Should You Buy a Gaming PC or a Console or Neither?

Gaming PC or Console – which should you choose? If you want to get into games, this can be a difficult decision.

In this article, we’ll cover the main differences so you can figure out which option works best for you. If you choose console, you will also need to think about which console to get. We will help with this too.

You may also have noticed that we also wrote “neither one nor the other” in the title of this article. So how can you play without these devices? Well, it’s almost 2019 and both Microsoft and Nvidia are either offering or will soon offer online games or game streaming.

If you have a fast internet connection, a regular computer will let you play in high definition at a low cost. It is worth checking before spending any money at all. Nvidia’s product for gaming anywhere is Nvidia Geforce Now, and Microsoft’s product is Project xCloud

Even Google comes into play. You can actually play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on your PC using only Google Chrome. It’s called Project Stream and it works well enough.

Hopefully after reading this article, you will be able to figure out whether to buy a gaming PC or console or just stream games.

price

Perhaps the easiest place to start is with price. If you simply cannot afford to spend the money, your best bet is to try to get the most out of your installation. If you’re on a tight budget, the console can be an easy choice.

Setting up a gaming PC that can reliably run most modern games can easily cost you $ 800-1000. You can build cheaper PCs, but you compromise on what makes a gaming PC so great – high quality graphics and great frame rates.

You should also consider a gaming mouse, keyboard, and a good monitor if you don’t already have one.

The console is easy to customize by purchasing one of the many console packages available. With the kit, you can pay anywhere from $ 300 to $ 400 to get your new console, game, and controller. Pay a little more and you get more powerful Xbox One X or PS4 Pro options.

As you can see, the price difference is quite big. Paying more for a PC has its advantages, and we’ll talk more about that below, but if you just want to play some video games without the hassle and money, the console is the best choice.

Plus, returning to high-quality graphics and excellent frame rates, the One X and PS4 Pro can output 4K up to 60fps, which even many high-end PCs struggle to do.

In addition to these options, Microsoft also announced Xbox All Access, a monthly subscription that gives you access to your Xbox console, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Live Gold. So if you don’t want to pay everything up front, this is a good option.

Finally, if you decide to go the streaming route, you will have to pay a monthly fee. At the moment, no one really knows exactly what it is, as all of these services are in beta testing, but we assume that it will be in the range of $ 10 to $ 30 per month.

exclusive

This is the one most often favored by the console. Both Microsoft and Sony pay big bucks to get the rights to exclusive games, and this often means that you have nothing to lose if you only have a gaming PC.

Some of the best Triple A games run only on consoles, and many more games get to the console long before PC players have a chance to play them. But this is not as easy as one might think.

First person exclusives are more common on PS4. Sony has worked hard to build a strong development team.

You have an incredible selection of highly rated PS4 exclusives like God of War, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Spider-Man, Bloodborne, and Horizon Zero Dawn.

For Xbox, this is not such a big deal. Since Microsoft owns Windows, you’ll see them promote most of their exclusives on both PC and Xbox One. You won’t be able to play old classics like the early Halo or Gears of War games, but future versions of those franchises will be available on PC.

There are games on PC that are not available on consoles, but these are usually games from indie developers that are still in development. Here are some great examples: SCUM open world survival game, Rust survival game, Divinity: Original Sin II strategy game, and many more.

So the console, especially the PS4, is critical to great exclusive single-player games. But on the other hand, PC has a great strategy and exclusives focused on multiplayer games. It all depends on what games you like to play.

However, if you are new to games, it is better to choose a console, especially PS4. The developers of these games are backed by multi-million dollar publishers, so you’ll know you’ll play well and without errors.

performance and graphics

This is where PCs really differ from consoles. Once you’ve played a high frame rate, ultra-graphics video game on your PC, you’ll never want to go back.

The problem is that you often have to shell out over $ 1,000 to get the highest frame rates and the best graphics possible. You will need a high-performance graphics card, high-performance processor, solid-state storage, and plenty of RAM.

The statement “you get what you pay for” is very true here. You can pay $ 300-400 for a PC, but performance and graphics can be even worse than PS4 or Xbox One X.

Pay $ 700-1000 and you have a decent computer that can play most games at a reasonable frame rate — better than the console has to offer.

You estimate roughly $ 1,500 to $ 2,000 for a high-end gaming PC. Plus, you’ll have to spend extra money on a high frame rate monitor and a high definition HDR monitor, which can easily add $ 500 to $ 1,000 to the price tag.

For avid gamers, this is a smart investment and well worth the experience. If you’re new to gaming, investing this big can seem like a daunting task.

When it comes to streaming services, it can be tricky to match the graphics of a gaming PC or console, but those who don’t care about the absolute best graphics should give it a try. I was impressed with the quality of Project Stream on my 1440p monitor considering it’s free now.

other features

Fortunately, game consoles now act as platforms for streaming media. You can use apps like Netflix, HBO, and YouTube to watch content right from your console.

However, the PC will always be one step ahead of what the game console has to offer. In fact, gaming PCs are powerful enough to handle a variety of tasks.

You can use your gaming computer for work, web browsing, video and photo editing, and just about anything else you might need a computer for. If you still need a PC to work with, you can consider killing two birds with one stone by purchasing a gaming PC.

While a game console is most commonly used for gaming, a gaming PC is just a standard PC with the hardware you need to play games.

PC games are also more open source than console games. This means that many PC games support modding. Some mod communities are so large that you can get hundreds of hours of community-generated additional content for free from platforms like Steam Workshop or Nexus Mods.

keep your friends in mind

Games can be one of the best social moments in the world, so if you have friends who play games it makes sense to ask them which platform they play on in the first place

For many, this can be the main deciding factor when choosing a platform to buy, so be sure to consider this before making your decision.

seating preference and operating style

This may sound strange, but you should consider it. Play on consoles from the comfort of your couch. They are easy to play in a relaxed position. While it is possible to purchase accessories that allow you to play on your computer from the couch, usually you need to sit at a table to play on your PC.

Another thing to consider is the difference between using a controller and a mouse / keyboard. The first option is a great starting point for any player and is much easier to deal with.

Working with a mouse and keyboard takes time to learn, but in general it is common knowledge that it is easier to aim and control your character with the mouse and keyboard. The mouse provides more precise movement, and the keyboard has many more buttons.

Which style do you prefer – casual, casual, or more fun and competitive style? The console is best for casual gaming, while the PC is better for those more serious about gaming.

conclusion

Thanks for reading our guide to choosing a PC or game console or streaming. As such, we recommend console or streaming for those new to gaming or those on a tight budget. Video games are a great step forward if you want to take your hobby of video games more seriously.

We hope the information provided helped. After reading this, which platform will you choose?

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