There are millions of console gamers out there and you could argue that console gaming has helped to make the industry what it is today. But the PC gaming scene is going from strength to strength at the moment and offers a number of benefits that you simply cannot get from playing on a PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii U.So, what are the main reasons that console gamers should give the PC a chance?
Graphics
At the moment, we are at the end of a console generation that lasted for the best part of eight years and you can really tell that the hardware powering the boxes from Sony and Microsoft is getting a little long in the tooth.
Whilst it is impressive that games like Crysis 3 and BioShock Infinite can be scaled to run on ageing kit, next-gen graphics are already available on PC and you will not have to wait until the PS4 and Xbox 720 are here to enjoy them.
Consoles are stuck in the DirectX 9 era, whilst even a modestly powered gaming PC can pump out DirectX 11 effects without breaking a sweat. In addition, the textures in PC games can be of a much higher resolution because a computer will have much more hard disc space available, which brings everything to life in a pin-sharp manner.
Game Variety
Most of the biggest games of the year, from Call of Duty to Fifa, are available on both console and PC. But if you are a PC gamer, you can also gain access to a world of other games that simply do not turn up on consoles.
From indie projects and Flash games to real time strategy and MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, one of the benefits of PC games is that they foster the most vibrant development community around. Because of the mouse and keyboard control scheme, whole genres of games are exclusively found on PC.
Affordability
Games consoles are generally trumpeted as being the more affordable alternative to PCs, because an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii U is considerably cheaper than even the most basic gaming computer.
However, console gaming can be a false economy because most people buy both a console and a PC, so if you ditch the console and spend more cash on your desktop machine, you can get more gaming bang for your buck.
It is also worth noting that PC games are always cheaper than their console counterparts because publishers don’t have to pay off the console manufacturers for every copy sold. Coupled with digital distribution platforms offering regular sales, it pays to be a PC gamer.
In an ideal world, you would probably want to own a games console and a gaming PC, but if you have to choose one or the other, it makes a lot of sense to pick the latter.
Carl Morgan is a writer who has covered videogames for websites and blogs over the past decade, prior to which he was an enthusiastic amateur. He has enjoyed the benefits of PC games for more than three decades and a Windows-based machine remains his platform of choice.
