It’s one of the oldest arguments in modern times and virtually every gamer has been dragged into the conversation at one time or another. Is PC Gaming really better than consoles and why?
PCs are obviously the more expensive route, with a low-spec PC easily running well into the $800 range. However, it’s the versatility that is truly at the heart of the question and in many of these cases, that level of versatility more than makes up for the overall cost.
But gamers don’t shop for the latest and greatest with the term ‘versatility’ seamlessly burned into their conscious, so what is it that makes PC gaming better?
Fortunately, we’re here to provide a definitive answer.
Here are 23 reasons why you should buy a gaming PC instead of a console.
Table of Contents
PCs Provide A Better Gaming Experience Than Consoles
The gaming experience on PC is second to none. You have better graphics and more frames per second, more games to choose from at lower prices, better access to games and special editions, and a keyboard and mouse for better control and a more precise aim.
The overall experience is the heart and soul of the matter and again, it comes back to versatility. The things that a PC can do that gaming consoles simply can’t and if they can, only to a small degree.
- Play older, classic games
- Better performance
- Raw power
- More game settings to optimize your experience and maximize frame rates
- More peripherals
- The amount of accessible games dwarfs that of consoles
- PC games are cheaper
As you can see, the overall experience is just better, not because of some implicit bias, there is none here, but because of the facts on the ground.
The PS5, for instance, is a great console, however, it gets older each and every day. It cannot be upgraded, at least anywhere near to the same degree as a gaming PC.
The same can be said of the Xbox Series X. The capability of both of these consoles, the very day that they were released for the masses, is nowhere close to the high-end PC options at the time, much less now.
Gaming PCs Offer Better Value Over Time
One of the biggest reasons that this is true is because PC games are generally more affordable than console games. So while purchasing a PC may be more expensive in the short term, the long-term savings will eventually make up for it.
Also, you can upgrade gaming PCs (well, at least you can upgrade most of them). So as the newer games require more and more power to run them, you can generally keep up with it with a gaming PC by simply swapping parts when needed.
And sometimes a small and inexpensive update can make a massive difference.
Say you find an irresistible bargain on a gaming PC but it only comes with 8GB of RAM. You could easily add another 8GBs, bringing your total up to 16GBs, an amount of RAM that will get a very respectful frame rate from any AAA game.
Of course, you need to know what you’re doing, but even sourcing the parts and dropping your gaming PC into a computer repair shop for them to do the work would be a lot cheaper than buying a new PC or console.
They Are Upgradable
We touched on this above, but it’s an important point because it’s also a major part of what makes a gaming PC so versatile. You can upgrade literally every part of them, so long as the hardware in question isn’t soldered to the motherboard (even that can be overcome if you know what to do).
The best gaming PCs are designed in a way that allows you to put your hands on just about any component and swap it out for a newer, better version when need be, such as the graphics card, power supply, motherboard, CPU, RAM, storage, and even the PC case if you think the components need a little more airflow.
When Gaming On PC You Have Access To A Lot More Games
There is no argument here. The sheer volume of available games for PCs is staggering. Much of that is because PCs enjoy a large influx of exclusive games.
You always see consoles competing over a few scraps worth of exclusives. In the meantime, PCs are overloaded with them.
Also, PCs are able to run almost any game that is available out there. Everything that you find in the Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox libraries can be played on a PC, as well as older generation games from SEGA Genesis, Super Nintendo, Original Nintendo, Atari, and more.
More Control And Better Aim
Try zeroing in on a small target using one thumb with a controller and then try with your hand firmly gripped around a mouse.
The mouse, under the control of your entire hand, wrist and arm are much more precise at pinpointing and tracking targets than using just one thumb to push a controller stick.
With a console, you are also limited to the number of buttons that are designed with your controller. With a PC, you can combine the luxury of a gaming mouse (which will have multiple buttons on its own) with the entirety of the keyboard.
On a gaming keyboard or gaming mouse, you can map certain key combinations to one push of a hotkey and this can give you a real edge in MMO games, beat ’em ups, and even FPS games.
Hotkeys are something that you won’t find on consoles and keyboards that have been designed for consoles rarely do well because console gamers prefer to stick with the generational habit of using a controller.
True Modding Is Only Possible On A PC
With PCs, you have full access to the game, which makes it easier to alter the code, something that you simply can’t do with a console, at least not easily.
In fact, it’s generally too much of a bother to do so on consoles so it’s not something that you often see in that arena.
With PCs, on the other hand, everything that you need to mod a particular game is right there in the game files when you purchase the game.
In fact, most online gaming stores, such as Steam, actively support modding and allow it on their platforms with its own, distinct shopping area.
There Are More Controller Options For PC Gaming
Another PC gaming advantage that we touched on earlier comes down to control. You have a number of options on the PC that you lack on a console.
Console gaming primarily revolves around the use of a controller. PCs, on the other hand, can work with a large number of peripherals, including controllers.
However, the primary method of control on a PC is a gaming mouse and a keyboard. The keyboard provides you with a massive amount of customization options, not to mention the number of options you can get on a gaming mouse.
Better Options For VR
Virtual Reality gaming is growing in popularity and although the Xbox and the Playstation both have their options, PCs simply have more, as in many more because gaming PCs aren’t hampered by compatibility obstacles like consoles are.
The Oculus Quest 2 currently leads the VR competition but there are also many more VR systems for PC, including the HP Reverb G2, the HTC Vive Pro 2, the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite, the Valve Index, and more.
Digital Games On PC Are Cheaper
Regardless of whether or not you decide to go with the digital version or a hard copy, consoles charge you the same price of $59.99, which is just beyond sense.
Basic economics will tell you that expenses are drastically reduced when you discount physical hardware, but whatever.
PC games tend to make a little more sense in that arena, with brand new games frequently released in the digital landscape at more affordable costs.
They will generally run for $49.99 as a new release but there are also special considerations and many more options for discounts and savings on the PC side.
The eSports Scene Is More Active On PC
When it comes to eSports, the money, organizations, and general focus are almost entirely on the PC.
Of course, that kind of attention attracts more gamers and the eventual result is that you have a much more robust and engaged eSports community on PC than you do on consoles.
It’s also easier to live stream on PC with things like Twitch streaming and the like.
This makes it easier for competitive gamers to grow their popularity and their number of followers. Of course, that also creates a lot of ad revenue, making PCs the go-to authority with eSports.
Related Article: 12 Reasons Why OLEDs Are Great For Gaming
Multiplayer Is Still Free On PC
Gaming publishers already understand that it would be virtually impossible to institute a paywall for gamers to play online games.
Anyone with half the sense of a software engineer would create loopholes and ways around it and companies would spend all of their time and money trying to close those loopholes.
So they don’t and the PC side of online gaming has remained largely free of subscription.
Console manufacturers know that we can’t do the same thing to the same degree and are free to hammer gamers with paywalls.
Graphics Always Look Better On PC
Part of this is just marketing and common sense. Consoles have a life span that is cyclical. Console designers and manufacturers know that they can’t release a console every year and have a hope of clawing back the development costs.
Owning a PC and knowing how to build a gaming PC is a lot like being a sports car owner and knowing how to properly upgrade it.
You can constantly switch out old parts for new or new parts for upgraded parts, turning the car into an absolute beast on wheels.
Your Gaming PC Isn’t Just a Gaming Machine
A good gaming PC is a powerhouse of a computer. It will breeze through office-type work, handle demanding applications with ease and multitask like a beast.
You could watch a 4K movie on one half of your display while browsing between 10 Google Chrome tabs while doing some graphic design on a resource-intensive website like Canva.
Console manufacturers have tried to increase versatility somewhat by allowing you to cast your screen to different devices, adding controller micro-keyboards, and even including their own internet browsers in the console.
However, it’s been hit or miss with most innovations being a solid miss.
A gaming PC can just do so much more.
Graphic Design? Check. Internet Browsing? Check. Music Production? Check.
The power of a gaming PC allows for a massive amount of creative freedom.
Gaming PCs Are Easier To Fix Than Consoles
You don’t have to be a computer engineer to know how to swap out bad or failing parts in your gaming PC and even if it’s above and beyond what you’re comfortable with, there is always help online in forums, on YouTube, or a computer repair person right down the road somewhere.
On the flip side, it’s much more difficult to disassemble a console that was not designed to be easily disassembled.
Oh, and that computer repair guy down the street? Yeah, he’s not likely to fix your PS5 either, so you’ll have to send it to Sony who knows they can hold you over the fire in terms of cost.
Better Discounts On Games
This is another area where the PC truly shines. Steam is one of the more popular platforms for purchasing digital games on PC and if you ever decide to download from their store, you will immediately see that there are entire sections, filled with games that are heavily discounted.
Steam isn’t the only one out there either, which gives PC gamers a ton of options through different companies that are all trying to undercut each other with discounted games.
Sony and Microsoft aren’t going to undercut themselves, after all.
You’ll Still Be Able To Play Older Generation Games On Your PC
This has been a major source of contention amongst console gamers for a long time. Many of the new consoles that come out will have limited backward compatibility and even if the console can play the entire gaming library from older generation consoles, it still doesn’t approach PCs.
Console manufacturers also like to use classic games to bump up prices for their tiered subscription models.
PCs can literally play every game available out there. While there may be a few pockets of games here or there, a PC could still play them if the time was spent to convert them for the PC.
You Can Hook Up Multiple Monitors
One of the greatest advantages that PC gamers have is the ability to have different monitors running at the same time.
This allows you to put monitors together to create a surround gaming experience for first-person shooters or racing games.
These monitors can share an entire screen, each one making up a portion of the whole or you can use them to keep important info up on one while playing on another.
It also allows you to multitask. Maybe the second monitor has nothing to do with your game at all, but it’s a monitor that you can keep up entirely for yourself.
It’s also a great way to follow twitch streams and gaming guides, with the screen close enough to follow without having to constantly look down.
They Can Be More Easily Customized To Fit Your Gaming Style
You don’t even have to be a gamer to enjoy the levels of customization that PCs have to offer. No console, tablet, or smartphone approaches the level of customization options you get with a gaming PC.
You can use custom cables and lighting, customize your keyboard, gaming mouse, and other peripherals, and you can even build your PC inside of an aquarium.
No one is going to be dropping their Series X or Playstation 5 in an aquarium anytime soon.
Chatting With Friends And Teammates Is the Easiest
With consoles, your gaming chats are relegated to a single feature that is a part of that console. It’s also difficult to chat by typing unless you decide to hook one of those cumbersome micro keyboards onto your controller, and even then, it’s not a walk in the park.
With PCs, it’s different. There are a ton of different voice chat apps that are designed for your gaming experience.
There is Discord, RaidCall, TeamSpeak3, Mumble, SteamChat, Overtone, and more.
There Are More Customizable Game Settings On PC
One thing that almost every game provides a PC gamer with, especially if it’s a high-end game, is the ability to adjust a whole host of options in-game, such as graphics, resolution, Anti-aliasing, render details, motion blurs, depth of field, shaders, weather effects, and the list goes on and on.
All of which can help you maximize frame rates with the hardware you’re working with.
You don’t get that level of settings customization on a console as the game’s settings are already maxed out and designed specifically for your console and nothing else.
There Are More Early Access Opportunities for Games
In February of 2022, Elden Ring was released at varying places around the world and it was released on PCs first, almost everywhere across the globe. Now, it was followed extremely quickly by console versions, however, games are frequently released on PC first, oftentimes with a far more advanced timeframe.
Some of it may be conflated with the fact that more games release for the PC each year, so it stands to reason that there are going to be more early access positions for PC gamers than there will be for console gamers.
Online Gaming Is More Reliable On PC
Consoles are closing the gap here with each new iteration that rolls off of the manufacturing floor. However, there is still a tangible difference in the lag while playing online with a PC and playing online with a console.
Much of that boils down to superior hardware in PCs that take better advantage of communication protocols better than consoles do. The superior hardware also equates to smoother framerates on gaming PCs.
Ports On PC Are Better
Gaming PCs usually have a greater number of and more modern Input/Output ports. Ported games are also generally better on PC (although this is a bit contentious and there are several glaring examples of badly ported games on PCs), however, when games are ported to PC, rather than the other way around, they are able to take advantage of the superior hardware and in-game settings that PCs have to offer.
While there are examples of badly ported games to PCs, this is generally due to a rush to port the game, rather than a timely and more patient release of the game.
All Things Considered
There are a lot of advantages for PC gamers to take advantage of over console gamers, however, there is truly nothing intrinsically wrong with playing either.
Most of the chaos between console and PC gamers is driven by a select few of what is termed, ‘fanboys’, but that’s nothing new.
The reality, however, is that PCs simply push more power thanks to hardware and software that is far beyond a console’s capabilities and is rapidly improving as time goes by.
