PC or PS4?

[ThePenguinKnight]

I'd say it really depends on how much income you have going for you, if any.

Once the Ps4 hits shelves it'll take a while for a good selection of games to release and even longer for them to lower in price.

A PC already has a massive library of games for very little and a vast library of freeware games are available as well.

I'd pick up a PC unless you have the income and don't mind waiting for new games to hit the shelves.

 

[Nieroshai]

If you can only have one, go PC because it has utilities as well as games. If you already have a computer, I'd say they're nearly similar.

 

[Skeleon]

I'd always go PC over a pure gaming console if I was given the choice. Simply because a PC (even one built for gaming) can do so much more than a gaming console, including non-gaming uses. Why give up that added value?

As for games: Well, yes, you'll have to give up on particular games if you get a PC. But so will you if you get a PS4 (be that games you can only get on PC, on Xbox One or another console); there are always titles that you won't be able to get. Would those particular games be dealbreakers to you!?

As for friends: Depends. Were you planning a lot of online-play with them? Then that could indeed be a reason to go console. If it's just about local play... play locally with them (crazy, right?). Can't really answer that one for you, depends on your habits/plans.

 

[R3dF41c0n]

It depends on what you want. PC has the largest library, backwards compatibility, and plenty of alternate uses besides gaming. However, if those things aren't a priority than go with a PS4.

It's up to you but I'd go with PC personally.

 

[stroopwafel]

I'd stick to Playstation. PC gaming might have its benefits but its way too much of a hassle for me.

 

[Venom 3135]

I just want to point out that I'm not pre-ordering or purchasing a PS4 on launch, so I'll have time to see how it goes.


This is a really tough decision (tougher than it should be really). I thought I'd made up my mind, but it keeps changing. Now I'm starting to lean back towards PS4. Again, thanks for all your help, it's been incredibly useful.

 

[Nikolaj Bilgrau]

Consoles are generally awful in coparison to a PC, save for exclusives (I'm personally a great fan of Nintendo's exclusives)

But it's really up in the air. A worthy gaming PC costs quite a lot.

 

[J Tyran]

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.

As a genuine PC and console gamer (one thats getting [http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/2924/p328.jpg] a PS4) I can tell you that a PC will never brick itself (only if someone messes with things they should not be messing with) so badly that it can only be sent back to the manufacturer to fix, there is always the option for the user to fix it if they bother to learn how. Better hope a console is in warranty when it bricks otherwise you have let Microsoft or Sony rummage around in your wallet. To stick with the fixing thing the user can always fix a PC themselves, again if they bother to learn how. Its not that hard to trace hardware faults or to replace the broken part, you don't need to replace the whole machine or have it sent away for weeks (Notebooks you might have to) and while software problems can be slightly more obscure they usually come down to a few usual suspects that you can check for.

Consoles update just as much as PCs and are much more intrusive and a PC gamer can choose to not update their game or PC and not have all their social features turned off, DRM in some aspects very much exists in retail console games with things like season passes and DRM is the next big thing with both Sony and Microsoft "leaving it up to the publishers" next gen. Finally if a PC is crashing more than a console it has issues, you know that both the PS3 and the 360 have higher failure rates than PCs have right?

Again, I have to wholeheartedly disagree. To say that a PC can never brick is a stretch. I've had it happen to me. I've seen it happen to friends. Its not as often as consoles but it happens. You've also gotta take into account that not everyone with a PC has the know how to fix problems themselves. Computer repair shops exist for a reason. PCs are fickle beasts and I say that as a PC centric gamer.

Furthermore, you and I both know that PC games have a higher chance of having compatibility issues. How many times have you booted up a PC game only to have it crash to desktop instantly, then have to search through forums to find the solution which could be one of dozens of software issues? That happens more so on the PC than has ever happened on a console and that's due to every PC being different. And also take into account that having to search through forums, while almost always better than e-mailing the developers' abysmal support, isn't the most user friendly way of problem solving. (Though neither is having to fill a support ticket)

To give you an example look at Jade Empire. Great game, has aged well, but if you play it on a laptop there's a major issue. You can not see the mouse cursor. And there's no fix for that. You have to either play with a controller or play the game on desktop. I had to find this out after a couple of days of forum searching and with Bioware support not having a clue on how to fix this. Keep in mind that while Jade Empire works fine with a controller, its an RPG so it lends itself towards KB+M a little more. This was a glitch that never got fixed. And there are plenty of games like Jade Empire that have bugs that never got fixed. There are also plenty of games on the PC that have required unofficial patches due to age or developer incompetence. That's not an issue with console, nor will it ever be.

But like I said, it depends on the games you want, and the OP seems to be a fan of games that generally never get PC releases.

Don't get me wrong, I love being a PC gamer, but PC gaming clearly has a lot of issues that come with the territory, and a lot of those issues are not the most user accessible to fix for those not experienced with having to deal with them.

About the only way to brick a PC is to bungle flashing the BIOS (which with dual BIOS is far less likley now), anything other than that requires either a new part or reinstallation of the OS which isn't bricked just broken. Neither of which are possible for consoles apart from changing storage medium, that or repair knowledge far more advanced than you need to keep a PC running.

As for games CTD at launch? Almost never, not unmodded games anyway. The last major technical problem I had that was beyond my control at the time was RAGE, it ran but didn't run well until some patches and new drivers where released. Jade Empire is an older game, in essence its running as a "backwards compatible" game and having to use a peripheral to run is a lot better than not being able to play it at all. Its better with a controller anyway, it was a after the fact cash grab of a PC port and was designed for the controller.

As people not being able to fix their own PCs there is no excuse, it doesn't take any large excess of brains. Trust me, if I can do it anyone can.

 

[Gitty101]

This is even a question? If you can afford it and have a lil' bit of technical knowledge (or willingness to learn) Pc is always the way to go.

 

[Veylon]

When my Playstation 2 finally dies, I'll buy another one for the next decade.

Yes, you can do that now, but new PS2s are not being manufactured. It's a closing window.

PC gamers love to claim that eventually a lot of titles will end up on the PC; but that's not going to happen, not with copyrights and trademarks becoming even more stringent on intellectual property.

I'm talking practically, not legally. Few console games not already released in PC form are likely to see a new PC release. But most of them are already playable on the PC anyway.

This industry will launch with one more box before all 3 giants come out with their own exclusive gaming tablet. Third Party PC distributors like Steam will never sell Shadow of the Colossus, Last of Us, or Journey; or any future exclusive indie or triple-a IP.

But how will the AAA graphics that are such a part-and-parcel of the mainstream gaming industry be accomplished on a tablet? OnLive, while it technically works, is extremely limited geographically and requires a fairly substantial backend. If not that, then what?

I fully expect the tablets to take over, but at the expense of graphics.

Consoles will be around for a very long time, because even while the Laptop advances in technology (mostly battery consumption) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.825163-Update-GTA-V-Coming-to-PC-Says-Nvidia#20010785], this industry is also pushing those limits; so the average PC consumer will not be able to handle contemporary titles.

Surely not. The advantage in PCs is the vast library available. There are a handful of titles that, if you simply must reach them right now, then a console is needed.

But as it stands
For less than the price of a new unlocked phone, you can own a high powered, future proof, optimized gaming computer.

I cannot fathom spending hundreds of dollars on a phone, of all things. I won't argue that a console is a better buy there.

 

[Adon Cabre]

snip

You're working by contemporary rules, and not taking into account the possibilities of ten years of technological development and internet/software copyright legislation from US and EU.

2021 will be nothing like it is right now, and barring a major EU and Asian market meltdown the doors are swinging further open for a more connected, more globalized market. In ten years it will probably be US, China and EU (in that order) dominating media consumption.

The challenges in the mobile market is battery life. But there's some interesting hardware being developed right now that will make 20hr life the standard, and once that happens, anyone of the big three can launch a high powered tablet.

And by the end of next gen console era, the Playstation 4 and Xbox One should have easily 300+ indie titles. And many of these exclusives will be Game of the Year competitors. A game like Dear Esther is pretty much made for the console, and it would strike GOLD if it ports to the Playstation.

Not to mention that SONY and Microsoft fund some of these indies -- the best of them.

So, adding to my idea of future consoles, you could see the big three launching maybe multiple devices each of various specs.

In every scenario I see with copyright legislation and software control, the console wins out. This is a games industry, and like a pool table or basketball court, people want a separate hub/space for games and fun. It's why tablets are so popular even though all of its applications work on the PC and phone.

That's the only human factor that will stay constant through the decades.

 

[Jingle Fett]

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?

Haven't bothered going through the whole thread so maybe others have already suggested this, but I'd go with PC first and then get a PS4 later when it drops in price and/or has more games. PC you know what games it has right now and you can upgrade it as needed. And more importantly, the higher initial cost of a PC is completely negated by Steam sales. Combine that with the massive number of cheap or free indie games on Steam, being able to use a Xbox 360 controller, modding, etc. and you're pretty much set. And on PC you can always try your hand at making your own games... Plus, by waiting you get the PS4 cheaper and know which games are actually worth getting.

Now if none of your friends do PC gaming and playing with them is that important then maybe you should get a PS4. But then again, multiplayer on PC is free, and there are plenty of free multiplayer games out there. If you can convince them to go PC too it'd definitely be worthwhile. Games like League of Legends are getting pretty big...

 

[Googenstien]

Id get a $1200 gaming laptop which can do anything a console can power wise and more. Yeah its more money but it has staying power, portable and can easily hook up to a TV and be useable from a couch just like a console.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

About the only way to brick a PC is to bungle flashing the BIOS (which with dual BIOS is far less likley now), anything other than that requires either a new part or reinstallation of the OS which isn't bricked just broken. Neither of which are possible for consoles apart from changing storage medium, that or repair knowledge far more advanced than you need to keep a PC running.

As for games CTD at launch? Almost never, not unmodded games anyway. The last major technical problem I had that was beyond my control at the time was RAGE, it ran but didn't run well until some patches and new drivers where released. Jade Empire is an older game, in essence its running as a "backwards compatible" game and having to use a peripheral to run is a lot better than not being able to play it at all. Its better with a controller anyway, it was a after the fact cash grab of a PC port and was designed for the controller.

As people not being able to fix their own PCs there is no excuse, it doesn't take any large excess of brains. Trust me, if I can do it anyone can.

We're going to have to agree to disagree.

You're either lying, which I doubt, or you're the luckiest PC gamer of all time to say that you've never had a game crash to desktop on launch since RAGE. I think you're looking at your experience and applying it to the whole of the PC population, which makes your points heavily anecdotal.

Cruise through the forums of the vast majority of PC games and you'll find a myriad of issues with software that have half a dozens solutions for one problem.

Also, assuming that because you can fix your PC everyone should be able to is another stretch. Like I said, computer repair shops exist in a decent number for a reason. Not everyone who PC games has the know how to fix all PC problems. And there are a bunch of problems that can hit a PC.

Consoles by and large don't have to deal with that and for the sake of the OP I'm willing to bet that the PS4 is a better buy considering the PC's obscene lack of JRPGs, which the OP seems to be a fan of.

 

[clippen05]

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.

Do you even know what you are talking about? How is overclocking an Ivy Bridge processor taxing on the videocard lol; they are two different things lol. Not to mention the fact that Ivy Bridge processors produce less heat and use less energy, meaning they are MORE viable for overclocking and cost LESS in energy bills.

Instead of talking down PC, with points you don't even seem to understand, maybe stick to focusing on the benefits of PS4?

OT: I'd go PC. It'll be cheaper in the long run with sales and free online play, despite the higher initial cost. Also, you can be sure to get a lot more games for your money with the many sales and bundles. Sure, you might have to wait longer for some games/sales, but it's a small price to pay for radically cheaper games. However, I'd say that you should make your decision on what types of games YOU like to play. There are some games that are better designed for consoles like fighters and sports games (Although you can play these games in a controller on PC) ; in the same way, PC's are better suited for strategy games and Simulation games. Judge the exclusives carefully.

 

[Billy D Williams]

I'd go with PC gaming for (in order from my personal most favorite to least favorite):

1. Cheaper games
2. Better controls
3. Genres of games that are only on PC (more specifically RTS and turn based, there are a few console ones as well but its unanimous that PC is superior in in pretty much every aspect)
4. Mods (I won't even play unmodded Skyrim anymore, it feels like I'm playing an unfinished game in comparison, not to mention all the other great modding games)
5. Best indie scene (PS4 is doing a great job with the indies, but as of now PC seems to be on top).
6. Choose when you want to upgrade
7. Better graphics (SEE! Thats the last thing on my list, we aren't all graphics whores!)

There are definitely some benefits to having a PS4, but I just don't see any way to justify buying it except if you don't have friends who are PC gamers. I do, so besides a few exclusives and arguably PS+ I see nothing the PS4 offers me that I really need.

 

[verdant monkai]

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?

Do you like Japanese games? like JRPG's or the beat'em ups? Or do you prefer PC exclusives like amnesia the dark descent or Dont starve?

PC for indie western games.
PS4 for Japanese games.

 

[Adon Cabre]

snip

snip

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.

Do you even know what you are talking about? How is overclocking an Ivy Bridge processor taxing on the videocard lol; they are two different things lol. Not to mention the fact that Ivy Bridge processors produce less heat and use less energy, meaning they are MORE viable for overclocking and cost LESS in energy bills.

Instead of talking down PC, with points you don't even seem to understand, maybe stick to focusing on the benefits of PS4?

OT: I'd go PC. It'll be cheaper in the long run with sales and free online play, despite the higher initial cost. Also, you can be sure to get a lot more games for your money with the many sales and bundles. Sure, you might have to wait longer for some games/sales, but it's a small price to pay for radically cheaper games. However, I'd say that you should make your decision on what types of games YOU like to play. There are some games that are better designed for consoles like fighters and sports games (Although you can play these games in a controller on PC) ; in the same way, PC's are better suited for strategy games and Simulation games. Judge the exclusives carefully.

Overclocking is taxing on Energy Consumption -- that's all I meant. But the Playstation 4 has a brilliantly modded chip for just that in mind.

Oh my God, here we go again with the PC sales. What's that other thread going around asking how many pc titles people own? It's pathetic: some claim 100 games, and admit that they will only ever play about 30. It's like people who fill up up a library shelf for the sake of the impression or because of sales -- hoarders.

Beyond: Two Souls is my most anticipated title of the fall.
And Yours?​

 

[Get_A_Grip_]

I would go with getting a PC now and a PS4 in two or three years.

Why? PS4 will be cheaper, the games that come out a launch will be cheaper and there will be more games available for it.

The PC has a HUGE library of games and if you wait till sales from online storefronts such as Steam, GOG, Gamersgate, Green Man Gaming, Gamefly etc. as well as bundles such as Humble Bundle, Indie Gala, Indie Royale etc. you can get a lot of awesome games for the price of one console game at launch.

 

[J Tyran]

About the only way to brick a PC is to bungle flashing the BIOS (which with dual BIOS is far less likley now), anything other than that requires either a new part or reinstallation of the OS which isn't bricked just broken. Neither of which are possible for consoles apart from changing storage medium, that or repair knowledge far more advanced than you need to keep a PC running.

As for games CTD at launch? Almost never, not unmodded games anyway. The last major technical problem I had that was beyond my control at the time was RAGE, it ran but didn't run well until some patches and new drivers where released. Jade Empire is an older game, in essence its running as a "backwards compatible" game and having to use a peripheral to run is a lot better than not being able to play it at all. Its better with a controller anyway, it was a after the fact cash grab of a PC port and was designed for the controller.

As people not being able to fix their own PCs there is no excuse, it doesn't take any large excess of brains. Trust me, if I can do it anyone can.

We're going to have to agree to disagree.

You're either lying, which I doubt, or you're the luckiest PC gamer of all time to say that you've never had a game crash to desktop on launch since RAGE. I think you're looking at your experience and applying it to the whole of the PC population, which makes your points heavily anecdotal.

Cruise through the forums of the vast majority of PC games and you'll find a myriad of issues with software that have half a dozens solutions for one problem.

Also, assuming that because you can fix your PC everyone should be able to is another stretch. Like I said, computer repair shops exist in a decent number for a reason. Not everyone who PC games has the know how to fix all PC problems. And there are a bunch of problems that can hit a PC.

Consoles by and large don't have to deal with that and for the sake of the OP I'm willing to bet that the PS4 is a better buy considering the PC's obscene lack of JRPGs, which the OP seems to be a fan of.

You see the mistake your making is claiming that people complaining about a broken game as some kind of metric that somehow "proves" your point, it does not. You can dig up lots of people complaining about technical issues with consoles too, the difference is I understand its not a metric and doesn't really support either side of the argument.

As for being "the luckiest PC user ever" not really, its called looking after your machine. Simple things like making sure drivers are fully uninstalled before updating them goes a long way for example, some simple maintenance helps too. After that don't buy shit pre-built machines, dont buy shit parts, dont install pandoozollzer.com search bars and dont fill your PC with keygens and cracks and your PC should be fine. Yes if I can look after my PC and fix it anyone can.

Anyone that cannot is admitting they are stupidier than a stupid person.