The Future of Gaming- Will Console Gaming Wipe Out PC Gaming for Good?
The debate about the superior form of gaming has been a longstanding one, with gamers at loggerheads with one another over the best device to play games on. At the end of the day, it comes down to both personal preference and your budget. To help you make an informed decision on your next gaming device, we will be discussing the most important factors that you need to consider.
Types of PCs and Consoles
There are different types of PCs and consoles, all with different features that can completely change the gameplay for consumers of these products.
Mostly, when people think of PC gaming, they think of large desktops with fancy lighting. And, whilst these are the most common type of PC gaming used by gamers, there are gaming laptops available too. However, it must be said that desktops can be better than laptops in most cases, as gaming laptops tend to contain underpowered components to try to keep it cool whilst gaming for a long time. That’s not to say that gaming laptops are useless; they can be particularly handy for those who spend a considerable amount of time away from home and want to take their gaming with them.
As for consoles, there isn’t as much of a wide variety to choose from. The main companies for producing consoles are Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Some of the most popular consoles, globally, are Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Switch, though Nintendo has produced some equally popular consoles in the past, for example, the Nintendo DS, or the Wii.
Overall, both the PlayStation and the Xbox feature a wider selection of games than the Nintendo Switch, and a handful of these will also be available on PC. Generally, the PlayStation and Xbox are incredibly similar to each other. What works most in the Switch’s favour, much like the Wii and Wii U, is the difference it brings to gameplay, combining motion controls with the usual buttons on the controller.
Prices
It may not seem like it, but consoles can actually be cheaper than PC gaming. Both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 5 cost around $499 at initial release, which can be around the same price as a new budget gaming PC. Although, the price for the PS4 was approximately $100 less than the PS5, meaning that future consoles, such as the PS5 Pro (which has been rumoured to be in production) may cost more. The best thing about these consoles is that they can last for an average of around 7 years, without compatibility issues or outdated hardware, which could potentially be an issue for PCs.
PC pricing is a little more complicated than this. More components go into the overall cost of PC gaming, which means the price can vary substantially. There are six categories that PCs can be split into, depending on performance as well as cost:
Entry-level- The more basic PCs that aren’t really suited for gaming. Though they may be cheap, it’ll be less likely to run newer games that are more demanding.
Budget- These PCs, which are reasonably priced, will also provide reliable performance and be able to run the latest games. The only limitations are that they don’t work at maximum settings and they will need updating every few years.
Mid-range- Offers a decent performance, is cost-effective, and quite long-lasting
High-end- Hardware is decent, they offer excellent performance and run all of the latest AAA games for a long time without needing an upgrade. A downside to this one is that they tend to cost a lot of money.
Enthusiast- Gaming PCs that have cutting edge hardware, though at incredibly high prices. Called enthusiast as not many people are willing to spend so much money on a gaming PC.
Games
Numerous game developers these days develop their games with consoles in mind, as they are particularly popular in the gaming community. However, there are a whole host of games that are set far apart from consoles, for example, MMOs, MOBAs, and strategy games. Additionally, PCs have a bigger indie collection as well as more mods.
PCs don’t get physical releases anymore, whereas they are still quite a big part of console games. Newer consoles now give you the option to buy digital copies of the game through their respective online stores or to use physical copies. Physical copies give you the ability to resell or buy them cheaper if they are used.
Compatibility is also a big factor. Generally, games for consoles will work well on the console it was made for, though there may be exceptions. PCs aren’t usually as well optimised as this, and there may be bugs and crashes. Backwards compatibility is also something to be considered, as on PCs older releases will still likely run. With consoles, such as the PS4, they may not be able to run any games they have released previously.
There are clearly many things to consider when choosing whether to buy a console or a gaming PC and many different issues that could arise if the decision was not carefully considered. Hopefully, this has covered everything you need to know so that you can make your gaming experience the best it can be.
