Why haven't you bought a PC yet?

G

Gipsy Danger

Member
I’ve had a gaming PC for a good portion of my life but it only became my primary source of games around 2008. Since then it has been the best decision I could have ever made in regards to my favourite hobby. I wanted to know why exactly people aren’t interested in the jump to PC gaming and perhaps debunk some of the common misconceptions about the platform.

  • I like to game on a couch/I don’t like kb+m
Most PC games nowadays have excellent controller support and scalable UIs so you can play PC games on a couch. And with Steam Big Picture mode (Buggy though it may be) you can even control Steam with a gamepad. There’s also the option of Steam In-Home streaming which allows you to stream games from your gaming PC to any other machine in the house which works wonders in my experience.


  • I work all day on a computer and the last thing I want to do is use one at home

I don’t really get this one although I can’t fault you for thinking it. I also work with a computer all day but the first thing I want to do when I get home is jump on my PC and play some video games. It’s easy for me to separate the work from play but if you can’t then that’s fair enough.


  • Games are horribly optimised or bad console ports
While this can obviously happen as we’ve seen with games like Watch_Dogs and Dead Rising 3. It’s extremely rare and even when it does happen, the games usually run as well as or even better than their console counterparts. I get around 50fps with high settings on both games whereas the console versions are 30fps.


  • The price is too high
Obviously I can’t deny that the initial investment is higher than consoles, it’s not nearly as bad as people say. I’m not going to go through all the maths that everyone has heard before but the general consensus is that yes, a PC is more expensive. But you are paying for a premium experience. A premium experience which isn’t that much more expensive.


  • Building a PC is too hard
This is definitely a thought leftover from the late 90s/early 2000s. PCs have never been easier, they’re basically really big Lego projects at this point. And there are tons of helpful guides out there to make the short process much easier.


  • Exclusives
I think this is also a fair issue. People like what they like. However, I feel like people who hate on PC for lacking exclusives don’t tend to look at what it really has to offer. People are eating up Dragon Age: Inquisition but don’t even look at games like Pillars of Eternity and Divinity: Original Sin. Most people who aren’t paying attention to the PC will not see the tons of incredible games and variety that the platform has to offer.


  • I don’t want to have to fiddle with settings to get games to run. Consoles just work.
This can definitely be an issue from time to time, but it’s much rarer than people think. I occasionally play with settings to see how far I can push a game and maintain 60fps but with things like the Nvidia GeForce experience you can just hit one button and it optimises the game to your machine. I think AMD also has a similar program but I have little experience of it. I also take account with the idea that consoles “just work”. Pretty much every game now has a mandatory install with day one patches. Obviously PCs have this as well but at least now we’re on an even playing field.
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There are probably more but these are the ones I can think of right now.

But without a doubt the best thing about a PC is that it’s an open-platform. Which means that you are completely in control of it, not a multi-billion dollar corporation. If there’s a feature you want on the PC, chances are someone has already made it.

If you are happy to stick with consoles then that’s totally cool, all I ask is that the next time you are looking to make a big gaming purchase you at least think about a PC. Hopefully this can spark a good discussion about your thoughts on the platform and why you did or not choose to go with it this generation.

I’d like to leave you with this article from PC gamer that I particularly enjoyed and if you read it you might figure out why PC gamers are so adamant and outspoken about their platform.

So, why haven't you bought a gaming PC yet?
 
I'd much rather play Sony and Nintendo exclusives.

I'd much rather use OS X than god-awful Windows.

I'd hate to play online with "PC Master Race" kids. This is probably the biggest, as I find most vocal proponents for PC gaming to be insufferable.

I'd hate to sit at a computer desk/chair and use a kb/m to game. I'd similarly hate to have to lug my PC to my TV to cast the image there.

I used to play games on PC back in the Monkey Island days and again in the Half Life, Grim Fandango days but at this point there's no reason to. All those types of games will come to consoles, and I can still go buy Civ Alpha Centurai edition for my Mac when that comes out.
 
Because my PC is located in my bedroom on a desk. It needs to be here because I do work on the PC.
My gaming area is in the living room on a big TV. The hassle of having to move the PC between rooms is just not worth it.
 
Let me get a job first! COMING SOON

My parents got me the PS4 as a birthday present. Same with 360 and PS1 and my current laptop (HP Envy 14).
 
Can't afford a decent one at all at the moment, when I can I would like to have one though. I have a laptop that's horrible for playing games on though :(
 
Building a PC is too hard

This is definitely a thought leftover from the late 90s/early 2000s. PCs have never been easier, they’re basically really big Lego projects at this point. And there are tons of helpful guides out there to make the short process much easier.
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Just to follow on from that, most specialist companies offer pre-built pc's or configurators so you can custom design your pc without having to dig around inside a case. Although I can build a pc with my eyes closed, my current one was pre-built.
 
PC gaming is significantly cheaper than console gaming. Don't let the $600 machine throw you off, the ridiculous amount of new games you will be able to get for less than $10 alone makes it a significantly cheaper option.

Heck, I had no such thing as a backlog until I became a PC gamer.
 
Had to sell mine to get money while I was receiving medical treatment. As soon as I grab a job, I'll be building a mitx system for the lounge
 
Initial investment was just too high for me. Then PS4 and Xbox One for 900€ arrived with games that cost 70€. So I took 800€, built a great PC and spent 100€ on Steam Sale games that would cost me ~300€ on console. If it wasn't for Current Gen's slow pace releasing interesting games I wouldn't own a PC right now.
 
I hate these topics. "Why don't you like/do/enjoy x? Here's why you are wrong." OP's intent seems noble, at least the dude was aiming to kill common fears, but sometimes it just smacks of elitism.

Personally, I don't have the money right now to invest in a better PC, and since I want something pretty decent around the range of 600, I can't justify that price at the moment. And I'm in no rush, because PC is slow on the uptake of Japanese games, despite some cool ones like DW8XL getting releases and such.

WillyFive said:
PC gaming is significantly cheaper than console gaming. Don't let the $600 machine throw you off, the ridiculous amount of new games you will be able to get for less than $10 alone makes it a significantly cheaper option.

Heck, I had no such thing as a backlog until I became a PC gamer.
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In the long run it is, but you still have to hop over that hurdle, and for some, it's just easier to get a console and pay less right now.

Bill Me Later exist, but my credit is so shit I can't even use it. Damn.
 
jon bones said:
I'd hate to play online with "PC Master Race" kids. This is probably the biggest, as I find most vocal proponents for PC gaming to be insufferable.
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I can't imagine you play online on any console then.
 
Joey Ravn said:
But... I have!
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.

oti xero said:
Initial investment was just too high for me. Then PS4 and Xbox One for 900€ arrived with games that cost 70€. So I took 800€, built a great PC and spent 100€ on Steam Sale games that would cost me ~300€ on console. If it wasn't for Current Gen's slow pace releasing interesting games I wouldn't own a PC right now.
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This doesn't make sense.

So for ~ the same cost as the console, you get a PC with comparable power + "$100 worth of games off Steam sales" and still would buy a console if the games were there faster?

...Despite the fact you just showed you kinda "saved money" in not paying for a console + 1 game, you paid for a "console" + many games?
 
Who doesn't have a PC?

I just choose not to replace my old PC (which does everything I need) to play videogames. I prefer the ease of use, and lack of constant maintenance/tinkering consoles provide.

When our desktop kicks the bucket, then I might replace it. That's a "might" though since we primarily use our laptops/tablets/phones. I really no longer need a desktop taking up space.
 
I just ordered some X99 components, only to discover that there's a DDR4 stock shortage until the end of the month. Yaayyyyyy, thanks, PC gaming.
 
Ikuu said:
I can't imagine you play online on any console then.
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Not unless it's with my real life friends or the occasional GAFfer. My friends play on consoles, so I will too.

All online video game communities are bad, but I do find PC gaming to be more elitist (but right up there with console gaming in terms of toxic racism, misogyny and homophobia.)

ShinUltramanJ said:
Who doesn't have a PC?
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Me. Went OS X and never looked back.

Run-M-Run said:
I swear I have never come across these people in all of the games I've ever played on PC.
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Try a MOBA.

samurai1226 said:
Did you even read the Steam In-Home Streaming part?
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And introduce lag into your game? Woof...
TheSpoiler said:
I hate these topics. "Why don't you like/do/enjoy x? Here's why you are wrong." OP's intent seems noble, at least the dude was aiming to kill common fears, but sometimes it just smacks of elitism..
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Welcome to every PC gaming thread, ever.

Gipsy Danger said:
I honestly tried my best to not sound elitist. If it helps I do own a PS4 and Xbox One. I totally understand why someone would want a console, I just want people to keep in mind that PC is definitely an option and should be thought about when making the decision of what to buy. Often I see my friends asking "Should I get a PS4, Xbone or Wii U?". But very rarely do they put PC in there, it doesn't even cross their mind as an option. It's up to word of mouth mostly to get the information out there.
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You don't come off that way AT ALL, don't worry. It's just the nature of these pro-PC gaming threads.
 
Vhagar said:
Because my PC is located in my bedroom on a desk. It needs to be here because I do work on the PC.
My gaming area is in the living room on a big TV. The hassle of having to move the PC between rooms is just not worth it.
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Did you even read the Steam In-Home Streaming part?

Also I started buying keys for new pc games, so I pay 30-40€ (thats about $38-51) for every new game that comes out on pc at release. games that are a few month old are often really really cheap.
 
TheSpoiler said:
I hate these topics. "Why don't you like/do/enjoy x? Here's why you are wrong." OP's intent seems noble, at least the dude was aiming to kill common fears, but sometimes it just smacks of elitism.
Click to expand...

I honestly tried my best to not sound elitist. If it helps I do own a PS4 and Xbox One. I totally understand why someone would want a console, I just want people to keep in mind that PC is definitely an option and should be thought about when making the decision of what to buy. Often I see my friends asking "Should I get a PS4, Xbone or Wii U?". But very rarely do they put PC in there, it doesn't even cross their mind as an option. It's up to word of mouth mostly to get the information out there.
 
I simply don't care about them. I prefer to just pickup a console and play the games on it. PC just doesn't even come into the equation in my mind.
 
jon bones said:
I'd hate to play online with "PC Master Race" kids. This is probably the biggest, as I find most vocal proponents for PC gaming to be insufferable
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Do people playing PC games just hold down the mic button spamming playing Ride of the Valkyries overlayed with John Carmack keynote speeches?

Yes they do.
 
Gipsy Danger, the reason I don't have a gaming PC is a very simple one: The games I want are simply not on it. When the majority, and I mean overwhelming majority of what I play is not on PC, why would I be in a rush to get one? Until that changes, I'll keep my non-gaming workstation and consoles.
 
It's pricey for how few things I need it for. And I have some pricey needs from those few things. I'm gonna be a super-sampling monster.

also y'all PC people are always posting about problems and inability to play things right and tinkering with it and I think that sucks. It's one thing to need to set up a game, it's another when many important games seem to force random setups throughout.

And it kinda bothers me that there's no counterparts to Uncharted 4, The Order, or DRIVECLUB types of graphical powerhouses that push forward that market's preference for CGI-like style in visuals. PC often has a more modular look to the visuals, like the animations aren't as fluidly implemented as in something like The Order. And many games that do have the fluidity are just from console-first companies like Ubisoft.
Also, PC ain't the plug and play ease you PC people pretend it is. To laymen, it looks like a plane crash compared to PS4.
 
jon bones said:
I used to play games on PC back in the Monkey Island days and again in the Half Life, Grim Fandango days but at this point there's no reason to.
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Man, PC gaming have changed A LOT in 16 years.

Play those games back in the day is as much different as play FFVII on PSX and play Destiny on PS4.
 
jon bones said:
I'd much rather play Sony and Nintendo exclusives.

I'd much rather use OS X than god-awful Windows.

I'd hate to play online with "PC Master Race" kids.
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Wait, what? :lol

Console games are renowned for their childish, CoD-kiddy online gaming userbases. I know, ive played on 360 online for years. PC gaming online is a million times more mature.

Also, OSX. lol.

Anyway, PC trumps either console for me, and im a PS4/PS3/360 owner. For a few reasons:

Back Catalogue. I can play anything I like from the good old days of Win 95 to Dead Rising 3.

Scalability. I can sacrifice resolution for framerate if I want to. Or if I can I can bump my resolution up to 4 times that of a current gen console. I have the choice of how I want my game to run. Better visuals, or better performance?

Cost. I got Dead Rising 3 for 18 euro from a Steam Key trader. Its currently more than double that price for a preowned copy in Gamestop. Any new releases can be bought from cd key resellers for less than half of what they cost on console.

No need for physical media. People clinging on to Discs are dinosaur at this stage. And digital prices on consoles are a joke. Steam has been a revolution in gaming for the past 5 or 6 years and console only owners just cant see past their beloved collection of dust gathering DVD boxes to see that.

Mods and free games. Seriously, the biggest game int he world today is DOTA2, and its free. I don't play it, but I can if I want to. Want more Half Life 2? Screw you, HL3 is vapourware, but you CAN play amazing, near Valve-quality fan made games like Mission Improbable for HL2, for free. Or Black Mesa, an amazing HD re-release of HL1, for free. Cause PC gamers are just that fucking awesome, they'll release games for free
 
TheSpoiler said:
I hate these topics. "Why don't you like/do/enjoy x? Here's why you are wrong." OP's intent seems noble, at least the dude was aiming to kill common fears, but sometimes it just smacks of elitism.
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I can say the same thing about console war >_>
Anyway, I don't have any PS4 or Xbox1 because with this money I can almost buy a new PC, so I would rather save up my money for now.
 
Cant play Sony and Nintendo exclusivs on a PC, so I dont see any reason, to spend hundreds of Euros just for better graphics on Multiplattform games.
 
Run-M-Run said:
I swear I have never come across these people in all of the games I've ever played on PC.
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Mostly because they don't exist. When you play multiplayer games on PC you don't cross people bragging about "master race" for several reasons; the most obvious one is that everyone else is on PC too and it would be pointless, the second is no one actually cares.

These fictional "elitists" are for the most part some legendary fairy tale beasts created by some insecure console gamers projecting way too hard.
 
Gipsy Danger said:
I work all day on a computer and the last thing I want to do is use one at home

I don’t really get this one although I can’t fault you for thinking it. I also work with a computer all day but the first thing I want to do when I get home is jump on my PC and play some video games. It’s easy for me to separate the work from play but if you can’t then that’s fair enough.
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OP, it's not about not wanting to sit at my desk after work to play games, it's about the physical effects that sitting that much will have on your body. How active are you?

I own a PC.
 
jon bones said:
I'd hate to play online with "PC Master Race" kids. This is probably the biggest, as I find most vocal proponents for PC gaming to be insufferable.
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I don't think i've ever encountered anything close to resembling this. Not sure how you have either if you don't play PC games.

TucoBenedictoPacifico said:
Mostly because they don't exist. When you play multiplayer games on PC you don't cross people bragging about "master race" for several reasons; the most obvious one is that everyone else is on PC too and it would be pointless, the second is no one cares.

These fictional "elitists" are for the most part some legendary fairy tale beasts created by some insecure console gamers projecting way too hard.
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Yep. I don't ever see PC gamers in online games talking down consoles or console gamers. In fact the only time you see people even mention consoles it's because there is a game they're interested in playing.
 
HUELEN10 said:
Gipsy Danger, the reason I don't have a gaming PC is a very simple one: The games I want are simply not on it. When the majority, and I mean overwhelming majority of what I play is not on PC, why would I be in a rush to get one? Until that changes, I'll keep my non-gaming workstation and consoles.
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That's reasonable. Out of interest though, what games are not available?
 
Gipsy Danger said:
I honestly tried my best to not sound elitist. If it helps I do own a PS4 and Xbox One. I totally understand why someone would want a console, I just want people to keep in mind that PC is definitely an option and should be thought about when making the decision of what to buy. Often I see my friends asking "Should I get a PS4, Xbone or Wii U?". But very rarely do they put PC in there, it doesn't even cross their mind as an option. It's up to word of mouth mostly to get the information out there.
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I didn't mean to say you in particular. You, my man, are an exception to the rule. It just brings fanboys out the woodwork to defend their choice in gaming is all.

TheSeks said:
.



This doesn't make sense.

So for ~ the same cost as the console, you get a PC with comparable power + "$100 worth of games off Steam sales" and still would buy a console if the games were there faster?

...Despite the fact you just showed you kinda "saved money" in not paying for a console + 1 game, you paid for a "console" + many games?
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Because everyone's budgetary lifestyle is the same? It might be better for some to just buy the $400 console and slowly build up their library rather than wait and keep saving up for a PC. How hard is it to remember that not everyone has a stable income that can make it work right out of the gate?

Chaos17 said:
I can say the same thing about console war >_>
Anyway, I don't have any PS4 or Xbox1 because with this money I can almost buy a new PC, so I would rather save up my money for now.
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Did you notice I sad "x", in obvious reference to anything as a singular item? This is what I mean when I say people get all defensive, and instead of reading the damn post, it's "welp, gotta justify my purchase".
 
First, PC community is the worst. It's a pain to play any online game on PC.

Then, I'm not secure enough about buying a gaming PC full price when I don't have a clue if my PC will be good enough for playing my games at good settings (aka no stutters no lethal framedrops at monitor native res) for 6 or 7 years. In fact, I do know that it won't. I was a fairly big PC gamer in my teen years and I remember having to deal with upgrading a little too often in order to avoid frame rate bottlenecks (you know, when you have the exact same framedrops at the same places at every settings available and when you begin, in vain, to alter config with wordpad...).

And I don't count the times when I had to fix everything after a Windows Update, a driver update or something I didn't know about comes altering my gaming experience in a bad way.
 
Building a PC is too hard
This is definitely a thought leftover from the late 90s/early 2000s. PCs have never been easier, they’re basically really big Lego projects at this point. And there are tons of helpful guides out there to make the short process much easier.
Click to expand...

They may never have been easier to build, but it's still possible - and fairly easy - to make costly mistakes and you don't necessarily have the ease of a warranty or store return to fall back on. Last PC I built worked fine starting out, but ultimately had component failure because, it turned out, it wasn't getting quite enough ventilation. I splurged on relatively expensive 'silent' parts & fans and somehow they ended up not quite doing the job properly.

It's why I'm now sort of torn about what to do about my next PC. I like the idea of getting something from Alienware - because if something goes wrong with I can just send it back and let them sort it. OTOH, I feel I want the value and components of a self build. So haven't quite made up my mind yet, and that's why I remain PC-less at the moment. I do intend to change that soon, but there's a bit of hesitancy about which option I'll go for.
 
WeAreStarStuff said:
PC just doesn't even come into the equation in my mind.
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I respect that, but man, this is just sad to read...

PC gaming have been around for more than 30 years, there are a lot of great PC exclusive videogames and PC gaming still offers different experiences and exclusive options than consoles can not deliver (MODs, KB+M control, backwards compatibility, multimonitor support, emulators, free games, etc.).

What I mean is... you are missing great experiences. I'm so sorry for you.
 
I have one and it was a pretty strong machine at the time( though nowadays the GPU is not able to keep up, the rest is enough for 2-3 years more I think). I just prefer playing on consoles. I have probably played like 5 games on it.

I was exclusively playing on PC up to 2008, but after trying a PS3 I realized what I've been missing.
 
jacobeid said:
OP, it's not about not wanting to sit at my desk after work to play games, it's about the physical effects that sitting that much will have on your body. How active are you?

I own a PC.
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I don't think that's what people mean when they say it. Don't worry though, I go running a couple times a week and get out quite a lot. But thanks for the concern :) haha.
 
FuKuy said:
I respect that, but man, this is just sad to read...

PC gaming have been around for more than 30 years, there are a lot of great PC exclusive videogames and PC gaming still offers different experiences and exclusive options than consoles can not deliver (MODs, KB+M control, backwards compatibility, multimonitor support, emulators, free games, etc.).

What I mean is... you are missing great experiences. I'm so sorry for you.
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I'm 31; I'm not ignorant of what PC offers; I simply don't care. Strange for you to have pitty on me; we all have different interest - none of those features you listed really interest me (well I guess besides free games.) I just like to play games to relax when I have free time man. Between being busy and my g/f having zero interest in games, I play for maybe 2-4 hours a week; so I enjoy it but it certainly isn't a time consuming priority in my life.
 
Gipsy Danger said:
I don't think that's what people mean when they say it. Don't worry though, I go running a couple times a week and get out quite a lot. But thanks for the concern :) haha.
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I don't know man, I work 8-9 hours a day and when I go home to play PC and wake up the next day I'm stiff. Taking breaks is obviously important but 10+ hours a day sitting (especially at a computer) is not healthy no matter how you twist it.
 
I do have a pc. I use it for pcsx2, dolphin and sometimes I play dota. Oh, I beat Wolfenstein TNO earlier this year, was my first proper pc game since fez released
 
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