Many gamers with limited budgets often need to deal with the dilemma of making a choice between a gaming PC and a console.
How is a PC Better Than a Console for Gaming?
Many aspects make gaming PCs better than consoles and these include upgradeability, a wide array of games, and impressive performance.
Some gamers prefer consoles over gaming PCs because they are generally less expensive, simple to operate with the controller, and can be easily played with other friends that have the same consoles. However, the games that you can play may only be limited since most games can only be played on consoles.
Benefits a Gaming PC Has Vs. Console Gaming
There are a lot of reasons that make a gaming PC a better choice than a console, especially if you are someone who prefers to play various games, let’s look at the top reasons why.
1. GAME PERFORMANCE
The components of gaming PCs are more powerful than the ones in consoles. Gaming PCs have higher frame rates, which is the frequency of appearance of consecutive series of images or frames on the display panel. The frequency is typically measured by fps or frames per second. The movement of the images will appear jerky or jagged when the gaming PC has too low fps. You may think that the higher the fps, the better – you need to think again. A too-high fps can bring you problems too. If there are synchronization errors that caused the extremely high fps, your monitor could overload and crash. Fortunately, gaming PC can be customized according to your gaming requirements.
Gaming consoles are commonly underpowered to lessen manufacturing costs and keep the heat under control. The majority of gaming consoles do not exceed 60 fps. Gaming PCs usually go beyond 60 fps.
2. HARDWARE UPGRADABILITY
Even though the latest releases of gaming consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X closely resemble the gaming PCs, console users have no other choice but to be satisfied with the factory-installed hardware in the units. The console gamers don’t have options to upgrade their units to suit their needs. They are stuck with what the factory has given.
If you are using a gaming PC, you can make an upgrade for a better gaming experience. You may choose to change your RAM (random access memory), power supply, processor, graphic cards, and others. Take note that it is best to let a team of professionals do the upgrade to make sure that the components are compatible and will continue to work seamlessly.
3. MORE GAME VARIETY
Although there are gaming console companies that have cross-platform support, the games they share are still limited. In many cases, you can only play console games in particular console models and series. For example, you are allowed to play PS4 games on the PS5 console but you cannot play PS5 games on PS4 console. However, you may still play PS5 games on the PS4 console with some help from Share Play or Remote Play. You can only play some games on Xbox in PS5 or other gaming consoles if they support cross-platform.
Gaming PCs have a much wider array of game selections. Many independent professional and amateur game developers create games for PC users only. It is also much easier to acquire PC games at discounted prices.
4. EXCLUSIVE GAMES
More games are exclusive to PCs than consoles. This means you have more choices when you use a gaming PC instead of a console. It is also much easier to access these games. Some platforms allow you to develop your own game and allow you to play more games.
You can also download promising indie games that you can play anytime. Also, many indie games are only exclusive to PCs. Most indie game developers find it impractical to shoulder the high costs of transferring the games to consoles and choose to make their games available only on PCs.
5. NO ONLINE SERVICE PAYMENTS
It is much easier to play with multiple players online if you are using a PC. You also don’t need to pay extra for accessing multiplayer games on a PC unlike on a console. Console players usually pay a subscription or online service fee to gain access to multiplayer games. It means spending more if you want to try multiplayer games. The amount of the online service fee depends on the type of console that you might have.
6. CONTROLLER FREEDOM
You use your mouse and keyboard when playing a game on your PC. The mouse and keyboard provide more accuracy and precision, which competitive esports players find more efficient. You can glide your fingers seamlessly on the right key or keys to strike, run, dodge, or whatever action you need your player to take in the game you are playing.
Also, PC games can use console controllers of PlayStation or Xbox. This gives you a variety of choices when playing your game on your PC. On the other hand, you can only use controllers of that particular gaming console that you are using along with the permitted third-party models.
7. PERIPHERALS AND ADD-ONS
With the advancements in GPU and PC, you gain more freedom in choosing the monitor for your PC. It aims to accommodate the advanced graphics settings and meet your requirement for high frame rate gaming. You also get to enjoy Bluetooth and a variety of wireless headphones when you are using a PC when playing your games.
You may also use racing wheels, joysticks, or gamepads – depending on the type of game that you are playing. Access to virtual reality is also possible with PC gaming. You only need to connect special equipment to your PC to enjoy VR gaming.
A gaming console cannot provide the same freedom that a PC can give. If you are looking forward to using different peripherals when gaming, you should opt for a PC.
8. BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY
Most consoles don’t offer backward compatibility and some of them need you to install or use software or app to make it possible to play the old game on a newer version of the console and vice versa. In many cases, you need to purchase the latest console to play the new game that’s compatible with that version or model.
You will not encounter the same problem when you are using a PC when playing your games. Many games that have been developed for PC use will still be playable on the later system. However, don’t expect the games developed in the early 90s to be playable on the latest hardware. The technology today is far more advanced and sophisticated. It may be impossible to run the ancient early 90s games.
9. PRICE
You need to pay between £400 and £2,500 for a gaming PC, while you only need to pay between £300 and £500 to get a console. However, you may use your gaming PC for many years to come, unlike a console that releases a new model every 5 or 7 years.
It is also more costly to repair a console, which you may take to a repair shop after a year or two. It is inevitable to have your console repaired since it is not built to last for a long time. You have a choice to give your PC an upgrade and maintenance does not cost so much.
PC games are much cheaper than console games. In fact, you may even get a PC game for free. Console games usually go between £30 and £60 per title.
10. EVERYDAY USE
Aside from gaming, you can use your PC for work or school. You may use it to browse the net, check emails, type documents, log in to social media, and do other things that most people normally do with a computer. You cannot do the same with the console. Your gaming console is only limited to one task -gaming. Your gaming PC can give you more than just entertainment.
