5 years ago
While console builders are reporting excellent sales figures, more and more players are turning to the PC, a master stallion of gaming for many people. While the war between different media is raging, it is time to question their real qualities but also their defects.
1. The price
The budget is probably the first point that comes to mind the buyer potential. In this area, the console undeniably prevails on the PC.
Cheaper than its competitor (count between € 200 and € 400 for a new console and a price range from € 400 to € 2000, sometimes beyond, for a PC gaming), the console wins for the players having a limited budget.
It must be remembered, however, that a computer is not just for play but is useful in everyday life.
2. The graphics
We enter here in the main argument of purchase of the PC: the graphics. PCs being more powerful than consoles (hence the price much higher), games are much more beautiful and have a display greater than 60 frames / second against 30 frames / second for consoles (for games more resource-intensive).
It is important to specify that the games exclusive to the consoles benefit from a strong optimization allowing to have good performances in spite of a technical delay.
3. The comfort of play
Most players go to the consoles because of their ease of maintenance. While a PC must be regularly updated to play recent games in the best possible conditions, the consoles have an architecture that allows them to last in time.
In addition, the console is mostly installed in a living room on a TV screen, it is easier to play with friends.
4. The multiplayer mode
One of the most important points for a lot of players, the multiplayer remains for many years, much better on PC. In addition to free service unlike consoles, the communication between players continues to evolve, bringing a better playing comfort.
It should be noted however a clear improvement on the side of consoles, offering free games each month to justify the subscription fee (about 5 € per month). An improvement certainly, but nevertheless insufficient to counter the plethora of games regularly offered by various manufacturers on PC.
5. The price of games
Although consoles are much cheaper than PCs, it will cost more money to purchase a console game. A game costing on average 60 € when released on console, will be available around 40 € on PC. Not to mention the many shopping sites offering PC games at unbeatable prices. It is not uncommon for a site to offer a "bundle" of several games for a few euros.
However, the situation tends to improve for the owners of consoles because more and more sites are starting to sell games consoles at a very good price. Unfortunately, these prices remain on average higher than PC games.
It is also important to mention the second-hand games market, which is still popular with console owners, unlike PC owners who simply can not access this market because of the near-total dematerialization of games on the Internet. PC and the impossibility of installing the same game several times on different player accounts.
6. Exclusivities
The main selling point of the console manufacturers is the exclusivity of some of their gaming licenses. The number of exclusive PC games is certainly gargantuan compared to the exclusive games on consoles but, platforms such as Steam, still keeping the monopoly of the sale of PC games, offer any developer to release his game. these games sometimes are not quite good and we are far from the AAA games budget from the big studios of development.
Who wins the war ?
It all depends on your tastes and the way you play. If you prefer comfort and convenience, you do not like updating your machine yourself, then the console is for you. If you prefer power, multiplayer and game accumulation, then buy a PC. There are no bad ways to play.