PC Gaming vs Console Gaming – What to Pick?

  • 15 mins read
  • Gaming

The comparison between Consoles and PCs has been an age-old debate among the gaming community. Gamers do get their sleeves up when you don’t agree with them. Now, Instead of agreeing with a side, I wanted to write about the subtle differences between the two. 

I want to explain to the average Bashir in simple terms what the differences are, so he gets to understand both sides of the coin. The topic is somewhat personal to me because I love video games myself and have experienced both the Consoles and PCs so I believe I can add to both of the perspectives and share some of my experience at the end of the article. 

Advantages of Gaming PC

Performance

Performance is probably the biggest difference between a Console and a Gaming PC. And this is exactly where a Gaming PC outshines. To put it simply, Gaming PCs blow consoles out of the water. Unlike a console they are built without space or thermal restrictions while allowing people to get more performance by adding more powerful components to their rigs. 

Modern rigs can easily handle AAA games at higher resolutions like 1440p and even 4k natively. The same isn’t the case with consoles which struggle to play even 30 FPS on higher resolutions while utilizing custom upscaling technologies like the PSSR (Playstation Spectral Super Resolution) – These are proprietary technologies that render games at lower resolutions and use AI to upscale them to a higher resolution.

Gaming on a PC is pretty different from gaming on a console. The standards are pretty high in the PC world. 60 FPS is the bare minimum accepted standard here. Anything under that makes you a peasant in r/PCMasterRace. Game Developers do prioritize PCs for newer Graphics features because of the extra performance that the PC platform offers.

Customization

If there’s one thing after Performance our fellow PC Master Race members pride themselves on, It is the customizability of their Gaming Machines. PC gamers know they have a plethora of options to choose from. They can customize how their machine looks, What Graphics Card it uses. They can use different Motherboards, Coolers, Cases, RAM, Storage, Power Supplies. 

The customization isn’t just limited to their CPU Tower but is true for other peripherals. From custom Game Controllers, VR headsets to proper Steering-wheel setups with adjustable pulls to even Flight Sticks for Jet Simulations, there is no shortage of custom peripherals in the PC world.

When it comes to your PC, there isn’t a single company like Sony or Nintendo telling you what your device has and has not but it’s your budget and your passion that is the limiting factor. You have the control, You have the power to customize it to exactly your likings down to the small things like RGB Lighting strips on the case. 

This level of customization is what is not even remotely available in consoles which are standardized by form-factor, specs and mass-produced by corporations in a tight package that is not to be tinkered with.

Wide Library

An estimate by IGN suggests games for major console platforms like Playstation to be in tens of thousands. However the same article suggests the PC Games Library has more than a hundred thousand games. As per IGN, PC is the way to go if you want the largest collection of games on the planet. 

Not only does the PC boast a significantly larger game collection than consoles, It supports Backwards Compatibility much better than the consoles. You can play old titles just as fine as new ones if not better. If there is a 20 year old game that you really like, you can play it just fine on the PC. This process is not as smooth for the consoles.

Emulation & Modding

Modding refers to modifying games to how you want them to be. It is the practice of changing how the game looks, how it sounds and even how you play it. Emulation in this context is such a software that allows your computer to behave like a console resultantly allowing you to play your console-specific games on a PC though with some caveats.

The PC has a rich modding scene. Established game-series like Grand Theft Auto, Witcher, Soulsbourne, etc have dedicated modding communities working to publish mods for their favorite games. It is an open platform where you can use other people’s published mods or make your own mode for the game you enjoy.

Similarly, PCs have a mature Emulation ecosystem where you get to emulate entire consoles if you have a powerful PC. You can emulate complete consoles like the Playstation accessing a huge chunk of their library. Most emulators like RPCS4, RPCS3, Xenia are free and open source too.

Downsides of Gaming PC

Up-front Cost

Probably the biggest downside to building a Gaming PC is the huge upfront cost. It is a fact that Gaming PCs are expensive. They are easily double or triple the price of a console. In Pakistan, a console like the PS5 costs roughly 180K Pkr. A brand-new PC with equalivalent specs would cost a lot more than that. 

Complexity

We’ve discussed the PC’s customizability as its advantage but it can be a disadvantage for some. The amount of choice in components of a Gaming PC adds to the complexity. For the less tech-savvy among us it can be an overwhelming experience to select the right components among a sea of different CPUs, GPUs, PSUs and whatnot. 

With a lot of customization comes confusion. Marketing also adds to this confusion. Companies don’t hold back when they can just confuse consumers using frivolous jargon. For someone who is building a PC for the first time, These days it requires a considerable amount of time and effort to first select the right components and afterwards deal with sourcing those exact components.

Maintenance

Unlike a console, a PC needs occasional maintenance that can be a challenge for many. If you’re a PC owner in Pakistan you regularly have to clean the dust off your machine. Cheap power supplies are really sensitive to power fluctuation. That is why Power Supply issues are the most common in PCs because of irregular electric supply in most parts of Pakistan. 

You never know when a component goes dead and you need to be able to troubleshoot down the problem and have it fixed. You need to know how to do basic troubleshooting down to the Software and Hardware level. That is also a challenge for people who don’t have much time on their hands or just don’t want to deal with the hassle.

Advantages of Consoles

Plug and Play Experience

When it comes to consoles like the Playstation, Nintendo Switch or others, their biggest advantage is accessibility for the most. A console doesn’t require much from the user in terms of technical knowledge. 

A console just works. You get the console, Purchase the games, Slap on a TV and voila it just works. There is no Parts selection, Compatibility Research, Virtually no Maintenance, Nothing! This simple effortless experience focused on just entertainment is what is the biggest advantage for consoles.

Consoles are focused devices made for one thing only and they do it well. Not everyone wants to bother with the configuration or customization of every other part and that’s where they come in. They provide you with an experience where you have to put the least amount of time and effort in terms of set-up. 

Affordability

It’s no secret that consoles are cheaper than PCs. The barrier to entry is low for console gamers. Even though games can be a big expense down the road, the up-front capital required for a console is significantly lower than that of a Gaming PC.

A PS5 can be had for around 180k PKR (at the time of writing). A similar spec brand-new PC could not be had for this much money and that is a big factor for price-sensitive markets like Pakistan.

Exclusives

Exclusives are what make or break a console platform. These are the pillars through which the console manufacturers capitalize. Console manufacturers can afford a cut on the console price because they understand their audience who wants to access those platform-exclusive games would have to come back to them for purchases. 

For a long time, Consoles have boasted a catalogue of exclusive titles that served as a pretty strong reason for going with the consoles. Platform-exclusive franchises like the Uncharted, Spiderman, Halo, etc were the decision makers for people going to buy consoles. This trend has recently been in favor of PCs as more and more publishers re-release console exclusives for PCs. 

Downsides of Consoles

Performance Limitations

Consoles can’t provide a similar visual experience as a Gaming PC. They are built for a specific budget and audience in mind. Modern consoles use various technologies to upscale the game but natively they can’t put up with a PC in terms of raw performance.

Developers have to optimize their games for consoles, sometimes cutting out functionality to make the games compatible. Latest technologies like Ray Tracing aren’t as widely supported on the console and even when it is, it cannot keep up with a smooth experience. So, users have to make a compromise between clarity and performance. 

Even if the console box has the 8K and the 120 fps sticker, your PS5 isn’t going to support native 4k 60 fps let alone 8k. It’s just how things are when you cut the Marketing-BS that companies have to make you go through. Most of the time, you have to make a sacrifice over the graphical fidelity of your games when you go with a console.

Locked inside a walled Garden

Like the infamous Apple Walled Garden, console manufacturers present a similar seamless ecosystem where you get a ‘just works!’ experience with your product all the way from the Hardware to the Software stack. Their custom integrations present a seamless experience. But you can’t escape the confines of the manufacturer. You have to play within the rules. 

There is virtually no official modding support on consoles. You can’t emulate other consoles through official means and backwards compatibility with older purchased titles can be a headache too sometimes. You’re getting an effortless experience but it has its limits and you should know what you’re getting yourself into. You can’t just tinker with your console as there is not much room left by the manufacturer.

Expensive down the road

Purchasing games for consoles gets expensive as a person’s collection grows with time. Compared to the PC market with different stores like Steam, Epic Games, Origin and whatnot, consoles don’t have the luxury of different stores to buy games from. Due to lesser competition their titles are expensive and significant sales on popular titles are rare.

Initially, the console can be bought for cheap but down the lane it gets significantly expensive to own a console. Premium subscriptions like the PS Plus need to be subscribed to if one wants to access online play features in already purchased games. 

Comparison Table

Here’s a simple table summarizing the differences I discussed above.

FeaturePC GamingConsole Gaming
CostHigher upfront costLower initial cost
CustomizationHighly customizableLimited customization
GraphicsSuperior graphics capabilitiesFixed hardware
Ease of UseRequires technical knowledgePlug-and-play
Game LibraryLarger library with modding optionsSmaller library with exclusive titles

The Changing Trend

For quite some time, Consoles have profited off of their exclusives. Big-budget studios with some really amazing games that were exclusive to certain consoles were a big reason for purchasing those consoles. To this day, there are older games that were exclusive to consoles like the Playstation that are still available just there.

In recent years, this exclusivity trend started to change. The lines between console and PC gaming have started to get blurry. The entire catalogue of Xbox games including any exclusives to that platform are now available on PC through the Xbox app. 

Sony has also started re-releasing some of its older but most exclusive games for the PC including the Uncharted series, Spiderman and the highly requested Last of Us series. Because of this, the line between PCs and consoles is getting thin as studios realize the potential of the PC market.

Open source emulation has also started to improve at a drastic rate like the community effort on porting Bloodborne to the PC that is a PS4 exclusive to this day.

The Real Winner

So, who’s the real winner, you might ask. The article does have ‘versus’ in the title and you’d want me to present you with a conclusion saying this is better than that but the simple truth is that the intention behind this article was to educate you and equip you with the information you need to make a decision for yourself. 

Look, I just can’t make up a statement because ‘the real winner’ is subjective to your situation. The answer to this question rests entirely with you and your specific situation. As with most things in life, both approaches come with their pros and cons and you have to decide what works best for you.

The target audience for a Console and a Gaming PC are different. If you’re a geek, a techie or a linux user like me (arch btw 🙃) by any chance who lives his life around computers and has no Time-Constraints or issues with Trouble-shooting their computers then you might be better off with the Customizability and Performance that comes with a Gaming PC.

If you’re someone who has a life or a wife, Someone who enjoys tech but doesn’t have the Time or Motivation to deal with the challenges that come with Building and Maintaining a Gaming PC, Someone who wants to just lay back and game then a console might be a valid choice for you.

My Take – Gaming for the Average Pakistani Bashir

I encourage the readers to take this section as the title suggests with a grain of salt since it discusses my personal opinions and experiences around the topic that are nothing to be taken seriously. I’ll share a bit of my experience with PCs and Consoles. 

As any other kid, I’ve been in love with video-games ever since I was born. Started off playing browser-based games on my dad’s PC. Then, going to “proper” titles like Need for Speed Most Wanted, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, etc.

Now, I am also someone who has owned the Playstation 3 (I still love my dear console). Speedrunning Battlefield 4’s campaign and cruising through the city of Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V is something I vividly remember from my mid-school days. 

As I entered high-school I got my hands on an old computer (Precision T7500 for the nerds) with a Graphics Card and that’s when I understood the limitations of a console. For those eyes who had never seen Trevor Philips rage in 60 fps at Max settings, PC was the obvious choice since then. 

I was a broke (still am btw) kid who got his hands on a PC that I could use to play older games. I didn’t have limitations like time I can give to fixing and configuring stuff. I wasn’t afraid to give sleepless nights to fixing random issues. I got better at troubleshooting problems with time so Maintenance and overall Complexity didn’t bother me much. 

Even today, I’m fairly comfortable with fixing and breaking stuff when it comes to computers so for me PC is still the choice because I simply enjoy the Performance, Customization and the Freedom. I can do more than just gaming even at the cost of spending some extra cash up-front. I enjoy the latest features and tinkering with settings. 

Having said all that, if I have enough money I’d get both a PC and a Console, likely the PS5 or the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck is a really interesting device that I’d love to get my hands on just to tinker with and experience how far is the year of Linux Desktop. As for PS5, I want to play GTA 6 when it releases because I just can’t wait a year or two for the PC port to release. 

The Final Countdown

In whatever you decide between a Console and a Gaming PC, Please first try to educate yourself and spend some time learning about both, instead of just accepting an article’s conclusion or some redditor’s opinion. Truly understanding the difference between the two and comparing that with your needs and priorities would help you make the perfect decision.

My intention behind this article was to simply give you a perspective of both sides discussing the pros and cons that come with choosing between a console and a gaming PC, in a simple manner. 

As always, Thanks for reading this piece. I hope this simple article was helpful in your decision making process for the platform you want to go for. If you enjoyed (or hated) my writing, please make sure to share your feedback, either way at admin@sknexus.com.

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