Gaming console conundrum comes to an end
- Thread starter Tim Plains
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acstorfer
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I haven't had a gaming system since my Sega Genesis. Before that I had an Atari. Oh man I loved my Atari. The controller had a stick and a button. The Sega Genesis controller was a bit more, but still within reason. The newer game controllers make me feel like an idiot. I have no idea what's going on with them. I know how my father felt when he asked me to program a vcr or something like that back in the day and I'd stare at him with a look of 'how the hell do you not get this old man'.
Give me a game with a controller with a joystick and 1 button and I'm happy all day. Leave me in front of the set with Space Invaders, Galaga, Asteroids, PAC Man, well you get the idea, and I'm happy. With anything newer I am basically just hitting buttons hoping for the best.
Now get the hell off of my lawn!
Give me a game with a controller with a joystick and 1 button and I'm happy all day. Leave me in front of the set with Space Invaders, Galaga, Asteroids, PAC Man, well you get the idea, and I'm happy. With anything newer I am basically just hitting buttons hoping for the best.
Now get the hell off of my lawn!
OldBenKenobi
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Consoles definitely have their place but with the way both the console and PC markets have been moving PC is becoming a much more viable option at lower price levels.
The reason is consoles are still locked at 1080p. Yeah the new "enhanced" consoles run at 4k but that's upscaled, not native.
PC gaming has gotten to a point where 1080p is the minimum res. The cutting edge hardware is aimed at 4k native and the high end hard is aimed at 1440p, which means that most of the hardware coming out can get full 1080p/60fps. There are amazing options for gaming in 1080p and they are very affordable.
PC gaming is also aided by the plateau in CPU development. An i5-2500k from almost six years ago is still a viable processor, especially at 1080p. So if you buy a good CPU ($200~) and the mobo and RAM to go with it, you can hang onto it for quite a long time, through successive GPU upgrades.
Functionally there is a big push for more console equivalency. That primarily means small form factor cases that look at home in an entertainment, as well as universal controller support. The idea that PC gaming is about sitting in a chair leaning over a desk staring into a monitor is becoming increasingly outdated. People want the console experience of relaxing on a couch playing with a controller on their big screen TV with PC performance levels, and they're getting it.
Just to make a quick example of how inexpensive a good PC can be these days, I've quickly spec'd out a PC build. The total cost is under $650. It's got built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and size wise it is smaller than a cubic foot. This computer performs exceptionally well and, should it ever not, can be upgraded down the line.
The price is the biggest factor, because the hidden cost of the consoles is online play. The $400 PS4 bought in 2013 will so far have racked up $180 in online fees after three years. Small price to pay but it adds up: Over the eight year lifespan of the 360 the cost for online play was $480, more than the initial cost of the console itself. If you bought a 360 at launch in 2005, bought online every year and stopped using it in 2013 your total cost would be $880 dollars. Even if you count buying Windows in the price of the PC that only accounts for just over a year of online play.
The other factor in the console market that incentivizes PC gaming is the PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio. With these updates brings a shift in the console industry. Instead of releasing a single console in a generation, there are now going to be new consoles every few years built on the same platform. The old mantra of never upgrading a console went out the window, because that's exactly what it is. So here's a theoretical number I'm throwing out: Assuming the PS4 lasts for seven years (as the PS3 did) and that the PS4 Pro is the only upgrade, the total cost of the system over those seven years will be $1220. $800 on hardware and an additional $420 in online service.
I'm not saying that PC gaming is as convenient as consoles, or as cheap. Console gaming is still more inexpensive and still more automated. But the gap is narrowing quite a bit. We're at a point where the PC has ceased to be the option taken by enthusiasts wanting to throw $1000+ on a project. Now the PC is simply the more expensive option, with most of the other variable mitigated and pricing that is competitive with the consoles (I've compared the PC to the PS4 because the PS4 is cheaper. The PC looks even better compared to the more expensive Xbone).
It all comes down to want and the option that best serves your needs but the PC is a true contender to consoles, something that has not always been true.
The reason is consoles are still locked at 1080p. Yeah the new "enhanced" consoles run at 4k but that's upscaled, not native.
PC gaming has gotten to a point where 1080p is the minimum res. The cutting edge hardware is aimed at 4k native and the high end hard is aimed at 1440p, which means that most of the hardware coming out can get full 1080p/60fps. There are amazing options for gaming in 1080p and they are very affordable.
PC gaming is also aided by the plateau in CPU development. An i5-2500k from almost six years ago is still a viable processor, especially at 1080p. So if you buy a good CPU ($200~) and the mobo and RAM to go with it, you can hang onto it for quite a long time, through successive GPU upgrades.
Functionally there is a big push for more console equivalency. That primarily means small form factor cases that look at home in an entertainment, as well as universal controller support. The idea that PC gaming is about sitting in a chair leaning over a desk staring into a monitor is becoming increasingly outdated. People want the console experience of relaxing on a couch playing with a controller on their big screen TV with PC performance levels, and they're getting it.
Just to make a quick example of how inexpensive a good PC can be these days, I've quickly spec'd out a PC build. The total cost is under $650. It's got built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and size wise it is smaller than a cubic foot. This computer performs exceptionally well and, should it ever not, can be upgraded down the line.
The price is the biggest factor, because the hidden cost of the consoles is online play. The $400 PS4 bought in 2013 will so far have racked up $180 in online fees after three years. Small price to pay but it adds up: Over the eight year lifespan of the 360 the cost for online play was $480, more than the initial cost of the console itself. If you bought a 360 at launch in 2005, bought online every year and stopped using it in 2013 your total cost would be $880 dollars. Even if you count buying Windows in the price of the PC that only accounts for just over a year of online play.
The other factor in the console market that incentivizes PC gaming is the PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio. With these updates brings a shift in the console industry. Instead of releasing a single console in a generation, there are now going to be new consoles every few years built on the same platform. The old mantra of never upgrading a console went out the window, because that's exactly what it is. So here's a theoretical number I'm throwing out: Assuming the PS4 lasts for seven years (as the PS3 did) and that the PS4 Pro is the only upgrade, the total cost of the system over those seven years will be $1220. $800 on hardware and an additional $420 in online service.
I'm not saying that PC gaming is as convenient as consoles, or as cheap. Console gaming is still more inexpensive and still more automated. But the gap is narrowing quite a bit. We're at a point where the PC has ceased to be the option taken by enthusiasts wanting to throw $1000+ on a project. Now the PC is simply the more expensive option, with most of the other variable mitigated and pricing that is competitive with the consoles (I've compared the PC to the PS4 because the PS4 is cheaper. The PC looks even better compared to the more expensive Xbone).
It all comes down to want and the option that best serves your needs but the PC is a true contender to consoles, something that has not always been true.
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I think too much hub-bub is made about ultra HD settings for games.
Like i know logically star wars battlefront is running at 720 w 60fps.
But it's so smooth and fast and gorgeous to my eyes it never crosses my mind, "gee this would be better in 1080p."
The games look good, the controllers are comfortable and it's just too quick and easy to turn on the system and jump right into a game.
Like i know logically star wars battlefront is running at 720 w 60fps.
But it's so smooth and fast and gorgeous to my eyes it never crosses my mind, "gee this would be better in 1080p."
The games look good, the controllers are comfortable and it's just too quick and easy to turn on the system and jump right into a game.
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It takes practice like anything else. You don't want to think about the controller at all.
Then there's adjusting the x or y axis for comfort, button mapping, adjusting the sensitivity of the sticks, etc.
Like i need the y axis inverted 100% of the time or the game is unplayable to me. I had that problem with a resident evil game. There was no option to flip the y axis so that was it for that game.
Every time i went to look up i looked down and vice versa
Then there's adjusting the x or y axis for comfort, button mapping, adjusting the sensitivity of the sticks, etc.
Like i need the y axis inverted 100% of the time or the game is unplayable to me. I had that problem with a resident evil game. There was no option to flip the y axis so that was it for that game.
Every time i went to look up i looked down and vice versa
sk8rat
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that's fine but what works for you doesn't necessarily work for everyone. I specifically said how I felt about it from my personal experience and why I thought that the who "get a pc" argument is an pointless. I dont want to have to spend the time to learn how to put together a computer or spend the money. I never said it was a pain in the ass, I just said it is a different thing and not for everyone.
Tim Plains
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Tim Plains
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^ thanks.
That was quick. Sold the old Xbox just now and got my $250.
That was quick. Sold the old Xbox just now and got my $250.
Emmitt Fitzhume
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I just buy Nintendo consoles when they come out. I mostly just play Zelda and Mario games.
Howard2k
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Emmitt Fitzhume
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Hey cool, I always wondered who their customer was
Customers...I got two kids.
Tim Plains
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I started this thread on Oct 1 thinking I had figured it all out and today I bought a PS4 Pro.
Couldn't help it. I made the mistake of asking about good new ninja games in a separate thread and somebody suggested Aragami. It took a few weeks but it made me cave. I'm only on chapter 2 but I am loving it. It's so much like the old Tenchu (one of my favourite games of all time) but also different. Only stealth kills so far. Not sure if there will be any actually combat fighting later on. Anyways, I'm really enjoying it.
Knowing Last of Us 2 is coming out was another reason. Last of Us and the Drake series are also games I really miss. I bought Last of Us 1 today as well, the Drake collection will come later on when I beat these two even though it's just $30, and I will pick up Drake 4 when it drops below $50.
That might be the extent of my PS4 games for a while, I still have the Xbox, I'm sure there's a thread on this already but if there are any epic PS4 exclusives, please let me know. Epic but not insanely hard. Something along the lines of Dark Souls is way out of my league.
Couldn't help it. I made the mistake of asking about good new ninja games in a separate thread and somebody suggested Aragami. It took a few weeks but it made me cave. I'm only on chapter 2 but I am loving it. It's so much like the old Tenchu (one of my favourite games of all time) but also different. Only stealth kills so far. Not sure if there will be any actually combat fighting later on. Anyways, I'm really enjoying it.
Knowing Last of Us 2 is coming out was another reason. Last of Us and the Drake series are also games I really miss. I bought Last of Us 1 today as well, the Drake collection will come later on when I beat these two even though it's just $30, and I will pick up Drake 4 when it drops below $50.
That might be the extent of my PS4 games for a while, I still have the Xbox, I'm sure there's a thread on this already but if there are any epic PS4 exclusives, please let me know. Epic but not insanely hard. Something along the lines of Dark Souls is way out of my league.
