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Is PC the best gaming platform this generation?

Fabieter

Member
As a big console fan myself but as someone who also plays on pc for almost 20 years. I think that as it stands today the only two reasons to own a console today is price of entry ( in the long run consoles are more expensive for power user) and its a bit easier to use in certain settings but under circumstances it's maybe not even the case.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
PC is going to be my main for the foreseeable future.

Sony, I only ever buy first party games.
Rivet
Aloy
Jotuun

Waiting for Spidey 2 on PC.
Will wait for all Sony on PC even though I’ll most likely pick up a PS5 Pro, I’ve got a large digital library of PS first parties from the PS4 days That will live on the PS5Pro.

Series X was going to be my main machine for third parties this gen. I changed my mind after 3 years and will return to PC. I will need to rebuy those third parties on PC.

CP2077 already rebought.

Elden Ring PC might pick up again Though once through was enough for me really.

PC has my largest digital library by far and I’m going to keep building it there.
Want to double dip on Elden Ring but I want my exact save progress.
 

Kabelly

Member
Yes. Uncompromised performance. You get what you pay for.

30fps is fine. Consoles still have games like that and I own a Switch still, but 30fps will always just be fine. A locked crisp 60fps+ on every game though is just how games should be experienced. Harry Potter was my worst game this gen in terms of performance. It was beautiful but the stutters were bad and I'm usually pretty tolerant of that stuff.

I'm playing Red Dead 2 lately and it's just a stunner on PC. I'm playing at 4K with an average of 80fps. A graphical showcase in art and tech. I personally still think it's probably the single most beautiful game to release ever. It's why I will wait for however long to play GTA 6 on PC in peak performance.
 

ByWatterson

Member
No.

But I increasingly think PCs, in an increasing number of more standardized configurations (handheld, dockable, and dedicated boxes), are the platform of the future. Most other consumer electronics become both diversified and standardized.

This development may end up killing the traditional console market, but will turn Xbox and PlayStation into ecosystems.

Valve vs. Sony vs. Microsoft is the future. On PCs.
 
All this never ending chitchat about PC vs console aside.. do we have ANY robust numbers/facts that would suggest there's actually a shift happening where consumers are spending more time on the PC platform compared to consoles (globally, regionally)?
 
damn right walter white GIF by Breaking Bad

Most current gen releases require fidelity or performance compromises on the gimped curent gen consoles.
 

Mooreberg

is sharpening a shovel and digging a ditch
Best hardware. Not the best companies distributing the software. I've had more headaches with Valve and Epic Games customer service in the past three months than in the combined decades of owning various console brands. Even getting an RROD Xbox 360 replaced took less time than whatever in God's name is going on with EGS at the moment. Just an endless torrent of "this is a new device" when it isn't, followed by constantly sending six digit codes to an email account that doesn't exist.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Does it get all games day and date? No

Is it highly optimized? No

Is it a cheap value proposition with minimal headache and plug and play? No

There you have it, the answer is No

All your answers apply to consoles this generation. So, I don't know what point your trying to make.

PC is the best platform by a long shot, and with each year that passes the proposition gets better and better. It's a fact.
 
Only playstation games are real

Not what I said at all, but when your platform misses all Nintendo games and practically all PlayStation exclusive games (at least at launch), that’s basically omitting a huge draw to gaming

I can cover all my personal interests with a Nintendo and PlayStation and lesser extent Xbox (maybe not needed depending on their future strategy)

I don’t have a need for PC, it simply gets a lesser subset of the entire gaming universe, really unpolished ports, stuttering issues, more maintenance headache. Higher cost. Not for me
 
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DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Not what I said at all, but when your platform misses all Nintendo games and practically all PlayStation exclusive games (at least at launch), that’s basically omitting a huge draw to gaming

I can cover all my personal interests with a Nintendo and PlayStation and lesser extent Xbox (maybe not needed depending on their future strategy)

I don’t have a need for PC, it simply gets a lesser subset of the entire gaming universe, really unpolished ports, stuttering issues, more maintenance headache. Higher cost. Not for me

Because you don't think it's the best doesn't make it a fact though.

Trust me, to the newer generations and many many more, pc is the fastest adopting platform. Consoles are in decline. Pc is growing.

Yes a switch is a guaranteed buy, but pc is the best platform. Yes there is the odd pc game that launched with stuttering due to unreal engine 4 but we are practically beyond that. I would say if you weighed up pc ports versus performance mode woes on console it's a no brainer.

I refuse to have vasoline smeared shite to hit a good performance clip.

Also there's tons of games that come to pc first that you are missing out on.

It's the most supported platform and that's just how it is.
 
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Senua

Member
I don’t have a need for PC, it simply gets a lesser subset of the entire gaming universe, really unpolished ports, stuttering issues, more maintenance headache. Higher cost. Not for me
So only AAA games are real? Because PC gets the most wide and varied library of games by far, and that's not even considering the tens of thousands of older titles at your disposal. I do agree that having a switch too is a great idea, especially if you don't like emulation but PS5 becomes a less and less appealing proposition as times goes by as AAA scene becomes more of a bloated joke. Same can't be said for the PC landscape (outside hardware because fuck you Jensen).
 
So only AAA games are real? Because PC gets the most wide and varied library of games by far, and that's not even considering the tens of thousands of older titles at your disposal. I do agree that having a switch too is a great idea, especially if you don't like emulation but PS5 becomes a less and less appealing proposition as times goes by as AAA scene becomes more of a bloated joke. Same can't be said for the PC landscape (outside hardware because fuck you Jensen).

I don’t care about the PC exclusive strategy type games or vast majority of lesser known obscure and niche indie titles

Because you don't think it's the best doesn't make it a fact though.

Trust me, to the newer generations and many many more, pc is the fastest adopting platform. Consoles are in decline. Pc is growing.

Yes a switch is a guaranteed buy, but pc is the best platform. Yes there is the odd pc game that launched with stuttering due to unreal engine 4 but we are practically beyond that. I would say if you weighed up pc ports versus performance mode woes on console it's a no brainer.

I refuse to have vasoline smeared shite to hit a good performance clip.

Also there's tons of games that come to pc first that you are missing out on.

It's the most supported platform and that's just how it is.

Nothing I play looks like vasoline, bud. It’s good enough. Well optimized, not a port fiasco which is not rare. All you have to do is hear Alex Bahgagaggglitattlia complain about that neckbeard shit every week from some wack PC port

Doesn’t even generally have the best looking games day 1, like DS2 or GTA6 that are pushing current gen

Zero exclusives I care about on PC, and won’t get huge library of day 1 games, total waste of money non starter for me. But you do you.
 
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DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
I don’t care about the PC exclusive strategy type games or vast majority of lesser known obscure and niche indie titles



Nothing I play looks like vasoline, bud. It’s good enough. Well optimized, not a port fiasco which is not rare. All you have to do is hear Alex Bahgagaggglitattlia complain about that neckbeard shit every week from some wack PC port

Zero exclusives I care should on PC, and won’t get huge library of day 1 games, total waste of money non starter for me. But you do you.

Yeah, but Alex bagagagalinns isn't your typical pc player. Most of us are more than happy with it looking like a high res console game with better performance. That guy expects every pc release to have the absolute top tier pc support the platform can provide. While support is getting better, it isn't always needed but welcomed when it is.

I just think if everyone gave pc a go they would come around on it. Yes ita a large investment but with clever planning a PC can last you two generations with only the need to upgrade the gpu and that's still a maybe.

I'm playing helldivers 2 completely maxed out on ultra settings and getting 120 to 200 fps on my 4090. It looks a lot better than the ps5 version my mates on. So if devs spend the time on pc it's always better.
 
I'm playing helldivers 2 completely maxed out on ultra settings and getting 120 to 200 fps on my 4090. It looks a lot better than the ps5 version my mates on. So if devs spend the time on pc it's always better.

Im sure it does, and that’s fine, but it’s not a game changing difference. I can play a game on switch and be satisfied

I like graphics, art, all that, but hardware is generally not a limiting factor anymore unless you’re a snob

Again, I have no need or desire for a gaming PC, it’s just a catch all platform that’s more expensive and also more limiting than just buying consoles
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Im sure it does, and that’s fine, but it’s not a game changing difference. I can play a game on switch and be satisfied

I like graphics, art, all that, but hardware is generally not a limiting factor anymore unless you’re a snob

Again, I have no need or desire for a gaming PC, it’s just a catch all platform that’s more expensive and also more limiting than just buying consoles

This right here is facts though so I ge5 it. I love my switch too. I guess it's a luxury that I feel is worth investing in.

I can play games on lower end hardware but I think pc is the best, also for variety and availability of top quality games. Plus the input possibilities open up options.

I can play with all the peripherals my consoles have and also keyboard and mouse. Wireless vr etc
 
This right here is facts though so I ge5 it. I love my switch too. I guess it's a luxury that I feel is worth investing in.

I can play games on lower end hardware but I think pc is the best, also for variety and availability of top quality games. Plus the input possibilities open up options.

I can play with all the peripherals my consoles have and also keyboard and mouse. Wireless vr etc

Well my issue is this - if I had a high end PC I’d still need a Nintendo and PlayStation to play their games day 1

To me I just don’t need a PC as a result and the graphical boost isn’t a big draw when it can’t expand my library
 

Zathalus

Member
So we're gonna believe you, not the countless reddit threads on possible fixes on forums, or personal experiences i have had with micro stutters, crashes, frame drops, memory leaks?
It is the minority of games that have issues. All of the following were fine on PC when launched:


The only games truly broken on PC when released for 2023 were Jedi Survivor and The Last of Us. Hogwarts Legacy and Dead Space both have some microstutter issues as well, with the former being patched.
 

Senua

Member
I don’t care about the PC exclusive strategy type games or vast majority of lesser known obscure and niche indie titles
Fair enough then. For the type of game you like PS5 is clearly the choice. I just find it too limiting with how narrow the experiences are for Sony's first party titles, which wasn't the case in past generations. PC offers a smorgasbord in comparison.
 

Fabieter

Member
Yeah, but Alex bagagagalinns isn't your typical pc player. Most of us are more than happy with it looking like a high res console game with better performance. That guy expects every pc release to have the absolute top tier pc support the platform can provide. While support is getting better, it isn't always needed but welcomed when it is.

I just think if everyone gave pc a go they would come around on it. Yes ita a large investment but with clever planning a PC can last you two generations with only the need to upgrade the gpu and that's still a maybe.

I'm playing helldivers 2 completely maxed out on ultra settings and getting 120 to 200 fps on my 4090. It looks a lot better than the ps5 version my mates on. So if devs spend the time on pc it's always better.

I actually think most of the pre release footage was pc because i was really unimpressed with the ps5 version. It feels like they almost foccused completely on pc so big is the difference.
 

A2una1

Member
As a big console fan myself but as someone who also plays on pc for almost 20 years. I think that as it stands today the only two reasons to own a console today is price of entry ( in the long run consoles are more expensive for power user) and its a bit easier to use in certain settings but under circumstances it's maybe not even the case.
I disagree. This Generation bad PC Ports hat their return in many games. This is to a much lesser extend on consoles. Heck I don't know if you can finaly play jedi survivor with rt enabled on nvidia without crashes..
 

Fabieter

Member
I disagree. This Generation bad PC Ports hat their return in many games. This is to a much lesser extend on consoles. Heck I don't know if you can finaly play jedi survivor with rt enabled on nvidia without crashes..

I actually played it on consoles and it wasn't a very good experience either. Visually uneven and a stuttering fest.
 

Nitty_Grimes

Made a crappy phPBB forum once ... once.
What I don't understand is the constant harping on about 'freedom' and all that shit yet you are just playing in someone else's walled garden with firstly the proprietary O/S and then the launchers - Steam, Epic, Rockstar, GOG, Paradox, EA, Battle.net etc etc...

I'm really happy for you if you can edit a .ini file and install a titty mod and class that as 'freedom'

Then you have Denuvo and constant bleating about that how it is affecting your FPS and stuttering.

Gaming 40+ years here started with the ZX81 and this shit has never stopped (my dad can beat up your dad) just play your fucking games on whatever platform you want and stop going on and on and on about how good X is over Y.
 
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YuLY

Member
PC has been the best platform since about 2012 when Steam became mainstream.

-Full compatibility (even games from 2 decades ago can be played great with a few tweaks, although many have GOG versions which work perfect directly). You can actually build a library on PC. Afraid of digital threat? np, download the cracked vers. as a backup for your legitimate purchase.
-Precision controls for games like FPS, MMOs etc. and you can even use a controller if you want.
-Accessibility, you alt-tab and in a moment you are on the net, looking for a guide, video, thread about the game you are playing
-Mods
-More unique games due to Steam and the openness of the store
-More sales, in the end you will save much more due to cheaper games, even if the rig cost more than a console

It is just the best. I've never understood why console became so popular, with people saying omg i dont wanna tweak stuff or optimize. Bro I'm using 1070ti from 8 years ago at 1080p and I can still play all games on High textures, what the fuck are you even talking about.
The only thing I've heard is ok I wanna sit on the coach and relax when gaming. First, u wanna game or sleep ? Second, you can still set it up like that...controller and cable to tv...

Just move to pc already you peasants, jesus christ.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
I'm a little shocked that so many of you picked pc because of better graphics. Pc is better because you get to choose. You can have worse graphics at a better frame rate if you so desire. You don't need a 4090 to have a better experience.
 
PC offers the best gaming experience any generation in my experience.

When the PS5 and Xbox Series X launched, there was a transitional period where last-gen games where given the chance to shine, thanks to the much improved hardware over the previous generation, particularly the storage speeds and CPU. At this time, I was still using an older PC so PS5 and Xbox Series X games actually looked and ran better than they did on my PC. I've since upgraded and now own a QD-QLED monitor with HDR so the gaming experience for me is now so superior on my RTX 4080 and i5-13600KF that it's hard to go back to third-party games on consoles which have downgraded visuals, particularly when it comes to ray-tracing, and framerates (60 fps at best, instead of 120 fps). Add in modding and the ability to tweak PC games beyond the settings for the game itself (especially with Unreal Engine) and there is a lot to like here, despite the initial cost of the hardware. Games are also cheaper than console since you can usually get them from third-party key resellers.

Not going to argue that the consoles do not offer far better value for money though but PC is the only place where I can play Xbox, PS4/PS5 games and Nintendo games (via emulation) and has access to the largest games library by far (I own over 1,800 games on Steam alone and that doesn't include the games on other platforms such as Battle.net, EA, Ubi Connect, Epic etc.
 
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HoodWinked

Member
People who waste time on a gaming forum is a self selecting group so PC seems ideal. But a big segment of people don't care to spend time or are even knowledge enough about PC hardware to seriously game on them.
 

Senua

Member
PC has been the best platform since about 2012 when Steam became mainstream.

-Full compatibility (even games from 2 decades ago can be played great with a few tweaks, although many have GOG versions which work perfect directly). You can actually build a library on PC. Afraid of digital threat? np, download the cracked vers. as a backup for your legitimate purchase.
-Precision controls for games like FPS, MMOs etc. and you can even use a controller if you want.
-Accessibility, you alt-tab and in a moment you are on the net, looking for a guide, video, thread about the game you are playing
-Mods
-More unique games due to Steam and the openness of the store
-More sales, in the end you will save much more due to cheaper games, even if the rig cost more than a console

It is just the best. I've never understood why console became so popular, with people saying omg i dont wanna tweak stuff or optimize. Bro I'm using 1070ti from 8 years ago at 1080p and I can still play all games on High textures, what the fuck are you even talking about.
The only thing I've heard is ok I wanna sit on the coach and relax when gaming. First, u wanna game or sleep ? Second, you can still set it up like that...controller and cable to tv...

Just move to pc already you peasants, jesus christ.
I completely understand why console became so popular in the mainstream, but in enthusiast circles like Gaf you'd think the majority would use PC as their primary device. It's just the hub of gaming nerdom
 

StueyDuck

Member
Everything has pros and cons and so does PC gaming.

Its just up to the consumer what they are willing to put up with and what they are will to go without
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
All this never ending chitchat about PC vs console aside.. do we have ANY robust numbers/facts that would suggest there's actually a shift happening where consumers are spending more time on the PC platform compared to consoles (globally, regionally)?


People are slowly moving away from console where games like Call of Duty were the home of big games. Now these big titles are growing on PC and the next generation of gamers are choosing PC as the place to play as that is where all the youtube/twitch, content and streamers play.
 
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