Support NeoGAF

[Edgelord79]

I don’t. I like to have both. However if there could only be one I would choose PC. Glad that’s not the case though.

 

[Edgelord79]

This sounds waaay too human.

Probably cause it is.

 

[Lokaum D+]

how dafuq u exclude Nintendo when u can play every Nintendo game at 4K ( even 60fps with mods ) on PC ?

 

[Skifi28]

Probably cause it is.

bender you have been insulted!

 

[bender]

Probably cause it is.

Great artists steal.

 

[Sanepar]

Since SNES consoles don't worth to own. PC is the way.

 

[McGILLAZ]

Not sure I am the only one feeling this way. But while I have always preferred playing on PC, I used to love consoles and respect and appreciate them. They used to have unique bespoke hardware that was different from the rest of the industry and usually marked a generational leap in the technology used for games that bled over into the PC side of things too. The hardware was unique that had games developed exclusively for and around it (optimizing games for a fixed spec meant that developers extracted a lot more performance from the silicon than they could elsewhere where they relied on abstraction layers and other similar overhead). Console controllers were different and controls were different. Their capabilities were different. Their games were distinct and unique to them, and each console felt different from one another, and from PC gaming, and from arcades.

Today that is no longer the case. PlayStation and Xbox are basically the same hardware. They no longer rely on fixed specs and hardware profiles, with mid gen refreshes and budget models like Pro/Series S. 99.99% of the games are shared between the two platforms, as well as with PC gaming. The controls and controllers are identical. Third party exclusives are dead. Even first party games are no longer exclusive, and often come to at least PC (and if Microsoft has something to say about it, on other consoles too). The generational leaps are smaller and smaller every time, and they no longer are cutting edge even at release (especially compared to PC). Consoles don't even get price drops anymore, which was another thing in their favour. When PCs went all digital, physical media was in consoles' favour, but that's no longer the case as they move increasingly digital. Plug and play used to be a big thing on consoles, but now we have to install games and wait on updates on consoles too. Consoles just feel like worse, more locked down PCs at this point - at which point why not just... play on PC?

The only console that feels like consoles used to (and are supposed to) is the Switch. it's full plug and play, physical media on the Switch tends to mean more than on other systems, it has unique hardware and unique controls, it has first party games that are never going to PC, let alone PlayStation or Xbox, it even has third party exclusives (though fewer than older Nintendo systems may have had, and they do tend to get ported eventually). If the Switch 2 continues the same style and success that the current Switch has, I will probably forego PlayStation entirely starting next gen (haven't owned an Xbox in years so that's no longer a concern) and just go with PC plus Nintendo consoles from now.

I don't know. I just feel like consoles are an unnecessarily worse version of something better that exists elsewhere. As someone who grew up with PlayStation this feels a bit depressing.

I think something else that's kind of interesting that I don't hear many people talking about is that there's a lot of excitement around the Ps5 Pro, but there's multiple instances of Sony censoring 3rd party titles that are uncensored elsewhere.....Devil May Cry 5 comes to mind.

I don't understand the logic of why you might pay more for a slightly more powerful console that censors titles, whereas the competition and PC (which some might argue is the superior experience) do not.

I also think that the magic of having multiple consoles (at least back when I started collecting) offered wildly different experiences for multi-platform titles - think Aladdin on Sega vs SNES...completely different games - and that is sadly gone.

 

[IDWhite]

Nintendo excluded? People are emulating Switch games on their phones (and running better than on the Switch, btw) due to the ARM architecture being very common to cellphone chips

Maybe you are excluding it for being weak, and not x86 like the other consoles, but its not unique at all. Or maybe you are excluding it due to its exclusive games.

Dont fret OP, 'cause consoles will soon abandon x86 for ARM. From the leaks the next Xbox will be ARM, and I bet that Sony will do the same, if not with PS6, they will with PS7.

There's no point anymore on making unique architectures. Spending billions in R&D for marginally better performance. See the PS3, how much it cost Sony when in the end it wasnt a world apart compared to the 360.
Not only that, but now Sony is porting games to PC. Keeping it similar in terms of hardware makes thing easier in terms of porting games.

Making unique architectures on consoles are the only way to solve some huge limitations. The problem is that on PC you can't do the same, and that's why multi-platform software cannot be designed for specific hardware anymore.

On PC you can make a huge CPU or GPU with dedicated hardware to some things like RT or IA, but aside from that on memory, motherboard, controllers... All comes to the same standars we have from decades.

This generation of consoles solves a huge bottleneck from the past on the I/O side. It is not a marginal difference, it is enormous.

 

[Pop]

It's always been about exclusives for consoles. Xbox failed not only at that but releasing day 1 on GP and PC. Disaster

As long as Sony and Nintendo stay away from Day 1 on PC then they will be just fine

 

[reinking]

I'm sorry to disagree but consoles still feel like consoles to me. They have added streaming and digital but nothing feels particularly PC-like when I am playing on a console. I find the timing of all of these "consoles are doomed" posts a bit in line with the rumors of what Xbox is doing next. It could be coincidence, or it could be applying what MS is doing to the whole industry. Both PlayStation and Nintendo were around before MS entered the console market adn will be around after. If someone really feels that consoles are too PC-like and no longer worth owning, do yourself a favor and sell your consoles while you can get a little back and then invest in your PC. Nothing wrong with that at all. I play on PC more than consoles but that does not change my opinion.

 

[manzo]

Well, I just built a new PC, first one after ditching PC gaming altogether in 2008.

Back then, Japanese games that I mainly played never came to PC so it was always just the random Falcom games system.

Now I find my main platforms PC and Nintendo. All games that come from Japan to Playstation end up being on PC these days, so no need to pay for PS plus. I keep the PS5 around for being a Roblox and Minecraft machine for the kids and the random occasionally coming exclusive.

I really hate the PC though as a game system, but having a non-Nintendo console doesn’t really make sense anymore.

 

[nkarafo]

They may be PC boxes but they still have better value than regular PCs, at least hardware wise. Graphics cards are still much more expensive than they should be and let's not even mention the crypto boom period.

I still prefer the freedom of the open PC platform and i'm still willing to pay more for the same performance level. But there were times when i was this close on giving up and getting a console instead.

 

[{insert code here}]

I miss consoles having exotic hardware. PS3 was really the last console that engineered with a unique architecture and had they not forced the Blu-ray drive in there they could've sold them at better margins out the gate and not bleed cash for all those years. It really was not needed at that point in time for games and the costs/benefit ratio of having it was skewed in the wrong direction. You could've had a profitable, 400$ PS3 day one had they skipped the Blu-ray drive.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Since SNES consoles don't worth to own. PC is the way.

If my PC dies, my SNES still works. I have something to fall back on.

 

[BattleScar]

You people spend more time thinking about games, than fucking playing them. Jesus fucking christ.
Buy a console, don't buy a console. Unique Architecture/gimmick, no unique archtitecture/gimmick. Who the fuck actually cares?

 

[BennyBlanco]

I agree but I see this as a good thing. The less hardware I have to buy, the better. PC + Nintendo is fine with me.

 

[CartesianMan]

The changes in the world are not always for the better.
Now, you are buying a service, not a console.
And you pay not only with your money but also with your data. In return, everything is faster and seamless.

 

[Portugeezer]

PC has no physical games basically, until consoles go all digital, that alone makes consoles worth owning.

 

[MrMephistoX]

Would have to disagree on PS5 hardware it’s aesthetically more interesting at least and I just like the feel of the Dual Sense compared to the Xbox controller scheme which I’ll admit has become the standard across PC and console and that’s totally serviceable. I have a Steam Deck too and it’s basically just an Xbox controller with a screen just as the Portal is a dual sense with a screen but there are still extra Sony touches like the LED highlights and pressure sensitive buttons that make it feel unique and less “just fine”. As long as Sony continues to put out cool looking hardware I’ll be content.

 

[Zathalus]

blame xbox.

No seriously. They introduced PC architecture to console gaming as a whole. then Sony followed with PS4.

Back then it was a revolutionary and smart idea. Now, while it's got a ton of benefits and is a more practical solution overall, it does lead to these consoles losing their charm and identity somewhat

PS4 went with a PC architecture because no one is capable of competing with AMD and Nvidia when it comes to powerful GPUs. x86 can be replaced with ARM now but consoles will be stuck with PC GPUs for the foreseeable future. Xbox was just ahead of the curve, although it wasn't even the first console with a GPU developed by a PC company.

 

[Venom Snake]

Step 1: Stop whining. Nostalgia is a bad bitch, it makes everything that concerns you here and now seem worse than it really is.
Step 2: Buy Stellar Blade.
Step 3: Follow that ass and and find enlightenment.

 

[scarlet0pimp]

I don't get it a game is a game no matter where you play it. Sometimes it's good to sit in the couch and play sometimes it's good to sit at a desk and play.
Doesn't matter where you play pc or console if you are having fun then it's all good.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

They're a refreshing breath of air compared to all the armchair Sony business analysis threads.

Like what?

 

[Madserb2023]

Yes, consoles aren't unique anymore, but that's not entirely a bad thing. It has streamlined game development. Seems ridiculous to say considering how long it is to make games now, but imagine if developers were having to wrap their heads around some esoteric Cell 3.0. it would be even more extreme. The one benefit of the old IBM Power PC processors that you had in the Xbox 360 etc is that they were RISC based, thus theoretically could achieve more performance using less power. If we had never moved to X86 we could potentially have more powerful consoles in a smaller form factor. However with ARM processor entering the PC space which are similar to the old IBM processors we could end up going full circle.

 

[diffusionx]

I tried for a while to do the living room PC thing and it just didn’t work for me. I like having a console there and it’s the thing I use for streaming and everything. I play different games on my PC too, hooked up in my office, and it all just works out fine. I would never play, I don't know, Age of Wonders on my TV but I also don’t want to play God of War on my computer monitor.

 

[ArtHands]

how dafuq u exclude Nintendo when u can play every Nintendo game at 4K ( even 60fps with mods ) on PC ?

You can but there’re various compromises to be made to emulate many Wii/Wii U/DS/3DS games, due to their features like gyro gestures, dual screens, 2nd screen functionality, touch screen, etc.

 

[ULTROS!]

I know people will say PC is just like a console and all and better to invest there but I dunno, I really don’t have time and money to invest in a high def PC just to play games on an easier plug and play machine.

Plus I use a Mac.

I have a mid range laptop for very select PC games but that’s mostly for playing with friends (L4D and DOTA).

 

[Jormatar]

Imagine paying 2000 dollars to reach 60fps on games when a 500 dollars console can achieve that also.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Imagine paying 2000 dollars to reach 60fps on games when a 500 dollars console can achieve that also.

Nowadays it's 144fps actually. You can go higher ofc but I think that's a bit overkill.

 

[Sentenza]

blame xbox.

No seriously. They introduced PC architecture to console gaming as a whole. then Sony followed with PS4.

Back then it was a revolutionary and smart idea. Now, while it's got a ton of benefits and is a more practical solution overall, it does lead to these consoles losing their charm and identity somewhat

What you should blame is the fact that custom chipsets (or worse, CPU/GPU) became *exponentially* more complex and expensive to design over the years, so no one has the know-how and the budget to waste in top-of-the-line research and manufacture, just for a single-use device in a relatively-niche market.

 

[ahtlas7]

I feel ya. Basically same for me. At this moment, I don’t think I’ll buy into another console generation. I’d rather put the money into pc upgrades.

 

[KuraiShidosha]

The sentiment is objectively correct, but Nintendo is not excluded. If you had access to emulators, you'd understand why.

 

[magnumpy]

back in my day, things were different

 

[Kokoro2020]

I haven't really used my PC for gaming in years. I prefer gaming on consoles and always have. Besides, I don't have enough storage on my PC, and can't be bothered to buy any new hard drives for it.

 

[SScorpio]

PS4 went with a PC architecture because no one is capable of competing with AMD and Nvidia when it comes to powerful GPUs. x86 can be replaced with ARM now but consoles will be stuck with PC GPUs for the foreseeable future. Xbox was just ahead of the curve, although it wasn't even the first console with a GPU developed by a PC company.

The OG Xbox was a P3/Celeron and NVIDIA GPU. But the 360 was an AMD GPU, and the PS3 was an NVIDIA GPU.

So this actually happened before that gen. The Wii had a supped up version of the Gamecube's GPU that was "ATI" at the time, but was developed by an external company which ATI acquired, before then being acquired themselves by AMD. After the Wii-U, the Switch is using an NVIDIA GPU. So we're now all in on the AMD and NVIDIA duopoly.

 

[KXVXII9X]

I wonder if it is because I grew up with Nintendo and their handheld, but I always thought it made sense to have each console try to differentiate themselves from another and offer more to the experience than just graphics.

I was really confused at all the hate with exclusive titles or anything to make a console stand out. The two 4K consoles are so close to the PC now that it makes more sense to just get a PC. It offers almost none of the upsides of PC and barely any of the benefits of being a console anymore. At least on PC you can mod, have more control over your settings, free online, and now play on various kinds of handheld PC's now giving the platform a lot more flexibility. Aside from sharper resolution, a moderate jump in lighting, faster loading times, and the haptic feedback/adaptive triggers, I don't see much of a difference from last generation. It is why I haven't gotten an Xbox Series X or PS5. I just use my Switch OLED and my gaming PC and it covers just about everything.

Going back to my first paragraph, I find just focusing on power really boring. Incredibly so. I welcome better graphics, but I also need more to enhance the experience. It is a shame everything is labeled a gimmick, and gamers have a huge aversion to consoles having unique features and games. Having a console with unique hardware allows for new gameplay ideas like with the Nintendo DS,Wii/U, and now VR. The hybrid model of the Switch introduced so much flexibility to gamers such as being able to play handheld, tabletop, and docked while also allowing you to split the controller to allow local multiplayer. The controllers also allowed for motion controls as well.

We've mostly been using the same control layout since the PS2 era, and the gameplay hasn't evolved much from the Ps3 days. I do think better graphics are important and do enhance the experience but that alone isn't sufficient anymore.