost of PC games for the same period, that is correct. Since December 2014 I have spent £60 on two PC games (BFH and GTAV). I haven't bought any more. My point was to really highlight that I have bought 40 decent PC titles for only £20 more than it cost me to buy 15 PS4 ones.

And don't forget that PS+ includes free games, so ultimately pays for itself when comparing it with the PC which doesn't have a similar system. (it does have cheap steam games but we're going off track here)

Only relevant if you want or like the games on offer, and in the main so far for me personally, only a couple of games have been worth it but its a fair comment. I would prefer a cheaper subscription and no free games to be honest.

Doesn't matter which way you construe the figures, PC gaming is more expensive than console gaming. How much value for money you think that extra cost is, depends upon what games you play and what you much you personally value those extra graphics options.

As a long term investment PC gaming can be cheaper. Lets not forget I used an extreme example of my PC which cost £2400. You could easily build a well performing gaming PC for less than that. You also benefit more if you buy more games. As I highlighted, if we change the variable of number of full price games bought a year to 20, the PC is actually cheaper than a console over an 8yr period.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

I think the fairer question is can a £300 PC look as good as a £300 console.

And continue to do so for about a decade for all future releases.

Indeed, in the short term that is relevant and the answer is of course not.

But as a long term investment, for an avid gamer the PC almost pays for itself in lower game prices over an 8yr period. It also does a lot more than game.

 

[Raymond Lin]

In my 8yr example have included the cost of games for both platforms, as well as the cost of the platform itself.

PC - £2,400 to build + £2320 in games over 8yrs = £4720
PS4 - £340 to buy (with a 2nd pad) + £3600 in games + £320 in essential PS+ subscription = £4260

Is that £2400 the cost of the PC on day 1 or the cost of the PC over the duration and life span for 8 years including upgrades. Was upgrade taken into consideration?

 

[Raymond Lin]

Indeed, in the short term that is relevant and the answer is of course not.

But as a long term investment, for an avid gamer the PC almost pays for itself in lower game prices over an 8yr period. It also does a lot more than game.

"Investment", it's not an investment unless it can bring you a return. It is an expense.

A PC has a higher expense, one could argue lower running costs with lower price of games but the initial expense is huge.

P.s. I tend to wait a bit and get games when they hit £20 mark anyway. It's no big deal, that tend to happen after about 2 months. Which is nothing, just how long did GTA5 take to come on the PC in comparison.

So the argument for lower price PC games don't really do it for me, which means a PC has a higher initial costs, higher maintenance costs, higher time spent updating and servicing (how many version of OS would you have gone through?) and no lower games prices.

All for a bit of eye candy. It's okay thanks, I have my consoles plugged into the same home cinema as my movies and it's great to relax and play on the sofa.

Horses for courses but financially speaking, a gaming PC isn't justifiable for me.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

Is that £2400 the cost of the PC on day 1 or the cost of the PC over the duration and life span for 8 years including upgrades. Was upgrade taken into consideration?

I based it on my previous build which lasted 8 years and ran games respectably well without any upgrade.

I should have no need to upgrade my current PC for many years because I splurged a lot of money on decent kit to start with. You could have course break that £2400 up how you like (IE buys a cheaper gaming PC to start and use money further on to upgrade it). Either way, 8yrs respectable service for £2400 is entirely possible. But it is relative because even in 5yrs time it will still be capable of running games in higher fidelity than a PS4. True, it might not be bleeding edge quality in PC terms, but against the PS4 it will offer the same visual quality if not better.

Edit - and let us not forget the PC can be used for more than gaming which adds value in real terms. If you only bought a console as a teenager, you would also need a PC or a laptop to do your schoolwork, for example. So the cost of that needs to be added on top. Other abilities such as photo and video editing, managing music and using it for your tax return are also elements where a console cannot help and most people who buy a console will also buy a laptop to give them that functionality. With a PC you don't need it.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I based it on my previous build which lasted 8 years and ran games respectably well without any upgrade.

I should have no need to upgrade my current PC for many years because I splurged a lot of money on decent kit to start with. You could have course break that £2400 up how you like (IE buys a cheaper gaming PC to start and use money further on to upgrade it). Either way, 8yrs respectable service for £2400 is entirely possible. But it is relative because even in 5yrs time it will still be capable of running games in higher fidelity than a PS4. True, it might not be bleeding edge quality in PC terms, but against the PS4 it will offer the same visual quality if not better.

There is also the risk of timing. Like when parts go through their life cycle like when AGP changed to PCI-E. If you happened to build a monster PC with AGP, and 8 years down the line games require Direct X 38 which your new game needs and can't run on your old hardware. You are stuffed, but at least with console you know it will work.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Edit - and let us not forget the PC can be used for more than gaming which adds value in real terms. If you only bought a console as a teenager, you would also need a PC or a laptop to do your schoolwork, for example. So the cost of that needs to be added on top. Other abilities such as photo and video editing, managing music and using it for your tax return are also elements where a console cannot help and most people who buy a console will also buy a laptop to give them that functionality. With a PC you don't need it.

I have a cutting edge mac, which can run windows, 32G of ram, quad core i7 and all that stuff, I do not play games on it. It could easily run any games out there better looking than my PS4.

For me, my Mac is an investment, as I do work on it, it brings in revenue, a return.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

There is also the risk of timing. Like when parts go through their life cycle like when AGP changed to PCI-E. If you happened to build a monster PC with AGP, and 8 years down the line games require Direct X 38 which your new game needs and can't run on your old hardware. You are stuffed, but at least with console you know it will work.

Didnt happen to me in 8yrs with my last PC, but it is a fair comment. However, PC tech tends to evolve over time and a new standard of port or some other critical element won't just be rolled out in a day. Spending less initially, and then upgrading is always an option too. I tend to buy the best I can afford at the time, but you don't have to do it that way. You could spend £800 on a PC that would out perform a PS4 and leave yourself £1600 to play with over the next 8 yrs. That should suitably keep your PC up to date and performing well. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I feel I should have done that myself, lol