Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I guess it's time to post this in this thread too.
Oversimplifying why using a PC on a TV is inconvenient for most people does not do your argument any favors.
For those who refuse to game on a PC, what holds you back?
- Thread starter Hollywood Hitman
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Oversimplifying why using a PC on a TV is inconvenient for most people does not do your argument any favors.
This doesn't make any sense in the context of PC gaming today.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Well, people do have different tastes. I love my gaming PC, but I haven't liked many PC exclusives I've tried so far beyond some indie exprience/story driven stuff like The Stanley Parable and Kentucky Route Zero. Tried things like Civ 5 and 6, Pillars of Eternity etc. and just couldn't get into them. I just don't care for sims, RTS, MOBAs or CRPGs--or games that require kb/m in general--so that limits my options.
My PC is mostly just used like a console that just has the best looking versions of the major AAA multiplatform games as that and console exclusives are mostly what I enjoy.
This is spot on. I built a HTCP that now has a 4790k and a Gefore 980 in it. I use it like twice a year because I just dread having to mess with it. Before that it had a super slow GPU and CPU, and I used Steam streaming. That was even worse because you had to add the steps where you periodically run back and forth to the host PC to push some buttons with mouse/kb.
Personal preference.
Physical package games.
Hardware Design
Choice of video game genres.
Friendly Community
Japanese effluence
and more...
The thing is PC will be always a PC, not a gaming console unless it is a box customized to serve the one and only purpose of playing video games.
Physical package games.
Hardware Design
Choice of video game genres.
Friendly Community
Japanese effluence
and more...
The thing is PC will be always a PC, not a gaming console unless it is a box customized to serve the one and only purpose of playing video games.
It really isn't any more inconvenient to use on a TV than it would be on a monitor. Or how consoles are used on a TV. You plug in HDMI and you plug in a controller, you are ready to play. There are fair reasons for preferring consoles over PC, comfy couch gaming just isn't one of those.
My Titan XP pc is only used for gaming, its in an itx case barely bigger than my Pro and sits next to it in my entertainment centre plugged into the same 4K TV.
I have yet to play a 3rd party PC game that isn't better than the console experience.
Even Arkham Knight at launch played as well as the PS4 version, the issue was it was only as well and it plays well enough at 4k60 now.
My PC boots almost as fast as my Pro and I can't remember the last game I couldn't pick up and play at 60fps even before my Titan. Probably Quantum Break actually but even that could still outperform the Xbone version.
The myth that PC gaming is a struggle is just that. Only older games cause any real problems with compatibility and need working around but then again I am playing them 10+ years later on the same platform and at 4k60, I can live with that.
I have yet to play a 3rd party PC game that isn't better than the console experience.
Even Arkham Knight at launch played as well as the PS4 version, the issue was it was only as well and it plays well enough at 4k60 now.
My PC boots almost as fast as my Pro and I can't remember the last game I couldn't pick up and play at 60fps even before my Titan. Probably Quantum Break actually but even that could still outperform the Xbone version.
The myth that PC gaming is a struggle is just that. Only older games cause any real problems with compatibility and need working around but then again I am playing them 10+ years later on the same platform and at 4k60, I can live with that.
PanicFreak
Member
I never want to think about updating a driver or upgrade parts in the PC.
family_guy
Member
I guess it's time to post this in this thread too.
4k TV is in the living room. PC in the office. I've tested long HDMI cables and past 15-20 feet, 4k 60hz has a lot of problems with current cables. Maybe the new HDMI 2.1 spec'd cables will be better. So my option is to do streaming from PC with a Nvidia Shield TV and deal with issues that streaming can bring, or buy a 4k TV for the office which is pricey; also the surround sound system is in the living room too. I'm looking at mini-ITX builds, but paying $700+ to do so is hard to swallow.
HefferKnot
Neo Member
Top reasons i won´t play on a PC
- I work on a PC all day.The idea of spend my leisure time on a PC kills me.
- Anxiety over graphics settings vs performance.
- Physical discomfort of an PC/Office setting vs a comfty couch
Well sure, but it's not a restriction of the platform if you choose to keep it in your office. I have no personal experiences with streaming really, but I've read it's not always flawless. I have a small apartment either way and I'm not gonna put my PC in the kitcen, closet or the bathroom. So I guess I'm at advantage that way
Osiris
I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
If you use your PC at a desk for general day to day non-gaming use, this isn't true.
More like:
Unplug monitor(s), keyboard, mouse, speakers, network cable, power cable, usb devices... ahh fuck it, switch on console and forget about PC.
It's all very well if gaming is ALL you do with it, but if it isn't, couch gaming with PC is a pain in the ass that just isn't worth the bother.
jono51
Banned
I'll give you one good reason: Patches.
On consoles, it's easy enough. Turn on the system, fire up the game, let the patch automatically download. Done.
On PC though? Awwww hell no.
First you try and connect to you favourite MP server. You get told that your game version is out of date. "Huh, that's weird, nobody told me".
So you have to find what version of the game you're on. Sometimes it's on the main menu, sometimes its buried in the options menu, sometimes to have to open the console, or edit an ini or driver to open the console.
Whatever, so you know what version you're on. Then you have to head over to the developers site. Oh, look a blog post telling me there was a new update. So you open it up, and it tells you to go over to fileplanet or gamershell or whatever to download the patch.
You get over there and hit download... only to be put into a goddamn queue to get your patch because you don't have a premium _____ account. Well, excuse me for not have six different paid subs to all the various portals that developers may upload their patches to.
So, you're downloading the patch at the historic speed of 150kb/s. And it fails. Queue again, retry. Another fail. Queue again, it works this time!
You open up your IE downloads folder, double click the exe and it works its magic. It takes a good 10-15 minutes to install the patch, the directX dll's, and even a separate mouse driver to fix that bug the game has with yours. Oh, and it has to make your screen flash on and off several times because fuck you, that's why.
Finally, you open up the game again and you realise at the launcher that all your graphical settings were reset by the patch. You pull out your desk draw, find your settings spreadsheet print out and more tedious settings optimization ensues, but eventually you get back into the game, double click the server and...
...They've also updated their server mods. Luckily though, the game just automatically downloads these from the gameserver (why can't the main game just update like this?).
After all that, you get in game and realise the patch changed pretty much nothing. There is still some hacking jackass named f0rest or some other 1337sp34k name running around and going 30-0. But the server added a quake announcer voice pack, so I guess that's cool.
-----
Oh, and I guarantee there is some "PC UBER PWNERER" just sitting there, doing the above process and whilst reading this, who is going to come in and say "You're making that up! It's not like that anymore! It's easy! You console baby!"
Basically, PC Gaming in 2017 is far more hassle that its worth.
On consoles, it's easy enough. Turn on the system, fire up the game, let the patch automatically download. Done.
On PC though? Awwww hell no.
First you try and connect to you favourite MP server. You get told that your game version is out of date. "Huh, that's weird, nobody told me".
So you have to find what version of the game you're on. Sometimes it's on the main menu, sometimes its buried in the options menu, sometimes to have to open the console, or edit an ini or driver to open the console.
Whatever, so you know what version you're on. Then you have to head over to the developers site. Oh, look a blog post telling me there was a new update. So you open it up, and it tells you to go over to fileplanet or gamershell or whatever to download the patch.
You get over there and hit download... only to be put into a goddamn queue to get your patch because you don't have a premium _____ account. Well, excuse me for not have six different paid subs to all the various portals that developers may upload their patches to.
So, you're downloading the patch at the historic speed of 150kb/s. And it fails. Queue again, retry. Another fail. Queue again, it works this time!
You open up your IE downloads folder, double click the exe and it works its magic. It takes a good 10-15 minutes to install the patch, the directX dll's, and even a separate mouse driver to fix that bug the game has with yours. Oh, and it has to make your screen flash on and off several times because fuck you, that's why.
Finally, you open up the game again and you realise at the launcher that all your graphical settings were reset by the patch. You pull out your desk draw, find your settings spreadsheet print out and more tedious settings optimization ensues, but eventually you get back into the game, double click the server and...
...They've also updated their server mods. Luckily though, the game just automatically downloads these from the gameserver (why can't the main game just update like this?).
After all that, you get in game and realise the patch changed pretty much nothing. There is still some hacking jackass named f0rest or some other 1337sp34k name running around and going 30-0. But the server added a quake announcer voice pack, so I guess that's cool.
-----
Oh, and I guarantee there is some "PC UBER PWNERER" just sitting there, doing the above process and whilst reading this, who is going to come in and say "You're making that up! It's not like that anymore! It's easy! You console baby!"
Basically, PC Gaming in 2017 is far more hassle that its worth.
breveglieri
Banned
Yeah, gaming PCs are usually so small and silent. You can just put it under the TV like you would with your PS4, right?
Except not, I used to have one and I had to drill a big hole in the wall to pass the cables and keep my PC out of my living room
Sevenfold
Member
^Are you from the 90's?!
Mihos
Gold Member
My x51 is quieter than my PS4 actually... about the same size also.
Sad Affleck
Member
In my experience, console gamers usually don't care or think about PC players at all.
But some PC gamers are always trying to get our attention and trying to convince us to come to their side, it's like being vegetarian or something, you just can't shut up about it
Please tell me you posted that as a joke. Because if not then you should know that it is an incredibly juvenile post.
LordRaptor
Member
They're going to say that because you are talking bullshit
you might as well add the "Queue for fileplanet download" step and go all in
e:
and if its sarcasm, Poes law. And the depressing realisation that people take such statements as fact and regurgitate them as such.
I do basically everything on my PC and on my couch or sofa chair. Web browsing, games, movies, music, socializing via different software, photoshop etc. And I would put my PC in the living room even if I had extra rooms to spare. Or if very wealthy, would get extra sound system and TV. There's nothing restricting me to do it.
Well yeah, my PC is quite silent atleast. My older PC made quite a ruckus though, but indeed was very old and not fully functional anymore. And PS4 (nor the Pro) isn't really whisper quiet either at all times. And I wonder how small is someone's living room if they can't fit a PC there. I have a small apartment but I don't need to climb the tower to get past it.
Edit: And aren't those Aliienware boxes the size of a average console? I mean Steam machines, not very familiar with those. But from the pictures they seem just like any console.
While the PC undoubtedly has more exclusives (and far more great ones than any single console), I think that when you start zooming in genre-by-genre this perception makes sense and marketing budget alone wouldn't make a difference.
I'm not convinced that any amount of marketing budget is going to make something like Factorio sell like something like Uncharted.
Nabs
Member
I almost bit. Almost.
Playing pc games on your tv is easy if you buy the steam link. Games look great, run great and you can use a controller. There's no excuse now.
Sevenfold
Member
Yet often these days the console/multiplat threads are full of folk crying out for patches!
I'm still waiting
Reptars Revenge
Member
Because I never had a problem with console gaming and there are no exclusives I've wanted on PC since Counterstrike.
XOMTOR
Member
I game on PC exclusively but walking into Walmart and grabbing an Xbox or PS4 and opening a box is orders of magnitude easier and more convenient. I don't fault those who'd rather not bother with any of the idiosyncrasies of PC gaming.
Dog Problems
Banned
Reading through replies, I'm having trouble figuring out which are actual concerns and which ones are troll posts.
Sad Affleck
Member
No Man's Sky is exactly that. A niche PC game getting a big marketing push and selling like a triple-A game.
The difficult stuff, when it comes to PC gaming, is mostly for when you want to do something go above-and-beyond specific. If you want to play the original Phantasy Star Online, a 2001 game, online with other people, you jump through some hoops.
But if you just want power for nice visuals/performance, an extremely wide and unique selection of games, and a wider selection of peripherals to use, PC gaming is mostly easy.
My co-workers have been trying to get me to build a PC, and I like the idea of building a PC, but unfortunately, I don't think I will be doing it yet. If I had more I wanted to play on PC besides Overwatch, maybe it'd be worth it, but here's the reason I'm probably getting a PS4 pro in addition to my PS4 instead of a PC.
I already own a PS4 with many games that I could play on both consoles.
I have a $50 giftcard for walmart, so I'd be paying around $350 instead of $700-800 for what I would want in a PC.
My girlfriend and I could both play Overwatch together if I got the pro.
"4k" gaming on my 4k tv that I already have - I wouldn't be able to afford 4k pc gaming.
It'll make my PSVR experience better than it is now.
I definitely know there are perks to building a pc, but for my current situation, it would just make more sense for me to go with a pro instead of a pc. I could even go pro + switch for cheaper than the pc I'd want to build. I know the initial investment is always the hardest because you can just upgrade from there, but I think maybe next year or sometime I can't live without a particular PC game would be better for me.
I already own a PS4 with many games that I could play on both consoles.
I have a $50 giftcard for walmart, so I'd be paying around $350 instead of $700-800 for what I would want in a PC.
My girlfriend and I could both play Overwatch together if I got the pro.
"4k" gaming on my 4k tv that I already have - I wouldn't be able to afford 4k pc gaming.
It'll make my PSVR experience better than it is now.
I definitely know there are perks to building a pc, but for my current situation, it would just make more sense for me to go with a pro instead of a pc. I could even go pro + switch for cheaper than the pc I'd want to build. I know the initial investment is always the hardest because you can just upgrade from there, but I think maybe next year or sometime I can't live without a particular PC game would be better for me.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
I had that impression too, but I was wrong.
I do none of that on PC. At most, first time I play a game I'll change some settings to high/ultra if the game doesn't autodetect ideal settings, and then turn down if it doesn't' seem to be running well.
Otherwise, no tinkering and I just have steam set to autoupdate my games, Nvidia Geforce Experience to download drivers and notify me to install, Windows to auto update etc.
I still get to enjoy better looking games, 60FPS instead of 30 on consoles for many games etc. without any tinkering.
Perfectly fine for folks to not care and prefer consoles of course. I just hate the misinformation that goes around about tinkering, drivers etc. as that frankly kept me from taking the PC plunge years ago instead of just last year.
Osiris
I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
You don't have a wife & kids yet then.
Just wait until access to the TV relies on an informal booking system.
Only true if you can run a wired connection to the Steam Link, over wireless it is atrocious, I know, I've tried.
ReubyJuice
Member
The reason for me is the initial investment. I would love to move to a PC for some games, but I already have a PS4 and don't have enough to invest in a good PC right now. Eventually I could see myself moving more to PC gaming, but for now it's just not an option financially.
johancruijff
Banned
editing a driver is a big bait
Love controllers and hate keyboard and mouse.
So that locks me out of easily playing most MMOs, Strategy games, MOBA/Online shooters(everyone else is using KB&M) and the ton of games the just straight up don't have controller support.
Already bought a Steam Controller, didn't help.
So that locks me out of easily playing most MMOs, Strategy games, MOBA/Online shooters(everyone else is using KB&M) and the ton of games the just straight up don't have controller support.
Already bought a Steam Controller, didn't help.
There's a whole lot of "old thinking" (re computing back in the day) in this thread regarding PC's, configuration and setup.
For a new machine on Windows 10 on clean install on my desktop machine, all I needed to download was the latest NVIDIA driver. It installs the GeForce experience and auto-updates and auto-optimizes all games automatically. Windows supplied signed drivers supplied automatically are adequate for everything else. There is no optimization required. Gone are the days of optimizing and tweaking Windows.
For a new machine on Windows 10 on clean install on my desktop machine, all I needed to download was the latest NVIDIA driver. It installs the GeForce experience and auto-updates and auto-optimizes all games automatically. Windows supplied signed drivers supplied automatically are adequate for everything else. There is no optimization required. Gone are the days of optimizing and tweaking Windows.
Everyone can have their preferences. The console ecosystem is nice in some ways for sure and there's a couple of things I miss like knowing everyone has an even playing field.
The thing that bugs me about this thread is the pretty bad misinformation and weird misunderstandings of the modern pc system.
It's not. You can literally download 2 programs and be done with it.
Gforce experience will auto-update drivers and scan all your games, and set them up for you so they run optimized for your computer if you don't feel like tinkering at all or don't really care that much about graphics vs. performance.
Steam is literally easier than PS or Xbox store, and is about 95% of the entire PC gaming ecosystem in one program. It libraries all your games and auto-patches everything for you. If something doesn't run or crashes, the option "verify game files" almost always fixes it (at least for me). There's integrated friends lists, chat, achievements, and a universal invite/join system for most games.
I mean it's a 4 step process.
Boot PC.
Wait for Steam to auto-log in.
Find game in library.
Start game.
The thing about PC is that the options are there if you want them, they aren't forced on you. You can play it like a console hooked up to a TV with a controller if you want. That's totally viable and easy.
The thing that bugs me about this thread is the pretty bad misinformation and weird misunderstandings of the modern pc system.
It's not. You can literally download 2 programs and be done with it.
Gforce experience will auto-update drivers and scan all your games, and set them up for you so they run optimized for your computer if you don't feel like tinkering at all or don't really care that much about graphics vs. performance.
Steam is literally easier than PS or Xbox store, and is about 95% of the entire PC gaming ecosystem in one program. It libraries all your games and auto-patches everything for you. If something doesn't run or crashes, the option "verify game files" almost always fixes it (at least for me). There's integrated friends lists, chat, achievements, and a universal invite/join system for most games.
I mean it's a 4 step process.
Boot PC.
Wait for Steam to auto-log in.
Find game in library.
Start game.
The thing about PC is that the options are there if you want them, they aren't forced on you. You can play it like a console hooked up to a TV with a controller if you want. That's totally viable and easy.
EmeraldSwords
Banned
The only game types I can bother with are MMO's, I can't play those types on my ps4.
Everything else belongs on my console.
Everything else belongs on my console.
You don't have a wife & kids yet then.
Just wait until access to the TV relies on an informal booking system.
Hah yeah sure, when I was engaged we didn't have PC in the living room that's true. I didn't even try though. My Playstation was, but still I always couldn't play it when I wanted
fluffydelusions
Member
If price really much of an issue these days? I mean I know it is more than console sure but you can buy cheap used on Craigslist or prebuilt for less than $1000 easy. Even laptops with a 1050 gpu start at $800 new and that will play everything pretty much fine.
I love my pc and home consoles. When I'm willing to put in some time to tinker, I can do lots of sick shit on my pc! But there are times when I just want to place a disc into a console and play it with zero fuss ever, and a game console is great for that.
Some people have absolutely no interest in tweaking a pc, or even worrying about drivers and shit and I totally can respect that.
That said windows 10 is great imo, and most the fiddling I do on there comes from emulations or playing with mods
Some people have absolutely no interest in tweaking a pc, or even worrying about drivers and shit and I totally can respect that.
That said windows 10 is great imo, and most the fiddling I do on there comes from emulations or playing with mods
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
It just depends on your home set up of course. I had that barrier for years, but finally opted to rent a bigger place so I could have a mancave/office dedicated room. My PC and desk are in one corner, TV stand is only a few feet away so it was easy to just run a 10ft HDMI cable along the baseboard to hook it up there. So I work at my desk and game on the TV in a recliner.
Of course not everyone can manage that kind of dedicated room. I'd still not have a PC if I didn't have a bigger place as I would never want my desk/workspace in the living room near the TV in my prior places/small condos and what not.
Steam Link would work for some who can't keep their desk and gamign TV nearby I guess, but it's a crap shoot using it over wifi vs. running an ethernet cable. It's dependent on wifi strength where the length is, how much interference you have (dense areas where you pick up tons of neighbors wifi networks cause problems) etc.
It's certainly not a "struggle", but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Look, for example, at the separate "PC Performance" threads that are started alongside many large game releases here. They're filled with issues, large and small. Shadows don't look right, atl-tabbing causes crashes to desktop, inexplicably inconsistent performance, need for beta drivers to fix issues, etc.
The reason these separate threads exist is because they take up pages upon pages of discussion. PC gaming is great, but it still has issues, even with modern games.
Greatest Ever
Member
Man, I understand a lot of the reasons here, but some of the reasoning here seems like writing something for the sake of it. Simply saying "I don't want to" or "it's too expensive for my level of interest" makes more sense than some of the nonsense here.
LordRaptor
Member
Outside of "Alt+tabbing" you just described every Digital Foundry article thread since the release of the PS4Pro
What really amaze me in this kind of thread is how people like to be in the same silly conversation over and over again.
There are a lot of good posts for both "sides" around here. They are ignored.
Someone posts couchy comfy and we have 30 quotes.
It seems that the point of the discussion is not trying to understand other people preferences are, the point is search for an weak argument so I can answer that ( usually with agressive tone ) and show how my preference is better than yours.
This is getting boring, every month we have the same threads and none of them have good discussions they are pure Plattaform Warz.
There are a lot of good posts for both "sides" around here. They are ignored.
Someone posts couchy comfy and we have 30 quotes.
It seems that the point of the discussion is not trying to understand other people preferences are, the point is search for an weak argument so I can answer that ( usually with agressive tone ) and show how my preference is better than yours.
This is getting boring, every month we have the same threads and none of them have good discussions they are pure Plattaform Warz.
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