It's been the opposite for me. I recently bought a new chair and monitor so it's made longer sessions playing PC more enjoyable. I do have my computer hooked up to my TV also, so I will sometimes decide to play from the couch depending on the game and my mood.
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Has anyone else completely lost the desire to play on a desktop as you get older?
- Thread starter BillFromAccounting
- Start date
Not really. My current situation (med student) and need to travel has made me shift to consoles for now. However, the Xbox One X and the Switch are doing a fantastic job for me right now, so who knows if PC will ever be my primary system again (but I will always have a decent rig)
You can`t enjoy gaming on couch if you work all day on a couch anyway. /s
I've never had the desire to play at a desk; playing at a desk was only due to the fact that there weren't any PC form factors that could be well powered and not huge as fuck until recently. But these days, you can cram a top of the line graphics card and processor in a case barely thicker than an Xbox One X, and that's the direction I'm moving toward with PC gaming.
I've been using my PC more for gaming than I have in the past 5-10 years. I've used non-console handhelds less because they're a pain to find the time to play and sitting in front of the tv for hours is boring. But I can play my handhelds anywhere and can alt+tab from a game to anything else really easily while still chatting with friends and multitasking.
Too old to enjoy the simple times of playing games on a device and not worry about specs and framerate.
Too young to experience the inevitable future where every any device can run any game flawlessly.
Too young to experience the inevitable future where every any device can run any game flawlessly.
I've been on a couch PC setup for more than a decade now. Currently on a 65" 4K with wireless mouse, keyboard, and gamepad.
I work on a PC for too much during the day, which coupled with intermittent wrist pain has all but killed PC gaming for me.
When people equate PC gaming to being hunched over a desk tethered to a mouse and keyboard, it infuriates me. PC gaming to me is the freedom to do whatever the hell you want. If you want to be at a desk, you can. Want to be on a 4K TV attached to an booming sound system? You can. Want to be portable? Yup, you can do that too. Input devices? Rock Dark Souls with that Guitar Hero Controller. Want to be inside the game? Slap that headset on and get busy. You can do SO MUCH yet people here narrow the scope of what PC gaming actually is. It's 2019. Not 1998. I'm not blaming anyone for their view on the platform but it's time to break this perception. It's just not true anymore.
I typed this from a couch looking at a 4k television.
I typed this from a couch looking at a 4k television.
It's not because I'm older, my work desk just isn't ideal for games. It's not comfortable for long sessions.
I used to put up with it because my graphics card was shiny and new, but I can't give a shit now. I'd rather everything pretty and 4K be on the X so I can play it on the couch, or on the Switch for convenience.
I'm gradually rebuying games that I already own on Steam, I just don't play anything there right now.
I used to put up with it because my graphics card was shiny and new, but I can't give a shit now. I'd rather everything pretty and 4K be on the X so I can play it on the couch, or on the Switch for convenience.
I'm gradually rebuying games that I already own on Steam, I just don't play anything there right now.
The older I get...the more childish a console feels (no offense to anyone, it's my personal feeling). Last year I got into PC gaming, and I have not looked back.
But if I feel like playing on a console, I still can. This is why Satya Nadella is a damn genius with Play Anywhere. Damn genius.
But if I feel like playing on a console, I still can. This is why Satya Nadella is a damn genius with Play Anywhere. Damn genius.
Absolutely.
I was a proud PC gamer. Damn near swore off consoles completely even though I grew up with them.
Especially at the time, consoles just were not capable of delivering the type of experience I could get from PC gaming.
Also I was no doubt addicted to other aspects as well. When one is overclocking via the BIOS and not an app at system level, it is a whole other level of things. I felt like a mad scientist or some shit.
Then everything changed when I was diagnosed with De Quervain's Tendonitis. It is a form of tendonitis and I was getting it severely in my right wrist. No good since that same right wrist also paid the bills during the day. When I went to see a specialist turns out he was an old school PC gamer himself (he was probably my age now but he seemed much older at the time). It was at his suggestion I stop using a KB&M to game since that is what was clearly aggravating the situation and try switching to just using a controller exclusively.
Because I was such a PC elitist I had told myself if I have to use a controller I would only do so on a console. I could not use anything other than a KB&M since I knew it was the superior method on PC. Bear in mind I always played and owned consoles over the years, just took a very extended break from them.
About 6 months after this all happened MS released the 360. That was basically all she wrote. I still have a "gaming PC," but I no longer keep up with it from a technology standpoint. I also barely use it. I am exclusively a couch gamer these days.
I was a proud PC gamer. Damn near swore off consoles completely even though I grew up with them.
Especially at the time, consoles just were not capable of delivering the type of experience I could get from PC gaming.
Also I was no doubt addicted to other aspects as well. When one is overclocking via the BIOS and not an app at system level, it is a whole other level of things. I felt like a mad scientist or some shit.
Then everything changed when I was diagnosed with De Quervain's Tendonitis. It is a form of tendonitis and I was getting it severely in my right wrist. No good since that same right wrist also paid the bills during the day. When I went to see a specialist turns out he was an old school PC gamer himself (he was probably my age now but he seemed much older at the time). It was at his suggestion I stop using a KB&M to game since that is what was clearly aggravating the situation and try switching to just using a controller exclusively.
Because I was such a PC elitist I had told myself if I have to use a controller I would only do so on a console. I could not use anything other than a KB&M since I knew it was the superior method on PC. Bear in mind I always played and owned consoles over the years, just took a very extended break from them.
About 6 months after this all happened MS released the 360. That was basically all she wrote. I still have a "gaming PC," but I no longer keep up with it from a technology standpoint. I also barely use it. I am exclusively a couch gamer these days.
I mean, years ago when you got a console game, you stuck the disk in and played. And it just worked. At that time Pc games needed long installations + multiple cds+ cd keys, and multiple patches you had to source manually (least you didn't need some random online account), and then (like now) you had to worry about drivers and if it would run well - I have memories of playing UT99 on my desktop and it would take 8mins to load a skirmish map.
Now consoles (similar to pc games now) want you to have an online account for their game ( I remember first seeing this in ME3), or require a day one patch often larger than the original install (division 2?), and tend to lack the polish they used to have ( a lot of games... to the point being stable is a 'bonus' than the norm). Often won't even let you play/progress unless you install the patch. And performance, while i personally don't give a shit about 60fps/1080/4K, tends to be sloppy or inconsistent rather than smooth as though it was designed for the hardware.
I still play pc games once in a while, Clients like Steam definitely streamlined the experience for better and worse, but the simplicity of what consoles used to offer is long gone.
Now consoles (similar to pc games now) want you to have an online account for their game ( I remember first seeing this in ME3), or require a day one patch often larger than the original install (division 2?), and tend to lack the polish they used to have ( a lot of games... to the point being stable is a 'bonus' than the norm). Often won't even let you play/progress unless you install the patch. And performance, while i personally don't give a shit about 60fps/1080/4K, tends to be sloppy or inconsistent rather than smooth as though it was designed for the hardware.
I still play pc games once in a while, Clients like Steam definitely streamlined the experience for better and worse, but the simplicity of what consoles used to offer is long gone.
I never understood this sentiment. Not disputing your experience of course since it is subjective.
I'm actually ok with the sitting arrangement but I much prefer the couch setting as it still allows me to talk to my wife or even just the experience when I'm gaming; gaming at a desk just feels very reclusive to me. Prefer console these days because I'm a casual and it's just much simpler..
Yes. I love PC gaming but after spending ALL DAY behind a computer it's the last thing I want to do.
No. I'm a 36-year-old software engineer and while I do play any non-FPS/RTS PC games on the home theater, I don't mind sitting at the desk either. I could never relate to the "I'm on a computer all day so I don't want to be on one at home" thing. It doesn't make sense to me. Get a better desk chair I guess? I'm just as comfortable at my desk as I am on the couch.
Surprisingly, I've moved back to PC. To my own detriment, I just use a controller though. Sitting at a desk with mouse and keyboard just isn't for me anymore.
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yeah. being old and cranky and overworked, i really don't care for "desktop gaming" much. i still game on a desktop mostly but older i get it just isn't my go-to chillax anymore
and yeah i have my comfy couch PC setup to alleviate this but you can't just press a home button like with console and switch between netflix and hulu ect and resume the game as normal
and yeah i have my comfy couch PC setup to alleviate this but you can't just press a home button like with console and switch between netflix and hulu ect and resume the game as normal
Nope. 30 here and I'm pretty much exclusively PC nowadays. I do way more on my computer than just gaming and a machine with only one purpose and spending money on a machine with only one purpose is getting more and more unappealing as I age.
Yea OP, I'm in the same boat as you. Working on a PC all day killed my interest in coming home and sitting in front of one again for fun. I'd rather lie on my sofa and chill with a controller. Also, aim assist in shooters is nice. I'm just not as good with a mouse as I used to be, so I'm OK with just being more casual when it comes to shooters.
I prefer sitting upright at a desk with a monitor to focus myself on gaming
living room couches for me are associated with consuming passive media such as movies and books and musical performances
living room couches for me are associated with consuming passive media such as movies and books and musical performances
I still play on my desktop setup here and there. It's main issue is that it's ancient hardware wise or else I'd use it more.
When I have the money the first thing I'm doing is building a nice PC desktop rig. Can't really top the feeling of playing an FPS on pc with a mouse at high refresh rates.
Era as a whole is fairly more console focused I find. I've noticed a lot of PC-primary users who are a lot less active now here but more active on the new place.
When I have the money the first thing I'm doing is building a nice PC desktop rig. Can't really top the feeling of playing an FPS on pc with a mouse at high refresh rates.
Era as a whole is fairly more console focused I find. I've noticed a lot of PC-primary users who are a lot less active now here but more active on the new place.
Same. Actually dumped my PC. I know that there are all kinds of solutions to hook up a PC to your TV and whatnot, but I just don't want to invest time into all that.
Yea I haven't gamed on a desktop setup for around 15 years. Way too comfy in home theatre with couches or bedroom setup on a bed with pillows propped up against the wall, in fact the bedroom setup is so comfy I end up watching most of my movies there even though I have a much better setup in the lounge, I've also moved my PS4 Pro to the bedroom and don't even have the desire to play games on the PC in the lounge so 99% of gaming is done in bed now.
Once I had to be stuck to a computer for more than 8hrs a day I much preferred consoles for gaming over PC despite the benefits and having more than capable hardware. That was over a decade ago. Still play certain PC games (primarily stuff from itch.io) but I don't care about min/maxing performance in relation to visuals, mods or any other type of tinkering which I would spend hours playing with when younger, for the same reason I don't play anything with forced grinding as I have limited entertainment time. I want to be playing as quick as possible and things like performance is the the job of the developers and I have paid for that content to be of a good enough standard.
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This is me
Everquest and WoW for years. Now It's console or bust. I am right at my normal gaming pc update cycle but have no desire to drop that cash when I much prefer sitting in my lazy boy it infront of the 75 inch 4K tv
Everquest and WoW for years. Now It's console or bust. I am right at my normal gaming pc update cycle but have no desire to drop that cash when I much prefer sitting in my lazy boy it infront of the 75 inch 4K tv
I gave PC up when I started working in IT years ago. Now I'm married and just don't want to take up the space/spend the money.
We play PS4 and Switch together instead. Would be fun to push some top-end tech, but it's just not a priority to me anymore.
We play PS4 and Switch together instead. Would be fun to push some top-end tech, but it's just not a priority to me anymore.
Hook your PC up to your TV, problem solved (I have my PC hooked up to a 4k HDR TV and don't own a computer monitor).... I no longer like games that suck up up all your time that want you to play daily for hours on end, ie, MMORPGs, but otherwise I enjoy games just as much as I did when I was young. GAAS/Destiny-type games sort of lean into this, so I tend not to play those type of games daily, as I want to play a variety of games, not just 1 game for months on end.