Six reasons why PC gaming will always be close to my heart

Before I start I just want to get one thing clear. This won’t be a rant about why PC gaming is better than consoles, because I genuinely feel that there is a place for both. Just let people enjoy what they enjoy, where they want to enjoy it, and society will be a better place for it.

My first gaming experiences were split between my Apple IIc, and early consoles owned by friends, such as the Colecovision, Commodore64, and Atari. I was entranced by the escapism, the type of worlds that I’d read about in science fiction and fantasy novels made real, and most of all, interactive.

That said, you’ll have to pry my PC game collection from my cold, dead hands. Where else but on a PC can you get the widest range of game experiences, the hardware to power high refresh rate or high-resolution gaming (or both!), and still get your daily work done?

Five reasons I won’t leave PC gaming

1. No paid multiplayer: I’m going to cover this one first because it’s one of the most pervasive arguments against console owning. See, when you buy a console, you also get stuck with a yearly fee for playing (most) multiplayer games, as the gaming servers and connectivity are maintained by the console maker. When you buy a PC, you don’t pay for multiplayer, except for MMORPGs, where you pay for their own servers. Sure, that yearly fee is offset by free games every month, but you also have to keep the subscription going to play those.
2. Cheap games: Consoles have a lower entry price for the hardware, but that’s just to get their hand in your wallet. Most games are still $60, even years after release. Then there are all of the discount sites for PC games, like Humble Bundle, Green Man Gaming, and others. They are a veritable treasure trove of cheap things to play. Oh, and the several-times-a-year Steam sales, where just about everything is on fire sale pricing.
3. Larger variety of games: Yes, you heard me but ima say it again for those in the back. PC has a larger variety of games than consoles. Period. From indie games to AAA, there are more games on Steam and the other PC distribution platforms than any of the console stores.
   

   Image: Endless Legend

   Sure, you can’t play some of the console exclusives on PC, but you do get other exclusives like Endless Legend, which is amazing. Anyway, as Microsoft is putting more games onto its Play Anywhere program, you can play most of the AAA games that were previously exclusive to Xbox on your PC. Your move Sony (and Nintendo).

4. Play how you want to: While you can partially use keyboard and mouse on your consoles, the experience isn’t tailored for it and some games straight up ban you from playing if they detect what they deem cheating hardware attached. Ever heard of that happening on PC? Didn’t think so. I can run everything from trackballs to HOTAS for flying games to VR controllers to RGB-festooned keyboards to wheel controllers for driving sims – all at the same time.
   

   Image: Joe Rice-Jones / KnowTechie

   That’s just control options though. I can also supercharge my PC to run any game in existence to its full potential, making it as lifelike as possible. Can’t upgrade anything on your consoles, except adding storage. Oh, and storage options are faster on PC, at least until the next-gen of consoles arrive.

5. Then there is the whole world of game modding: Want to turn dragons in Skyrim into a beloved child’s story train? Add the Teletubbies into Left 4 Dead 2 as the common infected? How about rampaging through the city in GTAV as Woody, from Toy Story. You can’t do that on a console, for the most part.
6. You can be productive (if you want to): The last point I want to make is that your PC isn’t just a pixel-pushing gaming beast. See, all that hardware can just as easily run office programs, photo editing software, video editing tools, and more. Can you do that on a console? Nah, didn’t think so. Consoles are getting closer to PCs in performance and hardware, but until the day I can run productivity stuff on one, I’m keeping my PC.

Now, before you all get into the comments section and flame me for hating on consoles – let me set one thing straight. I don’t hate consoles. They have a valid use case, and I’ve personally owned most of the Xbox line, several Nintendo machines, and multiple handheld consoles.

While they used to be great for pick up and play, modern consoles are closer to PC in things like updates and needing an internet connection. Given the choice, I’d rather play my AAA games on PC, in glorious frame rates.

What do you think? Do you prefer PC gaming over consoles or do you still prefer gaming on consoles like Xbox and PlayStation? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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