For those who refuse to game on a PC, what holds you back?

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Why don't you add XB1 to this comparison? Most games perform better on PS4 than xb1 yet there's almost never a difference in their review scores. Doesnt mean people dont notice the performance difference or it's not significant . sites don't give different scores to PS4 pro versions either
I didn't do the XB1 because...

1) It was already way more tedious work to count the ones that I did
2) It makes no difference to my argument

If there was a difference then it should have shown up in the scores. Why is this such a hard concept to understand? The PC crowd is the one saying the technical metrics are vitally linked to enjoyment. If that is the case, console gamers should rate their games worse than PC gamers. If the difference in scores only show up after you do an A/B test, then that proves that it doesn't matter for people not doing an A/B test...which are the vast majority of gamers.

The metal block that you all can't seem to get over is that a difference in performance does not necessarily equate to a difference in enjoyment. I am saying that the enjoyment of PC and console gamers are the same. Every time I do that someone jumps in to claim "Hey if you just compared them side-by-side you'd notice the FPS/resolution/(whatever metric you deem is the most important) is better on the PC". My answer to that is "So what?". I never said there were no technical differences. I said the gamers enjoyed them the same.
 
I'm not even saying they are frequent issues. I'm saying there are issues on top of the typical issues that apply to both platform that will never happen on a console. A pop up window or the game screen losing focus are things that NEVER happen on a console. It's just the way they're designed

Again, I'm not seeing how that makes it worse if it's no more frequent than standard crashes on console when they're both relatively rare occurrences.
It's a different kind of issue, sure but largely uncommon much like most software crashes on a console


I leave my PC in sleep mode too. But one day I came home and my PC was on for some reason. Either someone bumped the keyboard and it turned on, or something over the network triggered it to turn on, which I've painstakingly made sure to turn off wake on LAN to prevent it from happening.

But whatever reason, my gaming PC was on when I came home and because it was on, it somehow tried to update and screwed up my system. For whatever reason, I cannot update to Windows 10 Anniversary Edition but Windows is constantly trying to update me to it. So the fact that my PC got turned on somehow while I was at work left me in a vulnerable state and the update happened. I've Googled it and I'm not the only one with this problem. The problem is I still haven't found a solution. It gets stuck at a black screen during the update, and the only way to recover is to force it to go back to a previous version. On top of that, for whatever reason, you need to unplug USB devices for it to trigger the recovery otherwise it'll sit there with an infinite spinning circle.

As much as I like Windows 10, how they handle updates is painful and annoying, especially when there's no fix for whatever is causing me to not be able to update to the Anniversary Edition. This problem has sucked so much of my time and it's something that would never happen on a console. Simply doing a Google search for infinite spinning circle after update or Windows 10 Anniversary Edition update failed and boots to black screen will get you a lot of hits on either subject, so it's common enough.

In the end, gaming on a PC takes a lot more maintenance and is not as smooth as an experience as a console no matter how you slice it. No doubt it's way better than it was 10 years ago or even 5 years but it still does not match up to the console experience. I say this as someone who has a decent gaming PC and still uses it regularly. I just know where it stacks up in comparison.

I'm not arguing that PC gaming is as smooth as it is on console (though I could, with good reason. Though it'd apply to gameplay smoothness not operating smoothness).
I'm just breaking up the misconception that PC games somehow have more crashes and issues than console games do when it simply isn't true in this day and age.
 
yeah I acknowledge that. I'm sure I could make it work but after buying a 90 dollar setup for MS pad on MS windows, it's pretty sour that it just didn't work.

also how do you get a x360 pad to wireless on pc?

I definitely get it. I will say the new Bluetooth Xbox one controllers seem to work pretty great if you can sell your old one. No adapter needed beyond a generic Bluetooth adapter.

If you want to use a 360 pad, you have to buy a little dongle, but they work great with generally less trouble than the Xbox one adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HZFCT2/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 
It's just people discussing imho, I don't see anything out of place really. I still find it intriguing some of the reasons people come up with.

But I mean it's a thread, if you're done man you can just roll out and let it run it's course is my point

Yeah it's much better thread than most that are "Are you gonna buy this game? Yes or no" or "List things without explanation". Well sometimes OP does ask to add a reasoning, but it still ends up being pictures without any description, not even the name of the game. Good job.
 
Having read through some of the pages of this thread, I feel like there should be a term for 'Mansplaining' though applying it to videogame enthusiasts who are "just trying to dispel misinformation about PC gaming."
 
Because it's the only aspect of PC gaming you mentioned having a problem with, and that's the only example you could come up with?

Seriously, you make a thread about your 3-year-old nephew hopping on your PC and getting you viruses, I guarantee you that GAF is going to blame you.

Like, good on you for giving up and all when backed into a corner you can't get out of, but that's literally what this thread is. OP asks why you don't play on PC, you gave a reason, I told you why your reason was stupid.

Very bold statements and not worth commenting.
salty
 
Back in the day there used to be an extremely clear cut delineation between console and PC gaming. On PC you installed your game from CD or DVD, you put in your CD key, you launched through windows, you downloaded patches to update games, you downloaded drivers to update your hardware, you had to restart your system intermittently. You were plugged into a monitor at a desk, unless you were lucky enough to have a TV/Monitor combo of some kind or special outputs. You used a keyboard+mouse combo, unless you owned a third party joypad that was only tenuously supported. On console, you just threw in your disc and played on your TV. Nothing could be simpler.

Since the PS3 / 360, consoles have been shifting more and more towards becoming PC-like. By 2017, almost every game has a day-one update, sometimes a large one. Every game gets patched. Every console does regular updates (once a month or once every two months, usually). These consoles have a discrete "Operating System" that the player generally interacts with before playing the game, which prompts them to update or occasionally advertises a game to them on the sidebar or if they go to the store. I've even had my consoles lock up and crash on me once or twice.

At the same time, PCs have been improving their convenience, ease of use and flexibility. Driver updates on the PC have become largely automated, as have windows updated processes. Windows as a whole is more stable than it was in the past. Games are more compatible than they were in the 90's with far fewer annoying issues. Pretty much every video card, even motherboard integrated ones, will output to HDMI in addition to more advanced monitor standards. Windows has baked in support for Xbox controllers, and getting PS4 pads to work isn't difficult. If a game plays well with a controller, it almost always has controller support these days. Steam has big picture mode for use on the couch. Steam controllers and steam links exist to allow you to get the best of both worlds (playing on desk, playing on couch).

It would be incorrect to say that playing on a PC is a totally hassle free experience. The console experience is still easier and less problem prone on average. But similarly, the gulf has closed a lot compared to what it was. Playing on PC is pretty convenient, and playing on console is no-longer truly hassle free. We also now have "premium" offerings of these consoles for people who care about image quality, which is pretty funny. People getting anxious about when they're getting their Pro patch, people arguing about image reconstruction techniques vs native resolution. People installing SSDs into their baseline PS4s to improve loading times. The "PCification" of the console community has been interesting to watch, and frankly I think it's revealed that in many cases the arguments people leveled against PC gaming historically were hollow.
 
Having read through some of the pages of this thread, I feel like there should be a term for 'Mansplaining' though applying it to videogame enthusiasts who are "just trying to dispel misinformation about PC gaming."
God forbid somebody more knowledgeable about something than you try to talk to you about that subject.

Ugh

Very bold statements and not worth commenting.
salty
Okay, legitimate question guys. This is the second console gamer I've seen in here who's just trolling. Are PC gamers doing this as well?

Is this thread heading for a lock?
I sure hope so, I need to get back to my homework/Overwatch.
 
I definitely get it. I will say the new Bluetooth Xbox one controllers seem to work pretty great if you can sell your old one. No adapter needed beyond a generic Bluetooth adapter.

If you want to use a 360 pad, you have to buy a little dongle, but they work great with generally less trouble than the Xbox one adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HZFCT2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Dual Shock 4 also works really great on PC. Just download DS4 windows and then sync your controller like you would any other blue tooth device. It's set and forget too, ds4 windows just runs in the background on startup, just hit the ps button and youre good to go.
 
Back in the day there used to be an extremely clear cut delineation between console and PC gaming. On PC you installed your game from CD or DVD, you put in your CD key, you launched through windows, you downloaded patches to update games, you downloaded drivers to update your hardware, you had to restart your system intermittently. You were plugged into a monitor at a desk, unless you were lucky enough to have a TV/Monitor combo of some kind or special outputs. You used a keyboard+mouse combo, unless you owned a third party joypad that was only tenuously supported. On console, you just threw in your disc and played on your TV. Nothing could be simpler.

Since the PS3 / 360, consoles have been shifting more and more towards becoming PC-like. By 2017, almost every game has a day-one update, sometimes a large one. Every game gets patched. Every console does regular updates (once a month or once every two months, usually). These consoles have a discrete "Operating System" that the player generally interacts with before playing the game, which prompts them to update or occasionally advertises a game to them on the sidebar or if they go to the store. I've even had my consoles lock up and crash on me once or twice.

At the same time, PCs have been improving their convenience, ease of use and flexibility. Driver updates on the PC have become largely automated, as have windows updated processes. Windows as a whole is more stable than it was in the past. Games are more compatible than they were in the 90's with far fewer annoying issues. Pretty much every video card, even motherboard integrated ones, will output to HDMI in addition to more advanced monitor standards. Windows has baked in support for Xbox controllers, and getting PS4 pads to work isn't difficult. If a game plays well with a controller, it almost always has controller support these days. Steam has big picture mode for use on the couch. Steam controllers and steam links exist to allow you to get the best of both worlds (playing on desk, playing on couch).

It would be incorrect to say that playing on a PC is a totally hassle free experience. The console experience is still easier and less problem prone on average. But similarly, the gulf has closed a lot compared to what it was. Playing on PC is pretty convenient, and playing on console is no-longer truly hassle free. We also now have "premium" offerings of these consoles for people who care about image quality, which is pretty funny. People getting anxious about when they're getting their Pro patch, people arguing about image reconstruction techniques vs native resolution. People installing SSDs into their baseline PS4s to improve loading times. The "PCification" of the console community has been interesting to watch, and frankly I think it's revealed that in many cases the arguments people leveled against PC gaming historically were hollow.

Well said.
 
God forbid somebody more knowledgeable about something than you try to talk to you about that subject.

Ugh


Okay, legitimate question guys. This is the second console gamer I've seen in here who's just trolling. Are PC gamers doing this as well?


I sure hope so, I need to get back to my homework/Overwatch.

Everything makes sense now :)
 
I'm not arguing that PC gaming is as smooth as it is on console (though I could, with good reason. Though it'd apply to gameplay smoothness not operating smoothness).
I'm just breaking up the misconception that PC games somehow have more crashes and issues than console games do when it simply isn't true in this day and age.

I think when you say game crashes offset each other on each platform and you call that a wash. The fact that you still have issues relative to the OS that causes problem, it's just an extra layer of issues which in turn is another set of problems and that just adds up to overall there are more issues on the PC side in the end. So I do think PCs have more issues but that's just the nature with complexity. The more complex, the more likely there are to be issues. For example, setting up surround sound on a PC is definitely not as easy as setting it up on a console. There are many different factors at play here that can affect this that you wouldn't encounter on a console.
 
Everything makes sense now :)
That I'm on NeoGAF and simultaneously a college student?

Are you now the more knowledgeable adult figure who's going to teach me about life and why I'm always wrong and you're always right?

These personal attacks from the trolls in this thread are getting ridiculous.
 
I didn't do the XB1 because...

1) It was already way more tedious work to count the ones that I did
2) It makes no difference to my argument

If there was a difference then it should have shown up in the scores. Why is this such a hard concept to understand? The PC crowd is the one saying the technical metrics are vitally linked to enjoyment. If that is the case, console gamers should rate their games worse than PC gamers. If the difference in scores only show up after you do an A/B test, then that proves that it doesn't matter for people not doing an A/B test...which are the vast majority of gamers.

The metal block that you all can't seem to get over is that a difference in performance does not necessarily equate to a difference in enjoyment. I am saying that the enjoyment of PC and console gamers are the same. Every time I do that someone jumps in to claim "Hey if you just compared them side-by-side you'd notice the FPS/resolution/(whatever metric you deem is the most important) is better on the PC". My answer to that is "So what?". I never said there were no technical differences. I said the gamers enjoyed them the same.

are you sayng there's no difference in enjoyment of a game between xb1/PS4/PS4 pro versions?
 
Yeah it's much better thread than most that are "Are you gonna buy this game? Yes or no" or "List things without explanation". Well sometimes OP does ask to add a reasoning, but it still ends up being pictures without any description, not even the name of the game. Good job.

I'm the dude, not OP, get it right. And second of all I'm not here to create fabulous threads for your insignificant approval, I am here to chat with fellow gamers for whatever comes to mind. If you don't like that then block me.
 
I do game on PC, but there are reasons why I refuse to play certain games on there and choose consoles instead.

If I'm playing online multiplayer I will generally prefer my console. More people are using the same hardware so fps, resolution and controller differences are not as varied as PC. More of a level playing field if you ask me and that's before I've mentioned the hacking that plagues PC titles.

Other than that I can see why people would prefer consoles. If you don't want games tied to your account like Steam then that's a valid reason. Maybe you prefer the console exclusives and don't care about the PC ones. If your friends all play PS4 I can see why you'd choose that over PC. Maybe you don't buy enough games to make PC a worthwhile investment so a console is actually a better investment.

Different situations for different people. I think PC is better and is certainly better for my situation, but I get why people would rather play console.
 
For example, setting up surround sound on a PC is definitely not as easy as setting it up on a console. There are many different factors at play here that can affect this that you wouldn't encounter on a console.

Wait what? You literally just go to the sound control panel, click your device, click configure and then check stereo, 3 channel, 5.1, etc

It takes maybe 30 seconds? And once you've done that it's set.

edit: It even lets you make a distinction between whether your surround left and rights are behind you or at your sides.

edit edit: and if your receiver doesn't support 4k60 or HDR, you can run one hdmi from your gpu to the tv and another from the motherboard to the receiver. With a console you would be limited to optical or ARC, which are both of lower sound quality.
 
It would be incorrect to say that playing on a PC is a totally hassle free experience. The console experience is still easier and less problem prone on average.

People are answering the question "why don't you" not "why cant you" and the above quote is the answer.
 
haha, yep, this is the perfect example -- This ultra defensive, more informed than thou, dismissive attitude.

Ugh.
lol, what?

Discuss the topic. Why are you making general statements about a group of people you disagree with rather than responding to us directly in regards to what we're talking about?
 
It's a forum man, it's where we simply talk. If you don't care then why you here?

There's nothing deep and underlying about it, it's just a basic conversation as I have friends that don't Pc game for various reasons and I feel they're missing out, so it sometimes is a flashing moment where I think about how others don't and the misconceptions.

It's really that simple, it's just conversation.

I think the issue is that there's a contingent of PC Gamers that tend to take things a bit too extreme.They simply can't fathom why anyone would choose to not own a PC for videogames, and some even get a bit vitriolic about it, in the "What's wrong with you?" sense.
 
I think when you say game crashes offset each other on each platform and you call that a wash. The fact that you still have issues relative to the OS that causes problem, it's just an extra layer of issues which in turn is another set of problems and that just adds up to overall there are more issues on the PC side in the end. So I do think PCs have more issues but that's just the nature with complexity. The more complex, the more likely there are to be issues. For example, setting up surround sound on a PC is definitely not as easy as setting it up on a console. There are many different factors at play here that can affect this that you wouldn't encounter on a console.

I was actually stating that the whole of all PC issues are offset by crashes on console.
Again, I'm going off my own experiences. I've had far more issues in just the last year of PS4 games I've played than I have in the last 8 years I've played on PC.
 
lol, what?

Discuss the topic. Why are you making general statements about a group of people you disagree with rather than responding to us directly in regards to what we're talking about?

I don't disagree with anybody, I love PC gaming and console gaming (although currently, I don't have a PC that can handle most gaming, but would like one).

It's just like the alarm bell posts and the incessant need to "Actually..." when somebody is posting what is holding them back is embarrassing. It's like, who is a bigger expert on what is holding them back, the person writing what is holding them back, or the person trying to "correct misinformation." As someone who likes/appreciates both gaming on PCs and consoles, and who used to purely be a PC gamer, the defensiveness in threads like this makes me cringe.

Though I did learn about the Steam Link in this thread, which was great info.
 
I don't disagree with anybody, I love PC gaming and console gaming (although currently, I don't have a PC that can handle most gaming, but would like one).

It's just like the alarm bell posts and the incessant need to "Actually..." when somebody is posting what is holding them back is embarrassing. It's like, who is a bigger expert on what is holding them back, the person writing what is holding them back, or the person trying to "correct misinformation." As someone who likes/appreciates both gaming on PCs and consoles, and who used to purely be a PC gamer, the defensiveness in threads like this makes me cringe.

Though I did learn about the Steam Link in this thread, which was great info.
Somebody says they console game because they can play from their couch.

Somebody retorts by saying they can PC game from their couch.

Dunno how correcting someone who's wrong can be considered "mansplaining", a term already dumb and sexist on its own.
 
I think the issue is that there's a contingent of PC Gamers that tend to take things a bit too extreme.They simply can't fathom why anyone would choose to not own a PC for videogames, and some even get a bit vitriolic about it, in the "What's wrong with you?" sense.

Yea, I get that as some of gamers can go that far. I even made a thread on why I dislike the term "master race" which I find completely ridiculous.

My view is for those who have a certain viewpoint, to help them maybe see that it's not how it used to be.

It's like no different to me than someone who feels they have to do cardio for 800 hours a week to burn fat and they don't want to lift because they fear they'll get huge muscles, when I'd like to show them that you can lift and it'll aid even more than just doing cardio without getting massive muscles. It's sort of that mentality for me
 
Wait what? You literally just go to the sound control panel, click your device, click configure and then check stereo, 3 channel, 5.1, etc

It takes maybe 30 seconds? And once you've done that it's set.

edit: It even lets you make a distinction between whether your surround left and rights are behind you or at your sides.

edit edit: and if your receiver doesn't support 4k60 or HDR, you can run one hdmi from your gpu to the tv and another from the motherboard to the receiver. With a console you would be limited to optical or ARC, which are both of lower sound quality.

The setting wouldn't stick. It constantly was getting reset everytime I woke up my computer and I had to disable something in the Nvidia driver in order to get the Windows setting to stick. Also, unless you know where to look, it's kind of buried for someone to find.

I was actually stating that the whole of all PC issues are offset by crashes on console.
Again, I'm going off my own experiences. I've had far more issues in just the last year of PS4 games I've played than I have in the last 8 years I've played on PC.

Eh? Well I'm going based off 30 years of console gaming across over 70 different consoles and I've never had a system crash or come up with a less smooth experience than what a PC has offered me in the same time frame.
 
Most of the PC exclusive games can be played on pretty modest PCs so any console user could (and should) give them a try.

Also, the idea that console exclusives are better than PC exclusives makes no sense. Especially when two of the most popular games in the world are PC only AND the amount of stellar indie titles on the platform is immense.

That said, a 400 dollar console is easily the simples way to have access to AAA games and a bunch of high quality AA and indie titles with most of the big titles being on the platform and the rest are pretty light games.

My laptop and my PS4 cover almost every game and I don't feel I need more.

Edit: for the record I don't care about Sony exclusives that much. If this was an exclusives battle the PC wins easily.
 
Back in the day there used to be an extremely clear cut delineation between console and PC gaming. On PC you installed your game from CD or DVD, you put in your CD key, you launched through windows, you downloaded patches to update games, you downloaded drivers to update your hardware, you had to restart your system intermittently. You were plugged into a monitor at a desk, unless you were lucky enough to have a TV/Monitor combo of some kind or special outputs. You used a keyboard+mouse combo, unless you owned a third party joypad that was only tenuously supported. On console, you just threw in your disc and played on your TV. Nothing could be simpler.

Since the PS3 / 360, consoles have been shifting more and more towards becoming PC-like. By 2017, almost every game has a day-one update, sometimes a large one. Every game gets patched. Every console does regular updates (once a month or once every two months, usually). These consoles have a discrete "Operating System" that the player generally interacts with before playing the game, which prompts them to update or occasionally advertises a game to them on the sidebar or if they go to the store. I've even had my consoles lock up and crash on me once or twice.

At the same time, PCs have been improving their convenience, ease of use and flexibility. Driver updates on the PC have become largely automated, as have windows updated processes. Windows as a whole is more stable than it was in the past. Games are more compatible than they were in the 90's with far fewer annoying issues. Pretty much every video card, even motherboard integrated ones, will output to HDMI in addition to more advanced monitor standards. Windows has baked in support for Xbox controllers, and getting PS4 pads to work isn't difficult. If a game plays well with a controller, it almost always has controller support these days. Steam has big picture mode for use on the couch. Steam controllers and steam links exist to allow you to get the best of both worlds (playing on desk, playing on couch).

It would be incorrect to say that playing on a PC is a totally hassle free experience. The console experience is still easier and less problem prone on average. But similarly, the gulf has closed a lot compared to what it was. Playing on PC is pretty convenient, and playing on console is no-longer truly hassle free. We also now have "premium" offerings of these consoles for people who care about image quality, which is pretty funny. People getting anxious about when they're getting their Pro patch, people arguing about image reconstruction techniques vs native resolution. People installing SSDs into their baseline PS4s to improve loading times. The "PCification" of the console community has been interesting to watch, and frankly I think it's revealed that in many cases the arguments people leveled against PC gaming historically were hollow.
👍👍
 
We seemingly point this out repeatedly in any PC related thread. It seems a rare occurrence that these folks notice that it is a blatant identifier of what to expect from them since no one else is doing it. I really can't stand the platform warriors but this is a great way to ignore them.

If I had the gumption, I would bother to throw together an Already Debunked List of PC Misinformation to quote ad nauseum (like I did for Japanese gaming back in last generations dogma shitshow), but that gives it too much respect and PC gaming ain't in any danger of being buried in BS atm.

That said, two point 'n laugh generalist PC threads a week is a bit much. ;)
 
The setting wouldn't stick. It constantly was getting reset everytime I woke up my computer and I had to disable something in the Nvidia driver in order to get the Windows setting to stick. Also, unless you know where to look, it's kind of buried for someone to find.




Eh? Well I'm going based off 30 years of console gaming across over 70 different consoles and I've never had a system crash or come up with a less smooth experience than what a PC has offered me in the same time frame.
I mean that's a super user specific thing though, don't know why you're having that issue, but that does sound like a huge pain. It's also not really buried, you can just type "sound" into the search bar and it takes you right there. If you can't go into the control panel to change your sound output settings, you're going to have a lot more problems than just running games on your computer and setting up surround sound.

And I'd say I've had about the same amount of hard crashes on my ps4 and my pc, which is very few. Maybe 5-10 on each.

edit: I'd say PC is certainly less smooth of an experience, but the difference in smoothness is pretty small overall if you're mostly just gaming, and any hassle on PC is worth it for the amount of options that are available that a console simply cannot offer. (sacrificing graphics for framerate depending on which you prefer, custom resolutions, framerates above 60, mods, cheap steam keys, etc)

None of this buying a new console to wait on patches so you can play in 4k. Just lower shadow quality and ambient occlusion, set your res to 4k, boom done. Even on most older games. Also no waiting for remasters, I can play ps360 era games at 4k right now at the highest settings.
 
I'm the dude, not OP, get it right. And second of all I'm not here to create fabulous threads for your insignificant approval, I am here to chat with fellow gamers for whatever comes to mind. If you don't like that then block me.

No I just said I like it, ofcourse I won't block you. Just thanking you for making this thread that has allowed me to have a discussion on GAF. Sorry if that offended you, The Dude.
 
Back in the day there used to be an extremely clear cut delineation between console and PC gaming. On PC you installed your game from CD or DVD, you put in your CD key, you launched through windows, you downloaded patches to update games, you downloaded drivers to update your hardware, you had to restart your system intermittently. You were plugged into a monitor at a desk, unless you were lucky enough to have a TV/Monitor combo of some kind or special outputs. You used a keyboard+mouse combo, unless you owned a third party joypad that was only tenuously supported. On console, you just threw in your disc and played on your TV. Nothing could be simpler.

Since the PS3 / 360, consoles have been shifting more and more towards becoming PC-like. By 2017, almost every game has a day-one update, sometimes a large one. Every game gets patched. Every console does regular updates (once a month or once every two months, usually). These consoles have a discrete "Operating System" that the player generally interacts with before playing the game, which prompts them to update or occasionally advertises a game to them on the sidebar or if they go to the store. I've even had my consoles lock up and crash on me once or twice.

At the same time, PCs have been improving their convenience, ease of use and flexibility. Driver updates on the PC have become largely automated, as have windows updated processes. Windows as a whole is more stable than it was in the past. Games are more compatible than they were in the 90's with far fewer annoying issues. Pretty much every video card, even motherboard integrated ones, will output to HDMI in addition to more advanced monitor standards. Windows has baked in support for Xbox controllers, and getting PS4 pads to work isn't difficult. If a game plays well with a controller, it almost always has controller support these days. Steam has big picture mode for use on the couch. Steam controllers and steam links exist to allow you to get the best of both worlds (playing on desk, playing on couch).

It would be incorrect to say that playing on a PC is a totally hassle free experience. The console experience is still easier and less problem prone on average. But similarly, the gulf has closed a lot compared to what it was. Playing on PC is pretty convenient, and playing on console is no-longer truly hassle free. We also now have "premium" offerings of these consoles for people who care about image quality, which is pretty funny. People getting anxious about when they're getting their Pro patch, people arguing about image reconstruction techniques vs native resolution. People installing SSDs into their baseline PS4s to improve loading times. The "PCification" of the console community has been interesting to watch, and frankly I think it's revealed that in many cases the arguments people leveled against PC gaming historically were hollow.

Yup! I have a PC for most games and a console for exclusives :D
 
are you sayng there's no difference in enjoyment of a game between xb1/PS4/PS4 pro versions?
If someone isn't doing a side by side comparison...For the most part...Yes. That of course excludes an obviously broken game on one platform.

In the whole 900p/1080p XB1/PS4 debate I came out and said it was mostly a non-issue from a gaming standpoint. It was an issue from a PR standpoint but that's something altogether different. It's also an issue with VR because performance issues are immediately noticeable there.

There is one caveat here that actually amplifies the perceived differences between the consoles greater than the differences between PCs and consoles even if the latter difference is larger. Comparing a XB1 to a PS4 is comparing like-to-like. They are both consoles. Since the differences between consoles are so small, the differences that do exist make an exaggerated impact on buying decisions.

For example, if I you had the choice of buying one of two identical apples where one costs $1.00 and the other costs $1.01, you'd choose the apple that costs 1¢ less every time even though 1¢ in absolute terms is insignificant. You'd likely not even pick up a penny on the ground if you saw one.

It's for this reason that the power difference between the XB1 and PS4 has been so important. People simply say, "If I'm going to buy one, I might as well get the more powerful one". When evaluating the differences between PCs and consoles, the differences between the nature of PC and console gaming overshadows the difference between the performance of games.
 
Back in the day there used to be an extremely clear cut delineation between console and PC gaming. On PC you installed your game from CD or DVD, you put in your CD key, you launched through windows, you downloaded patches to update games, you downloaded drivers to update your hardware, you had to restart your system intermittently. You were plugged into a monitor at a desk, unless you were lucky enough to have a TV/Monitor combo of some kind or special outputs. You used a keyboard+mouse combo, unless you owned a third party joypad that was only tenuously supported. On console, you just threw in your disc and played on your TV. Nothing could be simpler.

Since the PS3 / 360, consoles have been shifting more and more towards becoming PC-like. By 2017, almost every game has a day-one update, sometimes a large one. Every game gets patched. Every console does regular updates (once a month or once every two months, usually). These consoles have a discrete "Operating System" that the player generally interacts with before playing the game, which prompts them to update or occasionally advertises a game to them on the sidebar or if they go to the store. I've even had my consoles lock up and crash on me once or twice.

At the same time, PCs have been improving their convenience, ease of use and flexibility. Driver updates on the PC have become largely automated, as have windows updated processes. Windows as a whole is more stable than it was in the past. Games are more compatible than they were in the 90's with far fewer annoying issues. Pretty much every video card, even motherboard integrated ones, will output to HDMI in addition to more advanced monitor standards. Windows has baked in support for Xbox controllers, and getting PS4 pads to work isn't difficult. If a game plays well with a controller, it almost always has controller support these days. Steam has big picture mode for use on the couch. Steam controllers and steam links exist to allow you to get the best of both worlds (playing on desk, playing on couch).

It would be incorrect to say that playing on a PC is a totally hassle free experience. The console experience is still easier and less problem prone on average. But similarly, the gulf has closed a lot compared to what it was. Playing on PC is pretty convenient, and playing on console is no-longer truly hassle free. We also now have "premium" offerings of these consoles for people who care about image quality, which is pretty funny. People getting anxious about when they're getting their Pro patch, people arguing about image reconstruction techniques vs native resolution. People installing SSDs into their baseline PS4s to improve loading times. The "PCification" of the console community has been interesting to watch, and frankly I think it's revealed that in many cases the arguments people leveled against PC gaming historically were hollow.

On point as ever.

If I had the gumption, I would bother to throw together an Already Debunked List of PC Misinformation to quote ad nauseum (like I did for Japanese gaming back in last generations dogma shitshow), but that gives it too much respect and PC gaming ain't in any danger of being buried in BS atm.

That said, two point 'n laugh generalist PC threads a week is a bit much. ;)

True, but we already know historically that none of this information really matters for those that spout it. They want to justify their platform choices on both sides, most don't even have minimal experience of what they spout. It's just endlessly cyclical.
 
As long as I love and am interested in gaming I don't think I could ever NOT game on PC. Way too many interesting titles, mods, and games that are only available on PC. Free online as well.
 
Honestly I play all the multiplats on PC and now that I have it under my TV i'm starting to reconsider it. It's great that I can play with a controller from my couch, but it doesn't feel like I should play some games that way. I understand the reason for removing auto-aim when the player base is using mice, but the disparity is rough. I love Titanfall 2 - I don't think I can hang in multiplayer because of my control choice however. Battlefield, Battlefront, etc. Games I would usually dominate in on console I cannot even muster a positive K/D ratio on PC. Bums me out
 
I definitely get it. I will say the new Bluetooth Xbox one controllers seem to work pretty great if you can sell your old one. No adapter needed beyond a generic Bluetooth adapter.

If you want to use a 360 pad, you have to buy a little dongle, but they work great with generally less trouble than the Xbox one adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HZFCT2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

ah Ok Bluetooth. thanks for the response. I actually have a Bluetooth adapter I bought already (I'm no quitter lol) so I should be able to just hook that up and use my DS4's too right?

I'd be ok with ds4 wireless and xbox one controller wired on pc.
 
Well heres my question, is there at least some folks who are surprised to learn that Pc gaming is a lot more accessible than it once was?

I think I sort of look at it from an enthusiast pov in that we all love gaming, and even if a Pc is a little more expensive, the payoff is just very much worth it because it takes this hobby to another level. I just wish more were able to experience that and bring down some of those walls.
 
ah Ok Bluetooth. thanks for the response. I actually have a Bluetooth adapter I bought already (I'm no quitter lol) so I should be able to just hook that up and use my DS4's too right?

I'd be ok with ds4 wireless and xbox one controller wired on pc.

Yep, just download DS4 windows.

I initially had a problem with the DS4 having latency spikes, but another gaffer suggested I plug my bluetooth adapter into a usb extension cable and that did the trick, have had zero problems since. I think it's because the extension cable draws more power from the motherboard. It just sits on the floor behind my PC now lol.
 
On point as ever.



True, but we already know historically that none of this information really matters for those that spout it. They want to justify their platform choices on both sides, most don't even have minimal experience of what they spout. It's just endlessly cyclical.

So you agree with "It would be incorrect to say that playing on a PC is a totally hassle free experience. The console experience is still easier and less problem prone on average." but you don't think that could be motivation for a person to game on a console?
 
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