PC or PS4?

[Lightknight]

Between the two? Generally I'd recommend PC. Most of the games that are a "console exclusive" are also available on the pc and the pc is better at a variety of other useful functions.

However, for a comparable cost ($400) you are always taking a risk when you go pc. In 5 years or however long the console generation survives to, your pc may not be able to handle new games whereas the consoles will. Even if your pc is slightly better than the ps4's specs, developers will be able to optimize for the ps4's hardware in a way they can't do with non-standardized machines like a pc. If you play a lot with people in your house then PS4 is a must.

I'm not sure which I'd want to choose between. I appreciate both (my power pc and my ps3/360) for different reasons. I'd say that since I've gotten my powerful pc and a Steam account I have had more access to AAA and indie games than ever before. I would choose pc. But I also custom built my pc and spent more than double the cost of a ps4.

 

[already in use]

Seems like you already decided on a gaming pc,
however may it be that you already have a desktop pc?
If youve got a quadcore or a recent dual core processor
with 4 gb of ram or more you can always just put in a
500w psu and a 7870 or a 660 ti for a total of 250ish dollars
and enjoy maxing out next to anything in 1080p.

 

[Veylon]

Being a hybrid gamer I'd suggest going for a PS4 for it's charm and exclusives.

But then again this is the Escapist where i forget the user base is 98% PC gaming only and is normally biased without regret, shame really.

You forget that the vast majority of console games are only conveniently available via PC. The PS3 may not be backwards compatible with a PS2, but do you know what is? A PC. When people get nostalgic about their PS3 and XBox 360 collections down the road after their machines have expired, a PC is where they will be playing them. Further down the road, after the PS4 and XBox One have been abandoned, do you know what system their exclusives will be exclusive to?

In fairness, consoles used to have advantages. My NES is still fully functional and plays games instantly. It's quick and easy to use. The modern consoles have adopted the PC issues of loading, updating, connecting, crashing, and burning out. I see no reason to own one any more.

 

[vIRL Nightmare]

If you're looking for a dedicated gaming rig get the console. I say this as someone who makes a habit of having an up to date pc and the microsoft and sony consoles. The PS4 is going to have more exclusive releases is what it comes down to. I know the, "every game makes it to the pc eventually" argument but it takes a while for emulators to be relevant, I'm talking past the consoles life. The big dark secret of PC gaming is that it really isn't all that different from console gaming, especially now that the new consoles will have 60 fps, will feature mmo style games, PS4 is doing mad indie support, really the only difference will be that the PC still is king of mods, which is a big deal don't get me wrong.

All I'm saying is the only difference between the PS4 and the PC is mods and controller vs. keyboard and mouse, which isn't even a thing because you can totally set up a keyboard and mouse with a console. Mind you I'm speaking pragmatically, I do realize that if you dump enough money into a PC it can take off, shoot down a fighter jet, and come back in time for tea. Fortunately we're living in the time in which graphical upgrades are now giving us diminishing returns. You can make an image look only so good and we're finally approaching that line.

 

[Doom972]

The price issue evens itself out if you are going to buy a lot of games. Depends on your taste in games and how often you buy them, PC might even be cheaper.

If not playing Persona 5 is a big issue for you, then you may want to stick to the PS4, because there probably won't be a PS4 emulator in this decade.

The PC's advantages that you may want to take into consideration are the huge library of games (due to backwards compatibility and indie games) and modding.

If you want both, I suggest getting a new PC when yours isn't useful anymore, and wait for a price drop on the PS4 in a year or two.

 

[Robert Marrs]

If your friends are getting a ps4 I would say go with that. I have been on pc for almost a year now and I love it. The pc became a hobby in itself, the graphics are better, you have access to endless games through steam, gog, green man gaming etc. all of which either are dirt cheap or probably be soon. That being said if there is one thing I miss its my friends on xbox live. I miss them a lot actually. You need to be alot more pro-active on pc to find friends. Unlike xbox or playstation where you find alot of people using the in game chat most on pc use a third party option so the act of just naturally finding friends to play with seems to be a rare one. Its the biggest con for me because I'm not good at trying to meet people. If you think you will miss your friends or don't feel like making new ones stick with ps4. Otherwise pc all the way.

 

[Raikas]

I would say both - build yourself a new PC now, but hold off on the PS4 until (at least) the first price drop.

I've never understood the appeal of being an early adoption of new consoles - it makes sense to wait until they've ironed out whatever bugs turn up on launch and have built up a decent library of games, no?

 

[Yopaz]

It depends, how much do you know about computers in terms of hardware, software, upgrading and construction? If you're going to build it (which I assume you're not since this is a Christmas present) I would say PC is a great option.

However buying a prebuilt PC is usually not a good idea. They're always cutting corners by using some second rate parts confusing the consumer by adding information about that it has 16 GB RAM and 1 GB of memory on the graphics card. This often means they use a crappy graphics card with a good deal of memory.

PS4 works according to the specs of every other PS4. It's not as good as a great PC, but you're sure to be able to play the games that will be released for it.

I love PC gaming, but I would advice you to hold that one off until you have the chance to get one custom made or make one yourself. Sending your parents out to buy that stuff might prove disastrous. Also not knowing much about the PS4 in terms of games or how good it will be I would say to hold off that one too.

 

[masticina]

Ok, so basically I have to choose what I want for Christmas. A gaming PC or a PS4.

Normally, the choice would be very easy, but there are a couple of things that make this a hard decision to make.

1. Price. Gaming PC's are VERY expencive, but so are PS4 games.
2. Most of my friends will probably be going with a PS4
3. Persona 5. Perosna 5 (and a couple of other exclusives) are driving me towards ps4. I know Persona 5 hasn't been properly announced or anything yet, but if it does happen, I refuse to miss out on it.

As well as all of this, I spent the last generation on the PS3.

So what do you guys think?

Both are nice, both console gaming and pc gaming is nice. What I like about consoles, actually.. I am not sure. These days consoles are more and more like PC's. It is sad but true, required installations, patching, DLC.. online logins. It isn't the console gaming of the past anymore.

The pro is well known, one set of hardware, no issues getting allot of performance out of a console. It does has end to performance yes a PS3 is ..limited to say the least. At least it still has performance that can't be beaten by a pc with around equal hardware. Windows would be in the way.

Ah pc gaming, good old games, steam.. yes there are installations, drivers, windows taking up memory and being a very slow starter [ugh you can set coffee in the time it takes this laptop to start up]. BUT.. you can really use some very nice hardware. Run games at much nicer resolutions and more. And some games only exist on PC.

Look point is a PS4 will in 2-3 years proof itself to be a very good buy. It is only 400 and you get very powerful hardware and software. BUT.. Pc's keep evolving and a console is stuck in time. Yes software gets better yes games get better on it but it finally hits the roof. The PS3 has hit its roof about 2 years ago. Ever since people been waiting really..

The PS4 same story in the start it won't look that super much better then a PS3 but as the software improves and it will quickly you get allot nicer graphics, audio, hopefully AI and so on. And it is easier to program for being pretty much a PC. YET it will hit the roof at a moment.

If you buy a game on steam now and your laptop/pc can't handle it to well you still own that same game and can run it on your laptop/pc in 4-5 years. Guess what it will run solid and smooth then! And that is if you don't upgrades in the mean time.

So both platforms have allot to offer. What is best for you is something only you can decide.

 

[The White Hunter]

My reasons for PC is that I prefer playing games in general on the PC, better hardware and more games. Also, then I can have everything in one place. And unfortunately I can only have one or the other. Honestly, I think that if it wasn't for the exclusives, my mind would already be made up. So to summarize it, I'd much rather get a gaming PC but there are exclusives and friends that steer me the other way.

Well what I would honestly advise is to go with your gut on the PC as it will provide you the better experience, especially right now with the steep discounts on high end last-gen hardware (I just snapped up a GeForce 670 for £190 for my new Haswell monster rig, will be adding a second in SLI in a couple months).

Then wait a year to 18 months for a PS4, once all the obvious hardware issues are known and resolved, and the library has fleshed out more, as of launch there's only 3 exclusives and the rest are in the post-Xmas period to "launch window".

Consoles at launch aren't a wise decision, there's also the issue of PS4 pre-orders not being guarenteed.

I vote PC, and then invest in a PS4 further down the line and have both. But I'm part of the All-Platform God Race and it's what I'm doing,; PS4 and X1 in a year or 2, stay with PC and Wii U til then.

As for price, you can build a console killer for 500. For 700-800 you'll likely weather the next gen.

 

[Adon Cabre]

Being a hybrid gamer I'd suggest going for a PS4 for it's charm and exclusives.

But then again this is the Escapist where i forget the user base is 98% PC gaming only and is normally biased without regret, shame really.

You forget that the vast majority of console games are only conveniently available via PC. The PS3 may not be backwards compatible with a PS2, but do you know what is? A PC. When people get nostalgic about their PS3 and XBox 360 collections down the road after their machines have expired, a PC is where they will be playing them. Further down the road, after the PS4 and XBox One have been abandoned, do you know what system their exclusives will be exclusive to?

In fairness, consoles used to have advantages. My NES is still fully functional and plays games instantly. It's quick and easy to use. The modern consoles have adopted the PC issues of loading, updating, connecting, crashing, and burning out. I see no reason to own one any more.

How the hell do you so confidently project into the 2020's? When consoles are abandoned?

By then Laptops and Tablets will own the world [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.825163-Update-GTA-V-Coming-to-PC-Says-Nvidia#20010785]; still, you make the flaw of assuming that the state PC gaming -- pricing, sales, etc... -- will be the same. For being so tech savvy, PC gamers are indifferent to change, or time.

But I suppose an $800 PC rig might outdo the Playstation 4. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.825163-Update-GTA-V-Coming-to-PC-Says-Nvidia?page=3#20038695]

So if you can afford it, go PC. Hell, I'm targeting a $1500 Laptop because I can, and because ugly, massive desktops are so passe in 2013.

But damn, the Playstation 4 looks freaking sexy!

Oh, and my Playstation 2 still hasn't burned out or crashed since 2003.
That $250 is still going a long way.​

 

[Adon Cabre]

My reasons for PC is that I prefer playing games in general on the PC, better hardware and more games. Also, then I can have everything in one place. And unfortunately I can only have one or the other. Honestly, I think that if it wasn't for the exclusives, my mind would already be made up. So to summarize it, I'd much rather get a gaming PC but there are exclusives and friends that steer me the other way.

Well what I would honestly advise is to go with your gut on the PC as it will provide you the better experience, especially right now with the steep discounts on high end last-gen hardware (I just snapped up a GeForce 670 for £190 for my new Haswell monster rig, will be adding a second in SLI in a couple months).

Then wait a year to 18 months for a PS4, once all the obvious hardware issues are known and resolved, and the library has fleshed out more, as of launch there's only 3 exclusives and the rest are in the post-Xmas period to "launch window".

Consoles at launch aren't a wise decision, there's also the issue of PS4 pre-orders not being guarenteed.

I vote PC, and then invest in a PS4 further down the line and have both. But I'm part of the All-Platform God Race and it's what I'm doing,; PS4 and X1 in a year or 2, stay with PC and Wii U til then.

As for price, you can build a console killer for 500. For 700-800 you'll likely weather the next gen.

I don't understand the lack of launch titles that posters keep throwing out.

Virtually every fall release hyped at E3 is coming out on next gen consoles -- Watchdogs, ACIV: Black Flag, and the industry's fill of military FPS's; if anything, it's the PC version that often gets delayed, or the lesser amount of content as SONY and Microsoft vie for exclusive missions, weapons, etc...

And last I checked, the PC isn't even getting Deus Ex: Human Revolutions -- Director's Cut. Not to mention Grand Theft Auto 5 will probably wait til Nov 2014.

Also, overclocking Ivy bridge is really demanding on the chip and graphics card, not to mention energy bills. And consoles aren't games, so they don't get very many hardware/software launch issues.

 

[DanielBrown]

I'd go with the PC first, then get a PS4 myself a few years after release when the console and games are cheaper.
That's actually what I'm doing right now. Gonna get a new PC tomorrow. It won't be a kewl gaming PC though, since I'm cheap as fuck, but the graphic card is four times better than my current one. <3

 

[The White Hunter]

My reasons for PC is that I prefer playing games in general on the PC, better hardware and more games. Also, then I can have everything in one place. And unfortunately I can only have one or the other. Honestly, I think that if it wasn't for the exclusives, my mind would already be made up. So to summarize it, I'd much rather get a gaming PC but there are exclusives and friends that steer me the other way.

Well what I would honestly advise is to go with your gut on the PC as it will provide you the better experience, especially right now with the steep discounts on high end last-gen hardware (I just snapped up a GeForce 670 for £190 for my new Haswell monster rig, will be adding a second in SLI in a couple months).

Then wait a year to 18 months for a PS4, once all the obvious hardware issues are known and resolved, and the library has fleshed out more, as of launch there's only 3 exclusives and the rest are in the post-Xmas period to "launch window".

Consoles at launch aren't a wise decision, there's also the issue of PS4 pre-orders not being guarenteed.

I vote PC, and then invest in a PS4 further down the line and have both. But I'm part of the All-Platform God Race and it's what I'm doing,; PS4 and X1 in a year or 2, stay with PC and Wii U til then.

As for price, you can build a console killer for 500. For 700-800 you'll likely weather the next gen.

I don't understand the lack of launch titles that posters keep throwing out.

Virtually every fall release hyped at E3 is coming out on next gen consoles -- Watchdogs, ACIV: Black Flag, and the industry's fill of military FPS's; if anything, it's the PC version that often gets delayed, or the lesser amount of content as SONY and Microsoft vie for exclusive missions, weapons, etc...

And last I checked, the PC isn't even getting Deus Ex: Human Revolutions -- Director's Cut. Not to mention Grand Theft Auto 5 will probably wait til Nov 2014.

Also, overclocking Ivy bridge is really demanding on the chip and graphics card, not to mention energy bills. And consoles aren't games, so they don't get very many hardware/software launch issues.

There isn't a lack of launch titles, there's a lack of exclusive launch titles. Most of the games are cross-generation and out on PC at the same time. The PS4 has three exclusives at launc: Knack, Drive Club and Killzone: Shadow Fall.

Those AAA titles you mentioned are all coming to PC at the same time, for a lower price, with more options and better presentation.

I can't comment on Deus Ex: HR as I haven't been keeping track of it, as for GTA 5 I personally don't care as I'm not a fan of the series, but many people are and when it does come to PC it'll likely come with a bunch of the DLC for a discounted price.

As for overclocking ivy bridge...

When the hell did I mention ivy bridge? And why would you need to overclock it? My rig is haswell and I won't be overclocking the thing for a while because it's largely not needed, sure I could eek a few extra FPS out of some games, but a lot of games ar eno really just GPU dependant, and as such I'm not taking overclocking into account here.

I'll be grabbing a PS4 after launch, between 3 and 18 months after, depending on post launch press, issues with the hardware and how the lineup fleshes out as time passes. I'm building my gaming PC tomorrow because I can. The core of my recommendation is that the PC is the best choice for now, but both in the long run gives you more options. The OP also mentioned this is an Xmas gift to him; thus I'd say get the more expensive PC and save up for a PS4 in a little while after

Edit: The PC also get's it's fair share of exclusive content, particularly when a version comes late, such as Sonic & All Stars Racing.

Both are fine choices, but PC is the best for now, particularly as the OP mentioned he prefers playing on PC and it's a gift.

 

[Bocaj2000]

Here's the top three reasons I'm getting a better PC:

-exclusives
http://imgur.com/TCRFBGs

-modding

-cheap, cheap games on Steam and GoG


Top three contenders for why I would otherwise get a PS4:

-friends

-not Xbone

-game feel of consoles

I hope that this helps you with your decision.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Ok, so basically I have to choose what I want for Christmas. A gaming PC or a PS4.

So what do you guys think?

PS4.

It can play the games that a gaming PC can play (albeit with slightly less good graphics - but seriously, not enough to make it look remotely bad) and it is cheaper.

Also... why did you say that PS4 games are more expensive? Steam sales aside, cross-platform titles are pretty standardized price wise, at least at release.

Finally, if your gaming PC breaks, you are shit outta luck. If your PS4 breaks, Sony will send you a new one. (baring intentional breakage, obviously)

A PS4 and a mid-range PC will let you play most games (cutting edge on PS4, older titles on the mid-range PC).

 

[Funyahns]

Building a pc is not that expensive. Now if you need a monitor, speakers, mouse, keyboard and what not it will add up to more. But, you can budget it out fairly well. Can get into almost any game at high specs with a pc under 800 dollars. Ram is dirt cheap now. Solid state drive with OS on it is huge. And if you cant afford all you want at once? Get a a couple components cheap side and update later.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

Ok, so basically I have to choose what I want for Christmas. A gaming PC or a PS4.

Normally, the choice would be very easy, but there are a couple of things that make this a hard decision to make.

1. Price. Gaming PC's are VERY expencive, but so are PS4 games.
2. Most of my friends will probably be going with a PS4
3. Persona 5. Perosna 5 (and a couple of other exclusives) are driving me towards ps4. I know Persona 5 hasn't been properly announced or anything yet, but if it does happen, I refuse to miss out on it.

As well as all of this, I spent the last generation on the PS3.

So what do you guys think?

Depends on the games you play. If you are into a lot of the JRPGs and other Japanese style titles that usually come out on Sony consoles (Yakuza series, Way of the Samurai) get a PS4. Otherwise get a PC.

I'd say simply for the fact that you want Persona 5 you're a fan of JRPGs and other such titles, if that's the case get a PS4.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Well I already have a gaming PC but I'm going to be picking up a PS4. There is something about console gaming that I find more compelling and enjoyable.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

The fact you are even asking this question confirms that you should get a ps4. PCs are a wonderful rigmarole that appeal to people who enjoy being tormented by problems.

..Whereas consoles come without the need to do firmware/game software updates, no installs, no DRM, never crash, never wear out and never brick?

Get a decent PC and it'll cause you no more or less problems than a console, whilst being a load more versatile to boot.

I'm a PC gamer, so I'm going to say go for the PC. It opens up the full back catalogue of PC games, so you've got decades of good games to choose from. The only thing for me that swings it in favour of the PS4 is the fact of your mates going for it.

As a PC gamer I have to say this.

PCs can brick. PCs can wear out.
PC game releases can be worse than console releases a lot of the time due to horrible optimization and depending on whether AMD or Nvidia drivers were the focus.
PC software updates are more frequent.
A lot of console games still don't REQUIRE installs.
DRM on consoles doesn't exist unless you go for digital titles.
PC games crash more often overall and crashes are much harder to pinpoint due to every PC being different.

And with Gakai heading to the PS4, it too will have a back catalogue of decades worth of games to choose from. Games that will ALL work on the PS4 because it won't have the problem of being to new of a machine to run older titles.

Basically both the PC and PS4 suffer from most of the same issues and both have their individual problems.


What it really boils down to is the kind of games you want. If you're into JRPGs, get a PS4. That's the one thing about being a PC gamer that sucks for me. PC gamers don't get the great Japanese console exclusives that usually pop up on the Sony consoles.