I’m sure as a gamer you’ve wondered what is the better gaming platform console or PC? I’m here to tell you the 11 reasons why I think console gaming is superior to PC and give you an explanation for each point.
1.PC Gaming Is Less Optimised For Gaming Than Console
Making games run effectively on a PC is a lot more difficult than running games on a console. The issue is console architecture and hardware properties are vastly different from a PC and even between different consoles themselves. However, console gamers make up the majority so it just makes sense the developers focus their games optimisation for consoles than PCs for reasons of money and game outreach.
PC games are so unoptimised because there is such a massive variety of different hardware available to PC, whilst each console hass one standard set of hardware so it’s far easy for developers to optimise their games code for each platform.
Whilst Playstation and Xbox will have differences that the developers will have to take into consideration; optimising the code would be nowhere near as difficult as for PC because of the variation between PC hardware.
Assuming a developer wanted to optimise their code for every PC hardware set every game would take too long to develop and it just wouldn’t be cost-effective. This is why you need to optimise all your settings and update drivers or maybe download something whenever you play certain PC games.
Just look at this part 1 of a tutorial in optimising PC for Red Dead Redemption 2; this just doesn’t exist in console gaming as the game is optimised from offset aside from some installation.
Another issue is PCs must utilise their resources for their operating systems and other background issues. Whilst a console would focus around 95% of its power on running the game itself, a PC will have a lot of other jobs working in the background that will slow down your games performance.
You can see this yourself if you compare a computer that only plays games with a fresh install of Windows compared to a computer that is several years old with many other applications such as Javascript and antivirus. All this stems from a console being a dedicated gaming machine and a PC having many other uses outside of gaming.
2.PC Gaming Lacks Exclusives Compared To Console Gaming
Now, this is a BIG one as games are what make gaming and many of the best exclusives in recent years such as God Of War,(94 on Metacritic) Uncharted 4(93), Breath Of The Wild (97)are ALL only available on console and not PC.
Check out this list of the best PS4 exclusives here, best Xbox exclusives here and best Switch exclusives here.
If you want to play any of these exclusives on PC? Well, you are simply out of luck. You NEED a console to play these games there is no solution.
Even with games that do come out on PC for the optimisation reasons mentioned before they will usually come out later on the PC. Red Dead Redemption 2 come out on 26 October 2018 on consoles and was released more than a year later 5th November 2019. A similar trend happens with other games Grand Theft Auto V wasn’t released for PC until 2 years after it’s console release!
This means if you’re a dedicated PC gamer you’re simply lacking in AAA games because so many exclusives are tied to one console. Even with PC games, you will have to wait a long time before you can enjoy certain games on your PC; console gaming doesn’t have this issue.
Also, there exists a massive lack of incentives for game developers to produce PC exclusives outside of steam content as the majority of the gaming population is on consoles.
Why spend the time and resources making a game that a lot of people simply will not play? Also, it is just harder to optimise games for PCs for the same reasons mentioned earlier.
Whilst Microsofts play anywhere initiative has tackled this issue somewhat which is a Microsoft service that allows you to purchase games digitally for use with both Windows 10 Pcs and the Xbox One, giving more games to PC.
Ultimately pure PC gamers will always be found wanting when it comes to games and I don’t see this changing in the near future.
If you’re interested in Microsoft play anywhere initiative please check out this video.
3. FPS Multiplayer Games Tend To Have a Longer Lifespan On Console
Now this isn’t a general rule as certain multiplayer games such as Team Fortress 2 have a thriving PC multiplayer community but more so with titles such as Call Of Duty & Apex Legends.
A couple of years ago I could still see around a 1000 players playing the 12-year-old Halo 3. Even when Microsoft announced the original Xbox Live servers were shut down in 15th April 2010 Halo 2 still had a relatively active community on Xbox not so much on PC.
A good example is the current call of duty games, yes because of the popularity of the franchise you will always find games instantly with console matchmaking but with PC the player base is microscopic in comparison. You will still find healthy console player bases for most of the Call of Duty games butyou cannot say the same about PC.
If you want to play popular FPS console is the way to go.
4. Console Gaming Has The Home Feature Experience
Console gaming and a gorgeous home feature experience is a match made in heaven. Sitting back and relaxing on your comfy sofa with your big 40+ inch 4K TV complete with surround sound and controller in hand there is nothing quite like it.
Games have become true cinematic experiences, you just have to look at titles like Uncharted 4 & God Of War to understand the true cinematic medium games have become. All these games are even more enjoyable with a true cinematic score blasted throughout your room in surround sound.
It’s not a coincidence that most of the console exclusives are also quite cinematic and PC gaming just lacks this setup. For PC gaming to be effective you must sit with a mouse and keyboard quite close to your computer on a desk and it isn’t quite the same as chilling on a sofa.
Whilst I guess you COULD connect your PC to a television display you would have to work around the awkwardness of somehow using your mouse and keyboard setup with a television. Console gaming is set up & ready to play and has perfect synergy with your home theatre and playing games with surround sound really is a game-changer. Gaming headphones are not comparable to true surround sound trust me,
Check out this handy budget home theatre set up so you can do something similar for a relatively small cost to make your gaming experience that much better!
5. Local Multiplayer Is Far Better On Console
Whilst local multiplayer of course is possible on the PC it is nowhere near as practical as consoles and often involves a lot of messy wires. Whereas with console gaming, local multiplayer is a massive part of the appeal.
If you want to play Tekken 7 on a console? No problem simply host a game and have 2 controllers and you’ve done. If you want to play on house and keyboard on console? No problem simply plug in the keyboard via USB.
Whilst PC gaming has space restrictions, if your friends come around to play and your desk is mini mini like mine you won’t have space for more than one keyboard or mouse and your computer might lack the necessary ports. to host more than one player.
Also, your computer monitor might be too small for multiple people, this isn’t an issue with console gaming as you likely have a big enough TV in your living room for everyone to enjoy.
Split-screen multiplayer a console classic since Nintendo 64 whilst possible for PC(check out the best local split-screen PC games here) is just far more awkward to set up compared to console gaming.
On consoles the process is seamless, you can enjoy Mario Kart 8 or Super Smash Bros with all your buddies on the same TV without any effort in the world.
6. Console Gaming Is Far More Popular Than PC Gaming
This links to several other points but console gaming is just far more popular than PC gaming. This leads to developers focusing solely on console gaming and neglecting PC gaming all together; this leads to a difference between the quality of console and PC gaming.
Also if you like multiplayer games it’s more likely your friends will be playing a Nintendo console, Playstation or Xbox and not have a PC reducing the number of games and people you can play with.
7.PC Gaming is Usually A Lot More Expensive Than Console Gaming
Consoles are generally a lot more affordable than PC gaming. I recently purchased an Xbox One S for £214/$281 that included a controller Star Wars Fallen Order, Red Dead Redemption 2 and GTA V This was a bargain and bundles are very common with consoles. My S supports 4K video output(although not true 4K like the X).
Now, what would I need to spend to get a similar PC setup that outputs games in 4K? Well, the best graphics card for 4K gaming is the ASUS DUAL-RTX2080-8G graphics card(see it on Amazon here) which retails for £680/$895!
Just the graphics card is over 3 times my bundle and that’s not including the monitor, games or essential accessories like keyboard and mouse!
Check out this article on building a PC that will match the Xbox One X here and the estimated cost is $682.82/£517 but the issue is it’s just the PC the price does not include the other essential features: mouse, keyboard monitor! I estimate a full setup would easily be over $1000 nearly 2.5 times the Xbox One X price range.
Check out this comparison between is PC gaming cheaper than console for a detailed look into the issue.
Worse still, PCs are constantly updated and your top of the line graphics card next year will quickly be second best. Whereas my original PS4 can still run God Of War fine even though the hardware is years old, the same cannot be said for PC.
Newer games are always a lot more taxing and upgrading your hardware is a necessity as PC hardware continues to develop to meet the new software demands.
Also, PC’s tend to degrade a lot quicker than consoles so be prepared to replace your PC parts within a couple of years of use.
8. Console Games Can Be Borrowed/Swapped
Since most PC gaming is from steam the majority of PC games will be in a digital format where games are bought with a license. This means you cannot trade sell or borrow your PC games to anyone.
Now I’ve written about the argument between physical and digital gaming before but whilst console gaming is a transitional period PC gaming is far more digital and the issues such as whether you even own your own digital media are even more apparent with PC gaming.
9. Console Gaming Is Far More Mobile
Want to bring your console around a friends house and play? No problem simply put the console into a backpack go to your friend’s house set up the power cable and HDMI are your set. Every console introduces slim versions like the Playstation 4 Slim and the most powerful console ever the Xbox One X actually is Microsofts lightest ever console and is very portable.
Nintendo Switch is even more portable and really makes a statement on how portable gaming can be.
Yes you COULD bring your PC setup to your friend’s house obviously it is a lot more tedious and tiresome; disconnecting and setting up all those wires only to do it again when you go back home would get annoying fast. Also ideally you have a suitcase or a specialised backpack as most backpacks won’t be able to fit your entire setup safely!
10. Controllers Are More Comfortable Than Mouse & Keyboard
Whilst some gamers will swear by a mouse and keyboard I believe that a controller is just far more easy to use and intuitive for a new gamer. Controllers have a nice weighty design that comfortably fits in your hands with a simple learning curve.
The joysticks c with buttons are self-explanatory and easy to navigate whereas mouse and keyboard have a much higher learning ceiling. Controllers are excellent for a wide variety of titles from FPSs to arcade racers; you can’t say the same with a mouse and keyboard.
Now, of course, you can use console controllers for PC , and generally console controllers are included with the console and are far cheaper than a keyboard & mouse depending on what you by.
Check out these 5 reasons why console controllers are better than PC that include immersive features that keyboards lack such as the rumble feature.
11. Console Gaming Is Just Far Easier Than PC
This point links with most of the points but console gaming is just far easier than PC gaming. Building a custom PC rig is by far your best option for PC gaming but you need to worry about so many different factors.
- What hardware specifications do you need for your games?
- What mouse and keyboard are comfortable for you to play?
- Can your graphics card handle the games you want?
- How high if your monitors refresh rate does it meet the requirements of the game?
- And many MANY more
You also need a knowledge of tips and tricks in how you optimise PC gaming even for specific games such as the Red Dead Redemption 2 video linked above. PC gaming just needs a high level of specialization to perform properly it certainly is not a plugin and play.
Additionally building a PC rig requires a lot of specialisation and commitment that a lot of people simply don’t have nor do they want. A simple console that is both a home entertainment system and a gaming platform? That fits most peoples needs. Building a PC just takes too much effort for the average guy/girl.
With consoles all, you need to worry about is what console you want, what games you want to play and if you want to play in 4K or not. Simply set up your console and aside from some easy updates just plugin and play 🙂
There is no need to have the right drivers(wrong ones could crash your game) or monitor refresh rate, worrying about if your operating system is supported. Everything is way more streamlined and simple all that is required to play a Playstation game is PlayStation and a TV that is all.
