Why is Cloud gaming often viewed as a threat to consoles but not PC gaming?

[MotiD]

I feel like whenever people talk about how Cloud gaming could potentially change the games industry it's often consoles that are seen as the ones that could suffer the most by its impact, but I feel like no one is ever talking about the impact it could have on PC gaming?

The idea is that less people would want to spend hundreds of dollars on consoles if there's a viable streaming option, but why would people want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a new PC in that case? I realized this when I thought about if I want to upgrade my PC, and I realized that with next-gen consoles seemingly being super-powerful and there being multiple streaming options available on the market in the near future, maybe I should wait and see.
It also made me realize I would probably get rid of my PC entirely if this was indeed a viable option and opt for a Mac for all my uses instead of just some, which also impacts Windows gaming in particular and not just PC.
How many people feel like they have to use Windows just because of gaming? I know the viability of other operating systems for PC even without having anything to do with gaming is another topic but it's probably safe to say a fair few people are tied to Windows mainly because of gaming.

 

[Deleted member 198]

Because the people who game on PC primarily and spend money to build computers won't sacrifice performance or latency just to be able to play on a Mac.

 

[Platy]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

 

[Igniz12]

Probably because the people that spend money on PC gaming do it because they want to, if not they'd just get a console and not have to worry about it.

And the people that want to do PC gaming but are aggro with Windows is maybe not that big.

 

[Rosebud]

You can't mod a streaming game.

 

[Chaosblade]

The idea is that with PC you always have options and choices. Streaming might be an option, but you can probably also just run games on your own hardware.

If consoles go to streaming and don't offer traditional hardware there aren't alternatives, you either stream or don't partake.

 

[SteveWinwood]

it's like asking why aren't self driving cars seen as a threat to the car modding and racing enthusiasts

 

[Dezzy]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

Yeah PC gaming in the 90s sucked. Glad it isn't anything like in this post anymore.

 

[Bowl0l]

Both console and cloud gaming has the same advantage. The platform holder just has to remove support, your game library will disappear, unlike PC.

 

[TSM]

PC gaming is all about options, and cloud gaming is the opposite of that.

 

[nded]

PC gamers are accustomed to a level of control that game streaming services probably aren't willing and definitely aren't able to provide.

 

[Cipherr]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

 

[Jaded Alyx]

The enthusiasts who play PC are doing so because of what PC gaming provides. Streaming can't offer that.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

Nice troll, troll.

 

[Waaghals]

Console gaming is about convenience over choice, control and largely performance.

PC gaming, while no longer inconvenient, is still sligthly less user friendly than most consoles, but with the added benefits of choice and performance.
As a result PC gamers are already self-selected for the kind of people who want responsiveness, performance and choice and are willing to pay/work for the privelige.

Or put in a nother way: Streaming goes to the heart of console gaming`s strengths, not that of PC gaming.

There are of course some caveats to this:
1. I am not sure that streaming will take off and supplant consoles.
2. If it is successful, I could easily see streaming taking over the part of the pc gaming maket where people only play a few games and are not running very fast hardware.

 

[OnionPowder]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

More like PC is click play and you're done, but if you want you can fuck with the ini and turn off intro videos and turn off v-sync.

You just get the options to increase FPS and change settings how you see fit, most games auto adjust to a perfect setting and if you have things you care about more than other, you spend a minute tinkering with settings and you're good to go.

 

[Xiaomi]

- PC gaming is still very much into latency and response times .
- Image quality is a big thing for high-end gamers as well, as well as things like high framerates.
- PC players have had the option to switch to consoles that play and look "good enough" for basically forever, but didn't because we know what we're into.
- Playing on a self-built PC is a hobby a bit closer to tuning a car or running model trains in that some of us like setting up a machine almost as much as we like the games that run on it.

Will some PC players make the switch? I'm sure there will be a number of them, especially kids. But PC gaming is its own thing that happens to overlap with console gaming at times, but not entirely.

 

[Dr. Mario]

The enthusiasts who play on PC are a tiny fraction of the market, which mostly consists of online GaaS games already. The average PC player doesn't have a 3000 dollar rig, but an aging college laptop to play League of Legends on. You're right OP, the PC market would be impacted by streaming just as much as the console market. The only reason why it wouldn't as much is because on average the PC gamer is poorer (talking about the large groups of people living in Eastern Europe, Asia and South America here, traditional PC markets whereas consoles are played more in the US and Japan) and the style of media consumption currently is more conducive to subscriptions for TV based gaming. On the other hand WoW already showed that this is not a big hurdle.

 

[Alexandros]

The whole point of console gaming is convenience, the simplest and cheapest entry point to AAA gaming at a 'good enough' level. The whole point of PC gaming is putting control of the experience at the hands of the user. Cloud gaming is aiming to offer even more convenience at a 'good enough' level. It has nothing to offer to the core PC crowd.

 

[shaneo632]

There are far less casual gamers on PCs - they tend to care a lot more about performance/visuals and, as they probably have a desktop, are a lot less bothered by the faff of setting up a game in a physical environment.

 

[MotiD]

I get where everyone is coming from with the comments about the differences with PC and console gaming and I thought about while making the thread, but as someone who games on PC more than any other platform I thought to myself if there was a real viable streaming option I'd rather do that than spend a whole lot of money on upgrades.

Sure, there's a large community of hardcore people who value all these things, but not everyone with a 1060 is a 'PC enthusiast' who would never trade some options for a cheaper solution.

 

[Deleted member 12790]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

Don't forget all the money lost on anti-static bracelets.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

I get where everyone is coming from with the comments about the differences with PC and console gaming and I thought about while making the thread, but as someone who games on PC more than any other platform I thought to myself if there was a real viable streaming option I'd rather do that than spend a whole lot of money on upgrades.

Sure, there's a large community of hardcore people who value all these things, but not everyone with a 1060 is a 'PC enthusiast' who would never trade some options for a cheaper solution.

Click to shrink...

What are the reasons why you are currently playing games on PC instead of consoles?

 

[More Butter]

PC gaming has been there since the beginning. It is a known category. We already know that there is room for PC and console gaming among gamers. As PC gaming gets more straight forward I guess the threat heightens for console platforms but that's the explicitly stated reason that Mid gen refresh exist to try and keep console gamers from chasing PC hardware as a gen progresses.

Cloud gaming is less a challenger to consoles in a way because the console manufacturers are going to bolster their platforms with cloud gaming. There is a sense of inevitability around cloud gaming. There is a sense that many more casual casual folks will choose a low powered cheaper to device to stream games remotely rather than spend the upfront investment on a console and that may be true. I think in the long term that is true. Cloud is inevitable.

 

[Deleted member 1635]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

Man, I haven't seen a comfy couch argument in a long time!

 

[Xiaomi]

I get where everyone is coming from with the comments about the differences with PC and console gaming and I thought about while making the thread, but as someone who games on PC more than any other platform I thought to myself if there was a real viable streaming option I'd rather do that than spend a whole lot of money on upgrades.

Sure, there's a large community of hardcore people who value all these things, but not everyone with a 1060 is a 'PC enthusiast' who would never trade some options for a cheaper solution.

Click to shrink...

I think there will be a lot of people on midrange hardware that will jump into streaming, but not exclusively. The person with a 1060 might want to play Control or Metro Exodus on streaming where they can get improved performance, but would I think largely stay native for esports titles, casual games, and indies.

Upgrades can be pricey but it all goes back to the mindset of what you're buying into. If you want something that will simply play new games, it might not be worth it to you to buy a $400-700 gpu. If you want something that offers a lot more options for tuning your machine and getting high performance, it might be.

 

[ShinUltramanJ]

If it were strictly about money wouldn't all PC users simply buy a console?

Obviously there's more to why people drop money on PCs, while console users are more casual and desire a hassle free experience. Those are the customers that are going to drift over to streaming services.

 

[Shudouken]

The cloud is just someone else's PC, so if the game runs there, there is no reason for the developer to not also release it on steam or another game store as well.
At least if they want to maximize profit and don't have exclusivity deals.

 

[Barnabas Reynolds]

Because cloud gaming will feel like shit compared to my 144Hz monitor+ Kb/m setup.

 

[Hektor]

it's like asking why aren't self driving cars seen as a threat to the car modding and racing enthusiasts

Click to shrink...

DING DING DING

 

[Doskoi Panda]

PC gaming is all about control over the specifics of the experience in a way that console gaming just isn't

 

[Linus815]

because cloud gaming comes with all the downsides of console gaming, and then some more
core pc gamers wont accept things like input lag

 

[Slayven]

I am still trying to figure out how streaming is a thread to consoles. Who are the people that are fine with paying 60 bucks for a game, want it to be 4k, but the barrier of buying a 200 to 300 console is too high? I am sure they exist but in numbers to shift an entire market?

 

[ChemicalWorld]

Because streaming doesn't allow the joy of building your own rig. PC gaming has it's own simple pleasures end of.

 

[WellbornWarrior]

I think it will take a long time after cloud gaming has matured before it can offer something that a modern high end PC isn't capable of doing better.

 

[astro]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

90%, maybe even more, of my modern PC gaming experience is nothing like this.

As in it is no more fuss than console beyond fiddling with settings).

Also, half the things you listed on the PC side also need to be done on console.

 

[Pheace]

Honestly, I think cloud gaming is doing it's best to compare itself to console gaming exactly because it knows it compares negatively to PC gaming.

 

[Cactuar]

I am still trying to figure out how streaming is a thread to consoles. Who are the people that are fine with paying 60 bucks for a game, want it to be 4k, but the barrier of buying a 200 to 300 console is too high? I am sure they exist but in numbers to shift an entire market?

Click to shrink...

Cloud gaming is both an equal threat to PC and console gaming as it is an equal non-threat to PC and console gaming.

It's success remains to be seen, but it doesn't threaten one any more or less than it does the other.

 

[Peter Ian Staker]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

You are either trolling or haven't played a PC game in decade.

 

[Andres]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

Recently tried playing State of Mind on PC. Noticed motion blur was on, so I had to open the menu and switch motion blur off. Worst 4 seconds of my life.

 

[Master Alucard]

it is, but people wants you to think that every pc gamer has a 5000$ setup
truth is the vast majoriti of pc specs are mid tier playing at 1080p, and probably don't care at all about mods. so yeah, clicking on your browser (way faster to do on pc than on console) to launch a game withut loadings is something that can go for pc gamers too

 

[Platy]

Yeah PC gaming in the 90s sucked. Glad it isn't anything like in this post anymore.

Click to shrink...

You are either trolling or haven't played a PC game in decade.

Click to shrink...

I have a crap pc and I like old games.
For my pc to run games like SF5 in 60 fps I had to change the configuration a bazillion of times and now it looks worst than the 3ds sf4 port.
SF5, MK10 and Injustice 2 were the only recent games I played this year on my pc. And I am talking MK10, not MK11

One of the wonders of pc gaming is the inexistence of generations, so a pc game a decade ago can be played today like it was new

 

[Oddhouse]

Both console and cloud gaming has the same advantage. The platform holder just has to remove support, your game library will disappear, unlike PC.

Click to shrink...

Duno about you but if Steam went under my whole gaming library would disappear!

 

[Pheace]

Duno about you but if Steam went under my whole gaming library would disappear!

Click to shrink...

Depending how big your library is you'll probably have some games that work fine without Steam but yeah, you could lose a lot of them. That said, people probably have a lot more faith in Steam sticking around for the foreseeable future (or at least getting bought out/offered alternatives) than Stadia for instance.

 

[Sampson]

Wasn't there some data from steam a year or two ago that showed 70%+ of steam users didn't even have a dedicated GPU?

Most PC gamers are not enthusiasts.

 

[c0Zm1c]

Because PC gaming is a completely different mindset

Cloud gaming, like console gaming, is melt on couch and click play and you are done.

PC gaming is sitting in the pc chair, closing browser tabs and downloads, installing, changing the configurations, starting the game, seeing it is not on the optimal settings, changing settings, restarting the game because it needs for the settings to take effect and repeat 3 times. And then you discover that your controller stopped being accepted by the game after the 5th restart

Click to shrink...

No mention of us being hunched over our keyboards? You disappoint me!

 

[Kyougar]

Duno about you but if Steam went under my whole gaming library would disappear!

Click to shrink...

Why would steam disappear? Their whole money comes from third party sales. it's like saying Amazon could disappear.
Bethesda, Blizzard, Ubisoft, EA Stores? Yes they could disappear if the Mothercompany goes under because of a disastrous year or two, they don't have any other income in their store or are even focussed on PC gaming. But not Steam.

 

[Edgar]

No mention of us being hunched over our keyboards? You disappoint me!

Click to shrink...

imagine pushing all those god damn keys , F1? More like Fuck outta here

 

[Mentalist]

Duno about you but if Steam went under my whole gaming library would disappear!

Click to shrink...

That's why almost half my library is duplicated on GOG, and the installers for those games are sitting pretty on my 4TB external hard drive.

re: the OP. PC has modding, ability to weak controls/input, as well as performance .
Plus (for me, at least) there's always the argument of "getting a piece of hardware that ONLY plays games" vs. "getting a piece of hardware that I can use to browse, write/do word processing, AND play games with all of these advantages".

PC just feels like a better value proposition overall.

 

[mute]

Many PC gamers are willing to go to war for being told they need to open this window to play a game instead that one. I don't see streaming making a dent in that audience.