7 Reasons to Switch From PC Gaming to Console Gaming
PC gaming isn’t as glorious as people have made it out to be. Customizability and flexibility with your hardware and software are great, but what if you don’t need all that? What if all you need is a simple, efficient way to play a video game?
If that’s you, then it’s time to leave your gaming PC or laptop alone and pick up a console. And we’ll tell you all the reasons why you should do that here.
1. Console Gaming Costs Less
Regarding upfront costs, you will spend much less to get started on a console than on a computer. For example, with a $500 budget, your best bet with a PC is to get a gaming laptop. And any gaming laptop worth $500 is not worth it. If you want to build a PC, the average cost of a graphics card alone is around $300.
However, you could get a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S for that amount. You’ll enjoy good graphics and brilliant performance while also not looking cheap. You could even save more money and go a generation lower, leaving you a little extra you could use to put toward acheap gaming monitor.
Even after you manage to build a PC, you still have to consider that there is a PC gaming culture of using the latest graphics card. If you want to keep up with that, it could cost you the price of a new console for each upgrade.
On top of that, PCs are prone to running into software and hardware trouble because they are made of different detachable components, and they often see way more use than consoles. Consoles can help differentiate your work hardware and gaming hardware and extend the longevity of both.
2. Consoles Get Exclusives
You can’t play God of War Ragnarök on a PC, nor can you play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on anything that’s not a Nintendo Switch. PCs are generic machines that rarely get something “exclusive” in the same sense consoles can. Get a console if you would like to tap into the feeling of being part of something limited to a certain number of people.
Sometimes, consoles also get early access to major AAA games, which is a big bonus for streamers and YouTubers. That’s also one of the reasons consoles are on ourpro gamer hardware checklist.
3. Go Mobile With Portable Consoles
The only response PC gaming has to portable consoles is gaming laptops. And not only are those large, bulky, and difficult to lug around, but they also generate a lot of noise and heat. Unfortunately, gaming laptops just aren’t optimized for playing on the go.
Imagine taking out a bulky hard-edged gaming laptop on the metro when instead, you could quietly pull out a Nintendo Switch Lite while waiting to get to your stop. Consoles answer the question of mobility with efficiency and style.
4. Games Are Generally Better Optimized on Consoles
When Hogwarts Legacy launched in 2023, console gamers had the time of their lives creating memories in a virtual Hogwarts Castle hitch-free. However, the subreddits were full of PC gamers complaining about how the game was laggy, buggy or the animations were acting up. Not only were these issues caused by improper optimization upon its launch, but you could also blame it on the fact that PC gamers must adjust their game settings and hardware to handle games adequately.
It’s difficult for developers to design a large game that caters to the various types of hardware available in the PC gaming ecosystem. The result is that some of the work is left for the players to figure out. This could make non-tech-savvy players enjoy their games less since each new game they play might be a troubleshooting episode.
Consoles are based on the good ol’ fashioned plug-and-play ideology. Insert your disc or cartridge, and you’re able to play as soon as the game loads without worrying about graphics and performance settings. Switching to console gaming can save you all that trouble.
5. Enjoy Haptic Feedback With Console Controllers
Two of thethings we love about the PS5’s DualSense controllerare its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. They give you an immersion you cannot get by using a keyboard and mouse. Experience mild recoil as you shoot a gun with haptic feedback, while the adaptive trigger will offer some resistance like you squeezed a trigger. If these features are a big deal for you, then it’s time to switch to gaming on a console.
While Microsoft has added haptic feedback to its newer generation consoles, Sony’s PS5 still stands above it with adaptive triggers and a more advanced haptic feedback system.
6. Consoles Discourage Piracy and Cheating
Online FPS and battle royale games are full of people trying to use aimbots, AI cheating software, and unethical hacks to get an advantage. Unfortunately, almost all of these people are PC players. PCs inherently provide software flexibility, allowing gamers to create and install all kinds of game mods and support software. Certain hackers even know how to disable anti-cheat programs that come with games.
Luckily, you can avoid that with a console. While online games these days allow cross-platform play, you can still choose to play with people using the same platform as you. And if you’re a console gamer, you can rest easy knowing that the likelihood of running into someone that’s cheating is very very low.
Lastly, consoles discourage piracy, and installing software on unmodified consoles is more challenging than on PCs. If you want to avoid the temptation of stealing games, risking fines, and viruses, you could just play on a console.
7. Couch Gaming and Local Multiplayer
Remember the times you and your friends could hop on the couch and play some Mario Kart split-screen? Well, those times still exist if you go back to playing on a console.
Technically, it’s possible to play some games using local multiplayer on a PC. However, it doesn’t offer the same ease as picking up a controller and turning on the TV. A good example of this is Fortnite. It’s possible toplay Fortnite split-screen multiplayer on a PS5 or PS4, but the same functionality is missing in the PC version of the game.
Enjoy the Best of PC and Console Gaming
If you really want to enjoy your gaming, and you can afford it, then you should try to use both consoles and PCs. Enjoy the exclusives, portability, and optimization of a console and combine it with the culture, power, and visuals of a PC. Discriminating will do nothing but hamper your gaming life.
However, if you want to enjoy simplicity and save a lot of money going down a hardware rabbit hole, then this is your cue to abandon your gaming PC and embrace the way of the console.
It can be tricky to choose your next main gaming console. If you’re torn between a gaming PC, laptop, or console, we’ll help you decide.
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