Is PC gaming worth it?

[TheGosuStandard]

I feel you can just do so much more on a PC compared to a console, the only downside is specific games like Halo. 

[kayodoc]

Honestly, if your friends are all on console, get a console. Yes, PC is great, but what good are games if you don't have people to play with? And not to sound mean or anything, but $800 won't really get you a PC that can play games at amazing resolutions like some other techies here are stating. Just my 2cents.

[Sky Daddy]

Do not buy a $400 console just to play a couple games.

[totjup5]

I have finally saved up the money to buy a fairly good PC, about $800 worth. My only worry is that all my friends now play the PS4. I know I want to progress from my xbox 360 but I don't know whether the clear benefits of PC gaming is worth it if I will never play with my friends. So I'm wondering is it worth my money to buy a good PC to game by myself. Or will a better experience be with friends on a next gen console?

Get a pc, then continue to tell your friends how great it is. They will follow, it worked for me.

[-ism]

I have finally saved up the money to buy a fairly good PC, about $800 worth. My only worry is that all my friends now play the PS4. I know I want to progress from my xbox 360 but I don't know whether the clear benefits of PC gaming is worth it if I will never play with my friends. So I'm wondering is it worth my money to buy a good PC to game by myself. Or will a better experience be with friends on a next gen console?

 

It's definitely worth it. I too have lots of friends on console, but I really haven't really missed out much on coming to PC. You meet lots of people, and I have even convinced 2 of my friends to build PC's as well, and they don't regret the decision at all.

 

Also, there is a website that tells you the value of your Steam games, and my entire library is worth about $1460 as of last weeks prices (including sales and whatnot) and using a custom script I found that I have only spent $270 on Steam games in the past 5 years since I got my Steam account.

 

So from a money perspective, it is definitely worth it.

 

Also, on PC there are countless mods and such which are great. 

On PC you have ALL your games always downloaded, ready to go at all times. On console, you have to have a giant stack of games sitting around.

On PC, you can do many other things, not just gaming. You can watch YouTube, norp, browse this forum, have music playing in the background, be downloading more games, doing your homework in MS word all at the same time. You get the idea.

On PC, you have a mouse, keyboard, controller, racing wheel, flight joysticks and whatever, any other peripherals. On console you are pretty much limited to just the controller (I think consoles have racing wheels too?)

On PC, you have better graphics (of course, this depends on the GPU you buy, but even a measly GTX 750 Ti can push better graphics and FPS than a console. 

On PC, you can run at 4k, 1080p, 1440p, 720p, whatever you want, in any game you want (relatively). On console you are limited to whatever they set. 

On PC, you have access to even the oldest of PC games. On PS4 or Xbone I don't think you can play EVERY SINGLE old game that was ever released. On PC, you even can emulate DOS games.

On PC, you can upgrade your parts. 

On PC, you have a beautiful PC that you can tell people you built. It looks much sexier on desk/under your TV than a console.

 

Just build a PC you won't regret it. For $800 you can get a killer system.

[Master_Obvious]

It all depends on what you want to do? If you like using mouse and keyboard and the better graphics and the MODS!! go with PC. If you want to game with your friends you should perhaps consider a PS4. It is brand new so would future proof for up to 6 years

[cab11150904]

I asked him "WHY THE F WOULD YOU DO THAT" and he was like "all my friends play on the Xbox One" Then he tried to explain how consoles are better, so I went rage mode on his ass.

What a dumb spoiled child you are. I can't imagine how PC gamers get a bad rap with stellar ambassadors like you representing the cause.

[teddyteddyteddy]

If you just want to have fun with your friends, I'd say get the ps4. If you want to build a computer and save a lot of money over time and have better graphics and higher framerates and all that stuff, then you should build a pc. The only reason to get a console is so you can play with your friends

[learjet60guy]

I used to really love Forza 4 but now I play Assetto Corsa at 5510x1080p @ 60FPS on three screen with a G27 wheel on a GTX 770 so 720p on an Xbox somehow feels less impressive...

 

I would also agree with other Members that the cheap/free game are a huge plus. There's never not a sale going on in Steam or Origin. And it's not just poorly selling indie titles either, if you're patient you can get AAA titles 40-80% off.

 

Think about it this way; the $400 you would save buying a PS4 would only buy you eight games.

[StopTheWar]

I have finally saved up the money to buy a fairly good PC, about $800 worth. My only worry is that all my friends now play the PS4. I know I want to progress from my xbox 360 but I don't know whether the clear benefits of PC gaming is worth it if I will never play with my friends. So I'm wondering is it worth my money to buy a good PC to game by myself. Or will a better experience be with friends on a next gen console?

PC gaming will be worth it on the long run. I mean its just so adaptable and customizable. Oh my pc is running slow, might need an ssd. Oh my pc cant run the newest games, might get a new gpu. These features are simply lacking in consoles and this is why it would be worth more to get a pc in the long run.

P.S I'm intrested about the $800 pc your making. Please feed my curiosity with its specs.

[shorinman]

I needn't explain why you should go PC; however, in my mind, there's absolutely NO reason to go console unless you like exclusive titles.. And even then the devs can go you know where with those.

Infuriating and unfortunate, however, Uncharted and The Last of Us are apparently some of the best games for the PlayStation platform.

[TheFlyingSquirrel]

I have finally saved up the money to buy a fairly good PC, about $800 worth. My only worry is that all my friends now play the PS4. I know I want to progress from my xbox 360 but I don't know whether the clear benefits of PC gaming is worth it if I will never play with my friends. So I'm wondering is it worth my money to buy a good PC to game by myself. Or will a better experience be with friends on a next gen console?

 

 

Here is a nice starting point, http://pcpartpicker.com/guide/y2V323/800-gaming-build

[-TesseracT-]

I don't know how if feels to have friends playing on an other platform. I don't have many friends. I just play alone and stuff lol.

[HQToast]

You can build a quite awesome PC with 800$. Totally worth it in my opinion. You could ask for help with your build here or on http://reddit.com/r/buildapc

[That Norwegian Guy]

Honestly it really depends. A buddy of mine has to work all day and when he comes home he just wants to crash on his couch and game a bit. Perfect console gamer, very casual.

 

This is the most annoying argument I ever hear, nobody is stopping anyone from building a small PC to put under the TV and hook a controller up to, it's a complete non-argument.

 

Especially since PCs have less issues and locking-down bullshit these days than consoles do.

[Mush Brain]

PC gaming is dead.

 

http://store.steampowered.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PL0X

[AngryPandaPC]

So for me, I mostly played the xbox 360 when it was popular (like during the halo releases) in my college days.  And it worked pretty darn well for me at the time.  It was an enjoyable experience and I bought a lot of titles and still enjoy it to this day.

 

BUT, here's what led me to PC Gaming today.  2 things really contributed to my eventual switch: 1) Steam becoming my main way of purchasing games and 2) modding games.  

 

First off, Steam is just such an easy, convenient, and so much cheaper way to game.  There are soooooo many titles for such strong discounts that I currently have a game library that would require me to be unemployed for 3 or 4 years straight to actually play through.  My library is also full of so many more interesting games and titles that I just didn't have access to on a AAA oriented platform like the 360 primarily was.  Plus I can't tell you how awesome it is to find like either an old game from childhood that has seen a re-released on steam or a AAA game that was release just a few months back for like 40-60% discount.  I love paying $10-$15 for games that I still see at like Best Buy and shit for like $40 to $60.  Also, I'd say the last perk is not having to worry about discs or scratches or physical media at all. I was kinda old school prior to joining Steam and thought that I would hate not having a "physical thing" for my purchase.  Man was I wrong.  It is so nice not having to worry about managing all that crap.  I just open Steam and bam everything is there.

 

Secondly, the modding.  Gamming experiences like Fallout, Skyrim, and Kerbal Space Program have really changed things for me.  The fact that I can play a game and enjoy it as it was intended to by the developers, but then turn around quickly and heavily modify it for further enjoyment has been just an amazing experience.  I love open world, RPG type gaming and the ability to customize and optimize those entire experiences through modding has been well worth it.  You can tweak everything from graphics to menu layouts to extra user developed content.  It is really fantastic and can really change your view on a title.

 

Lastly, I just have to mention that as a side benefit (imho) the graphics are pretty amazing.  I'm not as much of a FPS snob as some PC gamers, but now that I've been steadily gaming on a well built rig, it is honestly more difficult to go back to lower quality graphics.  Some games just look so much more gorgeous at consistently higher fps.  I didn't want to focus my response to this feature as I'm sure several posts will already directly address this point, but I do feel it is important to acknowledge.

 

Thanks and Good Luck Gaming! (which ever way you choose)

[Diederik_Gr]

All of my friends are what the community would call 'console peasants', and I'm the one who switched to PC (had a ps3) where others switched to ps4. The reason i build a gaming PC was because i had a slow laptop and a console with hardware from 8 years ago. I've always enjoyed PC gaming a lot more, even if it was on the crappy laptop. So i decided to build one system on which i could game and still have the full functionality of a PC. Here's some reasons for going with PC gaming:

 

• Freedom, you get to decide what you want to downgrade in graphics once your system becomes older. Whereas console games are all preset.
• Cheaper, consideri buying a PC an investment, because it will be cheaper once you buy a couple of games. PC games are just damn cheap compared to their console counterparts and a PC game is almost guaranteed to work forever as long as you get a PC to run it on. I still play some games from 2002 <3.
• Customization is endless, Hardware is where you get full control of what you want in your rig, whereas a console will grow older every day and eventually becomes outdated till the next one comes out. PC can be upgraded with just a single part, new video card, SSD or a new processor, for example. Software is also pretty open, though Windows is probably the way to go for a gaming rig.
• Modding, it's just awesome.
• Steam, the perfect platform for gaming. Mod support, €0 a year, tons of games, games can be bought for cheap from 3rd party sites. And a couple of other things one may enjoy more than the other.

The only advantage of console over PC i could think of, would be that games are guaranteed to work on a console, but the pros outweigh the cons by a mile (imo).

 

Good news is that i got a couple of friends also interested in PC gaming, a friend of mine plays games with me on a laptop equivalent to a potato. He's planning to build a rig next year.

[BaSkA]

Console gaming has it's advantages and so does PC gaming. It's all about perspective.

 

If playing with your buddies means a lot to you, get yourself a PS4 or whatever console you want. If more options of games, more control (mouse+kb), upgradability and all the other advantages of PC gaming you can think of are worth a shot, you will not regret it.

[Guest]

This is a terrible place to ask that question if you're looking for any sort of an objective opinion

[mapegl]

This is the most annoying argument I ever hear, nobody is stopping anyone from building a small PC to put under the TV and hook a controller up to, it's a complete non-argument.

Especially since PCs have less issues and locking-down bullshit these days than consoles do.

No you are annoying. ;-) j/k

It is really about the "fire-and-forget" principle.

I would always prefer a pc, even a little console-killer, over a console. Some people just don't want the pc building or mouse and keyboard in front of their tv or any worries about getting getting any settings done whatsoever.

and I understand that.

It is like saying get a raspberry pi instead of your Apple TV. Most of the functionality is there and it is much cheaper. Still I can't imagine my fiance setting that thing up.

be a little more open to those technically illiterate.

Anyways if there is one console that I think is really worth it it is the Wii or Wii U.

[Linusinium]

I'll just leave this quote from a guy on another forum:

 

 

 

Wrong, PC gaming is clearly dead, Ubisoft sucks, EA killed my family, everything is DRM, draconian Steam copy protection, Origin, ports, always online, Mass Effect 3 ending, piracy, shill, waffles, Ronald Reagan.

[Castdeath97]

A tip from a friend, real life friends don't make good gaming friends.

[Prestonification]

iSwitched to PC gaming simply because I have always been interested in doing things. Learning, delving in content creation of all sorts and simply being in control. There's a huge community of all types on pc so regardless of my real life friends playing on PC with me I knew I can find someone online and make new friends. Diversity of players has and will be forever more prominent on PC.