I am the opposite, after I built my first gaming PC in 2011, I haven't had a desire to buy a console since that first build. Plus my wife doesn't really game, so at night she can watch TV and I'll go to the office to play on my computer. A gaming PC just works better for me, and I prefer it way more than consoles. I also work in IT, so maintaining a computer is really easy for me.
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Anyone else try PC gaming only to fail hard and go back to their comfy Console?
- Thread starter ultima786
- Start date
I tried PC Gaming but I didn't like it. Felt like EVERY game required tinkering. Nothing ever just worked right.
Then it was just a lack of titles I wanted to play that were sports games or AAA Titles. And then it was I worked all day with a mouse and keyboard, I just wanted to use a controller on a couch, which was way easier to set up on a console than it was on my PC at the time.
Then it was just a lack of titles I wanted to play that were sports games or AAA Titles. And then it was I worked all day with a mouse and keyboard, I just wanted to use a controller on a couch, which was way easier to set up on a console than it was on my PC at the time.
Yeah have to concur with this - I got my first gaming laptop a year ago (fairly heavy duty looking notebook with a GTX 1060 and an I5 8th gen processor) and basically have barely turned on my consoles since I got it.
Yes my use case is pretty specific (I can play happily on the sofa whilst then kids or the wife hog the TV), but it plays everything I throw at it at 60 fps 1080 so everything looks a lot better than on my base Xbox/PS4, the NVIDA recommended setting mean I don't have to fiddle with anything unless I want to and gaming is significantly cheaper on PC - plus with a combination of Gamepass, Origins Basic and Humble I basically have hundreds of games to play for basically about £150 a year (Gamepass is basically free if you do Microsoft rewards daily). And I can play it in bed....and take on holiday.
Not had any overheating or indeed any particular technical issues - its just as stable a machine as a console and it also well a laptop too...
It is completely fair to go back to consoles, and it is a shame that your experience was a bad one.
That being said; laptop gaming is generally a bad deal, and many gaming laptops are compromised in terms of quality and reliability.
They are expensive, hot and relatively slow.
You should ONLY by a gaming laptop if you have to be able game on the go. otherwise you can do much better by buying a desktop (or building one yourself).
That being said; laptop gaming is generally a bad deal, and many gaming laptops are compromised in terms of quality and reliability.
They are expensive, hot and relatively slow.
You should ONLY by a gaming laptop if you have to be able game on the go. otherwise you can do much better by buying a desktop (or building one yourself).
Options for? If you want a complete tower, here's one AMD example you could go with for $400. The Intel option is $100 more but at $500 is still pretty reasonable. That hits MSRP of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X respectively, and while those systems aren't selling for MSRP now, both PCs would be upgradable and more flexible in terms of what they can do.
Assuming you're talking about GPUs, the RX 570 is a solid card for the price (~$130), the RX 580 is also pretty solid for its price ($180), and the 1660 Super is another very good option if you'd want to spend a bit more ($230). All of those would do quite well at 1080p. Some more so than others (the 1660 Super in particular) but for the AMD options, you'd lose performance but gain a lot in bang for the buck.
More or less. I started gaming in computers, not PCs, but systems like Commodore and ZX Spectrums, then switched to consoles for a generation then started with PCs and stayed there a good amount untill Dreamcast/ PS2 generation i have been gaming pretty much just on consoles.
What bother me about PCs is if you cant aford a high end machine, after 2 years you are already strugling to run games at good settings. As someone that only bought mid range PCs and graphic cards, a console to me cost half of that and i dont really care if thers a better version of the game running somewhere because thats how the game was developed for my console, and thats the only way i can run it. With my midrange PCs i usually obcessed spending way too much time tweeking graphic setting to get the best grafics possible without running in a slide show. Im done with that.
What bother me about PCs is if you cant aford a high end machine, after 2 years you are already strugling to run games at good settings. As someone that only bought mid range PCs and graphic cards, a console to me cost half of that and i dont really care if thers a better version of the game running somewhere because thats how the game was developed for my console, and thats the only way i can run it. With my midrange PCs i usually obcessed spending way too much time tweeking graphic setting to get the best grafics possible without running in a slide show. Im done with that.
Seems kind of like you're making broad generalizations about PC gaming from your bad experience with a seemingly really poorly-designed laptop and a single game—almost all of your problems could be attributed to either a laptop with severe thermal issues, or Final Fantasy being a particularly bad port. (I'm not familiar with whether it is or not.) But that's still its own fair criticism, to a degree—that the open nature of the platform means there are a lot of bad products out there, and that you have to come with a certain amount of knowledge in order to avoid them.
Threads like this always full of people going back and forth overstating the barriers to entry to PC gaming, and then countered by people understating the pitfalls for those that don't have a certain base of PC literacy, or a willingness to do a little research once in a while, or a little troubleshooting occasionally. If you don't have that knowledge or an inclination to acquire it, you might not get the most out of PC gaming—it can be frustrating. It's really not that difficult and is a relatively smooth experience these days once you get over that initial knowledge hump—and I think the benefits in terms of an upgraded experience are significant—but it's part and parcel with the nature of the platform and its benefits that it's a bit more knowledge-dependent and tweaking-centric. If that's not something a person can tolerate at all (or even enjoy), then it might not be the right fit for them.
Threads like this always full of people going back and forth overstating the barriers to entry to PC gaming, and then countered by people understating the pitfalls for those that don't have a certain base of PC literacy, or a willingness to do a little research once in a while, or a little troubleshooting occasionally. If you don't have that knowledge or an inclination to acquire it, you might not get the most out of PC gaming—it can be frustrating. It's really not that difficult and is a relatively smooth experience these days once you get over that initial knowledge hump—and I think the benefits in terms of an upgraded experience are significant—but it's part and parcel with the nature of the platform and its benefits that it's a bit more knowledge-dependent and tweaking-centric. If that's not something a person can tolerate at all (or even enjoy), then it might not be the right fit for them.
Gaming laptops seem like a really bad investment. I've been using the same desktop computer that I bought pre-built for the last five and a half years. The only work I've done on it is swap out the mobo once, install a new CPU, GPU, RAM, some hard drives. This like 45 minutes of work since 2014. Then again, moving it around the country has sucked.
can't believe this still gets thrown around lmao
if all you want to do is GAME with a PC then why not build it in HTPC form and hook it up to your tv via HDMi? You know, like a console? Would you take seriously someone saying they don't enjoy console gaming because they prefer gaming on a chair? What's stopping them doing so? Nothing, exactly. Same as pc and comfy couch.
This is honestly the most ridiculous reasoning ever and yet it I still hear it a lot
Anyone who says they can't play pc just because they want to sit on a couch and play their games on tv. Should really get past the mindset that all pc gamers just sit behind a desk.
There are multiple ways to enjoy pc gaming on a television in the same way you would on console.
Ease of use of consoles I get for those that want to just play games, but I'm one that likes to tinker with graphic settings to get the best performances rather than companies just doing it for me so its a plus in my case. Although I use GeForce Experience every so often and tinker it after lol.
There are multiple ways to enjoy pc gaming on a television in the same way you would on console.
Ease of use of consoles I get for those that want to just play games, but I'm one that likes to tinker with graphic settings to get the best performances rather than companies just doing it for me so its a plus in my case. Although I use GeForce Experience every so often and tinker it after lol.
It is still far harder to do, especially if you use your PC for working AND gaming. When we moved, I put my PC in the office/guest room, where I am working and my TV is in the living room. I had to make a hole in the wall, hide cables (HDMI/Wireless controller adapter), get a HDMI extender (since its quite far) etc.
Of course you could buy a HTPC one or a PC in an mini ITX case, but that might have it problems too.
That's moot since you can't use a console for work and gaming. Build a gaming PC/HTPC and have it under your TV. Literally all problems solved. It's inexcusable in 2020 to say you can't couch game on PC.
My gaming PC failed hard back in 2017, I think? GPU sort of, kind of exploded. Everything else in the PC was still good to go, thankfully. but I didn't want to buy a new GPU in that market so I sold the rest of my PC to my brother, and made the switch back to consoles.
From early 2018 to February 2020, I played my games exclusively on my three current-gen consoles (with the exception of certain PC games that I could run well enough to play on my piece of shit interim computer... basically just Tabletop Sim, Div OS 2, and 100% Orange Juice).
I purchased a new PC this year. It just arrived like three days ago, and, well... I couldn't be happier to be back.
Consoles are so limited in terms of what you can actually do with them. On PC, I can do basically anything I want. I can play games how I want, with esoteric tweaks and my own custom controls suiting any input device I own. I can stream with unnoticible latency and high stream quality, I can gameshare a friend's games after 2 minutes of taking advantage of a built-in Steam feature, etc. etc. I could go on for paragraphs but I won't. And I can navigate to basically whatever program or menu or function on PC that I want to use, without having to deal with sluggish UIs bogged down with performance-killing bloat and advertisements.
And, the big one, I can use consistently fantastic mouse and keyboard controls. Playing games with a controller or even with a Xim M/KB adapter just doesn't compare. My god, playing Red Dead and GTA V on PC is a revelation when you're used to how they control on Xbox and PS4.
I still appreciate my consoles and they're still gonna get a lot of use, but I gave the console-only life an honest go, and it didn't do it for me.
From early 2018 to February 2020, I played my games exclusively on my three current-gen consoles (with the exception of certain PC games that I could run well enough to play on my piece of shit interim computer... basically just Tabletop Sim, Div OS 2, and 100% Orange Juice).
I purchased a new PC this year. It just arrived like three days ago, and, well... I couldn't be happier to be back.
Consoles are so limited in terms of what you can actually do with them. On PC, I can do basically anything I want. I can play games how I want, with esoteric tweaks and my own custom controls suiting any input device I own. I can stream with unnoticible latency and high stream quality, I can gameshare a friend's games after 2 minutes of taking advantage of a built-in Steam feature, etc. etc. I could go on for paragraphs but I won't. And I can navigate to basically whatever program or menu or function on PC that I want to use, without having to deal with sluggish UIs bogged down with performance-killing bloat and advertisements.
And, the big one, I can use consistently fantastic mouse and keyboard controls. Playing games with a controller or even with a Xim M/KB adapter just doesn't compare. My god, playing Red Dead and GTA V on PC is a revelation when you're used to how they control on Xbox and PS4.
I still appreciate my consoles and they're still gonna get a lot of use, but I gave the console-only life an honest go, and it didn't do it for me.
I recently returned to PC gaming after hiatus of 18 years. I'm enjoying it a lot and don't regret it. I built the system myself and apart from a few little issues when first firing it up I've had no problems.
Maybe they issue is it's a gaming laptop. Seems like an expensive compromise.
Maybe they issue is it's a gaming laptop. Seems like an expensive compromise.
I am not saying you cant. Thats literally how I am gaming.
I am just saying it is still harder to do (and with its own issues) than just having a console.
Thiiiiiis. It's a real damn shame the Steam Controller isn't in production anymore.
Last time I tried a TV + pure controller setup to mimic a console, it didn't work well even with Steam Big Picture because of the Windows login screen. Either I remote with my phone, or plug a keyboard. Maybe things have changed since then, no idea. I ended up just hooking my normal desktop PC to my TV by HDMI and tinker with settings every time I want to play. Random issues I had:
- No sound coming out of my TV.
- Having to re-pair my DS4 every time I want to play.
- HDR completely broken. It simply doesn't work for me, it's just a green or purple mess on the TV, even with the HDR enabled on the HDMI port I'm using, and using the same HDMI cable on my PS4 Pro to verify it wasn't an older HDMI spec cable.
The cost is merely a GPU. If you are going to own (preferably self-build) a PC for work/leisure anyway, then it's simply a case of upgrading it with a GPU. The games are much cheaper.
However console gaming is really a lot less hassle.
Yup, for some reason, i can't find any comfortable position to game in a couch. I need to be sitting in a proper chair and preferably with my arms resting on a flat surface. No matter if i'm using kb/m or a controller.
This is my setup if I want to use the couch (using Steam Link). Pretty comfy to me
I'm like you and purchased a gaming laptop (albeit more expensive). I mainly use it for simulation games, Xbox and PC exclusives, and first-person shooters (since I'm terrible at shooting with a controller). I have a Switch and PS4, too, and I play on all three pretty consistently. I definitely like playing on the couch and prefer that for most games, but I have a far better time using M/KB for first-person shooters at my desk/lapdesk.
I opted for a laptop instead of building a desktop simply because I enjoy the ability to easily carry it around my place. I like spending time with my SO while playing and didn't want to limit myself to playing at my desk all the time (and when I'm at my desk I can just plug it into my monitor and enjoy everything on a bigger screen). I understand the comments from others about gaming laptops, but I disagree with a lot of the criticism. Sure, they aren't as future-proof or as cheap, but performance on mine has always been stellar and it suits my needs perfectly. I think as far as laptops go, you unfortunately just got a bad pick.
But if money is an issue, I would say take others' advice and build your own desktop; you'll get something powerful for much less than the portable alternative. I wouldn't throw in your PC gaming towel just yet.
I opted for a laptop instead of building a desktop simply because I enjoy the ability to easily carry it around my place. I like spending time with my SO while playing and didn't want to limit myself to playing at my desk all the time (and when I'm at my desk I can just plug it into my monitor and enjoy everything on a bigger screen). I understand the comments from others about gaming laptops, but I disagree with a lot of the criticism. Sure, they aren't as future-proof or as cheap, but performance on mine has always been stellar and it suits my needs perfectly. I think as far as laptops go, you unfortunately just got a bad pick.
But if money is an issue, I would say take others' advice and build your own desktop; you'll get something powerful for much less than the portable alternative. I wouldn't throw in your PC gaming towel just yet.
What does this even mean? my PC is hooked to my 60 inch screen, my consoles only exist for exclusives.
I'm different. Since getting the ROG Phone 2, I can't play games on anything else. Mobile>console&PC.
I can't even watch movies on a tv or at a theater anymore.
I can't even watch movies on a tv or at a theater anymore.
Gaming laptops make sense in exactly one situation: you travel a lot and want to play games on the road. Otherwise they will always be underpowered and very expensive compared to an equivalent desktop system, which you can build into a small case if you want to keep it compact.
I currently have my desktop PC hooked up to my desktop monitor and also the TV in my living room with a long HDMI cable. I use Steam Controller for most games and can choose between my 4K TV or my super ultrawide depending on which gaming situation I prefer.
The only feature I miss from my PS4 Pro is the rest mode and quick resume to the game I was playing. I really hope MS brings something like that to the PC considering the next Xbox should be even better with these features.
I currently have my desktop PC hooked up to my desktop monitor and also the TV in my living room with a long HDMI cable. I use Steam Controller for most games and can choose between my 4K TV or my super ultrawide depending on which gaming situation I prefer.
The only feature I miss from my PS4 Pro is the rest mode and quick resume to the game I was playing. I really hope MS brings something like that to the PC considering the next Xbox should be even better with these features.
Yup, I just can't be bothered. My PC is hooked up to the same TV as the consoles so it's pretty easy to play from the couch but usually it's still too much of a hassle.
I work in IT and the last thing I want to do when I sit down is mess around with drivers, why isn't Steam Big Picture Mode on my TV but on a random extra screen (while I didn't change anything), sound from the PC instead of TV etc.
I know how to fix it, I just don't want to bother with it. Sit down & play is still not guaranteed when you're using a PC.
I'm tinkered out after a day of work, just let me game.
I work in IT and the last thing I want to do when I sit down is mess around with drivers, why isn't Steam Big Picture Mode on my TV but on a random extra screen (while I didn't change anything), sound from the PC instead of TV etc.
I know how to fix it, I just don't want to bother with it. Sit down & play is still not guaranteed when you're using a PC.
I'm tinkered out after a day of work, just let me game.
I used to be all about PC gaming 8-10 years ago and before but as i age and value my time a lot. I prefer playing on consoles simply because it's so much simple, easy to use and not as big as a PC tower. I used to waste so much time with each purchased game on settings to find the perfect balance in visuals and performance, which i hate to do now. Graphics can be nice with a great graphic card but i stopped caring about that long ago. Consoles is where it's at for me. It's cheaper, easy to transport, easy couch gaming, friends can't afford a PC so they all game on consoles... easy choice. + with Xbox Series X, the specs are amazing so it keeps me even further from PCs.
Eh, I'm in between. I've used my PC more than all of my consoles over the past few years, but I recently got an Xbox One X because almost all of my friends are console gamers. My Xbox is pretty much my multiplayer machine.
I game on my PC but yeah its not turnkey by any means, there is just a lot of bullshit you have to constantly deal with. Windows update, video card updates, apps that stop working, new launchers, its an endless list of "fuck you!" and I'm convinced many PC gamers are like car enthusiasts, they just love tinkering with the system more than actually playing (driving) games. Its great when it all works together but the smallest little thing can create a boondoggle that can take hours to figure out.
I pretty much reserve only the GOATs to play on PC, mostly i play on console. Cyberpunk 2077 is the one game this year I will definitely play on PC, but everything else I am happy to play on my ps4, x, or switch.
I pretty much reserve only the GOATs to play on PC, mostly i play on console. Cyberpunk 2077 is the one game this year I will definitely play on PC, but everything else I am happy to play on my ps4, x, or switch.
What are the specs on that adorable cat?This is my setup if I want to use the couch (using Steam Link). Pretty comfy to me
Nothing says cozy like prioritizing resolution over fps and forcing me to pay monthly to play online.
I went back to PC gaming with a laptop myself. While it didn't have any of the issues you experienced, it gotten even better when I built my own system. Less worry about thermal issues and the general experience has been better. I think your poor experience is actually related to the hardware you had. It's not a representative of PC gaming at all. Maybe you should give it another try? This time with properly cooled hardware.
Went from console gamer to PC in 2004 never looked back until yesterday, Xseries looks beefy and 4k shouldn't be a problem, I am 1080p PC gamer, 4K is too much, Nvidia has no competition and they charge whatever ridiculous prices they want, Intel is feeling a little bit of heat from AMD the CPU market is slightly competitive, even at $600 Xseries will be cheap 4k machine..if i can add Mouse and KB, i might be coming back to console....
Nothing says cozy like prioritizing resolution over fps and forcing me to pay monthly to play online.
I'm the opposite. I'll get games on console and just never play or finish them because I migrate back to my PC stuff.
No idea what you're doing with your PC that requires dozens of minutes of tinkering every time you play a game.
I'll echo what many others here have said, super opposite experience for me. Now that I've been primarily gaming on my pc at my desk it's really hard to go back to sitting on my couch.
Several times. There's always issues on PC with the type of games I want to play at 60fps (console focused ports) and with the rise in PC software prices comparee to the PS360 gen along with several launchers / store exclusives, PC has never looked less enticing from my point of view especially with the kind of power we're about to get in $400-600 consoles at the end of this year.
It's going to cost at least $1000 to match Series X on PC never mind surpass it to the point of wanting to take on all the hassles PC gaming inevitably brings. I'll be staying on console next gen but I understand the reasons people play on PC and so shall I for its exclusives / games that just suit the platform (Path of Exile etc).
It's going to cost at least $1000 to match Series X on PC never mind surpass it to the point of wanting to take on all the hassles PC gaming inevitably brings. I'll be staying on console next gen but I understand the reasons people play on PC and so shall I for its exclusives / games that just suit the platform (Path of Exile etc).
I've been PC gaming for over 28 years. I've been console gaming for longer than that because we couldn't afford a gaming PC before then. I play all 3 major consoles, portables, and PC regularly. I enjoy them all and It's my primary hobby. I play PC games with a controller in the living room from a comfy recliner just like console games. That being said, I get annoyed with the PC gaming community sometimes. While PC is much, much less frustration than it used to be, there are still a lot of nagging issues, tinkering, and other annoying stuff that crops up from time to time despite what some would have you believe. I don't blame anyone who prefers the simplicity of console gaming and doesn't want to fool with that stuff. I myself am playing through the Baldur's Gate games again on Switch despite owning boxed PC copies because I wanted the simple gamepad-based control scheme. I buy console versions of certain Japanese games because at retail they are often cheaper than the PC counterparts. And of course each platform has it's exclusives that are only available there on a modern console. Yes, even Xbox since I'm not going to be playing Panzer Dragoon Orta or Red Dead Redemption 1 at high resolutions on any other current system AFAIK. I've never felt the need to rush to defend PC gaming or belittle console-only players' options like so many appear to. I've always considered PC gaming a different kind of beast than closed platform consoles and to me it's more of an apples and oranges comparison.
Anyway, I'm sorry you had a poor experience at such expense. In hindsight, a gaming laptop is probably not the best way to go unless you have no other choice, but if you're just happier on console then that's the best place to be.
Anyway, I'm sorry you had a poor experience at such expense. In hindsight, a gaming laptop is probably not the best way to go unless you have no other choice, but if you're just happier on console then that's the best place to be.