Gamers nowadays have a huge pool of choices when it comes to playing games. There are many great titles out there, including online multiplayer as well as the mobile gaming category. I also have a pretty good collection of games. From the great PS3 era up to the present. Currently, I own a PS3, PS5 (I sold my PS4 Pro), a Nintendo Switch (these are dedicated for kids), and a decent gaming PC build (Intel Core I7 and a GTX070).
Before, I played my games mainly on the PS5, but eventually transitioned to playing games on my PC. Why the sudden change? This article will list my reasons why. Are you ready?
Here are the reasons why I selected the PC as the primary gaming platform
Backlogs
As of the moment, I am still catching up with the great games released in the older console generation. As of writing this article, I am currently playing Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition on my Switch, then Witcher 3 Complete Edition next, and next is Persona 5 Royal. These games are gems of the NSW and PS4, and they keep me preoccupied.
This is also the reason why I’m not affected by the hype: my mind is set to playing these games first, and the number of hours required to finish each isn’t short, so now you know why I am not buying brand new games.
Thoughts on an upcoming exclusive game?
No doubt, new games are always nice and great! And the feeling of being the first person to play, beat, and get a platinum trophy in that game is amazing! But it isn’t my cup of tea.
I am not hyped on the new game releases because my mind is set on playing the older games. My backlogs are way too powerful, hehehe! (Team #2ndhandgames is here.)
Video Quality
After experiencing the smoothness of 60 FPS or more, my standards when it comes to the performance of games have been raised. I am now not used to playing games at lower frames per second.
Don't get me wrong. The current-gen consoles can also perform at this level on almost all games, except for a few titles. Believe it or not, there are games that run better on PC. Some of the games are Red Dead Redemption 2 and Days Gone, Persona 5 Royal, and many more, because these games are currently locked to 30 FPS only. How sad! These are epic titles. But I think these are just temporary, and later on it will be upgraded to 60 fps and higher.
Also, I was surprised that the old games that I bought on PC were instantly running at 60 FPS! They were originally 30 FPS or less on the older consoles, so I appreciate having great hardware capable of doing this.
Huge Game Library and Options
On PS5, there are old games that I wanted to play but were not available. Also, the games that were previously exclusive are now being ported to PCs.
Earlier this week, the Steam Summer Sale 2024 was amazing! They have thousands of games on sale. I grabbed the old JRPGs, like the YS series and the Tales series. These games are hard to find and are very expensive at regular prices.
I was also eyeing the oldies but goodies titles like Splinter Cell Series and Prince of Persia series. These games were already added to my cart, but my budget didn’t permit it anymore. Plus, my backlogs are getting fatter!
Some games like these are very difficult to find on other consoles, plus they’re extremely expensive because some of the physical copies of the games are now considered rare.
The Xbox PC Game Pass is a gem!
The Xbox PC Game Pass is an online service provided by Microsoft that is considered a gem on PC gaming! This is like a Netflix of games that offers hundreds of great games and titles for a few bucks every month! Some of the great titles are also present in their library, as are day-one releases for great games like Lies of P and Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes.
Sure, we are just renting these titles, and we don’t own them. But the same is true for Netflix and other streaming services. We get to enjoy it for a small fee! So I think this is a win!
Multiplayer Features
This is the feature that PC greatly outmatches the other console platforms! I bought Elden Ring months ago on Steam, and when I installed and played it, I was immediately able to access its multiplayer features. For PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, I need to purchase an additional subscription like PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass, and Nintendo Switch Online in order to access this feature, which may cost more.
Diverse Functions (Going live, recording gameplay, and doing some edits)
Playing on PC gives me more access to useful utilities that I need, like in-game recording using the NVidia GeForce Experience. After I record, I can instantly open my video editing app and access the recordings. Going live is also seamless because I only need to configure and push a few buttons, and it’s now ready!
The PS5 can also do this function, but I need to take an extra step, like manually transferring the videos from my USB to my PC. If I wanted to have broader options when streaming, I would need a game capture card, which is another investment.
On the Nintendo Switch, the game recording is limited to 30 seconds only. So, I cannot capture or go live using this console without relying on a game capture card.
The Rise of the Handhelds
Now, with the rise of handheld gaming consoles like the Steam Deck, ASUS Rog Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw, and other brands, PC gaming has become more interesting, and this is one of the heavy reasons why many are leaning towards getting PC as the primary gaming platform! In the past, laptop gaming was the hype, but now, almost every PC gamer that I talk to wants to have a piece of their handheld gaming device.
Steam Deck OLED teaser trailer
Lenovo Legion Go teaser trailer
ASUS ROG Ally X teaser trailer
These are the top three choices for gaming handheld devices. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Which console do you prefer?
One of the reasons I hoarded games on Steam Sale is because I will get a Steam Deck OLED soon! I'm just raising cash and will buy one soon! (I can't wait!). Sorry Lenovo and Asus! Valve wins for me this time!
So, what’s the catch?
Okay, you get my point. These are the reasons why the PC is my primary gaming platform right now. But of course, there is still a catch, and I want to be transparent with you guys and let you know that there’s also a catch to using a PC for gaming.
Lack of Exclusive Games
If you’re into exclusive games, then congrats! You’re a gamer without any backlog at all! 😆 Just kidding. PC games are greatly behind this category. However, the great titles will later be released on the PC platform. Some of the games are God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Forbidden West, Spider-Man, etc.
Building a Gaming PC is Expensive
You need to consider that building a gaming PC that is capable of running high-quality games isn’t cheap. You have to invest in a great GPU, CPU, motherboard, monitor, etc.
Frequency of PC Upgrades
This is one of the categories where consoles like the PS5 and Xbox beat the PC. If you buy a PS5, you can play any game of superb quality, and you don’t need to upgrade the hardware at all. Even if your PS5 or Xbox console is bought in the early release, it can still support and run the game optimally as long as it is a PS5 game.
On the other hand, new hardware is released almost every year. And the top-of-the-line build that you have will later on just be an “average” build. Sure, it can run games, but the newer titles will demand more power from your hardware.
Conclusion
Now you know my view why I picked PC as the primary gaming platform. Again, this is just me. Playing games is according to one’s preference, and there are no right or wrong answers. Regardless of which platform or console you’re using, the most important thing you should feel after playing a game is:
“It was a time well spent!”
If it isn’t, then maybe you need to evaluate your reasons.
What are your thoughts? Which team are you on? Team PC, PS5, Xbox, or Switch? Let me know in the comments section!
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