Which is the better platform for gaming? A PC or a console? Each side has a legion of supporters, and each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Today, you learn some comparisons between PCs and consoles.
While there are different consoles out in the market, they’re more or less the same with a few gimmicks. Thus, this article will just pit consoles as a whole against personal computers.
Without any further ado . . .
Installation
Possibly the biggest concern gamers have over PCs is in the system itself. If one isn’t savvy on software and hardware, one may find it daunting to assemble a PC, with all the ports and slots and PCI-Es and DDRs and screws. Thankfully, there are PC builder websites that sell prebuilt computers or help you set one up.
By comparison, consoles are way easier. Everything is spoon fed to the console owner. The only assembly required is to connect the console to a TV (usually via an HDMI cable) and to a power source (usually via a power cable).
Current gen consoles can also connect to the Internet, which is usually done simply by going to their Settings from the Home screen. PCs, on the other hand, have more steps to do and software to install before you can access the net.
Game Library
Gaming companies boost their sales by getting exclusive rights to certain franchises. That means those exclusives, some of which are triple A or are highly anticipated games, will only be available to their corresponding console. Thus, PC owners won’t be able to play them.
Likewise, there are also many games that are technically exclusive to the PC but may see a console version some time after their release. However, PCs do have access to an extensive list of games, and that library will keep growing since it’s rare for PC games not to run on modern systems. Even then, there are tools and software that allow one to emulate an obsolete operating system.
Consoles need to be backward compatible in order to play games developed for older consoles, and not all of them have that feature. Thus, many console games fade into obscurity when their parent gets replaced by the next generation.
Retail Price
Consoles can be around $300–500, maybe with a free exclusive included. That same price is considered modest by PC gamers and is usually achieved by buying mid-tier components. Realistically, high-end PC builds may reach as much as $2000 or even go beyond that! Just buying one top-tier gaming component is akin to buying one gaming console.
To be fair, budget PCs can still run many modern games, though they can’t attain the true graphical potential of those games.
However, the situation is reversed for the games themselves.
PC games are dirt cheap, and storefronts like Steam and GreenManGaming regularly hold sales and put up discounts as high as 95 percent off. Thus, you can often buy a regular game for less than a couple of dollars and a triple A game for around $20. Console games are a bit pricier and don’t enjoy as many sales as their PC counterpart. Usually, they’re around $30–50. With the same amount of money, you can buy more games on the PC than on consoles.
Making a Decision
This is just a glimpse of the ongoing rivalry between PCs and consoles. There many more points of comparison, but deciding between PCs and consoles really depends on your preference and budget.
If you want to get the most out of your gaming experience and want the ability to modify that, then go for a gaming PC. If you want to follow exclusive franchises and want a hassle-free experience, then buy a console.
But, hey, if do have the cash, why not do both?
