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Should We Let PC Gamers on Our Consoles?

Should We Let PC Gamers on Our Consoles?

It’s a constant argument over whether or not PC gaming is the best type of gaming. This conversation continues through every single generation of consoles. The PC master race likes to claim that they have the best gaming experience out of everyone. In many cases I’d be willing to agree, as the customizable nature of PCs allows for many different levels of gaming. The huge divide between PC gaming and its console equivalents is breaking though. Much like Deadpool breaks the fourth wall, consoles are breaking into the PC realm and vice versa.

The best recent example I have of this is the Rainway app that developers are trying to bring to the ever-popular Nintendo Switch. What Rainway aims to do is bring PC games to the Switch via streaming. With this, you’ll be able to play any game you adore on your PC on your Switch! The best part of this console, is the ability to bring your games with you outside of your home. So if Rainway goes through we’ll be able to play PC games not only on our home systems, but also on our home console from our couch and on the go using the Switch’s mobile capabilities.

More basically, the ability to stream PC games to our consoles allows us to take the quality we enjoy from our desktops and transfer it to our couch-friendly consoles. Games that were previously relegated to our mouse and keyboard can also be played with a controller. We already stream television and films to our consoles, why shouldn’t we be able to stream video games? The tech of consoles is very quickly reaching the same quality of PCs. Before, that was the biggest reason why PCs were “better.” But as time goes on, this difference becomes smaller and smaller. At this point, we should be able to buy a game once and play it on all of our devices if we have the ability. It’s thanks to services like Rainway that we’ll be able to do so.

The opposite argument is equally true. If we have a game on our consoles but we want to play it on our PC, shouldn’t we be able to do that too? I adored playing The Elder Scroll’s V: Skyrim on the PlayStation 4, but I would love the chance to play it on my PC as well. Previously I did not have a computer capable of enjoying it to the fullest, but now that I do, why shouldn’t I have that opportunity? As consumers we would revel at the chance to buy a game once and then play it all over. In the world of digital copies of games we can do that. It’s a fairly easy transfer of data, and thanks to developers like those at Rainway, it can be streamlined too.

Should We Let PC Gamers on Our Consoles?

Imagine services like Steam that offer games at fantastic prices or sites that offer bundles like Humble Bundle or Bundle Stars. If I bought a game through one of them on my PC and they allowed console streaming, I could take my games to my couch whenever I wanted. Or if I bought a console exclusive, say Kingdom Hearts III when it releases on the PS4, but I really wanted to experience it with a mouse and keyboard, I could. Video game streaming between platforms would allow me that.

It’s really time we break down the walls that separate PCs and consoles. It’s a free market so let’s make it truly free! Raise your hand if you want PC games on consoles. Or if you want console games on PCs! The option for both exists already through various services and it wouldn’t be that difficult to make it even easier.

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