It’s that time again, the new generation consoles have just launched with a promise to deliver a gaming experience that is leaps and bounds ahead of the previous generation. On paper, the PS5 and the Xbox Series X seem promising and much more capable than before.
Can these new consoles finally topple the PC gaming industry that has been growing at a rapid pace? Are these consoles the promise of moving the gaming industry forward with real to life visuals at 4k resolution? These are the question being echoed around by gamers and I am pretty sure you share the same sentiment as well.
This has stirred the PC vs Console debate and people from both camps are leaving no stone unturned to prove that their favorite machine is the better one. This debate sometimes often comes with a lot of manipulative and misrepresented information so today we want to clear that by telling you the 10 clear advantages of PC over consoles.
Before we dive into the 10 reasons why PC gaming is better, please note that this article is only made to inform users and we at How2pc do not consider one platform superior over the other, and consoles have their advantages over a gaming PC too.
Why PC Gaming Is Better Than Console?
The PC gaming platform always had an advantage even when the newer generation consoles were not launched. The following benefits of PC gaming are what hooks gamers from switching the PC platform making it the fastest growing platform of the bunch.
1: Infinite hardware Versatility
The first experience you have when stepping into the PC gaming world is buying hardware and if even if you remotely searched for a single component, you will be surprised by the number of options available.
When buying PC hardware, you are not confined or restricted to a single brand or a certain spec. For example, just for buying a graphics card you first select either you want to go with Nvidia or AMD. Then you look for the preferred vendor of the card like Asus, MSI, or Gigabyte.
This is just scratching the surface of PC hardware. You can mix and match components of different manufacturers and choose whatever you like. Although at first, it is a lot to take in after you learn about the different nuances finding the perfect hardware for your PC is fun and rewarding.
2: Aesthetical Customization
Aesthetics are important. As much as some people deny it, at the end of the day you have a machine sitting on your desk so obviously, it needs to look good and fit into the aesthetics of the room.
This is where the customization of gaming PCs comes in. You can quite literally make a gaming PC look however you want. Firstly, you can pick and choose the color of your lighting. You can choose red, blue, pink or whatever you what depending on your mood.
Secondly, the case of the PC in which all components are stored is highly customizable. You can mod the case by adding stickers or by laser engraving. You can also 3D print different stuff for the case or altogether covert it into a different shape. You can also use a sliding drawer as a PC case.
What we want to say basically is that you can make your PC look however you want. The limitations here are very slim and imagination is your best friend. Granted customizing the case is not for beginners but having the option at least is something we can all appreciate.
3: More Viable in the Long Run
Simply put a PC does not go obsolete. There is no PC 2.0 version to be had, unlike consoles which have a generational cycle. With a PC if you feel like it is no longer able to run the latest games you can simply upgrade your graphic card without having to buy a whole new machine.
This modular approach is fantastic for long-term use. Some people also think that gaming PCs need to be upgraded now and then. This is simply wrong; a good PC lasts for at least 4-5 years before needing any upgrade. The people who upgrade their PC every year do this because of their passion and not because their PC is no longer capable no running the latest games.
4: Access to Multiple Ecosystems
In PC gaming you are not restricted to a particular ecosystem like Sony and Microsoft. You can pick and choose the ecosystem you like and stay away from the ones you do not. Although steam is the most popular game launcher and discord the default choice for voice chat still there are countless other options out there. And when you get tired of using a platform you can simply move on the next again iterating that you are not bound in a single ecosystem.
5: Play the Way You Want
On a PC you can play games however you want. For starters, PC gaming is not only about sitting close to the screen. PC allows you to use any peripheral you like so if you want to have a laid-back gaming experience you can do that. There are plenty of wireless controllers for the PC platform or you can even use Xbox or PS controllers on PC. Most games also have native controller support so pairing the controller is not a hassle at all and the controls also feel natural like they would on a console.
If you are more inclined on the professional or the productivity side of things you can set up a dual monitor setup for the extra screen real estate. Now you can enjoy gaming on one screen while YouTube or socials on the other. PC gaming just expands the horizons of what’s possible and you can play your games however you want, granted you have the right gear.
6: Game Modding
Modding a game refers to customizing the game in a way that changes how you interact with the game. Modding can be in the form of visual tweaks, adding extra content to the game, or sometimes quite literally changing the game completely. There is an active community of modders who love to customize games and add extra value to your existing tittles.
Modding is the reason decades-old games like fallout 3 are still alive and believe it or not CSGO is a half-life mod. The most celebrated FPS game started its life as a mod of another game. So, game modding is huge in the PC gaming community, and using mods adds another layer of replayability hence it is one of the reasons people stick to PC gaming.
7: A Vast and Endless Game library
The PC platform is much more open and allows for greater freedom for the developers. Not all games are made with a six-figure budget, and some might be the work of a small team of developers. We call these games indie titles, and these indie games are mostly only released on PC. Some of these games are fantastic and worth every penny.
Besides the indie games, PC also has a better selection of MMO, MOBA, and strategy games. Simulation games also have a vast footprint on PC and their selection is only growing. So, despite PC not having popular exclusive tittles it still makes up for it in the overall size of the game library.
8: Cheap Games and No Multiplayer Subscription Fees
Games on PC are a lot cheaper. Since there are multiple platforms on which you can buy games, they compete to offer the lowest prices possible. Sales another aspect and Steam Sale offers mind-blowing prices. In every Steam sale, most of the games are discounted even the newer ones.
Even if you want to buy a newly released game you never have to pay the full $60 for that as well. Third-party sites like G2A offer crazy prices on new games from the get-go. G2A is just one site there are countless other third-party sites offering games as well. Given you are willing to explore a bit great deals can be had on PC games.
Cheap games save you a lot of money in the long run, but nothing compares to having free access to unlimited multiplayer. More people play multiplayer games now than single-player games so having to pay no fees for going online applies to a lot of people. In the long run, let’s say you keep your gaming machine for 5 years so doing the math you are saving a total of $300 which is a lot of money if we think about it.
9: Backward Compatibility
With every new console generation, we hear talks about backward compatibility but let’s be very honest consoles don’t come even close to PCs in this regard. Once you buy a PC game it is yours to keep and play.
Even after a decade, you will be able to play the game. This is reflected in the backward compatibility of PCs and games even going as far back as the early 2000s are playable on current-generation PC hardware. You just don’t get this with console making PC the clear winner in this regard.
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10: High Frame Rate and Refresh Rate Gaming
Gaming is now not only about graphics but also about high refresh rates. High refresh rate gaming is so much smoother than gaming on a 60hz panel. While the PS5 and Xbox series X do offer 120fps but that is only applicable to a few titles and the rest of the games still run at 60fps.
Competitive esports has also been on the rise and we have seen newly released games such as Valorant pop off and flourish in the esports scene. For competitive gaming high frame rate and refresh rate are crucial and people would go far as to say that high frame rate and refresh rate provides an advantage in FPS games.
When it comes to that PC is the clear winner because it not only has multiple hardware options to achieve high frame but the gaming monitors available in the market also support up to 360hz refresh rate. This is unheard of in consoles and the hardware of PS5 and Xbox Series X is also not capable enough to support this high of a refresh rate.
