I've been enjoying this generation. I have more games than I can play.

People on game sites talk about how easy it is to build/maintain a gaming PC these days. And sure, it's way easier than it used to be! But consoles are still the quickest ways to get into a game and will remain the preference for a whole lot of people. I could build a gaming PC, for example, but since my preference is using laptops I don't feel like getting a desktop setup just for games.

And at this point, when most things look pretty good all around, having a console equal to a mid-range PC still leads to some damn fine-looking games.

Glad to hear you are enjoying it. I'm in a different but sorta similar boat. I'm seeing this as my last standard console generation. I'm going to build a PC and never look back. But that means I wanted to get leave the consoles in a blaze of glory. So I bought all 3 of them. I had a Wii U and PS4 for a little while now and just got my Xbone today. I got the MCC and Horizon 2 with it thanks to an Amazon deal. Unfortunately my standard username was taken so I had to make up a gamertag on the spot: TapatioTan. I'll shoot you a friend request.

I've been thinking about buying an Xbox One recently. It won't be replacing my PC as my primary gaming platform - I can't imagine giving up that sixty frames per second, every time, all the time - but I want to play me some Halo and some Forza and probably some Rock Band.

I was all for the PS4 since that E3 where Microsoft fucking things up and Sony was like "Hi, we're going to pretend like we care what you think!" but the PS4's lineup has been... er... unimpressive, thus far. Not that MS's has been stellar but there's stuff I really, really want to play on it.

Plus Recore is coming out on Xbox One. Metroid Prime and the Mega Man games were both some of my most-played games growing up so when you put the minds behind those games on one project, you will have my full and undivided attention.

I've sort of tapered off on PC gaming in the past couple years because I can never relax/get into a game properly in that setting. I only had a PC through college so it was where I did all my essays, research and design stuff. Now whenever I try to play a game on my PC I always feel like I should/could be working or doing something "productive". There's none of those connotations when I sit on a couch in front of a TV with a machine I couldn't be doing anything more productive on, so that experience is better suited to me.

The only issue I have with consoles right now are the few games that are getting egregious with their load times (mostly Witcher 3, Bloodborne too but at least they did something about that).

I've had a pretty good pc for the last year but have also found myself playing my xbox one more. The freedom to be able to change settings on pc games is a bit too much for me as I'm almost always playing around with them. It's like I focus more on the game's performance than I do playing the actual game (don't even get me started on the OCD compulsion of browsing pc parts frequently).

I also bought a pretty nice chair for my pc and while it is really comfortable I'm just too used to sitting/laying on my bed over the last decade when gaming that I can't get into playing one for a long stretch any other way. Add in to the equation that pc versions of games aren't visually blowing out the consoles yet and that 30 fps on the latter looks smooth enough and there ya have the reason why I've been console gaming more since last fall.

PS- Does anyone know why 30 fps on console seems to look smoother than 30 on the pc? Is it an animation issue with the pc version being targeted at 60 vs the console version's animation being targeted at 30? I've noticed games like the Witcher 3 and Sleeping Dog DE (both maxed at a perfect 30) look jerkier than the console version.

Yep I know how you feel. I still prefer playing games on my PC over anything but it is really nice to just start up a new game and be able to play it without having to troubleshoot for 2 hours before hand. I'm not saying it's required with all PC games but it seems like the majority of the time I'm fiddling with graphics settings and ini files for an hour or two on PC before I'm actually able to play a game comfortably. Part of it might just be my OCD.

Also there are some series and genres that I love that just aren't available on PC. You mentioned Forza Horizon 2, I gotta say that game still blows me away visually every time I start it up. I bought my Xbox One mainly just to play the Forza games and I don't regret it for a second. I would buy another one if I had to just to play Forza 6. There's really no Forza/Gran Turismo games on PC that match the level of quality these games bring. Project Cars is a good game but the career mode is trash, there's really no sense of progression.

Yeah I bought the Xbox One at launch and PS4 probably about 3 months later and Bloodborne is the only game that has ever been played on my PS4. I've probably played about 18 different games on the Xbox so far. I guess if you are using a console for third party titles then PS4 is probably the way to go but Microsoft has definitely had way more exclusives that I'm interested in so far.

Heh, Rock Band 4 is my main reason for purchasing an Xbox One. I told people that if they ever announced it and said all of your DLC purchases would transfer over, I'd buy an Xbox One right then and there. Well as fate would have it, they announced all of that just after I got my tax refund this year, so I had to eat my own words and I was the owner of an Xbone a few days later. For the time being, I'm still enjoying my PS4 more, but by the end of this year, I think the two will be on more even ground for me.

Liked your blog. If u want to add me : lynx67. I can invite you on the preview program too. I don't play much multi these days bit it will change this fall :)

Klungo Saves the World was amazing. Nuts & Bolts was amazing.

@nashvilleskyline: Sure, I'll go ahead and add you to my friend list. And yeah I'd love to try out the new dashboard, so an invite to the preview program would be awesome!

@clapmaster: Horizon is fantastic. I played the Fast & Furious demo thingy and decided I had to get the full game. And you're right about the Project Cars career mode, unfortunately. Otherwise that game is pretty neat. I thought it would scratch the Forza itch on PC, but not quite. By the way, you might know: was Forza 5 ever "fixed"? I remember mass complaints, but also that they were fixing things about the game. Should I play it or just wait for 6?

I know what you mean. I have at least mild attention deficit disorder, and I really think the options presented on PC, while cool, can sometimes detract from my overall enjoyment. It's nice for all of the little knobs and switches to be taken away. I have the same issue with sitting at my desk as well.

I think the frame rate thing just comes down to optimization. PCs can be all over the place with frame rates, and even if you have the option to lock it, sometimes there is microstuttering depending on the game, your hardware, or both. I recall Skyrim being a particularly bad example when it launched on PC.

I bought an Xbox one, but I was really disappointed in the lack of games. Not sure what I was expecting, but for some reason I thought many of the fun local play games from the 360 had made their way over.

Other than that I enjoy sitting in front of my big ass tv and playing Batman, though the PC is still my weapon of choice.

I've sort of done the opposite a bit. After years of playing consoles only I started dipping my foot back into the PC gaming side of things. I used to heavily game on PC in my youth, which is one of the reasons why I have no love for things like Mario or Zelda simply because I never really played those games - I played Raptor, Commander Keen, Vette, Test Drive, Sim City and other great early PC games. While 1998 is the year regarded as the best for gaming, it was also those early 2000's that were some of the darkest times. Drivers, and pc hardware were a nightmare at times. Building new PC's could take an entire day as you swapped your cards between VGA slots hoping to find the culprit behind those awful boot-up warning codes.

GTA 4 finally swayed me to get a console because I just didn't want to wait a year or more for the PC port, and seeing how that port turned out it was a good decision. Every since that game I played on consoles only and quite frankly grew to love the ease it provided. Pop in the disc and you go. Never worry about what resolution you're running or what settings you have off and could have on because there is nothing to toggle - what you're seeing is as good as it gets - and to me anyway, it was perfectly fine.

Now I get a PC game here and there. Some turn out really well. I ordered Witcher 3 on PC and was fully expecting it not to run and be forced to buy a second console copy. Surprisingly not only did it run and look awesome on my now mediocre system but I got the full benefit of playing the game on an SSD. After Bloodborne, it was incredibly refreshing to have something load in seconds. Some other games like Wolfenstein New Order painfully reminded me of driver problems from days past.

Overall I still play mainly on consoles but I'm not opposed to dipping my toes into the PC side of things from time to time. Just finished Her Story today and it was a riveting experience. I enjoy the relaxed gaming that only consoles can provide, while occasionally experiencing some of the benefits that only PC's can offer - and I like it that way.

I think the PC master race and console war kind of thinking really ends up hurting consumers. The PC is a wonderful platform but last generation's consoles really started to transform into set top boxes that did everything you needed them to. Now the newest generation puts all those options in front of us and makes switching between them very easy.

I love consoles

I really enjoy my PS4, PC's are just a giant bummer to me.

@believer258: Forza 5 is 1080p/60 FPS. The MCC is as well (as is just about every rerelease, like DSII: SotFS). Forza 6 will be, and Halo 5 is supposed to be. FIFA 14 & 15, Wolfenstein: TNO, Project Cars, etc. So, you aren't giving it up "all the time, every time." 60 fps is nice when it's there, but isn't as big a deal as it's made out to be. For example, you shouldn't skip Horizon 2 because it's only 30 fps. That game still looks and plays great, just as the vast majority of games out there do. Don't let overblown harangues about graphics/framerate stop you from getting an Xbox One.

@notnert427: I don't think he was insinuating that there aren't any 60 FPS console games; only that on PC, 60 FPS as a minimum is a given and has been for a long time. Low frame rate is part of the reason I skipped this generation of consoles altogether, I just don't want to deal with it. On PC, if a game is locked at 30 FPS, many consider it broken. It's jarring and distracting playing at 30 FPS especially after getting used to playing games on a 144hz G-Sync monitor.

I get that frame rate isn't a big deal to others, and that's fine, but for me a bunch of games locked at 30 FPS is a deal breaker.

@mb: Do you notice when a frame rate is that low off hand? I can notice but only when I really think about it. Do you care more about frame rate than resolution? Like if something was 720 but at 60fps on consoles would that be acceptable?

I don't like PC gaming. Something always breaks or just doesn't work right. Take FTL for example. That game ran fine for like 20-30 hours, now I can't even start it up without a mod manager. Just one day it wouldn't start up normally. That's how PC gaming always been for me.

I prefer consoles for many reasons, but especially for this reason. It's so much more convenient to pick up a game, put it in, and play it. I don't have to toggle shit, I don't have to rework anything, it just up and goes.

Also, am I just stupid or have you been absent from these forums for a long time? I could just be a total stupid.

Whoa, there, buddy, you're making a few assumptions here. And besides, by making a console my primary console of choice, I would be giving up 60FPS "all the time, every time", because not every game runs at 60FPS.

MB is right. I didn't mean that there aren't any 60FPS games on consoles. Even the PS2 had games that ran at 60FPS - God of War, Jak and Daxter, and the Ratchet and Clank are just a few examples (note: all three were lauded for being visually stunning in their day). I meant that on PC, every game is expected to run at 60FPS all the time, every time, with the possible exception of South Park: The Stick of Truth, because its frame rate is meant to mimic the show (another side note: this never makes it OK to justify a low frame rate because movies have a low frame rate, for reasons that I don't feel like elaborating on - the people that care already know and the people that don't will never "get it").

Don't get me wrong, I will play a game at 30FPS. I have played and enjoyed all of the first person Halo games released thus far, and all of those ran at 30FPS (or less). I've enjoyed the series so much, in fact, that the Halo games are a pretty significant reason for me swaying away from the PS4 - whether or not Halo 5 runs at 60FPS. Forza Horizon was one of my favorite 360 games and I'm definitely getting 2 even though it runs at 30

But that buttery-smoothness of 60FPS just does so much to improve video games for me. And I don't mean that in an aesthetics way, although it certainly helps to improve the way a game looks. I also meant that games running at 60FPS or more feel better. It feels better on my eyes, it feels more responsive when I tell the game to do something, I feel like I have more control over what I'm doing, even in a menu. It's subtle, but the difference is there. And when you go back to play a game that runs at 30, or less than 30, it's very jarring, especially after a month or more of PC gaming. Perhaps there's something about playing with a controller that makes it more subtle or something, but I find high framerates most noticeable in shooters. Ever played CSGO at ridiculous framerates? Going from that to, say, Halo 4 on 360 is a "holy shit" moment.

On a final note, I want to stick to PC gaming in part because, for most of last generation, the consoles chugged. Mass Effect 1 had tons of issues, 3 had its fair share, the Assassin's Creed games were getting pretty rough there, Far Cry 3 was almost unplayable for some - even later Call of Duty games were starting to have problems with framerate, and those versions were in desperate need of anti-aliasing. I am so glad I got out of console gaming when I did, because these past few years have just been rough. I can deal with 30. I can deal with a game that occasionally drops into the 20's. When you put a game in front of me that can't even keep 30, you're asking a whole hell of a lot of me. Grand Theft Auto V is a game that I almost didn't finish because the hardware just couldn't keep up with the later parts of that game. And what's worse, it seems like it's already becoming a problem for this generation.

Yeah, I definitely notice. If I'm playing on a 60hz display, I can tell immediately if the frame rate isn't locked at 60.

If it meant the games were at 60 FPS, I'd compromise on resolution or image quality to get it, definitely. To me, frame rate is far more important than resolution.

@jjweatherman: Most of the problems concerning Forza 5 had to do how progress in the career mode was structured. The progress was slow and you were encouraged to pay actual money to speed things up. Turn 10 did end up fixing all of that to a point where you get new cars ridiculously fast now. They even opened up the free-play mode for split-screen players which was another fan complaint. All in all Forza 5 is a really good driving game, but at this point I'd probably recommend waiting for six, especially if you're fiddling around with Horizon 2 and Project Cars in the meantime.

The pure ease of the console experience is why I play on console - that and I can still own physical copies of games that I can do what I will with :P

I just don't enjoy the PC experience, I feel like I'm constantly running into problems and it's just too often not an experience I enjoy when compared to the high price of entry. Ultimately I'd rather just spend that high price on owning each console.

Both forms obviously have their pros and cons, it just works out that I'm more into the Console's pros than I am the PC's. Higher framerate and such are obviously great, but I feel like I rarely even get that experience on PC anyway, not without investing significant money. And ultimately, if there are things to be enjoyed in a game I'll often enjoy them even without a high framerate or various other technical shortcomings.

I'm in the market for a new PC but the idea of splitting my purchases across two platforms doesn't appeal to me as much as it used to. The PC has maybe a handful of games I want to grab so the initial investment, plus the price of games are putting me off going for something good enough to run the current AAA contingent.

There is certainly something about Mary. She's got it going on.

It's odd how I have a harder time getting into games on PC, even though it's kind of my primary platform. You can't deny that people who are dickishly blunt about the advantages of PC are correct. Mouse & keyboard precision, higher frame rates, higher resolution, more graphics, mods and all of that stuff is nice yet , as the OP says, there's just something about consoles. Some inexplicable reason why I prefer the compromised experience. I mean, despite owning Skyrim on PC at launch, I never finished it until I bought a second hand Xbox 360 and a copy of the game.

Maybe it's the comforting sense of acceptance? A console game is what it is, warts and all. When playing something big and fancy on the PC, I'll always have the niggling thought that there's a better graphics card out there or more ram and a faster CPU. That I could be having a better experience. I'm not cool enough to make peace with my current system, nor am I rich enough to upgrade it's outdated components.

Damn, and I only just just realised who made the marque art for the Klungo mini game. That was a bit of a shock, let me tell ya.

I find this to be the case as well. I used to absolutely love PC gaming. I played Counter-Strike 1.5-1.6 religiously. Then I made the jump to World of Warcraft and played that for years as well. Eventually when I had to upgrade my computer to play something I could have just played on my console, I decided I had enough. I don't think PC gaming is a chore or too tedious, and I'm not specifically trying to attack the platform. It is just not for me anymore. I don't miss the 60fps+ as much as some people do, and I just like to put a game in a play.

As for the Xbox One, I was pleasantly surprised by the console. I got my PS4 first, but I find myself playing the Xbox almost exclusively. I dig the controller, online, and updates. The Xbox One is evolving and changing based on user feedback and that's important to me. Microsoft did that with the 360 too and it kept things fresh for me.

I find that even with having a PS4, I find PC gaming just far more convenient. For PC games I usually have steam running, maybe chatting with my friends already, but I click on a game and hit go.

For consoles I've got to turn the damn thing on, switch inputs from my PC to my console (thus losing the ability to alt+tab to see messages and such), then get into the game, which all takes like 5 minutes at least.

I tried being a PC gamer for a while a couple years ago. I got into Dota 2 and needed something more powerful than my laptop to play it so i bought like $4400 worth of stuff from Alienware, thinking i would just play all my stuff on it from now on. Anyway I stopped playing Dota and i had a couple games where i was having issues with it running smoothly, so i had to check some forums and update a driver. At which point i realized that I was spending what little time i have to play games, reading forums and troubleshooting instead of actually playing games. Now that machine is just used to play Indie games and Heroes of the Storm. Play all the big releases on my Xbox.

If Microsoft gets more hard core into supporting/advocating the One controller to make it basically foolproof on any PC game, and Steam OS really takes off and matures then I think PC gaming will have gotten far enough to make the leap for most consoles gamers, irrespective of cost, superbly easy. Until then there simply is nothing like the buttery smooth ease of a console.

Glad you're having a good time, wherever that is!

As someone who identified more as a pc gamer for years but always had consoles, I've always felt there is a bigger difference between the two that people don't account for.

For me at least the PC is a multipurpose machine. My PC isn't just constantly open to my steam library, and I need it for many other uses.

The console is a dedicated machine and there is a lot of simple beauty to that.

I absolutely do not want my PC to constantly have any game open when I am not actively using it. Meanwhile I adore that the XB1 and PS4 have a rest mode that just jumps you straight in. Fuck editing ini files to hide start up logos, rest mode is the shit. But so yeah, these environments have different pluses and minuses. The simplicity of console game is nice to have.

It's immediately apparent in what I both see and feel. I'd much rather shoot for a lower resolution on consoles if it meant a decent frame rate. The visual quality is already lower than what I'm used to anyway, may as well make it play nicely.

What does $4400 even get you from Alienware?

I do absolutely. If you are playing any sort of competitive game, frame rate hitches can really negatively impact your performance.

I'd take a steady 60 fps over slightly prettier graphics almost everytime.

@zombie2011: You bought a high end machine from Alienware just to play dota?

I bought a $50000 computer to play Team Fortress 2, but I once had to change a setting and now I only use it for Klondike and Minesweeper. THANK YOU YOSHIDA-SAN PRAISE THE BASED CERNY

I also have an Xbox One and I've played my fair share of games on it and the first time I have ever noticed and and actually disliked a game for its crappy frame rate was Far Cry 4. Trying to run through the forest is almost unbearable but that game is very pretty when you stand still.

More than half of my top 10 games have been console exclusives. I just really wish I could play them on my PC as well, especially considering I've upgraded to a 970.

That being said - most of those games are kinda old, and as for newer titles, 90% of everything released nowadays come out on the PC as well.

I think that gets you the upper end of the spectrum. 4k is what Alienware evaluates as their top of the line offerings with no extras. The base line is something like 1.5k to 1k. I have found that their base line parts still don't work out in price to building it yourself but if you value the cost of labor it doesn't seem bad for the lower end.

This is pretty telling of how cynical of a mindset you're in. Nothing I've seen from Sony this generation has suggested that they were "pretending" or that it's all just a ruse.

No I was planning to play all my games on the comp.

I think it was like 4600 after tax and shipping. It was just the Tower, no monitor or mouse so i didn't get me much.

@zombie2011: Well what did you get for $4600? What kind of GPUs did that thing come with?

No idea, that's why i bought a comp from Alienware instead of building one. No clue how to build a PC and what defines a good vs bad components and i have no interest in learning it.

I just went on the website and picked the most expensive desktop they had. They had options to customize within that version, but i didn't mess with any of it besides the Hard drive. I upgraded that from dual bay 250ssd - 4TB HDD to a triple bay 512SSD and 2x 4TB HDD.

I suppose it would be This but with comparable components from like 1.5 years ago.

@zombie2011: You could have made a post on Newegg or /r/buildapc with your wishes and people would have helped you to assemble a PC yourself or find a prebuilt one for a decent price. Or you could just bring the components to a local computershop and let them assemble it for a small price.

Alienware is notorious for overpricing their products.

i have gotten to the point and have for quite a while where consoles gaming is a more viable option. its just more comfortable and easy.
and its not even the price of building a pc or all the technical things. or all the things that can break.
a good example for me is the witcher 3. i could buy it on pc where it would run better and look better but i dont think i would have played it as much as i would have when on consoles. my office chair is expensive and comfortable but its just more easy to sit down in a sofa grab the controller and just start. and if im bored or wating for a loadscreen i just flip over to tv until i want to go back. maybe its an attention span thing. so for me its really hard to explain other then then saying its a feeling. and its more easy and comfortable. i still love pc games. and i still play them but its less and less. the only pc games i play right now is hearthstone and heroes of the storm. and i still play them on my laptop that is on the living room table so i still sit in a sofa. so maybe im just lazy

@grillbar: This is why I have a PC hooked up to my TV in the living room with all wireless peripherals. I play a ton of controller-based games on it, but I also use a wireless mouse and keyboard from a recliner, too. Works great, it allows me to be lazy and comfortable yet not have to suffer with console levels of performance.

@zombie2011: Yeah... if you know, like, NOTHING about PC's, then don't ever spend money on PC's. Spending $4400 on a product you know nothing about was a titanically silly thing to do.

Thanks for the advice on how i should spend my money.

Obviously i wouldn't have bought the thing if i cared about the money. I bought it it didn't work out for games, i don't care.

@grillbar@mb:

It’s weird, I totally get why PC games on a TV appeals to people but in practice it does absolutely nothing for me. A while ago, I picked up a long HDMI cable, an integrated Logitech keyboard & trackpad and a wireless Xbox 360 dongle with the intention of giving it a fair shake. One of the issues I kept running into was, no matter how much I optimised the setup, it was always much quicker to just boot up a console and get into a game. Little things like game updates started to really bug me — more than once I’d launch Steam only to have to wait for a multi-gigabyte patch to download before I could start playing. That’s never an issue on my Xbox or PS4.

Anyway, I guess I’m in a weird spot where I’ve conditioned myself to only play certain kinds of games on consoles and others on PC. It makes all these platform arguments a bit alien to me, because I can’t imagine a scenario where I wouldn’t want both.