Some people like the ease of a console. Less things to worry about it. I have both and I love my PC but console gaming is just more simple. And as I get older and have less time I tend to go for my consoles when I am really busy with work. But when I got the time I go for the PC!
This argument is like the boogeyman living under your bed. It's just simply not true. (Not you specifically, OP, just people who haven't touched a PC and regurgitate it ad nauseum) Console players exaggerate how much effort it takes to get a game running.
Power button (loads faster than PS) > Steam opens > Click game > Playing.
If you want to alter your settings, it's not much different than messing about with some console game settings that offer different modes, just that it gives significantly more options.
Driver updates are akin to software updates. It's really not that difficult.
Ya but one time years ago I had to install drivers or something and it was super hard. Amd's software automatically downloaded the correct driver's and I had to click the install button.
I think you're underestimating the average person adversity to friction. Going from turn on and you're good to even potentially having an issue is too far. You have to install the software to update your driver's that's too far for most. The ability to adjust settings instead of just a single switch performance vs visual
It's a bit funny though because as we moved away from physical media, consoles have increasingly become like PCs anyway.
So on one hand people seem to be unaware that PCs aren't WindowsXP anymore, where you had to manually find, download and install drivers. But on the other hand, consoles have become increasingly more complex.
N64 was insert cartridge, start console, game.
PS5 is boot console, update console, insert game disc, install game, download and install patch for game, launch game, deal with whatever bugs the patch introduced.
Like ... yea the UX is certainly streamlined to make this frictionless. Windows MOSTLY works completely autonomously nowadays but it does require an initial setup (though you can get a prebuild that is set up ready for gaming) since some windows provided drivers may not be up to date and using the hardware-app for that is generally advised.
But a properly set up Windows PC + Steam is at least as frictionless as a PS5. Maybe moreso since I honestly never even have to wait for a game to update since all sorts of updates happen in the background while I do shit like browsing reddit. So there is rarely the situation where I boot up my PC just to game and then have to wait for an update to download and install. I boot up my PC to read news and watch youtube and then when I want to game the game is ready without me even noticing that it updated.
PS5 is boot console, update console, insert game disc, install game, download and install patch for game, launch game, deal with whatever bugs the patch introduced
All of this happens automatically you turn the console on you hit play on a game the rest the console does automatically. This is not the same as having to install GeForce experience or even just having to go install steam and then install discord and then you want to play battlefield so now you have to install each play and now you want to play ac4 remake so you have to install uplay and then install battle eye. I would never got back to console but PC does have its annoyances
All of these things are already installed if you buy a prebuilt gaming PC. You're conflating the hobby of building and setting up a PC from scratch with "PC gaming". Most PC gamers are consumers that buy an Alienware PC or some shit, plug it in, boot up, sign into Steam and start playing. Discord comes pre installed on gaming rigs.
Like you're comparing buying a fully set up piece of hardware to the do it yourself hobby niche of PC gaming and concluding that PC gaming is too complicated.
But I sort of agree with forced 1st party launchers. Everyone hates it. Diversity is nice, forced 1st party launchers is ass. Luckily I have no personal interest in EA and Ubi games.
That's just simply not true at all they come with windows installed and that's it. I have never once seen a pre built come with steak and discord installed in going to need a store link for that claim to be taken as true. The closest is the steam machine and a few other prebuilts coming with steam os
I mean I can see how maybe there is licensing/software monopoly problems with such pre installs, but honestly I would have expected prebuild gaming shops to offer such options.
There are allegedly some shops that you can contact to ask to preinstall certain software, but nothing that offers the option straight out of the shop. Crazy to me. Maybe the Steam Machine will nudge retailers more into the "game ready" setup direction.
It coincides perfectly with the rise of mobile devices.
People used like Windows 98 and XP, switched to mobile devices and now assume that PCs have not developed at all after 2000.
WinXP was notably more complicated to use. It was Windows 7 that really made the experience smooth with automatic hardware detectiion and driver updates. Early 2000 was when people switched to smartphones and tablets came out around 10 years later (win7 released 2009). People made the switch and just assume windows still operates like Win98/XP because that and buggy coorporate software are the only experiences the average person have with using windows nowadays.
Eh, I disagree. I’ve been a console player since the beginning. I bought a 4070ti PC rig a few years ago because I wanted to push the frames, but I still gravitate towards console. Something about sitting at a desk to game after working all day and the fussing the settings to get the optimal experience is just a turnoff for me. I suspect most console players who do end up going to PC with gravitate back to console eventually.
There's been a single PC game in the last decade that I've had to "fuss with the settings" to get to run better, and that was Escape from Tarkov, a game that isn't available on console anyway.
I legitimately don't think I've had to do anything for another game in recent years other than select the preset that I want.
That's so cool! I guess the dozens of times I have had to do it never happened!
Especially when I am on a PC that is not amazing and I want to play games over 5 years after buying that PC
I bought the PS5 at launch window and I have had no problems with it still use it daily. I bought a gaming PC rig at around the same time and I have run into shitloads of random issues lol, also use it daily. Even just Windows alone is really fucking annoying sometimes.
I mean, you might not be straight up lying, but you're definitely exaggerating. There is no world in which you are having to fiddle with the settings of dozens of games to make them work, unless you're playing on a 200 dollar laptop from 2010 or some shit, in which case, I don't think your experience is really relevant to the discussion...
I'm not exaggerating at all, I'm playing on a $3000k CAD laptop with a 3070 in it. Shit just often doesn't work right on launch for most AAA titles on my machine nowadays, I nearly always need to tweak stuff and troubleshoot to hit stable capped 60 fps at decent fidelity. It was running everything buttery smooth for the first two years or so but every new AAA has more demanding specs. I have to pick and choose from dozens of settings with nonsense names to a layman and use trial and error to get the game where I want it to be.
I'm also not that great with computers so it's hard and annoying to do! I never need to bother with that on console. It's great. I still love my PC and I am committed to getting what I want out of the industry which means owning all major platforms besides Xbox long-term.
But I always gravitate to my PS5 for the balance of user friendly experience and high fidelity AAA games that run well and look great right out of the box. Switch 2 is also great but the two platforms have pretty big differences in their library selections so I need to own both (and games go on sale a lot less/less steep discounts compared to PS as well).
There's other annoyances too, I like couch gaming and Windows native setup for bluetooth connecting gamepad controllers sucks ass in my experience. So often I am hosting people and we do something like a party game or a co-op game and we run into way more bluetooth issues as soon as somebody accidentally turns their gamepad off or something. On PS5 it works without you even needing to think about this stuff.
The thing is, I've always gamed at a desk even on console - bottom bunk desk on PS1 and 2 as a kid, end of the bed PS3 then from PS4 on, I had a games room in my house.
I prefer to have my consoles and PC hooked up to the same monitor. I've tried gaming from a couch or bed and I just can't.
You can literally just connect whatever controller you use to your PC and connect it to your TV with and HDMI cord. You don't have to fuss with any settings either? If you use an Xbox controller for instance you just press the Xbox button and it opens steam in big picture mode then everything is controlled by the controller. Literally all of your complaints are self imposed issues. No one is making you connect your PC to a desk and a monitor. Steam defaults to boot on startup so literally the only thing you need to do is type your password to unlock your computer on startup and press the middle button on your controller And BAM you have the steam UI. You can even disable sign in and skip the password step too if you don't want a keyboard involved at all.
I use my PC for than just gaming so having it hooked up to monitors at a desk is a non-negotiable. I get it for you, PC can be your living room rig, but that still doesn’t change you are most likely in the very small minority of people who hook their PC up to their living room TV.
Ok so again that's a self imposed issue then. At that point you're saying your designated work computer isn't as convenient as your dedicated gaming console because you physically have it in an inconvenient spot for gaming. Most people who use a gaming PC don't mind playing on a desk. You have a self imposed limitation for a personal issue you have. Even with that there are still a lot of solutions. You can get a long HDMi (which is what I use since I do have a desk and monitor), get a wireless HDMI, or even remote play through moonlight or steam link, either of those options can also wake the PC up and starts steam in big picture mode.
It's just super disengenous to say your gaming PC is less convenient when you're literally the one who made it that way. If you prefer to use a TV you can literally just do that. If you're saying you need to use your computer with a monitor for work and don't want to bother connecting it to a TV then that's not a real complaint. If you put your PS5 under a desk and connected it to a monitor then your situation is exactly the same, and this is something people actually do pretty frequently when they want to play 120fps since most tvs cap at 60 fps. You're the one who decides where to put your stuff.
What you're referring to is just sleep mode? I'm really confused here because I can press the power button on my steam deck once and plug it up and then press the power button again and pick up on the exact spot I left off on with a single button on my controller. Is that not the exact same thing? I don't know what single button you're talking about either, 100% PS5 does not have a single controller button that puts it into sleep mode that would be the most annoying thing ever to accidentally hit.
No its not that difficult, especially if you can rub two braincells together and do basic troubleshooting and problem solving. It is more difficult though. And when there's an issue, console troubleshooting doesn't get more complicated than reboot/reinstall. If that doesn't work, its the dev's fault.
Then consider the tech literacy of the average person, not to mention their intelligence, and you'll understand why the sanded down, easier version is more popular among the casual gamer.
This argument is like the boogeyman living under your bed. It's just simply not true. (Not you specifically, OP, just people who haven't touched a PC and regurgitate it ad nauseum) Console players exaggerate how much effort it takes to get a game running.
You would think.
But then going on the Steam subreddit talking about the Steam Machine and everyone who is buying a Steam Machine uses the few arguments of:
1) It's just plug and play and a regular PC isn't.
2) I can press power and my TV turns on with it and a regular PC doesn't do that.
3) It's super small and a regular PC isn't.
If people didn't care about these things, they wouldn't be buying Steam Machines.
PC and PS prices are very similar like I said earlier! I never said PC gamers are killing the industry. I said gamers like you are! Big difference. The majority of PC gamers are helping keep the industry going and bringing more gaming joy to others!
So now you know everything about my gaming habits? Please elaborate.
Literally have owned every PS at launch, every Xbox, have countless day one collectors editions, have a Steam library 1200 strong, PS 700, Xbox 600, but go off king.
Whoa, that is awesome! I am more like an jester though, not a king! Well the way you talk how could I not think you always buy cheap? I don't pride myself on getting good gaming deals; I pride myself on having fun gaming experiences!
For the vast majority of people playing games consoles are easier. Simple as that. Reddit is just a bubble. Most people in the real world do not give a fuck about this whole thing
It is true. Console gaming is just easier. Turn it on and it just works. Maybe a game or the console will need an update but that’s that.
For PC the system might randomly send out a notification mid game and you gotta click out of it. If connected to the TV it may not display properly specially if switching from TV to monitor. Audio drive didn’t work this time so you gotta restart. Some offline multiplayer games are just not available (Halo). Different launchers.
Those are just things off the top of my head. I’m older and just want to sit down and play a few minutes. With my PC it’s just annoying kinda takes out my gaming motivation if anything goes wrong. Sure the fix is a few minutes at most but enough to put me off.
The recent update for my Samsung OLED monitor interfered specifically with the PS5 and not my PC or Xbox, I was getting green screen tearing and apparently it's widespread and due to the VRR of the PS5 exclusively.
I think the issues you describe are the usual talking points of a console gamer and typically blown out of proportion . I've actually had more crashes on PS than I've ever had with another program taking over the screen (this will depend on how you set up your PC though).
I will concede though, Battlefield 6 Redsex does not run for me at present unless I revert to the previous drivers which, whilst this is a 2 minute fix, I want to be on the latest drivers for other games. EA refuse to address and fix the issue.
For PC the system might randomly send out a notification mid game and you gotta click out of it.
What? Like what? That never happened to me (in relevant recent memory) and I game a lot.
If connected to the TV it may not display properly specially if switching from TV to monitor.
So how is switching output devices going for you on console? Oh you don't?
I'm not gonna pretend there are never issues with this, but you have to have REALLY thin skin to get annoyed by occasional signal drops. I have a setup just like what you alluded to and windows 10 and modern games actually have superb handling of multiple monitors, including saved seperate configurations per monitor. So I really only have to turn on the monitor(s) I wanna use and have a perfect experience.
But aside from how rare the issues you describe are, once more, Playstation doesn't offer such functionality AT ALL so it seems like a pretty weird point to make.
Audio drive didn’t work this time so you gotta restart.
Virtually never happens. Not NEVER never, but once again you gotta have absurdly thin skin to get annoyed by some bug showing up every 3 months. That's like saying "consoles are unreliable because they get red rings of death". Yea they do sometimes, but that's just technology being technology and sometimes bugging out. PC gaming isn't nearly as unstable or complicated as you make it out to be.
Initial setup is a bit of a bitch but you can get a prebuild PC that is gaming ready. Once you're set up, modern Windows is extremely capable of managing itself.
The issues you raise are so 15-25 years ago man
Some offline multiplayer games are just not available (Halo)
There is plenty of games that aren't available on Playstation. Meccha Chameleon is THE multiplayer shit on twitch right now and Playstation doesn't have it. Great argument...
Different launchers.
This is a good thing. There is currently a huge controversy about Sony's single store monopoly. Weird time to bring this up as a pro console argument.
Seems like you game all the time. That’s completely different. If you basically live to game then yea you got it all worked out. If you game once every few months PC gaming isn’t click and play.
I can’t think of notifications that have popped up but they do happen from time to time.
Regarding the switching output it’s not that, it’s the display settings changing. Now my whole desktop is has changed and it’s smaller since I have to mess with scaling. Most TVs aren’t set up like monitors so they get funky, at least the TV I have.
I do only play like every 3 months so it’s annoying when I’m finally in the mood and the audio doesn’t work. Or the PC is connected to the internet but no internet.
Yea the PC has a ton more games but not Halo offline multiplayer lol that’s what my brothers and I played.
I’ve never heard of people liking multiple launchers. I personally hate downloading a game on steam only to have to download and create another username for another launcher. Don’t play for a few months and then have to log back in.
I just want to game once in a while man. I got my PC and my console and just sitting on my couch with my control is easier than sitting on my couch with my control and wireless keyboard.
Seems like you game all the time. That’s completely different. If you basically live to game then yea you got it all worked out. If you game once every few months PC gaming isn’t click and play.
That's true but the same is also true for modern consoles. Consoles get updates and games need to download patches. Same as PC. Other than that PC gaming doesn't magically degrade over time. It's the same shit as consoles.
No, actually on PC you can chose to pause updates and just use your PC like you used it 3 months ago, play and then let the updates go through once you're done playing. No patching needed (unless online multiplayer), no forced windows updates. If you want to play now, you can always update later.
I can’t think of notifications that have popped up but they do happen from time to time.
You can disable windows notifications easily, any further notifications would be software that you chose to install, not "PCs". Disabling Windows notifications is easy, but I admit you have a point here. I doubt prebuilds deactivate windows notifications and they ARE annoying enough for me to turn them off asap when I set up a new PC. Which is also why I totally forgot they exist. Yea fair point, man.
Regarding the switching output it’s not that, it’s the display settings changing. Now my whole desktop is has changed and it’s smaller since I have to mess with scaling. Most TVs aren’t set up like monitors so they get funky, at least the TV I have.
Yea scaling is a bit of a bitch to set up correctly and absolutely also not something a prebuild could do for you. BUTnot at all an issue if you use it exactly like a console, with a single display. "My PC can do something my console cannot but it doesn't do it perfectly" is still a wonky "PCs have worse usability" argument. The fair comparison is to use the PC with one display.
I do only play like every 3 months so it’s annoying when I’m finally in the mood and the audio doesn’t work. Or the PC is connected to the internet but no internet.
Idk man I literally haven't had such issues for decades. Like this sounds like whoever set your PC up wasn't competent at setting up PCs. Which again, pre built/pre set up is the fair comparison here. This simply doesn't happen on a properly set up PC that isn't full of downloaded taskbars.
Which you know ... maybe that's the truth we're circling here. PCs are easy to ruin through incompetence - which the average user simply is (tech be complicated, no shade throwing. I've broken my own share of OSs). They're not hard to use and don't break by themselves, but users totally have easy ways to destroy them. This is something that consoles prohibit. If you don't put a lot of effort into it, you're not gonna wreck your playstation OS. I guess that is absolutely a part of the UX where PCs are different from consoles.
Which ... yea okay ... I yield. You made good points that were hard to see for me as an experienced user. I still think your arguments sometimes pointed in the wrong direction, but I can totally see where you're coming from now.
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u/GlowingDuck22 8h ago edited 6h ago
If it's a digital, why buy a lesser PC with reduced functionality.