PC Mythbusters - console gamers welcome

JimmyMac

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So I thought perhaps we need a mythbusting thread for some of the console gamers who still have fairly outdated views on pc's. I've not created this with the view of trying to show that a pc is better than a console or anything, theres enough debate on that one elsewhere. I'm merely thinking of something that might help those console gamers who are toying with moving to PC gaming but are a little unsure because of the wide range of outdated and potentially false information out there.


Things that spring to mind are items such as

PC's are far too expensive for gaming

Pc's are far too loud to have near my tv in the same way my console is

I don't want to be sat at a desk with keyboard and mouse i'd rather use a console and sit on my couch



Feel free to bust some of these myths or add some of your own that need busting!
 
Be good to add examples too so people can see for themselves too.

Good thread though as PC gaming isnt about being hunched over a desk with a massive CRT monitor and big nerd glasses with cheesy wotsit hands....(for some)
 
It's not a myth at all.

PC's are expensive - FACT
Even though I have Scythe; Betfinix fans and a WF GPU I find a PC loud compared to a console which has the game running of a HD (But sound is really subjective as a single 2gb 7850 will do the job on modern TV's running at 60hz and will be quiet) - FACT
Getting "couch gaming" to work is a convoluted process and not plug and play as it's made out to be - FACT

The only advantage of a PC is:
Better graphics
Cheaper Games although you can never trade or sell them again
Piracy if that's your cup of tea
Mods
Variety of Games is debatable although lets say this is a plus for PC.
Not locked down to Peripherals

As a Gaming machine I rate PC's better than consoles which began to show their age and new direction a few years ago.
 
There are a few other advantages of having a PC.

If - like me in the old days - you use consoles to play HD files (TV eps etc) then MKVs aren't supported by either the XBox or the PS3. You have to jump through a few hoops to get them to work properly and even then things like lip sync appear to be optional.

Yes, you can have a nice looking PC under your telly, which boots straight into Steam Big Picture, or XBMC (depending on what you use it for primarily). You can switch between both of these easily enough. XBMC will play anything you throw at it, with full artwork and a nice 10 foot UI too.

And yes, sadly this requires a bit of know-how to set up.
 
PC's are far too expensive for gaming --- Only if you want top spec, you can build a pc for a little more than a new console price (at launch) and play the same games over the same life cycle as the console without having to upgrade. Like anything in this world if you want the best and most upto date items you pay.

Pc's are far too loud to have near my tv in the same way my console is --- I have my pc on the floor next to the tv and cannot hear anything once the games are running and it's no louder than the ps3/360.

I don't want to be sat at a desk with keyboard and mouse i'd rather use a console and sit on my couch --- Wireless kb/ms and most new games for the last year or so support pads. I currently use a 360 wired pad on most 3rd person games.

The biggest plus with pc gaming are the user mods. Plus no yearly fee for a service like xbox live gold.
 
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It's not a myth at all.

PC's are expensive - FACT
Even though I have Scythe; Betfinix fans and a WF GPU I find a PC loud compared to a console which has the game running of a HD (But sound is really subjective as a single 2gb 7850 will do the job on modern TV's running at 60hz and will be quiet) - FACT
Getting "couch gaming" to work is a convoluted process and not plug and play as it's made out to be - FACT

The only advantage of a PC is:
Better graphics
Cheaper Games although you can never trade or sell them again
Piracy if that's your cup of tea
Mods
Variety of Games is debatable although lets say this is a plus for PC.
Not locked down to Peripherals

As a Gaming machine I rate PC's better than consoles which began to show their age and new direction a few years ago.

Convoluted to plug a pc into the back of a TV via HDMI?

Apart from maybe needing to set the overscan settings in the GPU what exactly is difficult?

All that you have claimed as FACT, aren't actually fact.
 
majnu said:
It's not a myth at all.

PC's are expensive - FACT
Even though I have Scythe; Betfinix fans and a WF GPU I find a PC loud compared to a console which has the game running of a HD (But sound is really subjective as a single 2gb 7850 will do the job on modern TV's running at 60hz and will be quiet) - FACT



^^^ My pc is silent - Fact. Just because your pc isn't quiet doesn't mean it can't be done - Fact.




Anyway here are a few to add to the list:

Pcs gaming is more flexible in terms of control methods.

Pcs update in the back ground so I don't have to wait nearly an hour like I do with a ps3 to play a game.

Pc games can be modded to look and play different.

You don't need to update hardware all the time. A decent 5 year old pc will play games you just may have adjust the settings so its not on max settings. If a pcs hardware is more advanced than a console 5 years ago it will still be more advanced today and produce better visuals and playing experience.

Most games are Multi platform so what is available on the consoles can also be bought on the pc.

Pc games don't require a disc to play.

Pcs do more than just play games.

The best media machines are pcs.

You can connect a pc to your tv with ease.

You can use a pad on all games and most games have native pad support.

Pcs can be upgraded if you so wish.

Pcs can output to Multi monitors and can support really high resolutions.

You can customise a pcs looks as much as you wish.
 
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The only advantage of a PC is:
Better graphics
Cheaper Games although you can never trade or sell them again
Piracy if that's your cup of tea
Mods
Variety of Games is debatable although lets say this is a plus for PC.
Not locked down to Peripherals

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Maybe also just to add PC gaming is not for those with little or zero technical know how.
 
Sega Mega Dave said:
Convoluted to plug a pc into the back of a TV via HDMI?

Apart from maybe needing to set the overscan settings in the GPU what exactly is difficult?

All that you have claimed as FACT, aren't actually fact.

I totally agree mate. I have been using my pc in my lounge for the last 9 years now and it's not hard at all.
 
Speaking of all-caps FACTs, My old white XBox 360 is far louder than any PC I've owned in the last 10 years.
 
You can also do crazy **** like, office related documents and browse the net with a decent browser.

Crazy **** these modern PC's do.
 
Convoluted to plug a pc into the back of a TV via HDMI?

Apart from maybe needing to set the overscan settings in the GPU what exactly is difficult?

All that you have claimed as FACT, aren't actually fact.

If couch gaming is considered plugging in a HDMI cable then God help us all.

Console gamers who made a transition to PC gaming try to emulate the same wireless experience which comes with using a pad.

Unless people can live with wires or get complicated non user friendly software to work then they can have the same experience.

Not all games support controllers (although the majority now seem to)
 
^^^ My pc is silent - Fact. Just because your pc isn't quiet doesn't mean it can't be done - Fact.

Anyway here are a few to add to the list:

Pcs gaming is more flexible in terms of control methods.

Pcs update in the back ground so I don't have to wait nearly an hour like I do with a ps3 to play a game.

Pc games can be modded to look and play different.

You don't need to update all the time. A decent 5 year old pc will play games you just may have adjust the settings so its not on max settings. If a pcs hardware is more advanced than a console 5 years ago it will still be more advanced today and produce better visuals and playing experience.

Most games are Multi platform so what is available on the consoles can also be bought on the pc.

Pc games don't require a disc to play.

Pcs do more than just play games.

The best media machines are pcs.

You can connect a pc to your tv with ease.

You can use a pad on all games and most games have native pad support.

Pcs can be upgraded if you so wish.

Pcs can output to Multi monitors and can support really high resolutions.

You can customise a pcs looks as much as you wish.

Your PC is silent because it is water cooled and I'm guessing that didn't come cheap. ;)
 
majnu said:
Your PC is silent because it is water cooled and I'm guessing that didn't come cheap. ;)

That is true majnu but it still can be done. :)

I have also been building silent running gaming htpcs for years which are not watercooled. It's all a matter of picking the right parts for the build and understanding a bit about cooling. If done correctly you can build a very silent running gaming rig.
 
This thread will go nowhere, fact! Just lock it now.
 
majnu said:
If couch gaming is considered plugging in a HDMI cable then God help us all.

Console gamers who made a transition to PC gaming try to emulate the same wireless experience which comes with using a pad.

Unless people can live with wires or get complicated non user friendly software to work then they can have the same experience.

Not all games support controllers (although the majority now seem to)

I have been playing games with a pad for as long as I can remember with apps like pinnacle. I also use wireless pads so no wires. Pinnacle isn't really needed these days as pad support has taken off.

I can't understand why gaming on a sofa is harder than gaming at a desk. Can you expand on that?
 
Given that most keyboards and mice are also wireless these days (and yet the 360 pad I use on my PC isn't, because I didn't need it to be) that's kind of neither here nor there.

But neither Sony nor MS consoles are fanless, so the watercooling thing is also irrelevant.
 
I have been playing games with a pad for as long as I can remember with apps like pinnacle. I also use wireless pads so no wires. Pinnacle isn't really needed these days as pad support has taken off.

I can't understand why gaming on a sofa is harder than gaming at a desk. Can you expand on that?

- Some games don't support Pads like Bioshock from what I can remember so you have to be cautious. (But the majority of new games do)

- Not all gamers prefer the xbox pad, some prefer the PS3 dual shock controller and getting motion joy to work requires a certain bluetooth adapter.

- The process is not "true" plug and play. It requires software setup and may cause driver conflicts if you have many USB gaming controllers like wheels, flight sticks etc.

- Pinnacle does allow mapping with lots of games, but I only used it when I first came to PC gaming and with BF3. It didn't allow sprinting whilst not holding the analogue stick all the time so I gave up.
 
Whilst you're all arguing the toss, the console gamer is simply playing a game :)
 
- Some games don't support Pads like Bioshock from what I can remember so you have to be cautious. (But the majority of new games do)

- Not all gamers prefer the xbox pad, some prefer the PS3 dual shock controller and getting motion joy to work requires a certain bluetooth adapter.

- The process is not "true" plug and play. It requires software setup and may cause driver conflicts if you have many USB gaming controllers like wheels, flight sticks etc.

- Pinnacle does allow mapping with lots of games, but I only used it when I first came to PC gaming and with BF3. It didn't allow sprinting whilst not holding the analogue stick all the time so I gave up.

Bioshock 1 had pad support but bioshock 2 didn't. However pinnacle works with bioshock 2 so there is still an option there if someone wants to use a pad.

The 360 pad is the standard pad for the pc but the ps3 pad isn't. However you can get ps3 style pads for the pc and you can use the ps3 pad with external software.

I haven't come across any conflicts in pad support ever but I only use the 360 pad or a fragnstein for my gaming.

:)
 
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PS3 pad works fine with motionjoy and a usb cable as well as most if not all bluetooth adaptors.
 
My PC is far quieter than my PS3, I have stock cooling on a non overclocked i5 with a stock Geforce 560 Ti.

Now that I have a SSD as the main drive, it is almost silent.

My PS3 had fans on full even watching a DVD. It depends on what you have set up, your case, the location. However having a loud PC is really more about poor component choice and bad build design, not FACT.
 
Consoles are better because you dont have to upgrade them to play the latest games..

;)
 

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