Do I game on PC or consoles, or both? Digital entertainment has video games as the star of the show. An industry that adds up to a fabulous turnover and that in addition to the games themselves uses all kinds of hardware. Dedicated machines, but also all kinds of accessories and peripherals that are sold under the umbrella of the label “video games”. Gaming.
And the fact is that playing is a pleasure for many millions of people. You can play anywhere and from any device.. Mobile gaming has gained users thanks to the greater potential of cell phones and the new youth that portable consoles are experiencing today. However, the greatest experience comes from the big games for the desktop or living room. Here, PCs and consoles are the main media, but which medium is more attractive today? In this special we will review the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Advantages of PC gaming
The leading computing tool has become in its own right a benchmark machine for video games, for versatility, graphics power, upgradeability and number of games. available. These are its great values compared to a dedicated console.
Great versatility
Perhaps this is the biggest advantage of a PC over a console, as you can use it for gaming, but also for any task as a single computing machine for everything, be it internet browsing, media playback and also for work, whereas consoles are useless outside of the gaming function. And if you use a laptop you can cover desktop and mobility, something you can’t do with a desktop console except for specific cases like the Nintendo Switch.
More power
Modern games are a type of software that demand a lot from the hardware, especially in the graphics section that we will see later, but in other components as well. There is no color here. Any kind of comparison you make will certify that a personal computer offers better performance than a console. And it’s simply a question of size. Consoles are large miniature machines, which in order to offer a compact size and an attractive price require some sacrifices. Any well-configured mid-range PC tower (or even a gaming laptop) will give you better performance.
Upgrade possibilities
A console must begin development many years in advance and when it reaches the market its hardware is far from being the latest available. On the other hand, its very design, with multiple soldered components, allows almost no upgrades. In addition, the consoles are locked down to prevent game piracy. If you see that one day your console doesn’t get good enough graphics, there is little you can do except buy a superior model, while a PC tower is much easier to keep up to date.
Better graphics
The graphics chip is the key component in running video games. If consoles, even the most powerful ones, have to make do with a custom SoC that includes the graphics chip, PC towers have the latest generation dedicated graphics that offer unparalleled performance, as well as in terms of visual quality, native resolution, support for high dynamic range, advanced technologies such as ray tracing or a much higher frame rate per second. The latest available graphics cards allow gaming at resolutions up to 8K, something unattainable for any console, which barely reach 4K.
Ease of repair
The modular design of a personal computer not only makes it easy to upgrade, but also makes it much easier to repair by replacing any of its components. A modern video game console is virtually unrepairable and any attempt to repair it will void the warranty. Any serious problem will require replacement of the entire machine.
More games available
The war of console exclusive games has deprived us of playing some great titles on PC, but the situation has changed and many console games are ported to PC as a natural move. The launch of services like Xbox Game Pass make it easier. In addition, the number of total games for PC is much higher than the number available for each console. It is the most “neutral” platform and although it is penalized by the aforementioned war of exclusives the future points to a greater number of cross-platform titles that can be played on any device.
Controllers
Video game consoles include very good controllers and third parties offer a wide range of controllers that can be used. They are very comfortable and allow you to play lying on the couch, but if you are looking for greater control (and performance) nothing is comparable with peripherals such as keyboard and mouse. In addition, there are types of games where they are essential, such as competitive shooters where that millisecond matters, let alone genres such as strategy, where despite the customization of the controllers it is very difficult to play without a mouse and keyboard.
Advantages of console gaming
Lovers of dedicated machines could replicate practically every one of the previous sections. Because consoles also have their strong points over personal computers.
Price
The price section is relevant because it can mark everything else. Although the personal computer is extremely versatile as we said and serves for other computer tasks, to mount a modern PC tower to play in conditions can multiply by 4, 5 or more the price of a console. Just a mid-range dedicated graphics card alone costs more than an entire console.
Installation and ease of use
Getting started with a console is very simple. You plug it into the power grid, connect an HDMI cable to a display and that’s pretty much all you have to do to start playing games. Setting up a PC yourself requires some knowledge and even when buying new computers already set up you have to deal with the operating system, drivers, etc. Consoles don’t need any of that and the ease of use is a big advantage for many.
Optimization
Programmers working for a console do it on a specific hardware and not on the hundreds of different configurations of a PC and so it is understood that with a lower overall performance level games work perfectly. The optimization, especially in the exclusive games for each platform, is usually high, with some exception that confirms the rule and with problems that usually come at the time of porting games from PC.
Exclusive games
Although they are becoming fewer and fewer, there are games that are not ported to PC and playing them requires the purchase of a console. Moreover, major franchises/games are used to sell consoles on their own to attract consumers to that platform. If the profits from hardware sales are not as much as the layman might think, the added games they will buy (expensive on consoles) and the potential services that manufacturers can sell are.
Having said all of the above, it is not possible to conclude whether it is ‘better’ to opt for PC gaming or consoles. It will depend on your specific preferences and needs. You can also opt for a more pragmatic solution: having both worlds. Some users prefer to spread the cost, buy their console and add, for example, an inexpensive laptop for the rest of the computing tasks and to guarantee mobile and desktop use. If you can afford it, it is a good option.
