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[Lionheart1337]

+
Performance
Image quality
Customization/Mods
Dedicated servers
Steam
-
Comfy couch
Can't use controller
You feel like you're at the job every time you play a game
Having to know things beyond how to put the disc in
It's too expensive
DRM

Spoiler

Most if not all of the advantages and disadvantages of the PC are the by-product of it being an Open platform.

 

[Yoritomo]

Pro of PC gaming:

I don't have to screw with media. All my games are now in the attic. My 360 and PS3 game cases are an eyesore.

 

[Sqrt_minus_one]

Cons:
Need for hardware upgrades in order to keep up with modern games is much more expensive than consoles

Since games aren't tailored for one set of hardware games may need some fidgeting around to work properly even if you have powerful enough hardware.

I am sorry to butt in but I think that has been false for quite a while.

@Lionheart

yes I can use a controller, my wired 360 controller works perfectly
comfy couch is more complex to get round but you can get round it with relative ease.
DRM is most definitely a con
you generally don't have to know much beyond putting the disc in if you do the dev has done a piss poor job
Expense - well depends how you look at it - if u were going to buy a new computer spending an extra $200 - $400 on PC gaming components is not that bad

 

[alphaNoid]

I am not sure I understand. You still have FPS, screen tearing and so on with consoles. You just won't use fraps to see them and change settings to improve them. With PCs you also have the option to just not give a fuck about all that if you want. I am not really sure how many out of% PC gamers do give a serious fuck about that actually and even use Fraps.

Its basically a none issue on consoles, you put a game in and hit play. Games are optimized to run their best on that platform and on a PC you need to tweak the game to run its best as the consumer.

Just sayin'

 

[Tiktaalik]

I think the largest Pro is simply that PC gaming offers different sort of games that can't be found on the console. These are ultra small, cheap indie games to larger budget, complex games whose market has moved entirely to the PC (or never left). We're seeing some cross over now (ie. Witcher 2) but there's still plenty of genres that have become or remain mostly PC only.

The main downside for me is because of the nature of the PC platform I find that there's often a host of minor technical issues to resolve with some games (or just the PC in general). I would consider myself adept with computers (I did build mine myself) and yet I often run into random small annoyances. Recently I suffered the issue where after unplugging my headphones I would lose all sound from my main speakers (even restarting my computer wouldn't solve this). I did resolve that issue but I could imagine the frustration level for someone who didn't have a strong familiarity with computers would be very high.

With regard to shoddy ports I think you have to develop a sense of which games are going to have good PC versions and which ones aren't. Most of my PC purchases are for games I would only be able to find on the PC.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

You just divided by 0, partner.

If you give him the benefit of the doubt, he might mean that he doesn't care about achieving that perfect 60 fps that PC gamers can obtain. But on consoles, maintaining a good framerate is still very important, as it is on PC I'd imagine, but that magic 60 doesn't mean as much to do.

But his head could just be in the looney bin.

 

[ChoklitReign]

My favorite advantages are multiple input choices (e.g. mice for shooters, gamepads for platformers), mods, cheaper games, and better graphics. I don't like the strict hardware requirements, DRM, and gaming PC prices, all of which give PC gaming a higher entry barrier than consoles ($300 and you can play hundreds of games for 5-10 years, more if there's BC). Onlive's method--one service to play games on any computer--is the ideal system I want to see PC games reach since it has the simplicity of consoles. I think cloud gaming, plus digital distribution, will become the industry standard when internet bandwidth improves and the DD competition withers down.

 

[delta25]

You just divided by 0, partner.

yeaaa, I'm really not sure what I said there but I think you get the gist of it.

 

[Yoritomo]

Not true. Reading text in 1920x1080 on a 40" TV from more than 2 meters / 6.5 feet away is pretty hard with standard and even big Windows fontsize. Most PC exclusives have the same problem with ingame text.

I've only had an issue with classic games that were meant to be played on very low resolution screens. (You know 600 lines of vertical resolution, or in other words what console gamers think is just fine and dandy.)

 

[_illmatic_]

I have a Wii, PS3 and gaming PC. To me at least, it feels like when I play my consoles I can do nothing else but game on it. No TV, no music, no internet (websites, youtube, etc.) With PC all that is at my finger tips. I guess its pretty weird but when I wanna play Red Dead or Demon Souls, I have to be able to set aside about 45 mins to be able to play. On PC I just hop on do all kinds of things play a match of TF2 switch to SCII, then on to CS:S, L4D2, Civ V, all while checking neogaf, youtube channels, etc.

 

[Vanillalite]

+
Performance
Image quality
Customization/Mods
Dedicated servers
Steam
-
Comfy couch
Can't use controller
You feel like you're at the job every time you play a game
Having to know things beyond how to put the disc in
It's too expensive
DRM

Spoiler

Most if not all of the advantages and disadvantages of the PC are the by-product of it being an Open platform.

But you CAN?

 

[Durante]

PC gaming is all about choice.

+ choose the tradeoff between image quality and framerate -- go up to 1440p/8xAA or 120 FPS

+ choose how much you're willing to spend on hardware to increase the ceiling for both of the above

+ choose whether to buy games in retail, per mail order or via one of several digital distribution platforms

+ choose your input method from keyboard/mouse, gamepads, flight or arcade sticks or any other peripheral ever dreamed up

+ choose whether to play from your comfy couch on your TV or beamer, or from your ergonomic chair at your desk

+ choose how to customize and extend your games as you wish via mods -- for free

+ choose which games to play from a huge variety of AAA, A, B and indie titles

Masters choose, servants accept.

 

[dark10x]

It has a lot of advantages, but there are a select few disadvantages that keep me playing consoles as well (I enjoy both).

First and foremost, in general, you DO get spectacular performance from games on the PC provided you have the hardware, but every so often a port or release comes along that just doesn't behave the way I'd like. Little hitches or issues crop up and, even after pouring over forums, I never run across a fix. This kind of thing frustrates me. One such example is something like Blur. I love the game and purchased the PC version first, but I ran into an issue that resulted in a graphical hitch every few seconds regardless of settings. Was never able to solve it and, as a result, the game was never playable for me. I ended up buying the PS3 version later and had a blast. These types of occurrences can be quite frustrating and occur more frequently than I would like. That said, by and large, your average PC game is going to run very well. In addition to performance issues you'll also run into other issues from time to time. I mostly game from my theater room with a 360 pad, and occasionally you'll run across a game that doesn't support it properly. I don't expect that for something like Starcraft, but if a console port lacks proper gamepad support I just won't play it on the PC.

Secondly, however, I enjoy collecting games and game hardware. There's just something more appealing to me about owning a real console and its disc. Owning PC game discs just doesn't hold the same meaning to me and now that Steam has become such a popular service, the idea of a physical PC title is disappearing. I love Steam sales, but I would never ever purchase a new game I cared about on Steam. If I go for a PC version, even if it is a Steam game, I'll still pick up the packaged version regardless.

PC gaming works out for me about 85% of the time, but there are a lot of little kinks and issues that CAN crop up from time to time that are just frustrating to deal with. At the same time, PC gaming can save a game that performs poorly on consoles. Bionic Commando, Duke Nukem Forever, and plenty of other "B" games were a great deal of fun on the PC but absolutely ruined on consoles due to slow framerates and bad loading times.

 

[StMeph]

Console ports aside, PC games are built on hardware that pushes better graphics, better physics, and better inputs. Using a keyboard and mouse provides the peripherals for a more complex and more precise system that controllers just are not able to replicate.

Part of the dumbing down of PC games is tied to the rise of consoles. Console simplicity might a plus for debugging and getting users on the same platform, but it ages poorly and can only upgrade generationally. By the time a console generation flips (6-8 years), that's 3-4 PC generations.

But content producers like consoles because the consumer base is more likely to buy games than pirate it as on PC, and multiplatforming is the way to go now to defray ever-growing development costs.

What were some of the best games to have come out on PC? What were some of the best games to come out on consoles? There's a huge difference in the complexity of the game.

+ Potential for HUGE games. High resolution textures. Large in-game areas. The advantages of better hardware.
+ Mods from enthusiast communities. Gives games a much longer lifespan and sometimes fixes issues the developer won't or can't (Troikaaaaaaaaa).
+ Precision in inputs. That said, I miss twitch. Do you miss twitch? Twitch is dead. Long live twitch.
+ Multitasking. Play games WHILE ALSO DOING OTHER THINGS. MIND: BLOWN.

- Non-standard platform means needing some minimal understanding of what hardware components do. Even if you don't build your own PC, you have to know what you're buying. And even if you do build your own PC, please stop buying 1000w PSUs for your 1x GTX 560.
- Cost. The price for a decent PC is still about the price of a console. The price for a good PC is more than the price of a console. The price of a great PC is insane and buying the latest tech is always expensive. GPUs that cost more than a PS3? Yes, that is why people flock to console gaming.
- Rampant cheating. Not all games, but hacks are way more common and frequently exploited in online PC games.
- Games for Windows Live. It's a cancer.

I remember that old picture when this generation first released:

Do you like games?

Yes -> Get a PC.

No ->

Do you have friends?

If "No" -> Get a PS3. If "Yes",

Are they real-life friends?

If "No" -> Get an Xbox 360. If "Yes" -> Get a Wii.​

There are good console games. I have all of this generation's consoles, handhelds included. But I prefer playing games on PC when they're available, especially when they're exclusive, because I know that I am getting a more robust experience.

 

[Orayn]

+ Price of games. Delicious Steam sales!
+ Game catalog. All the modern multiplats and backwards compatibility back to forever ago.
+ Game selection. Lots of genres thrive on PC that haven't had any presence on consoles in a long time.
+ Longevity. Upgrading every few years can keep you playing new games on the same machine for a long time.
+ Gameplay Customization. Small mods, big mods, fan expansions, sometimes even free DLC if the devs are generous.
+ Graphical Customization. Hate motion blur? Turn it off. Love film grain? Turn it up.
+ Control Customization. Are you in love with a particular controller? A USB adapter almost certainly exists. Feel free to use it for anything and everything.
+ Multitasking. With practically anything the computer is otherwise capable of.
+ Multimedia. More cheap, legal sources of content and supported file formats than you can shake a stick at.

- Price of entry. No two ways about it, high-end PCs are expensive.
- Time investment. Building your own PC will take some time and effort when it comes to picking out and ordering parts, then putting the beast together.
- Potential for screwups. Badly configured drivers, parts that need RMA-ing, busted installations of your OS, malware... A lot can go wrong.
- General bullshit. Some games simply have problems. Whether it's performance, installation, or game content that doesn't work, things can be very uncooperative.
- Local multiplayer. LAN is great, but you will find very few same-screen multiplayer opportunities on PC.
- Complexity. Doing something on PC will generally involve more steps than on a console, iPad, etc.
- Maintenance. Performance in new games will eventually lag behind if you never upgrade.

PC gaming is... High level. There's more to do, more ways to do it, and more potential problems as well. It's honestly not for everyone, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives if you've got the patience and resources for everything.

 

[twdnewh_k]

Pro:
- Flexibilty and open platform (mods, settings, controls, software etc)
- Better controls/interface for some genres (RTS,FPS)
- Superior performance
- Cheaper software

Cons:
- Misses out on some multiplatform games (I'll never forgive you R*)
- Cheaper hardware
- Some minor tech issues (not a problem for me but could be for others)

 

[Lionheart1337]

If you give him the benefit of the doubt, he might mean that he doesn't care about achieving that perfect 60 fps that PC gamers can obtain. But on consoles, maintaining a good framerate is still very important, as it is on PC I'd imagine, but that magic 60 doesn't mean as much to do.

But his head could just be in the looney bin.

30fps and 60fps, while playable, are actually pretty shitty once you have played at 60+. I can't even imagine playing something like CSS at a locked 60. Maybe it's a multi-player specific thing.

 

[Durante]

I guess I missed out on the disadvantages in my post. That's understandable because there aren't many.

- you miss out on console exclusives

That's pretty much it, and the reason I own consoles.

 

[SensualSeduction]

Convenience,you have everything just a click away.

And its not a closed platform,i think that matters the most.

Dont know dissadvantages

 

[Tallshortman]

This Gen, I just don't know. Had to buy both an extra PS3 and 360 due to an out-of-warranty failure. Could have gone for their repair I guess but all I was going to get was a similar model refurb instead of their improved slim versions. This gen has been more expensive than needs be.

It doesn't outweigh the cost of buying a gaming PC (Only about $1000. Less if you can do with out top quality PC graphics) but console gaming is a lot more expensive than I would like.

Well I guess we just have different experiences. I have a launch PS3 that still runs like a dream. Honestly you can get a top tier PC these days for under $800 if you don't splooge on unnecessary stuff (SSD, expensive case, expensively branded memory, i7 2600k if you're just doing gaming). Of course I guess some people will argue an SSD is essential to a top tier build.

 

[Arnie]

There are many advantages to PC gaming.

Firstly the hardware itself is much more powerful and as some have said, can play games at 1080p with 60fps and 4xAA. This makes a huge difference, especially in multiplayer. Going from Bad Company 2 on 360 to PC was drastic for me, and that probably isn't a great example.

Secondly there is the mouse and keyboard. The mouse allows for so much more precision that it isn't really a contest. Playing a shooter with a mouse will always be superior to an analogue stick, without a doubt. Furthermore the keyboard allows for many unique inputs whereas a controller might be hamstrung to a small series of commands.

Finally there's distribution. Steam sales, for example. Not only that but games themselves are much cheaper because of the lack of hardware manufacturer royalties on top of the price.

As for disadvantages, there are a couple, but one HUGE one.

And that is perception. PC's will never be considered the de facto gaming platform for the masses, which will determine who you can and can't play with as a result. This is down to price, complexity and the general perception about gaming on a computer as opposed to a dedicated console or handheld device. I love to play games on the PC, but all my friends play on 360s, as a result the 360 sku is just more appealing to me because of that social element.

Lastly some other niggling issues with PC gaming: DRM, piracy (not to say piracy isn't also present on consoles, it's just much more of an issue on PC) and a required level of technological knowhow not needed with a console.

 

[ChoklitReign]

I think the higher price of entry is balanced out over time, by the lower prices of the games you purchase.

You'd have to buy a lot of console games for over $40 for this to be true. I've spent $150 on PC games this month alone. How much does the average console gamer buy games a month? Who is to say that I am average? I think most PC and console gamers spend equally.

 

[Smokey]

Advantage of console gaming: Not having to deal with stuff like this.

Instead deal with blurry as image quality, tearing, and inconsistent frame rates right? The d3doverrider program takes a few clicks to install and it starts with your pc. Tearing issues are gone and you get a framerate increase.

How are you gonna fix those console games that suffer from these issues? Dealwitit.gif?

This is one aspect that drove me with consoles.

 

[angular graphics]

- Non-standard platform means needing some minimal understanding of what hardware components do. Even if you don't build your own PC, you have to know what you're buying. And even if you do build your own PC, please stop buying 1000w PSUs for your 1x GTX 560.

That's a "problem" of buying a computer in general, IMO.

If you don't know what you're buying, chances are you haven't made a good purchase.

 

[Lionheart1337]

- Local multiplayer. LAN is great, but you will find very few same-screen multiplayer opportunities on PC.

I think the local multiplayer argument is kind of dead at this point, modern games give a fuck-less about it it seems. and besides there are options for local play on a PC, but like everything else on the PC it might just take some time to set up. Otherwise, well said.

I guess I missed out on the disadvantages in my post. That's understandable because there aren't many.

- you miss out on console exclusives

That's pretty much it, and the reason I own consoles.

After playing PC for a while now, I really don't even care about console exclusives anymore, maybe I`m biased but if it aint good enough to make it to PC, it just aint good enough period.

 

[Valnen]

Which many many pc games do. Every non-pc exclusive barring Mass Effect 2 and BFBC2 has great controller support. Even Witcher 2 has great controller support.

Mass Effect 1 lacking controller support is the only thing preventing me from enjoying my steam copy of it =(. The mouse and keyboard controls feel so awkward in it.

 

[ksan]

The biggest advantage is that there are better games for PC.

 

[Tallshortman]

You'd have to buy a lot of console games for over $40 for this to be true. I've spent $150 on PC games this month alone. How much does the average console gamer buy games a month? Who is to say that I am average? I think most PC and console gamers spend equally.

I think he means if it were a person with the same buying habbits who primarily played consoles and then suddenly switched to PC. I'd say the average PC gamer probably purchases more games overall because a greater percentage would be labeled as an enthusiast.

 

[Matt2thefuture]

Pros: If you have a beast of a machine, it looks way better and runs way better. You can't really understand until you see it but some games even support more bells and whistles than their console counter parts...alice has like more realistic hair effects and goo and shine...not best example but again just looks better on pc.

Steam and price of games is usually cheaper than on console.

Obviously user content and modding is king on PC. Left for dead 2 has thousands of user levels, if you play it on xbox your stuck with the same chapters and official dlc. Also some games get user fixes...Oblivion and fallout 3 are way better on Pc with the amount of stuff you can add and change is endless.

Cons: You kind of have to have some understanding of how Pc's Work and Pc Games in general. Patching, updating driver, using a command line or two to get a game to run (fallout 3 on windows 7 I'm looking at you). Ability to trouble shoot...Fear 2 didn't have any audio for me, despite all my other games having audio..I had to track down a driver on their website because the one windows kept installing was old and outdated...

It's expensive. Even if you find good deals your still looking at min 500 to 600 to build a good PC. Consoles are cheaper for a reason, your buying prebuilt machine with older tech.

 

[Stumpokapow]

To add a question to the OP,

Has PC gaming got better or less good since 2005? Since 2000?

 

[AbsoluteZero]

The loss of ability to sell/trade your games and having a library that's only 25% the size of what's available on consoles are the only disadvantages to my knowledge.

 

[Extra Sauce]

Advantage:

Disadvantage:

 

[Tawpgun]

Advantages:
USUALLY better version of games.
Cheaper games.
Mod support.

Disadvantages:
Expensive Hardware in need of upgrading time to time.
Not as social.
Consoles dominated the market.

Speaking about that last one... It is my experience that more people I know own an Xbox or PS3 than a gaming capable PC. When I go over to a friends house and play a game we play on the Xbox.

That never really happens with PC games. I feel console gaming is a lot more social.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

I've been really tempted to get into modern PC gaming but threads like the 76 page Witcher 2 Performance thread leave me cold. I simply don't have the time or inclination to learn how to do all of that stuff.

Pros: Awesome retro gaming back catalog, (GOG, etc)
Steam
Mods
WRPG's and RTS's. Also the Civ series and Alpha Centauri

Cons: The options and tweaking can be overwhelming for the uninitiated (me)

 

[ampere]

Disadvantages:

Sometimes insane DRM
Bad Ports
Need multiple PCs for multiplayer
Some great first party console titles don't come to PC

Advantages:

Almost any button configuration can be done
Mods
Private servers for multiplayer
Graphical freedom
More control in general

 

[Orayn]

The loss of ability to sell/trade your games and having a library that's only 25% the size of what's available on consoles are the only disadvantages to my knowledge.

Uhh. What? Are you pitting every console in existence against PC or something?

 

[fizzelopeguss]

Pro's : Gives you a massive cock

Cons : You have a bad back from carrying it around.

 

[Rollo Lawson]

the main thing for me is that the lines that separate platforms and generations are completely absent...

 

[mxgt]

The only disadvantages I can see are missing some multi plat games and needing technical knowledge to solve the problems that occur. But I'm fine with the latter.

Other than that it's plain sailing and I love PC gaming much more than console.

 

[Lionheart1337]

Uhh. What? Are you pitting every console in existence against PC or something?

It's the European Union vs the USA

Pro's : Gives you a massive cock

Cons : You have a bad back from carrying it around.

avyquote

 

[Old Gimlet Eyes]

To add a question to the OP,

Has PC gaming got better or less good since 2005? Since 2000?

Aw, that is a loaded question. Asherons Call was the greatest MMO/PC game ever for me, so year 2000 gaming would be better, for me. Lol.

Looking at it objectively though. PC gaming has gotten much better. Cheaper hardware and cheaper games is about the sum of it. Not to mention the sheer variety of games for people to choose from on the PC platform. Did my mom PC game 5-10 years ago? No, she does now and loves to farm in Farmville. So for her and people like her, PC gaming is also much better.

 

[Durante]

To add a question to the OP,

Has PC gaming got better or less good since 2005? Since 2000?

I think there are both positive and negative developments, but overall the positive outweighs the negative.

Positive:
+ No longer having to upgrade every 2 years. Some may see this as a negative signifying stagnation -- and in some ways it is, but since I have less time these days it's nice to have a 2 year old system, maybe switch out the GPU and still e on the very high end.

+ These days it's slightly more likely for PC games to support local multiplayer. Still not as widespread as it should be, but better.

+ Ubiquitous built-in controller support in all games where it makes sense.

+ Far more games are ported from consoles, only a few third party games never make it over.

+ Seemingly more quality indie titles and opportunities to buy them than ever before.

Negatives:
- Fewer AAA titles developed first and foremost for PC. More ports makes up for this to an extent, but I don't need to get into all the potential problems of "streamlining" here.

- Genre consolidation outside of indie or the occasional european games. Even for A and B tier games, not just AAA. I'd like to go into more detail on this

 

[Xtyle]

I just started digging up some old games to play (DOS and old windows games). Most of them run ok with DOSBOX or even better, some of them had fan made updated installers for current PCs. Can consoles do that, if not hacked? No. So this is one of the huge advantages.

 

[markao]

As most advances have already been mentioned multiple times by others I stick to my top ones.

+ Openness/Flexibility in options.

- As for all systems, the existence of exclusives and missing out on them



As for better, over the years yes. I have a bigger choice of games, can get to them easier and Steam has added a needed "social service" (in game connectivity/chat/etc.). Only worrying is the "main streaming" of to many games, but so far it seems to get countered by the "Indy games devs" stepping up to the plate.

 

[Cpt.Underpants]

Advantages: We're the Master Race

Disadvantages: Crappy console ports, Archaic DRM

 

[Chavelo]

To add a question to the OP,

Has PC gaming got better or less good since 2005? Since 2000?

Edited the OP. And I would go with a resounding "YES" just with Steam alone to back it up, tho there is a lot more reasons why... Engines being released for free, indie games, Blizzard and Battle.Net... You get the drift.

 

[abunai]

Pro: Freedom to do whatever you want with something you paid for with your own money
Con: Freedom to do whatever you want with something you paid for with your own money

Power and flexibility comes at the cost of of ease of use and user friendliness. I adore tweaking with game configs and writing my own scripts, some people despise that. Most points brought up here are relative. Graphics, networking and multitasking are standard improvements though.

 

[nextgeneration]

Eye candy that you can run at 60 fps or higher.

 

[Tallshortman]

I've been really tempted to get into modern PC gaming but threads like the 76 page Witcher 2 Performance thread leave me cold. I simply don't have the time or inclination to learn how to do all of that stuff.

Pros: Awesome retro gaming back catalog, (GOG, etc)
Steam
Mods
WRPG's and RTS's. Also the Civ series and Alpha Centauri

Cons: The options and tweaking can be overwhelming for the uninitiated (me)

It's honestly not as complicated as it sounds. Granted, the problem I ran into was Witcher 2 not playing nice with steam even though I purchased it on steam so I had to do a little fix but that was pretty much it. The vast majority of games are super simple to tweak to whatever card you have.

 

[gdt]

Lots of advantages, but it can be a major pain in the ass. Often.