In recent months, I have learned enough about PC gaming systems to the point where I am considering setting up one myself. However, there are a fair amount of disadvantages, despite the considerable draw of a customizable system.
If that’s the case, however, what are the advantages of the console compared to the PC? The most obvious advantage the console has over a PC is cost. The console is a one-time $500 expense with little to no maintenance, and likely a game or two in the bundle. A PC that can run the latest games, however, adds up fast, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Your 1080p monitor, probably 24” to be decent, will probably cost $200. Never mind your graphics/video card (another $200 put together), processor, and digital storage. Then, if you don’t want the normal keyboard as your controller, you’ll have to set up a gaming keyboard or controller from places like Alienware. Controllers by themselves are around $40 – 60 these days. That’s nearly a grand in total.
That said, you can probably guess what the second advantage of the console is. The setup of a console takes less than ten minutes and you can probably start playing a game in that time, too. A PC takes much longer than that, depending on how much you have decided to customize. Installing and updating the latest OS and installing your new hardware into the CPU are but a few things you need to do before even thinking of playing a game. When you’re finally ready for the game, you may have to struggle with a game that isn’t compatible with the system you just set up. Furthermore, setting up a PC in a living room takes a lot more forethought than simply taking a console out of the box and plugging it in. That idea alone, I’m sure, is why the more casual gamer wouldn’t bother with a PC.
Consoles also have a lot of disadvantages. Kind of like buying an Apple product, you can’t really customize it to the depth you can with a PC. Updating your graphics on a PC is a matter of ordering the latest graphics card and installing it yourself. Doing the same on a console is impossible. In addition, the console is not nearly as changeable without having the whole thing fall apart on you. Never mind the software – this is also impossible to change on a console. You certainly can’t customize the console’s OS, and you cannot delete any programs or apps you might regard as useless.
Furthermore, the variety of games available to the PC is much larger than that of a console. Not only are the vast majority of MMOs designed for the PC, but PC gamers also have the option to play MUDs, email games, browser games, and the wide variety of titles that are distributed digitally or available as free downloads. A PC can certainly do a lot more than a regular console, but is it worth the cost in comparison?
Personally, the only thing stopping me from setting up a PC gaming system is the cost and my sheer lack of PC hardware and software skills. Otherwise, the idea that I could customize my game system sounds awesome, and the very ability to delete unwanted files is ambrosia itself. I’d want a big monitor and I’d definitely want it in my living room so I could play games with my friends. The cost of the PC itself would probably be the least of my worries with such a large setup in mind. Hardware and software skills are definitely something to learn, regardless of whether or not I actually purchase a PC. With the rise in MMOs and games like Minecraft , the learning curve is inevitable.
However, as each younger generation becomes more and more adept to technology, it seems that PC is the direction game systems need to go. It’s so much easier to update the graphics, get the top notch monitors, and use the best OS available on a PC than it is with a console.
Image Credit: Sam Spratt