[andersonsonson]

You can get around a very good gaming pc for around £500 these days. It would also act as a normal pc.

It has better graphics power than Xbox/PS3.

Online play is free.

You have a mouse and keyboard and can buy an xbox controller for pc.

The games are considerably cheaper for example Fifa 13 is £20 on PC.

No discs are required.

[fastest finger]

First off is the percieved start-up cost..... You say a "very good" gaming PC can be bought for £500, but with others selling at well over £1000, some reaching almost £2000, I would assume that they really aren't good at all, and £1000 is the minimum investment for a decent set-up.

The specs on the boxes seem bewildering to someone that isn't up to date with the latest info..... How do I know that the game that I am buying will play properly, or will even play at all? On a console game, i take it home and it plays. Simple.

Life span. When I buy a console (usually at launch) I can expect to get about 5 years use out of it. Graphics cards and CPUs seem to get superseded at an alarming rate. Asian it is my perception that whatever I have will be obselete in a short amount of time.

Ease of use. Consoles just work. In my experience, PCs don't. They crash, or run short of memory, slow to a crawl, need drivers etc etc etc. seem like a load of hassle.

Peripherals on consoles.... Plug them in, or sync them up and you're away. No drivers, no hardware conflicts, no hassle. On my PC, even my printer is a bitch.

Can i stress, these are my perceptions, and all reasons why I stick to consoles and stay away from PC gaming. I may of course be wrong. I wouldn't know, because I give the PC magazines and websites a wide berth. But I'm happy to be educated if I'm wrong.

[biggebruv]

for me anyways I found it a hassle to set up a controller for PC games

plus id have to upgrade something or mess around with settings as a result of me not being able to keep my PC top of the range its just easier to pop a disk into my PS3 and sit back relax and play

PC gaming does have its great advantages though with mods and extra stuff like that but for me its just not worth it

[cnbcwatcher]

I used to use my old Windows XP desktop for gaming, it was great for the games of the time. Still use it if I want to play older games. I sometimes use my Macbook Pro to play the odd game. Nothing wrong with using a PC (or Mac with the right specs - a Macbook Air isn't great for it but a Macbook Pro or desktop Mac is perfect) for gaming as long as you're using Windows 7 (or XP for older games). If you have a Mac you can use Bootcamp to run Windows.

[crcky87]

I recently made the switch over to pc gaming, still play on my 360 for cod and halo but apart from them I am perfectly happy with my pc.

[CSI-uk]

IMO console gaming is miles ahead of PC, not in terms of graphics etc, but look how far console games have come on the PS3 and 360, the level of optimization is staggering, making console games look great for such old tech.

On the other hand PC games seem to need greater and greater power to achieve what they do, don't PC devs strive to get the best out of hardware. As an example, I've played Mafia 2 and Batman Arkham City on my £750 laptop, Mafia 2 is only playable on medium setting where as Batman runs well on max settings.

Both different games but just gos to show what can be done without better hardware and just focusing on making the most of current hardware.

Consoles king for me.

[Conroy]

I spent more than £500 on my CPU alone

I used to game on my PC a lot before the PS3 launched but that was only to play Unreal Tournament and Counter-Strike: Source. I missed out on many other titles for years, but I managed to stop playing those (I was a CS:S addict with over 3400hrs in under 3yrs) and the PS3 is my platform of choice mainly because of the exclusives and its media capabilities.

I still like my PC and wouldn't be without a decent one but gaming on it is no longer a priority for me. I have only bought one PC game in the last 2 years and I'm not aware of anything coming out in the next year that I would want to play on the PC over my PS3 or a must have PC exclusive that interests me.

[Davonator]

I'm mainly PC these days, but i happily play on both Console and PC (i'm sick of this war going on in which it seems you have to choose a side in the great console vs PC war)

Originally Posted by andersonsonson

You can get around a very good gaming pc for around £500 these days. It would also act as a normal pc.

It has better graphics power than Xbox/PS3.

Online play is free.

You have a mouse and keyboard and can buy an xbox controller for pc.

The games are considerably cheaper for example Fifa 13 is £20 on PC.

No discs are required.

Indeed everything you say is true, but theres a simple reason that despite owning a good PC, I still console game...and its not to do with price, hardware, online services it's just good old comfort.

My PC is on a desk, and i have an old swivel chair. When i play on the PC I have to sit upright at the desk and watch a monitor thats only a metre away (i think a lot of PC gamers have this set up). This is fine most of the time, but often I come in after a knackering day at work crash on the sofa and watch a rubbish TV show. I think to myself after 10 mins 'this is rubbish i'm gonna play some playstation' and in my lazy state i can reach over to the PS3 controller and game straight away with my 40'' TV a good few metres away.It's instant, lazy and fun

PC's destroy consoles in terms of spec, mods, game price, but you can't really just kick back on the sofa when playing a PC. You can with a console.

I hear rumours that Valve are working on a Steam console that will mesh the advantages of PC gaming with this comfort that console gaming provides, really hope its true!

[Vashetti]

Because there's a big misconception that you have to spend thousands of pounds and replace your graphics card every week.

[Davonator]

Originally Posted by Vashetti

Because there's a big misconception that you have to spend thousands of pounds and replace your graphics card every week.

Indeed, I roll my eyes every time i see that said!

[Speedloafer]

Originally Posted by Vashetti

Because there's a big misconception that you have to spend thousands of pounds and replace your graphics card every week.

Originally Posted by Davonator

Indeed, I roll my eyes every time i see that said!

I don't think anybody believes you have top replace something every week, but the fact is my 6 years old XBOX360 doesn't need to be upgraded to play the latest games. Is there many 6 year old PC's that could run Black ops 2 and be competitive?

[redhatmatt]

because I want to play games on my TV and without a keyboard and mouse :S TBH I find every post that says "Get a PC, Its better" about as bad as whiny preachy christians saying we are all going to hell for sleeping in bed on Sunday.

[soran]

FPS games are just so much better using mouse and keyboard(imo), and I remember years ago there was a way for us PC Quake 3 players to get onto a XBOX server. The result was not pretty XBOX players reactions were just so slow using their controllers that they got totally hammered.

[kcspurs]

i used to have a spectrum and it seem to work using a keyboard back then but now i find it hard playing games on my pc. perfer my ps3 for games.

it owuld seem weird using a ps3 controller on my pc lol

[Fowl Fax]

My PC gamepad only cost me a fiver and it works with every PC game.

PC gaming can be very inexpensive.

[Jimmy_McNulty]

PC gaming is relatively cheap. The components are cheap (apart from top end like 690 and 7990 gfx cards), the games are not only cheaper at base price, but the publishers are more creative. I don't think I've ever heard of a console HIB, especially one taking place now by THQ with the high quality games on offer there. And the brick and mortar stores cannot match Steam's or even Origin's massive sales at summer and christmas time (Hence why we can't buy the likes of Far Cry 3, AC3 etc).

If the consoles had less exclusivity PC would be the #1 platform, as it is they are being extremely evil and holding back me playing awesome games like Gran Turismo and MGS

[The_One]

Originally Posted by fastest finger

First off is the percieved start-up cost..... You say a "very good" gaming PC can be bought for £500, but with others selling at well over £1000, some reaching almost £2000, I would assume that they really aren't good at all, and £1000 is the minimum investment for a decent set-up.
A £700 PC will play any game with ok/good FPS rate at medium or highest graphics settings for at least 2 years. A PC worth more than that obviously just means it performs even better.

The specs on the boxes seem bewildering to someone that isn't up to date with the latest info..... How do I know that the game that I am buying will play properly, or will even play at all? On a console game, i take it home and it plays. Simple.
The specs on the box is like no different to buying a car. But yes you are quite correct, it shows how some people just dont want to pursue anything better if they're content with something that does the minimum of what they need. Its exactly the same reason why some people buy a standard Peugeot 107 instead of 207 Coupe, or buy a £500 smartphone instead of a £50 mobile phone.

Life span. When I buy a console (usually at launch) I can expect to get about 5 years use out of it. Graphics cards and CPUs seem to get superseded at an alarming rate. Asian it is my perception that whatever I have will be obselete in a short amount of time.
You expect the console to last 5 years. But they rarely do - this gen of PS3/360 that is. Previous gen consoles did used to last that long but not any more, and keep in mind how outdated the games usually are compared to PC games. If you always want the best gaming experience then its up to you if you want to be part of that which you can only do with the PC.

Ease of use. Consoles just work. In my experience, PCs don't. They crash, or run short of memory, slow to a crawl, need drivers etc etc etc. seem like a load of hassle.
Console do not just work. You have to do everything on a console as you would do on a PC. You still have to delete stuff, download and update OS and patches, consoles crash just not as often as on PC, PC only crawls slow if you dont maintain your PC like you do with your console.

Peripherals on consoles.... Plug them in, or sync them up and you're away. No drivers, no hardware conflicts, no hassle. On my PC, even my printer is a bitch.
Since Windows 7, you really do just plug and play everything on the PC, sometimes theres issues but when there is you just install drivers and 9 times out of 10 theres no problems what so ever.

I know exactly where you are coming from, i used to think 200% exactly the same before i took a shine to PC gaming 14 years ago, and have remained sceptical of similar thoughts through out those years... until i got the the PS3 which made me realise how much better my PC is - by FAR, not only are the games usually better in every aspect of the word but the PC also does a whole load of other things equal to or better than any entertainment device of any kind other than the mobility side of things.

Consoles are best suited for kids, as they have always been popular with... they are cheaper for parents to buy and need half as much looking after with minimum issues that kids can often sort out themselves without bothering mom or dad other than credit card stuff.

PC's are suited for adults, they cost more but are nothing compared to most other costs in life - a £1k PC every couple of years should easily be affordable for the vast majority of people employed full-time unless they have dependency kids.
Yes they need more maintenance, any adult who spends as much time on the PC as they would have with a console would know what to and what not to do in order to minimise problems from happening as well as have an idea how to solve them.

I find PC's interesting, and im not nerdy at all. I really, really hate the problems which i cant figure out to save my life. But the reward is by far, much, much more worth it. Unlike a console that you just, simply ...have, you play games on it and thats all, you cant do much else with it compared to the PC.
Console is like having a girlfriend who is only good at one thing but cant be arsed to do anything else. Some guys have the mentality that they just want a girlfriend for good sex and nothing else... its exactly the same for gamers with consoles its all they want and its good enough for them. Some gamers want more, that something more needs extra care just like you would with any bigger hobby like if you was a boy racer you constantly need to upgrade the car, use more break pads, tyres, clutches, hand break cable it all costs more money.

Compared to many other hobbies, even a £2k PC every couple of years is utter DIRT cheap. People only see the price tag, "£2k for a PC!?!?" they dont bother to think how cheap or normal that cost really is compared to other entertainment things in life. I mean thats £83/month, its not far from the cost of sky/virgin TV. Just cancel it you have then recouped most of the cost for a PC - all you need is freeview and the internet... thats just one example of many to recoup/justify the cost of buying a PC.

[The_One]

Originally Posted by Conroy

I spent more than £500 on my CPU alone

I still like my PC and wouldn't be without a decent one but gaming on it is no longer a priority for me. I have only bought one PC game in the last 2 years and I'm not aware of anything coming out in the next year that I would want to play on the PC over my PS3 or a must have PC exclusive that interests me.

Yea, i used to spend like £450 on high end CPU's. These days though you're looking at only £160 for the best gaming CPU. Even memory i used to spend about £200, but now even £40 would get you good memory. GPU's are the same price as ever though, except for sandwiched GPU's. Storage drives are LOADS better these days especially since SSD's are at affordable prices.

Ive only bought 3 games over the last 2 years, SWTOR, Guild Wars 2 which i wasnt too keen on, Battlefield 3 with about 700 hours, and now playing Planetside 2 which is sort of a free game im really impressed with, never had this much fun in any game ever, totally walks all over BF3 except for its graphics realism.

I used to be great with the control pad, but several years later since i got used to mouse and keyboard for gaming... i just cant get back into consoles, kind of seems like im controlling a donkey compared to driving some luxury suped up car.

[Bester]

1. 360
2. Pc
3. Ps3

[Gazza_]

Xbox 360

[XxBlaKOuTZxX]

Originally Posted by soran

FPS games are just so much better using mouse and keyboard(imo), and I remember years ago there was a way for us PC Quake 3 players to get onto a XBOX server. The result was not pretty XBOX players reactions were just so slow using their controllers that they got totally hammered.

I remember playing Quake Arena on the Sega Dreamcast against PC owners with the game and Yeah your'e right, we got owned lol.
I'm currently playing Torchlight 2 on my PC.

[Hotbird]

Originally Posted by Vashetti

Because there's a big misconception that you have to spend thousands of pounds and replace your graphics card every week.

Its not exactly once a week for a new graphics card but can you honestly say you have a PC from 5years ago that cost under £500 which has had no upgrades and can still run the latest games released like Assassins Creed 3 or Hitman? Because a £350 PS3 from 5years ago would.

PC gaming is more expensive than console gaming and also more hassle to get all the settings tweaked and games modded to get the game running to provide an optimal experience. I used to be into all that 10years ago but now I just like the lazy experience a console can offer even if the graphics are slightly lower quality.

[Flawed-Tactics]

I have decent gaming rig that should last another couple of years before I need to upgrade. PC is fast becoming my game platform of choice, Steam being the main reason for this, its just a shame console don't do something similar.

I can see the attraction of consoles and I don't think I'd be without my PS3/360, but once your set-up with a good PC gaming becomes a very cheap hobby and dare I say it, more rewarding, in terms of the visual delights that often come with PC versions and far better controls.

What I really hate tho are the PC snobs, they go into a PS3 or 360 discussion and spout... PC FTW... or something along those pathetic lines, do they think we don't know PC's have the power to product a better looking game!! Just one of my pet hates.

[ballybally]

Originally Posted by The_One

PC's are suited for adults, they cost more but are nothing compared to most other costs in life - a £1k PC every couple of years should easily be affordable for the vast majority of people employed full-time unless they have dependency kids.

What a ridiculous thing to say. I earn a good wage but while I could probably afford that I certainly couldn't justify it. That would easily cover the cost of a console and more than enough games to keep me entertained (the majority of which I can then sell and recoup some to put towards new games too!)

I'm happy with my PS3. Nothing about PC gaming interests me, even though a lot of the games are impressive. Each to their own isn't it?

At the end of the day you choose what you want. I just want to bang a disc in and play a game. I spend enough time on PC's for other peoples problems never mind any more of my own.

[stud u like]

Originally Posted by XxBlaKOuTZxX

I remember playing Quake Arena on the Sega Dreamcast against PC owners with the game and Yeah your'e right, we got owned lol.
I'm currently playing Torchlight 2 on my PC.

I am playing it as well.