• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

When you use consoles, do you sometimes feel frustrated by the lack of control?

fireflame

Member
I use both pc of consoles, but one thing that bugs me a bit when i use console,s is the fact i cannot do some things that feel obvious to me. For example, it is hard to accept thata new console can lock users from backing up their saves. The impossibility to mod games is something i understand to some extent, they want to avoid piracy, but I feel that overall , it would be great for console users to have more customization options to have more control on products they buy.

There are tweaks and things i can apply to games on pc,regarding the way a game run, if i want to skip cutscenes automatically when game is launched, sometimes i can fix a bug before the patch is out.

I feel that when i use a pc, if limiatitions annoy me i can blow them up, fix my game, apply specific solutions, while on consoles you are much more dependant on the good will of the console maker and publishers/developers. How do you feel about that?
 
Console only player who abandoned PC a while ago here. No, I don't "miss" that sort of stuff. I didn't take advantage of those kinds of things when I was playing on PC anyway.

I don't view it as a loss of control because it wasn't something I was controlling in the first place. I can see how someone who did could see it that way, though.
 

PsionBolt

Member
No, I'm not particularly bothered by any of the things you mention. Console games do what they do, and that's that; I like that about them. Pure, honest, simple, easy.

Not to mention, other than current-gen platforms, you have just as much control over console games as you have over PC games. I play a ton of old (or just not-new) games, and sure, sometimes it's fun to modify them or use cheats -- so I see where you're coming from a tiny bit, I suppose, but I'm not sure it's as big a deal as you make it sound.
 
The only thing that really bothers me is somehow region based. When a game supports Spanish language and yet, the game is still in English, it pisses me off. For example, Square Enix games support multiple languages but I have to put my PS4 on SPANISH (SPAIN) instead of SPANISH (LATIN AMERICA) which is the one I usually use. This shit shouldn't be happening in 2017 and there should be a way to fix this on the console.
 

Zojirushi

Member
Yeah but for the handful of exclusives I use them for these days I've stopped getting annoyed by their shortcomings like OS or update pains. It's not worth it anymore for me.
 
Nope. I like to keep it simple and minimal with my consoles, build a PC if you want all of that, that's what I'd say.

That said, Nintendo needs to update the Switch with cloud backup today.
 
I thought this was going to be about controller vs. mouse/keyboard when I saw the title, but either way, yes. I accept the differences as part of how each ecosystem works, so it doesn't usually bother me, but ideally I would love it if consoles were as open and adaptable as PCs.

A big example for me personally is screenshots. If I never have to deal with the hoops I have to jump through to capture from the Wii U or 3DS, it will be too soon. And on PC, it's often possible to activate things like free camera and no-HUD modes that are left to the mercy of the developer on consoles.
 

Durante

Member
I don't feel frustrated by the lack of control sometimes, but rather all the time.

It's a major reason for me to only see consoles as a very last resort if I really want to play an exclusive.
 
I don't feel frustrated by the lack of control sometimes, but rather all the time.

It's a major reason for me to only see consoles as a very last resort if I really want to play an exclusive.


you must be doing something wrong, because the fourth post on this topic clearly says you have the same control on consoles. Better look into what the problem is on your end
 

Durante

Member
you must be doing something wrong, because the fourth post on this topic clearly says you have the same control on consoles. Better look into what the problem is on your end
I'm probably just not good enough to implement a speed hack or higher-res ambient occlusion into my console games :,(
 

Mihos

Gold Member
Mods and being able to play across a spectrum of different hardware configurations including multiple mobile options, with a huge amount of peripheral choices will always make console second choice.
 

BigEmil

Junior Member
Controller is much more comfortable for my arms and body than the stance needed to use Keyboard and Mouse.
 

NahaNago

Member
No, but i can see how some folks would get frustrated by not being able to tweak everything to whatever they desire. I think that might be more a personality issue.
 

ViolentP

Member
I'm primarily play on PC but when I play on console, I never feel hamstrung by it's control. I understand it's par for the course and easily accept it for what it is.
 
Yes, however it really comes down to expectations. I mean sure I'd love my console to have more option and give me back some control (Love when my PS4 Pro titles have graphical options). But I already know it's effectively a gimped PC and accept that when I play games on it. If it's a title where I feel that extra level of control is imperative to the optimal experience I just get it on PC. Otherwise it's the trade-off of deals/savings/resell that allow me to just accept the more restricted experience.

TLDR: Yes, but I know what to expect and accept the trade-offs.

I'm probably just not good enough to implement a speed hack or higher-res ambient occlusion into my console games :,(

If you could just... What's the phrase? Git Gud. You're really letting us down here.
 

CookTrain

Member
Isn't the lack of control the selling point of consoles, by and large?

Many people just want a box they can shove at their TV and go, and even that is becoming less and less the case these days.
 
Isn't the lack of control the selling point of consoles, by and large?

Many people just want a box they can shove at their TV and go, and even that is becoming less and less the case these days.

On PC you can just tap recommended for the most part too and it has that effect. Many games even will pre set options prior to starting based on your hardware. Couldn't really hurt to have the option to tweak a few things.

Kind of like how Bioshock way back introduced a check box for unlocking framerate on console with the disclaimer that it may result in unoptimized play. If people don't want to tweak, they won't. But what's the harm in allowing some setting changes.

Chromatic Abberation removal alone would be awesome if it were included more often lol.
 

CookTrain

Member
On PC you can just tap recommended for the most part too and it has that effect. Many games even will pre set options prior to starting based on your hardware. Couldn't really hurt to have the option to tweak a few things.

Kind of like how Bioshock way back introduced a check box for unlocking framerate on console with the disclaimer that it may result in unoptimized play. If people don't want to tweak, they won't. But what's the harm in allowing some setting changes.

Chromatic Abberation removal alone would be awesome if it were included more often lol.

I don't think there's any harm in it at all. I just don't know who that's for, after a certain point, ya know? Tinkerer/optimisation mindset and consoles don't seem like good bedfellows.
 
Not really. I remember using stuff like FRAPS to monitor frames and tweaking stuff until I could get to 60fps. Now I turn that stuff off and just play the game at a high preset and only make a change if it feels off. I'm not as sensitive to framerate and input lag as some people. The only thing that would bother me is playing console versions of games like the Witcher 3 and Skyrim since you don't get the robust mods.
 
Sometimes. I'd like the option to lock a frame rate if it's unlocked and unstable. I'd also like an easy way to backup my saves to Dropbox.
 
I don't think there's any harm in it at all. I just don't know who that's for, after a certain point, ya know? Tinkerer/optimisation mindset and consoles don't seem like good bedfellows.

Ehhh, maybe, I'm not so sure though. I am one. I have multiple consoles and a gaming PC. I love games and I love options. I can't imagine it's an insignificant amount of people that own a gaming PC and console who also like to "tinker". I also think tinkering is a bit overstating. Setting refinement or third party programs are different than say what Durante does. I guess for me tinkering would mean people who like to heavily modify or even overhaul certain things to try and improve the experience.
 

Fbh

Member
As someone who plays on both. No, not really.

But I do like how several developers have started offering various graphical presets for their games.
I don't think that we will ever see a full graphical options menu on consoles since that isn't really what the console market wants , but I do like how we can choose between graphics and performance in some games and I hope it becomes standard some day.
 

spons

Member
Simplicity is part of the appeal of consoles. The "just works" mentality is one of the biggest reasons to play on those devices.

Unless it doesn't work, then you'll have to wait for patches or just suck it up.
 
By the time I install a game, get it patched, get the controls right, graphics configured, mods installed, I'm no longer interested in playing anymore.

Futurama-Fry.jpg
 
Since consoles are basically just exclusive boxes and media centres for me, the only time I really "miss" anything is when I'm forced to put in a password or type text and I have to use a gamepad to type, which is always supremely awkward. If a game is available on PC, that's where I'm playing it with very few exceptions.
 

ironmang

Member
Really the only thing that bothers me with console games is the lack of custom button mapping. A couple preset options just isn't good enough. Other than that though I appreciate the plug and play nature of consoles and have had boatloads of frustrating experiences with PC gaming.
 
I do. Without tweakable graphical settings if a game runs like shit I can't do a damn thing to remedy that by turning off effects or lowering graphical settings. I'm beholden to the developer and publisher to have to try and push out a patch to fix performances issues, on the PC I can usually rectify that in minutes. The Last Guardian on the vanilla PS4 being a recent example for me.
 

Jacqli

Member
I feel frustated when I buy a game and have to wait for the installation and updates to be completed.

I love my PC, but I do not think consoles should become computers (they will also be worse because of the closed system nature). Each their own. I prefer developers trying to make the most of the system, even though I am aware that is not the norm.
 

meerak

Member
I've always had both PCs and consoles. Modding is the only element I ever miss on consoles really, everything else is no biggie.
 
Yeah, I know, but it's true. Last big one I messed with was Skyrim. It was a thing of beauty once it was up and running, but I quit after like a day and never went back. Played the whole thing on a console instead. This has happened a lot to me for some reason.

I guess I can understand that one, Bethesda ES/Fallout games occupy a really unique space for that particular issue. I did the same thing as you. But eventually just settled into a core set of mods that we're focused on gameplay and UI improvements versus getting every locale, enemy, weapon, quests etc. And couldn't imagine not having mods in those titles.
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
In all fairness it shouldn't be frustrating to miss things that were never part of the console experience. Consoles are what they are, and if you really want more control over every aspect of your game, stick to your PC.
 
Top Bottom