Is it worth PC gaming anymore? Why I think I may be switching to consoles.

[Humbug]

There are times when I read about hardware and get cravings. But when I'm actually playing a good game I am reminded that the gaming itself is so much more fun and rewarding than everything else. In reality you have to stand still and look hard to tell the difference between ultra and very high settings. Once you get over yourself and accept that the hardware is only there to serve the purpose of gaming (or whatever other application) you will forget about it and have a blast on PC just like you do on console. Configure the settings to a point where you have decent framerates and then just enjoy the damn game. Devs sometimes leave those ridiculously high settings which cripples performance for almost no visual improvement simply because they know on PC we can turn it off.

 

Unfortunately there are many people on this forum who have fallen into the hardware trap, forgotten how to enjoy gaming, and all they do is complain about the state of the industry.

For me; I am having a blast since I got my R9 290. But it's not a contest, it's only there to help me enjoy my games. I want to get lost in a fictional universe, and I approach that with a sense of child-like wonder. I am 29 years old now and to my pleasant surprise my appreciation of gaming has grown as I have got older and learned the right mindset, how to be less cynical and appreciate good games for what they offer, and not get over-hyped either.

[LemonSpice]

I honestly do not know what that means. I played the games I mentioned at 1080p @ 30 FPS on the PS4.

30fps so fram vs 150 on that 780

[sannukas0016]

You're getting old op, nothing wrong with that.

[SteveGrabowski]

What I don't get is why are people saying AC Unity is a bad PC port? It just seems a poorly optimized game period. It's not like it's a world beater on the PS4 or XBox either pushing 1600x900@30FPS.

 

I understand getting sick of the upgrade cycle, and it blows me away when I read people talking about how they upgraded from a 3770k to a 4770k to a 4790k and then talking about Broadwell. At the slow rate CPUs are progressing nowadays I see no reason to be doing platform upgrades more than every 3-4 years or so max for most people gaming at 1080p. I mean a Sandy Bridge i5 is still a killer gaming CPU almost 4 years later. And a card like a GTX 660 is still decent for playing games on high while a 670 is still good on ultra more than 2 1/2 years later. So it's not like you have a dinosaur 3 years later.

[T6kke]

PC gaming is just an hobby. You don't have to talk about it with everyone all the time. It could be your alone time away from your wife. And If you notice that your friends are not interested in your topic then you don't have to engage then in it. Just talk about something else. But you're not here for relationship advice.

 

For your performance worries. Can you run it and what not, consoles have it a lot worse. You think that AC:U ran bad on high end PC-s. It ran shit on consoles while having way worse graphics settings. Also these badly made PC games have always been there. And if you mean that you don't have to worry about, if the HW in consoles is not powerful enough because it's not, then you are correct.

And a way out from the tweaking is Nvidia experience. You can use communities recommended settings for your hardware and with one click the game runs really well.

 

Also I've not monitored my temps since I set up my PC. properly build machine doesn't need constant monitoring.

 

As for me I do notice a lot of different graphical effects. Getting 1440p screen was a huge difference. Running 60FPS over 30 is huge. Even running 90 over 60 is pretty great. I also like good texture, high detailed models, smooth animations, good lighting effects. I also hate motion blur and how most games use bloom and depth of field so I need to be able to turn these off(can't do that on consoles).

 

"A computer is never finished, you just run out of money."

That is just a joke by hardcore PC modders who build custom cases and whatnot. And even they finish computers.

 

 

 

Sounds to me that you are just outgrowing your hobby as a PC gamer and you just enjoy playing few games here and there. That is fine. You could do both on PC or on console whatever you want. I agree that at the same price PC gaming needs a lot more work then consoles. And if you're not up for it then that is on you. To be honest I would just get a WiiU in your position. Games still run really well and look really good.

 

 

Also your headline makes it sound like there are something wrong with PC gaming while all of these problems are more your problems rather then PC gaming problems. So next time I would appreciate if you would not make such a sensationalist headline.

[johnnyTheMac]

PC gaming is just an hobby. You don't have to talk about it with everyone all the time. It could be your alone time away from your wife. And If you notice that your friends are not interested in your topic then you don't have to engage then in it. Just talk about something else. But you're not here for relationship advice.

 

For your performance worries. Can you run it and what not, consoles have it a lot worse. You think that AC:U ran bad on high end PC-s. It ran shit on consoles while having way worse graphics settings. Also these badly made PC games have always been there. And if you mean that you don't have to worry about, if the HW in consoles is not powerful enough because it's not, then you are correct.

And a way out from the tweaking is Nvidia experience. You can use communities recommended settings for your hardware and with one click the game runs really well.

 

Also I've not monitored my temps since I set up my PC. properly build machine doesn't need constant monitoring.

 

As for me I do notice a lot of different graphical effects. Getting 1440p screen was a huge difference. Running 60FPS over 30 is huge. Even running 90 over 60 is pretty great. I also like good texture, high detailed models, smooth animations, good lighting effects. I also hate motion blur and how most games use bloom and depth of field so I need to be able to turn these off(can't do that on consoles).

 

"A computer is never finished, you just run out of money."

That is just a joke by hardcore PC modders who build custom cases and whatnot. And even they finish computers.

 

 

 

Sounds to me that you are just outgrowing your hobby as a PC gamer and you just enjoy playing few games here and there. That is fine. You could do both on PC or on console whatever you want. I agree that at the same price PC gaming needs a lot more work then consoles. And if you're not up for it then that is on you. To be honest I would just get a WiiU in your position. Games still run really well and look really good.

 

 

Also your headline makes it sound like there are something wrong with PC gaming while all of these problems are more your problems rather then PC gaming problems. So next time I would appreciate if you would not make such a sensationalist headline.

delete, please

[johnnyTheMac]

PC gaming is just an hobby. You don't have to talk about it with everyone all the time. It could be your alone time away from your wife. And If you notice that your friends are not interested in your topic then you don't have to engage then in it. Just talk about something else. But you're not here for relationship advice.

 

For your performance worries. Can you run it and what not, consoles have it a lot worse. You think that AC:U ran bad on high end PC-s. It ran shit on consoles while having way worse graphics settings. Also these badly made PC games have always been there. And if you mean that you don't have to worry about, if the HW in consoles is not powerful enough because it's not, then you are correct.

And a way out from the tweaking is Nvidia experience. You can use communities recommended settings for your hardware and with one click the game runs really well.

 

Also I've not monitored my temps since I set up my PC. properly build machine doesn't need constant monitoring.

 

As for me I do notice a lot of different graphical effects. Getting 1440p screen was a huge difference. Running 60FPS over 30 is huge. Even running 90 over 60 is pretty great. I also like good texture, high detailed models, smooth animations, good lighting effects. I also hate motion blur and how most games use bloom and depth of field so I need to be able to turn these off(can't do that on consoles).

 

"A computer is never finished, you just run out of money."

That is just a joke by hardcore PC modders who build custom cases and whatnot. And even they finish computers.

 

 

 

Sounds to me that you are just outgrowing your hobby as a PC gamer and you just enjoy playing few games here and there. That is fine. You could do both on PC or on console whatever you want. I agree that at the same price PC gaming needs a lot more work then consoles. And if you're not up for it then that is on you. To be honest I would just get a WiiU in your position. Games still run really well and look really good.

 

 

Also your headline makes it sound like there are something wrong with PC gaming while all of these problems are more your problems rather then PC gaming problems. So next time I would appreciate if you would not make such a sensationalist headline.

Well, I did state in my post that this was more or less a rant based on personal issues and that this was in no way a PC game bashing thread (I have a great gaming rig, for Pete's sake) and the titles does state, "Why I think I may be switching to consoles."

[MEC-777]

@johnnyTheMac - I'm going to be brutally honest with you...

 

This is not an issue of PC vs. consoles. It's a matter of self-control. You have a fairly high-end PC. You don't need to upgrade anything, unless there's a legitimate reason (a component fails, etc.). I understand the ability to continue to upgrade is there and the temptation is real. As PC enthusiasts, many if not all of us have to deal with that and come to terms with what is reasonable and doable within each of our own unique situations. And everyone's situation is different.

 

Yes, Ubisoft has produced poor PC ports (and they aren't the only ones) and my advice with regards to that would be quite simple; don't buy any Ubisoft games. You could even go one step further and just stay away from any games known to be bad PC ports. One thing to keep in mind is that even though some games are poorly ported to PC, those PC versions, more often than not, still provide a better overall experience when compared to the console versions. And don't shift the blame from a poorly made PC port as a need to upgrade. There are SO many other great games on PC, so don't let a few bad apples ruin your enthusiasm.

 

Here's a question for you; Why are you making yourself choose between the two? Why not have/use both as you do now? (You said you have a PC and PS4). There's nothing wrong with using both. Lot's of gamers do this as it's the only way to play the console "exclusives". If you just feel like playing for fun, fire up the console. If you feel like tinkering with overclocks or playing with the eye-candy graphics etc. fire up the PC.

 

As for the whole PC reliability issue; Stop messing with things. If you want your PC to run as reliably as a console, then dial-back your overclocks a bit where you know they're totally stable and leave it alone! I learned this lesson the hard way and killed my old 7950 (thank you furmark... <_< ).

 

PC gaming is still certainly worth it, on SO many levels. I think the majority of the "issues" with PC gaming are actually "perceived issues" and often induced by the user(s) themselves. This is often what we find when we analyze the real root of said "issues".

[MEC-777]

There are times when I read about hardware and get cravings. But when I'm actually playing a good game I am reminded that the gaming itself is so much more fun and rewarding than everything else. In reality you have to stand still and look hard to tell the difference between ultra and very high settings. Once you get over yourself and accept that the hardware is only there to serve the purpose of gaming (or whatever other application) you will forget about it and have a blast on PC just like you do on console. Configure the settings to a point where you have decent framerates and then just enjoy the damn game. Devs sometimes leave those ridiculously high settings which cripples performance for almost no visual improvement simply because they know on PC we can turn it off.

 

Unfortunately there are many people on this forum who have fallen into the hardware trap, forgotten how to enjoy gaming, and all they do is complain about the state of the industry.

For me; I am having a blast since I got my R9 290. But it's not a contest, it's only there to help me enjoy my games. I want to get lost in a fictional universe, and I approach that with a sense of child-like wonder. I am 29 years old now and to my pleasant surprise my appreciation of gaming has grown as I have got older and learned the right mindset, how to be less cynical and appreciate good games for what they offer, and not get over-hyped either.

 

This was really well-said and right on the mark. It can sometimes be easy to get caught-up in all the other stuff (the hardware, specs, benchmarks, industry etc.) and forget about why we build these machines in the first place - to play and enjoy games!

 

Lately I've been telling myself to just stop worrying about the temps and frequencies (I know it's all running safe and stable) and just play some games, immerse myself in them and enjoy them. Since doing that, I've found myself becoming less tempted to worry about what my next upgrade will be and more interested in what happens next in the game I'm currently playing through.

 

It's a "state-of-mind" thing, ultimately.

[Tacitus]

I have a PS4 and I like it too, it's pretty great, graphics are good, and yeah, it's convenient. I get the attraction.

 

Maybe for you the best solution is when you want to buy a game look into how well it has been optimised for the PC, and how it runs on console. If the port is a good one, get it for PC and just bang it onto maxed settings with 2x msaa or so just so it'll run without issue. If the port is bad, get it on console.

 

As for money, your PC will be fine for a few years to come yet, and when it's time for a new GPU don't buy a top-tier one. Get something upper-mid range like the 770 was, or the 280x was. Or, only buy cards immediately after one side has launched their new lineup, you can now get a 290 for the price of a 770, or what a 280x used to cost. Imagine what'll probably happen when Nvidia launch another generation of GPUs to the pricing of the next AMD ones. 

 

I'd also maintain that so long as you're sensible with your purchases you won't spend that much more pursuing gaming on the PC; games are cheaper and there's loads of old games I'm sure you've not played that can be bought for pennies now.

 

Loads of people have budget PCs, it needn't be an elitist pursuit.

[johnnyTheMac]

@johnnyTheMac - I'm going to be brutally honest with you...

 

This is not an issue of PC vs. consoles. It's a matter of self-control. You have a fairly high-end PC. You don't need to upgrade anything, unless there's a legitimate reason (a component fails, etc.). I understand the ability to continue to upgrade is there and the temptation is real. As PC enthusiasts, many if not all of us have to deal with that and come to terms with what is reasonable and doable within each of our own unique situations. And everyone's situation is different.

 

Yes, Ubisoft has produced poor PC ports (and they aren't the only ones) and my advice with regards to that would be quite simple; don't buy any Ubisoft games. You could even go one step further and just stay away from any games known to be bad PC ports. One thing to keep in mind is that even though some games are poorly ported to PC, those PC versions, more often than not, still provide a better overall experience when compared to the console versions. And don't shift the blame from a poorly made PC port as a need to upgrade. There are SO many other great games on PC, so don't let a few bad apples ruin your enthusiasm.

 

Here's a question for you; Why are you making yourself choose between the two? Why not have/use both as you do now? (You said you have a PC and PS4). There's nothing wrong with using both. Lot's of gamers do this as it's the only way to play the console "exclusives". If you just feel like playing for fun, fire up the console. If you feel like tinkering with overclocks or playing with the eye-candy graphics etc. fire up the PC.

 

As for the whole PC reliability issue; Stop messing with things. If you want your PC to run as reliably as a console, then dial-back your overclocks a bit where you know they're totally stable and leave it alone! I learned this lesson the hard way and killed my old 7950 (thank you furmark... <_< ).

 

PC gaming is still certainly worth it, on SO many levels. I think the majority of the "issues" with PC gaming are actually "perceived issues" and often induced by the user(s) themselves. This is often what we find when we analyze the real root of said "issues".

I really appreciate the input. I know that this is a personal problem that I have. You are correct, though. I get way too caught up in this stuff. I will have to just step back  and stop "worrying" about things...especially when there is nothing to worry about. I am not going to get rid of my rig or anything, as I do need it for work. I am really going to have to "set it and forget it" and just go back to way I started gaming so many years ago.

 

Thanks.

[johnnyTheMac]

I have a PS4 and I like it too, it's pretty great, graphics are good, and yeah, it's convenient. I get the attraction.

 

Maybe for you the best solution is when you want to buy a game look into how well it has been optimised for the PC, and how it runs on console. If the port is a good one, get it for PC and just bang it onto maxed settings with 2x msaa or so just so it'll run without issue. If the port is bad, get it on console.

 

As for money, your PC will be fine for a few years to come yet, and when it's time for a new GPU don't buy a top-tier one. Get something upper-mid range like the 770 was, or the 280x was. Or, only buy cards immediately after one side has launched their new lineup, you can now get a 290 for the price of a 770, or what a 280x used to cost. Imagine what'll probably happen when Nvidia launch another generation of GPUs to the pricing of the next AMD ones. 

 

I'd also maintain that so long as you're sensible with your purchases you won't spend that much more pursuing gaming on the PC; games are cheaper and there's loads of old games I'm sure you've not played that can be bought for pennies now.

 

Loads of people have budget PCs, it needn't be an elitist pursuit.

That is very true. Thank you for your response.

[MEC-777]

...and the titles does state, "Why I think I may be switching to consoles."

 

"Switching" implies leaving one and moving to the other.

 

But, why "switch"? Why not both? You have both. I don't see what the problem is here... Or am I missing something...? :huh:

 

 

 

 

*EDIT* Posted this before I saw your last 2 replies.

[A Bubble]

I honestly do not know what that means. I played the games I mentioned at 1080p @ 30 FPS on the PS4.

 

 And you're happy with 30FPS?

[A Bubble]

I really appreciate the input. I know that this is a personal problem that I have. You are correct, though. I get way too caught up in this stuff. I will have to just step back  and stop "worrying" about things...especially when there is nothing to worry about. I am not going to get rid of my rig or anything, as I do need it for work. I am really going to have to "set it and forget it" and just go back to way I started gaming so many years ago.

 

Thanks.

 

Honestly though this sounds like OCD. If it's just feeling wrong when you play or think about your rig, like you have to make it a little better again and again until it just clicks for you and feels right.

[johnnyTheMac]

"Switching" implies leaving one and moving to the other.

 

But, why "switch"? Why not both? You have both. I don't see what the problem is here... Or am I missing something...? :huh:

 

 

 

 

*EDIT* Posted this before I saw your last 2 replies.

I will always have a powerful PC because of the work I do. I don't know...I may be just getting to the point where I will use my PC for work and the PS4 to game. Although, I have received some sound advice and positive comments here that have shed some light on some of the issues that I have.

[Subcola]

I believe, Sony and Microsoft are actually paying game developers to make PC port bad, so people will start thinking about consoles, especially now when consoles are new and can run today's games pretty close to PC. But when years pass, consoles get old and graphics go down. If you buy a PC you will be able to play now on a little better settings as consoles but in a long term games will evolve consoles graphics will stay on the same level but PC will evolve. Also if you get a PC for like 1200€ PC games are like 20$ cheaper so you are actually on the same price level after like 4 years. I personally think that PC is much better investment for 4 years in advance. Those bad PC ports will get fixed behind the scenes as time passes with no media buzz about it. I am pretty sure that those bad ports are Sony's and Microsoft's butter to put PC down. Every PC gamers who switched to consoles is music to Sony's and Microsoft's ears. So stay strong dear PC gamers!

[ComradeHX]

PC gaming is better than ever yet you want to switch to potatoes?

It's not just about graphics.

Ever wanted to do a little more to the enemies you defeated in Skyrim? Well, you can...

Go ahead and keep gaming on console; you will crawl back to gaming after Ubisoft and co. drag you half way down that hole they have been digging.

[MEC-777]

Honestly though this sounds like OCD. If it's just feeling wrong when you play or think about your rig, like you have to make it a little better again and again until it just clicks for you and feels right.

 

I know the feeling. For some, it will never click and be to 100% satisfaction. Thus they just keep on upgrading and changing things. It's a very slippery slope...

[Alpha11]

PC gaming is not a dick measuring contest

This... holy crap I'm dying with laughter.  :lol:

[HippY]

I do not see what is most people`s problem

 

You want to play games a few hours a week, if you have time. Nothing serious, just kill few people in BF4, race 2 races in Driveclub and occasionally play some Assasins creed for a few hours

 

You had and will have powerful PC-s that you are using for work. 

 

You also want a console that you can play on eaily.

 

I think it is a viable option. if you want a few hours of quick and worry free fun, console. no matter the graphics what so ever, as you just want quick fun.

Or if there is a PC exclusive that requires a strong PC or a PC, then you can turn to your PC occasionally

 

At the end all you want is fun, and if console delivers it to you, then what is the problem here?

[Thony]

I found my self in similiar spot. Im asking my self "when the fuck will a proper PC gaming publisher come and give us perfect games instead of unreliable pc ports? "

I want PC publisher equivalent of Ubisoft, EA and other big names who will publish for PCs and port to potato boxes!

[warmmilk]

just stop obsessing about having to run the game at maxed out settings and you won't have any issues.  And AC:U specifically still runs better on your PC (at maxed out settings) than it does on consoles, I mean its capped at 30 fps and dips to 20 on consoles.  I have a similar build to yours and I typically don't dip under 30, the max fps of consoles, and usually stay above 40 (which for a game like AC is very playable).  but since you mentioned console graphics being not that bad, turn down graphics settings to high or very high, turn off AA, and set the resolution to 1600x900 and see how it plays then.

 

I kinda understand where you're coming from a little bit, but most of your issues with PC gaming seam self imposed...

[Subcola]

I do not see what is most people`s problem

You want to play games a few hours a week, if you have time. Nothing serious, just kill few people in BF4, race 2 races in Driveclub and occasionally play some Assasins creed for a few hours

You had and will have powerful PC-s that you are using for work.

You also want a console that you can play on eaily.

I think it is a viable option. if you want a few hours of quick and worry free fun, console. no matter the graphics what so ever, as you just want quick fun.

Or if there is a PC exclusive that requires a strong PC or a PC, then you can turn to your PC occasionally

At the end all you want is fun, and if console delivers it to you, then what is the problem here?

The problem here is that most of us here are extreme techies, who want to squeeze the last drop of performance out of a machine, that is why PC is for us. But I don't really see a point of having consoles if you also have a powerful PC for work, you can just play on PC

[HippY]

The problem here is that most of us here are extreme techies, who want to squeeze the last drop of performance out of a machine, that is why PC is for us. But I don't really see a point of having consoles if you also have a powerful PC for work, you can just play on PC

and so he is and I am

 

But he is an adult and he must be reasonable. and if a console is bigger fun for him than PC then there is no problems here