PC Gaming and the problem with parity.

Black Dog · 11 Jul 2018 at 09:41

Once you play on gsync/freesync at high frame rate, consoles become somewhat unplayable. Current gen is years old now and they drive the market. The recent console releases have done nothing but up the resolution. There will be a jump in quality upon the next releases as usual.

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+1. I have dabbled with consoles in the past and until they play at 60fps smoothly then it just can't compare to PC. The PS2 was fine as a lot of games run @ 60fps but since moving to HD the PS3, PS4 they just can't seem to handle 60fps constant. Developers seem hell bent on making the games look good rather than play well. A lot of console games these days do offer a choice of performance mode or quality mode but it still does not hold up @ 60fps. You usually get a variable mess of 30 - 45 fps or a locked 30fps and it just doesn't cut it for me when I mostly play 60 - 144hz gsync. Once you play an FPS @ 120hz or above you just can't go back.

TNA · 11 Jul 2018 at 10:00

Black Dog said:
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+1. I have dabbled with consoles in the past and until they play at 60fps smoothly then it just can't compare to PC. The PS2 was fine as a lot of games run @ 60fps but since moving to HD the PS3, PS4 they just can't seem to handle 60fps constant. Developers seem hell bent on making the games look good rather than play well. A lot of console games these days do offer a choice of performance mode or quality mode but it still does not hold up @ 60fps. You usually get a variable mess of 30 - 45 fps or a locked 30fps and it just doesn't cut it for me when I mostly play 60 - 144hz gsync. Once you play an FPS @ 120hz or above you just can't go back.

In before "but developers can get more out of the hardware from consoles, they can make 30fps feel like 120fps. Accept it!"

BubbySoup · 11 Jul 2018 at 12:22

Black Dog said:
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+1. I have dabbled with consoles in the past and until they play at 60fps smoothly then it just can't compare to PC. The PS2 was fine as a lot of games run @ 60fps but since moving to HD the PS3, PS4 they just can't seem to handle 60fps constant. Developers seem hell bent on making the games look good rather than play well. A lot of console games these days do offer a choice of performance mode or quality mode but it still does not hold up @ 60fps. You usually get a variable mess of 30 - 45 fps or a locked 30fps and it just doesn't cut it for me when I mostly play 60 - 144hz gsync. Once you play an FPS @ 120hz or above you just can't go back.

That's a shame because you are missing out on some really great games. Whilst I enjoy gaming at 120hz on the PC, I can soon adjust when moving to the ps4 pro. HZD is such a great gaming experience on a HDR 4K TV.

However, I would agree with you when it comes to multiplayer FPS.

TheVoice · 11 Jul 2018 at 12:39

NZXT30 said:
People saying that pc gaming is a niche couldn't be more wrong.

People who try to claim that the most highly-acclaimed single player console exclusive titles "aren't relevant" couldn't be more wrong, either.

TNA · 11 Jul 2018 at 13:21

TheVoice said:
People who try to claim that the most highly-acclaimed single player console exclusive titles "aren't relevant" couldn't be more wrong, either.

Of course they are relevant. At least a lot of them are now going to be on PC thanks to Microsoft. So only missing PlayStation ones now. Not a huge deal to a PC gamer, can just buy a cheap 2nd hand PlayStation 4, play all exclusives you want and sell it. Probably will be out of pocket no more than £50, most of that being p&p.

BubbySoup · 11 Jul 2018 at 13:56

TNA said:
Of course they are relevant. At least a lot of them are now going to be on PC thanks to Microsoft. So only missing PlayStation ones now. Not a huge deal to a PC gamer, can just buy a cheap 2nd hand PlayStation 4, play all exclusives you want and sell it. Probably will be out of pocket no more than £50, most of that being p&p.

You make it sound like there will be no future PS4 exclusives you'd want to play lol. This is the very reason I have my PS4 Pro - to play exclusives, that's all it's used for.

TNA · 11 Jul 2018 at 14:12

BubbySoup said:
You make it sound like there will be no future PS4 exclusives you'd want to play lol. This is the very reason I have my PS4 Pro - to play exclusives, that's all it's used for.

There very well may be, in such case you can do the same thing, buy play sell again. I don’t need to as I can just borrow my friends PS4 if I want to, but I have done it in the past with other consoles. Not like every PS4 exclusive is a must play game or a genre one enjoys anyway. Each to their own though, if you feel there are a lot of exclusives you are interested in that are out and coming out then you buy and keep one like yourself.

NZXT30 · 11 Jul 2018 at 14:57

TheVoice said:
People who try to claim that the most highly-acclaimed single player console exclusive titles "aren't relevant" couldn't be more wrong, either.

Oh yeah they are so relevant that 15 year old pc games have way more fans :rolleyes:

The console exclusives that you are speaking of are unoriginal, shallow, easily forgotten and in my honest opinion pure garbage.

TheVoice · 11 Jul 2018 at 15:12

NZXT30 said:
Oh yeah they are so relevant that 15 year old pc games have way more fans

The console exclusives that you are speaking of are unoriginal, shallow, easily forgotten and in my honest opinion pure garbage.

You realise that Twitch and eSports aren't the only metric by which to measure a games success or popularity, right?

NZXT30 · 11 Jul 2018 at 15:43

TheVoice said:
You realise that Twitch and eSports aren't the only metric by which to measure a games success or popularity, right?

Yes it is the most popular games are always on top. Last time I checked PUBG had 3 times more active players in the last 2 weeks than horizon has sold since its release. League of legends also has more than 100 million active players monthly, its actually bigger than psn and xbox live put together.

What you thought console gaming can actually compete with pc on popularity? lol

Not everything is esports. Most is popular streamers, playing popular games on their PCs watched by people which in turn want to build their own PC. Even my 10 year old nephew is asking me for a rig now. Times have changed a lot the past 5 years.

Black Dog · 11 Jul 2018 at 17:42

they can make 30fps feel like 120fps. Accept it!"

Can you explain how they do this without actually rendering @ 120fps. How can they make it feel like it?? I've owned a PS4, PS3 and the difference is night and day compared to PC.

TNA · 11 Jul 2018 at 17:43

Black Dog said:
Can you explain how they do this without actually rendering @ 120fps. How can they make it feel like it??

Not sure if serious?

V F · 11 Jul 2018 at 19:46

It didn't take long did it...

WantoN · 11 Jul 2018 at 21:00

Yes, there is some parity in graphical quality between consoles and PC. But it’s a boon; you’d soon be complaining if that shiney top tier graphics card you bought a year ago couldn’t even hit 60fps in the latest title.

Graphical improvements have slowed because it take so much more to really push fidelity than it did even 10 years ago. Besides, it’s not what’s important; I’ve had some incredible experiences on indie titles and games at least 10 years old, very recently.

We sound so spoiled sometimes; we have the biggest range of gaming options ever, with the best graphics ever, with a massive array of genres, styles and approaches. We have a back catalogue of the last 20+ years of gaming, right at our finger tips, at the click of a button. We have 4K screens, ultra wide, high refresh rate, sync technologies, FALD, and a plethora of incredibly premium gaming peripherals.

And we’re moaning. Because ‘it’s just not fair that our games don’t look a bit prettier!’

This is a golden age of gaming, with indies battling the big name studios and a plethora of platforms and key sites all vying for our business at stupidly low prices for wonderful gaming experiences. 40 hours of awesome gameplay for less than a round for three mates down the local.

Let’s focus on how awesome gaming has become, especially for PC owners, rather than cry about not being able to turn on a few more pretty effects that ultimately add nothing to the experience.

TheVoice · 12 Jul 2018 at 11:22

NZXT30 said:
What you thought console gaming can actually compete with pc on popularity? lol

Considering you've had to limit all your examples to multiplayer games, I think it's obvious it can. The PC has always dominated the multiplayer gaming landscape, this isn't anything new nor does it signal some sort of demise of console gaming you seem desperate to peddle. The only difference is that these days the PC almost never gets major single player exclusives because it's simply not viable any more. The PC market would rather wait for it to hit £4 in a Steam sale than buy on release.

WantoN · 12 Jul 2018 at 11:43

TheVoice said:
Considering you've had to limit all your examples to multiplayer games, I think it's obvious it can. The PC has always dominated the multiplayer gaming landscape, this isn't anything new nor does it signal some sort of demise of console gaming you seem desperate to peddle. The only difference is that these days the almost never gets any major single player exclusives because it's simply not viable any more. The PC market would rather wait for it to hit £4 in a Steam sale than buy on release.

There’s plenty of truth here imo. Console gamers often seem quite eager to bend over for pre-order insertion. I’m sure a lot of SP titles do well because of this.

PC gamers seem to be a little older, a little wiser and a little less likely to do something as completely senseless as pre-order an unreviewed title. A lot of us are so stingy however, that it’s possibly damaging the market.

Crpwned · 12 Jul 2018 at 12:04

WantoN said:
PC gamers seem to be a little older, a little wiser and a little less likely to do something as completely senseless as pre-order an unreviewed title.

The amount of garbage "Early Access" titles that get released and lapped up on PC would suggest that this isn't necessarily true...

TNA · 12 Jul 2018 at 12:35

WantoN said:
There’s plenty of truth here imo. Console gamers often seem quite eager to bend over for pre-order insertion. I’m sure a lot of SP titles do well because of this.

PC gamers seem to be a little older, a little wiser and a little less likely to do something as completely senseless as pre-order an unreviewed title. A lot of us are so stingy however, that it’s possibly damaging the market.

True. Not often do I pre-order unless it is a franchise I want to support. Otherwise I am happy to wait 6 months or more and buy it on sale. Most recently did it with Injustice 2

Like the new Vampyr game on the PC, I had a little demo of it and it is something I may enjoy playing, but not at the current price. No doubt it will come down in price to a quarter of what it is now by the end of the year. Will buy and play it then, most the bugs should be squashed by then too

WantoN · 12 Jul 2018 at 13:10

TNA said:
True. Not often do I pre-order unless it is a franchise I want to support. Otherwise I am happy to wait 6 months or more and buy it on sale. Most recently did it with Injustice 2

Like the new Vampyr game on the PC, I had a little demo of it and it is something I may enjoy playing, but not at the current price. No doubt it will come down in price to a quarter of what it is now by the end of the year. Will buy and play it then, most the bugs should be squashed by then too

This is what I do. I never pre-order, but that’s partly because I have an obscenely large Steam list of shame, and I don’t get as excited about gaming as I used to. Waiting for titles to mature is a real boon too, you’re right. Pressure from investment for the bigger titles Almas always means games aren’t as good as they will be 9 months down the line.

I banged on about how lucky we are a couple of posts ago, and I firmly believe it. But that back catalogue of 20+ years of gaming does, I think, make us less likely to desperately want to play the latest titles; we have so much choice already.

The clever, although disgusting, practice of consoles lacking backwards compatibility does imo bolster sales for new games, because there’s just not as much variety for them.

I do have a PS4, and I may buy a pro for exclusives, but I just don’t see the appeal myself. Perhaps if I was healthy again, or was a bit skint, the lower outlay might appeal. But PCs just offer me so much scope as a hobby, and a much more open, enjoyable experience.

Whatever way you look at it, or however you choose to play games, it’s hard to deny we’re in a bit of a golden age of gaming.

TNA · 12 Jul 2018 at 13:35

WantoN said:
This is what I do. I never pre-order, but that’s partly because I have an obscenely large Steam list of shame, and I don’t get as excited about gaming as I used to. Waiting for titles to mature is a real boon too, you’re right. Pressure from investment for the bigger titles Almas always means games aren’t as good as they will be 9 months down the line.

I banged on about how lucky we are a couple of posts ago, and I firmly believe it. But that back catalogue of 20+ years of gaming does, I think, make us less likely to desperately want to play the latest titles; we have so much choice already.

The clever, although disgusting, practice of consoles lacking backwards compatibility does imo bolster sales for new games, because there’s just not as much variety for them.

I do have a PS4, and I may buy a pro for exclusives, but I just don’t see the appeal myself. Perhaps if I was healthy again, or was a bit skint, the lower outlay might appeal. But PCs just offer me so much scope as a hobby, and a much more open, enjoyable experience.

Whatever way you look at it, or however you choose to play games, it’s hard to deny we’re in a bit of a golden age of gaming.

Yeah, I am loving it. So many more games are getting ports to the PC. There used to be hardly any big fighting games. Now we have Tekken, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Dead or Alive, Killer Instinct etc all on the PC. Soon hopefully we get Soul Calibur and my collection will feel complete as I used to love playing all those back in the day on consoles.

Makes me laugh when people suggest PC gaming is dying. Quite the opposite from my point of view. Love having all my games in one place on Steam, it is the only place I buy games personally if I can help it, though not often directly from Steam. CD Keys and GMG usually do better deals.

Right now I backed Shenmue 3 so that is kind of a pre-order and will be pre-ordering Resident Evil 2 Remake as soon as I find it on discount somewhere.