Anyone recently switch from PC to console?

[sze5003]

I haven't used my pc for games in a while. I've ended up with both consoles and with trade ins I can buy a game and trade it back if I don't care much for it. For example cod aw, got it as my free game at target couple weeks back. Traded it in to best buy for $40. Of course pc only games I'll play on my computer. Until I round up more money to upgrade my rig I'll be using the consoles. Its funny because I started with a pc and would not have imagined owning two main systems and a gaming pc when in reality I don't have much time to play.

I also like being able to sit on the couch and use a controller.

 

[Subyman]

I'm playing more console at the moment, but I like playing both. Can't play stuff like Civ:BE on console.

 

[TeknoBug]

I do more on console partly because it's cheaper to pay new games on them (play, then sell--I just played Far Cry 4 legally all out for around $18 through the end of the campaign) and my tv is bigger. Also guaranteed to run well (almost!).

It's not fair to compare consoles to a PC it with high end cards, though. Although the new gen consoles do have fairly decent video cards in them, a few years from now you could get the same performance from a really cheap PC.

If you're into strategy games consoles don't exist for you.

Yeah trading games in is what I've been doing, haven't been since august that I paid more than $30-35 bucks before tax for a brand new game.

 

[Wingznut]

Depends on the games you want to play. Some are better on a PC, some are better on the console, and some you can't get on the other platform. For example:

Diablo 3: Better on the PC (imho)
WoW: Can't play on a console
Forza: Can't play on a PC
NBA2k: Better on the console (imho)

Of course, there are a gajillion other examples.

It's all about the games.™

 

[Linflas]

Just bought an XBox One 2 weeks ago. I have been "PC gaming" since the Atari ST and I have to say the toughest thing for me is the controller. So far it is kicking my ass switching between the triggers and bumper buttons and not accidentally hitting the switch while using the left thumbstick.

 

[xantub]

switch? no, that would be stupid as hell.
I have and play in both my computer and my PS3 (my PS4 is still collecting dust though). The PS3 is good for jRPGs while my computer is good for strategy games (Crusader Kings 2 and Europa Universalis 4). The cost comparison is also relative, sure you may spend more to keep you more or less updated in the PC (I spend an average of about $150/year on my PC, not at once, more like $300 every 2 years), but then adding the cost of the actual games it evens out (PS3 games start at $60/$70 and go down, if lucky, to the $20s, while PC games start at $50/$60 and go down without fail, after only a few months, to the $10 range).

I play and enjoy both.

 

[jlee]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm leaning towards a GTX 970 mostly because I hate having a modern system running integrated graphics and I've lived without a console for a while, but if the right deal pops up I might grab a PS4 anyway.

switch? no, that would be stupid as hell.
I have and play in both my computer and my PS3 (my PS4 is still collecting dust though). The PS3 is good for jRPGs while my computer is good for strategy games (Crusader Kings 2 and Europa Universalis 4). The cost comparison is also relative, sure you may spend more to keep you more or less updated in the PC (I spend an average of about $150/year on my PC, not at once, more like $300 every 2 years), but then adding the cost of the actual games it evens out (PS3 games start at $60/$70 and go down, if lucky, to the $20s, while PC games start at $50/$60 and go down without fail, after only a few months, to the $10 range).

I play and enjoy both.

do u even read, bro?

Way to miss the thread...I'm not asking "wuts better, PC or console."

 

[tential]

I switched console to PC recently.

Why? Graphical fidelity of console was not worth it on my 70 inch + display. It just looked horrendous, I could point out every spot where consoles used low quality textures.
I would have been happy with PS4/XboxOne but they refused to target 1080p/60fps as a minimum for games. On displays as large as I use, low quality graphics are too jarring for me to deal with.
With 0 option for 4K Gaming on console I gave up on it as well. 4K Gaming will be my norm come 2016 (I believe 2015 it will be more viable but 2016 it'll be available on high end single GPU PCs).

My main issue came with cost of moving to PC gaming, but my PC is used for far more than gaming. I use it as an HTPC, it can stream movies/tv to all TVs in my house, I can use it as an emulator to play past games, something a PS4/XboxOne couldn't do, etc. Also I use it to record HDTV and save it to my PC (DVR) except I don't have a limit on how much I can DVR. I simply use handbrake to shrink the file size while retaining 99.9% of the quality. It also allows me to only pay far less for cable since now I only need 1 cable card ($3 a month+$10 a month for HD) to feed HDTV to up to 4 devices simultaneously vs 4 cable boxes that can only be watched at TVs (would be $80 a month I believe for 4 cable boxes with HD+DVR).

Overall, I don't recommend PC Gaming to people unless they aboslutely need a PC to game though. It's just that my usage case dictates I need a PC but I still use my PC as a "console". It's hooked up to a large display (70 inch HDTV and I stream games to my 80 inch projection stream in my room). It's simply a far more capable console and in the end, after a couple of years I would have ended up behind in cash due to the savings I get from the TV Portion of my system.

Edit: That all said it's all about what games you want to play and I will NOT pick up another shooter on PC. Playing vs people on PC for Battlefield, CoD, etc. is no where near as fun as playing against console gamers. Console gamers are far less competitive at FPS lol.

 

[purbeast0]

^^ sounds like you have some display issues on your 70+ inch display. xbox one and ps4 look fantastic on my 120" screen.

 

[jlee]

I switched console to PC recently.

Why? Graphical fidelity of console was not worth it on my 70 inch + display. It just looked horrendous, I could point out every spot where consoles used low quality textures.
I would have been happy with PS4/XboxOne but they refused to target 1080p/60fps as a minimum for games. On displays as large as I use, low quality graphics are too jarring for me to deal with.
With 0 option for 4K Gaming on console I gave up on it as well. 4K Gaming will be my norm come 2016 (I believe 2015 it will be more viable but 2016 it'll be available on high end single GPU PCs).

My main issue came with cost of moving to PC gaming, but my PC is used for far more than gaming. I use it as an HTPC, it can stream movies/tv to all TVs in my house, I can use it as an emulator to play past games, something a PS4/XboxOne couldn't do, etc. Also I use it to record HDTV and save it to my PC (DVR) except I don't have a limit on how much I can DVR. I simply use handbrake to shrink the file size while retaining 99.9% of the quality. It also allows me to only pay far less for cable since now I only need 1 cable card ($3 a month+$10 a month for HD) to feed HDTV to up to 4 devices simultaneously vs 4 cable boxes that can only be watched at TVs (would be $80 a month I believe for 4 cable boxes with HD+DVR).

Overall, I don't recommend PC Gaming to people unless they aboslutely need a PC to game though. It's just that my usage case dictates I need a PC but I still use my PC as a "console". It's hooked up to a large display (70 inch HDTV and I stream games to my 80 inch projection stream in my room). It's simply a far more capable console and in the end, after a couple of years I would have ended up behind in cash due to the savings I get from the TV Portion of my system.

Edit: That all said it's all about what games you want to play and I will NOT pick up another shooter on PC. Playing vs people on PC for Battlefield, CoD, etc. is no where near as fun as playing against console gamers. Console gamers are far less competitive at FPS lol.

Really? I figured I'd have no chance at all of being competitive with console shooters. I might actually try now.

Well, SlickDeals has answered this question by providing a $298 GTX 970.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Edit: That all said it's all about what games you want to play and I will NOT pick up another shooter on PC. Playing vs people on PC for Battlefield, CoD, etc. is no where near as fun as playing against console gamers. Console gamers are far less competitive at FPS lol.

That's an interesting comment. Curious why it would appear that way, granted maybe what you mean is there are more people playing on console? Those games aren't exactly top of the food chain on PC. I pretty much stick to single player FPS these days. I find no enjoyment in the MP side of them, which is sad because I used to love them.

 

[Aikouka]

I see that you've already made your decision, but it's also worthwhile to keep in mind that you'd go from an existing library of PC games to a library of games that you don't even own as you'd borrow them from your roommate.

^^ sounds like you have some display issues on your 70+ inch display. xbox one and ps4 look fantastic on my 120" screen.

I think some people just tend to be a bit pickier when it comes to graphic fidelity. I remember when people were posting screenshots of The Last of Us (PS3, not Remastered) on this forum, and the first thing that I noticed were the low-resolution textures that were used in the background and such. It's not that the game looked bad for the PS3, but if you're used to higher resolution assets, then you're going to be thrown off.

 

[metaphors]

Personally I do both currently, most of the games I play on PC are from humble bundles, games that aren't really on consoles or other sales. Most of my friends play on console so it makes sense to play there as well.

 

[purbeast0]

I think some people just tend to be a bit pickier when it comes to graphic fidelity. I remember when people were posting screenshots of The Last of Us (PS3, not Remastered) on this forum, and the first thing that I noticed were the low-resolution textures that were used in the background and such. It's not that the game looked bad for the PS3, but if you're used to higher resolution assets, then you're going to be thrown off.

the problem is people think that unless it is top of the line resolution, it sucks.

"oh, its not running at 4k? oh then it looks like crap"

just a stupid mindframe to have. but it's pretty typical of this forum in general. you have to pick a side, you aren't allowed to like two things. just look at the thread about pizza on ATOT right now. the majority of people can't like all 3 major brands of pizza. it's either 1 or the other, and the other 2 are terrible and suck and are the worst food you could possibly put in your body.

that mindset carries all over this forum. games can look great in all resolutions.

saying any games on the current gen "look horrendous" is just flat out false. so he's either just of that same mindset mentioned above, or his display is terrible.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Let me say this. I never played Battlefield on console. EA gives me Battlefield 4 for free via EA Access. I installed it on my XB1 to try and honestly unless it was side by side at the exact scene I wouldn't know or care about the difference. This is even on the console that has the lower resolution version of BF4, or so I've read. I suppose I could tell it wasn't 60fps but beyond that, same game to me.

The games look fine from a console, some of them are absolutely amazing visually. You have to look at it as it's own thing. If you constantly say "I wonder how this would look on PC" or "I wonder what resolution and AA is applied to this" you will never be happy. Just enjoy the games for what they are. Anyone who sits there and tells me Forza Horizon 2 looks bad and their reasoning is "because it's on a console" should be ignored.

 

[TeknoBug]

Let me say this. I never played Battlefield on console. EA gives me Battlefield 4 for free via EA Access. I installed it on my XB1 to try and honestly unless it was side by side at the exact scene I wouldn't know or care about the difference. This is even on the console that has the lower resolution version of BF4, or so I've read. I suppose I could tell it wasn't 60fps but beyond that, same game to me.

The games look fine from a console, some of them are absolutely amazing visually. You have to look at it as it's own thing. If you constantly say "I wonder how this would look on PC" or "I wonder what resolution and AA is applied to this" you will never be happy. Just enjoy the games for what they are. Anyone who sits there and tells me Forza Horizon 2 looks bad and their reasoning is "because it's on a console" should be ignored.

It's noticeable for me, I have BF4 on PC, PS4 and XB1 and XB1 looks ugly (it's 720p), look through the scope of a sniper rifle and you'll see why. But when you're running around as assault or engineer you won't notice that much. Then again I have BF4 on PC set to 1440p with all settings pretty much maxed (and res scale to 150%).

 

[tential]

^^ sounds like you have some display issues on your 70+ inch display. xbox one and ps4 look fantastic on my 120" screen.

PC just looks BETTER. Remember, I can enable more aliasing, get higher output resolution (900p vs 1080p for xbox one a lot of the time) etc. Those differences add up to me. Also, like I said, 4K resolution down the line and it also depends how close you sit to the screen. I sit on top of my screen. Even on my 70 inch, I sit 4-6 feet away sometimes.
PS4/XboxOne are doable no doubt, but this wasn't about doable this was about top of the line best of the best for me. I simply wanted a High End Console.

Really? I figured I'd have no chance at all of being competitive with console shooters. I might actually try now.

Well, SlickDeals has answered this question by providing a $298 GTX 970.

When you're playing on console, everyone is generally on a level playing field. You're all playing on HDTVs with some input lag, you all are using controllers, etc.
When you're playing on PC, everyone is mouse/keyboard usually, everyone generally has a low input display, etc. BF3(console), I could walk into a room and kill 5-6 people sometimes easily. BF4(I purchased on PC), I could walk into that same room and get wrecked before I fire a shot off, not even kidding.

the problem is people think that unless it is top of the line resolution, it sucks.

"oh, its not running at 4k? oh then it looks like crap"

just a stupid mindframe to have. but it's pretty typical of this forum in general. you have to pick a side, you aren't allowed to like two things. just look at the thread about pizza on ATOT right now. the majority of people can't like all 3 major brands of pizza. it's either 1 or the other, and the other 2 are terrible and suck and are the worst food you could possibly put in your body.

that mindset carries all over this forum. games can look great in all resolutions.

saying any games on the current gen "look horrendous" is just flat out false. so he's either just of that same mindset mentioned above, or his display is terrible.

Not true at all, at least for me. I play at 1600x900 right now actually on the 80 inch projector. I upped to the resolution slightly below 1080p. For some reason, my laptop can't stream 1080p in home streaming, but the resolution right below it is flawless(17x10).
But at that lower resolution, I can enable even MORE settings. Settings the XboxOne/PS4 could never get and I can use custom texture packs that blow the PS4/XboxOne away.
The point was to simply get the best I could. I didn't want to settle. I am picky, but that's because I was sitting so damn close though. I can notice every flaw on consoles. Not EVERY console game looks bad, but those that do look bad I instantly notice. There is no way to make a bad console game look good. In contrast, on PC I can get high res texture packs, ENB Lighting, etc. GTA 4 was meh to me on xbox 360 for example. But I have A PC, so I can get GTA 4, get ENB Lighting, High Res Texture Packs, etc. Same with Skyrim. PS4/XboxOne just aren't worth it to me right now as I still have a backlog of games I can play that would not benefit from owning a PS4/XboxOne like GTA4 or Skyrim. It's not that I wont' get them. I will, when they're cheaper.
The 0 option of 4K was the tipping point for me. I've been eyeing the Vizio P Series since it was announced. 4K Gaming, 120 Hz 1080p Gaming, Low Input Lag, etc. With no single card available to drive it though, I'm going to wait for 2015 options to come around and for the tech to mature a little more before I hop in.

 

[tential]

But the real question comes down to, why should I buy a PS4/XboxOne now when I already own a gaming PC?

If I sell my current Graphics card for $100, and I would have spent $300+ on the PS4/XboxOne, I could instead purchase Crossfire R9 290s that were on sale for $200 each for a total of $400. So it doesn't make sense for me to purchase a PS4/XboxOne to me when currently, I'm playing games that are available on BOTH platforms. I could game at high fidelity on the R9 290s, or I could game at lower fidelity than I currently do.

I'd rather simply wait for the PS4/Xbox One to be cheaper, or purchase a better graphics card down the line. At their current price points, there isn't enough value to justify the purchase over my PC. They would simply do what my current consoles do which is collect dust.

 

[purbeast0]

PC just looks BETTER. Remember, I can enable more aliasing, get higher output resolution (900p vs 1080p for xbox one a lot of the time) etc. Those differences add up to me. Also, like I said, 4K resolution down the line and it also depends how close you sit to the screen. I sit on top of my screen. Even on my 70 inch, I sit 4-6 feet away sometimes.
PS4/XboxOne are doable no doubt, but this wasn't about doable this was about top of the line best of the best for me. I simply wanted a High End Console.



When you're playing on console, everyone is generally on a level playing field. You're all playing on HDTVs with some input lag, you all are using controllers, etc.
When you're playing on PC, everyone is mouse/keyboard usually, everyone generally has a low input display, etc. BF3(console), I could walk into a room and kill 5-6 people sometimes easily. BF4(I purchased on PC), I could walk into that same room and get wrecked before I fire a shot off, not even kidding.



Not true at all, at least for me. I play at 1600x900 right now actually on the 80 inch projector. I upped to the resolution slightly below 1080p. For some reason, my laptop can't stream 1080p in home streaming, but the resolution right below it is flawless(17x10).
But at that lower resolution, I can enable even MORE settings. Settings the XboxOne/PS4 could never get and I can use custom texture packs that blow the PS4/XboxOne away.
The point was to simply get the best I could. I didn't want to settle. I am picky, but that's because I was sitting so damn close though. I can notice every flaw on consoles. Not EVERY console game looks bad, but those that do look bad I instantly notice. There is no way to make a bad console game look good. In contrast, on PC I can get high res texture packs, ENB Lighting, etc. GTA 4 was meh to me on xbox 360 for example. But I have A PC, so I can get GTA 4, get ENB Lighting, High Res Texture Packs, etc. Same with Skyrim. PS4/XboxOne just aren't worth it to me right now as I still have a backlog of games I can play that would not benefit from owning a PS4/XboxOne like GTA4 or Skyrim. It's not that I wont' get them. I will, when they're cheaper.
The 0 option of 4K was the tipping point for me. I've been eyeing the Vizio P Series since it was announced. 4K Gaming, 120 Hz 1080p Gaming, Low Input Lag, etc. With no single card available to drive it though, I'm going to wait for 2015 options to come around and for the tech to mature a little more before I hop in.

i know pc looks better than xbox one and ps4. i never said different or tried to say otherwise.

however, that doesn't mean that xbox one and ps4 "look horrendous" as you said and have terrible graphics. it still looks fantastic. pc just looks better IF you have the hardware. i can guarantee you that any game on all platforms will look better than ps4/xbox1 on my personal hardware.

there are many games on consoles that you can't get on pc. missing out on good games that are console only just because "its not 4k" is retarded imo.

EDIT:

i'm sure all of you grew up with the nintendo but didn't play it because it had such "shitty" resolution and "looked horrendous" as well, since it wasn't 4k.

 

[cmdrdredd]

It's noticeable for me, I have BF4 on PC, PS4 and XB1 and XB1 looks ugly (it's 720p), look through the scope of a sniper rifle and you'll see why. But when you're running around as assault or engineer you won't notice that much. Then again I have BF4 on PC set to 1440p with all settings pretty much maxed (and res scale to 150%).

Nope because I am not constantly comparing it in my head.

 

[Wingznut]

But the real question comes down to, why should I buy a PS4/XboxOne now when I already own a gaming PC?

Because you want to play Halo. Or NHL. Or Forza. Or Uncharted. Etc...

And if you don't want to play those games, and you are happy with only the games that the PC has to offer... Then, of course, YOU have no reason to buy a console.

It's all about the games.™

 

[sxr7171]

But the real question comes down to, why should I buy a PS4/XboxOne now when I already own a gaming PC?

If I sell my current Graphics card for $100, and I would have spent $300+ on the PS4/XboxOne, I could instead purchase Crossfire R9 290s that were on sale for $200 each for a total of $400. So it doesn't make sense for me to purchase a PS4/XboxOne to me when currently, I'm playing games that are available on BOTH platforms. I could game at high fidelity on the R9 290s, or I could game at lower fidelity than I currently do.

I'd rather simply wait for the PS4/Xbox One to be cheaper, or purchase a better graphics card down the line. At their current price points, there isn't enough value to justify the purchase over my PC. They would simply do what my current consoles do which is collect dust.

Even as the guy who spoke of PC headaches I agree. Pretty much all multi platform games are on or coming to PC. This is a really good time for people to consider PC as their console. Sure you will miss some games just as a PS4 owner misses Forza and an Xbox owner misses "The Last of Us". Overall you you have access to most games just as a console owner.

As for graphics I can admit I one of those people who sees alaising and doesn't like it. But I had a blast playing Destiny aliasing and all. I have a blast playing Mario 3D World with its last gen graphics. So this graphics argument is valid but it's not like console gamers are getting horrendous looking games either. You can mentally block out aliasing and texture shimmering etc. However I'm a fan of immersion and for me that means proper anti-aliasing, no shimmering, and clean sharp lines. So for me it's worth the extra trouble to play games on PC.

Having said that one must be a real snob to not admit Forza Horizon 2 looks really good. They managed to apply 2x MSAA on it and it shows. Can you see aliasing? Of course but you must spend your playing time just thinking about that instead of just playing. I don't have a basis for comparison of AAA titles like BF4 or Far Cry 4 because Ive only seen them on PC. But I can tell if 4x TXAA is switched to 2x TXAA for example in AC4 (just look at the ship sails) or when resolution scale is 100% vs 175% in BF4. So I'm sure I can tell if I'm playing console settings. But for the cost and ease of use you simply cannot beat a console. It's just when people brag about their 4k and tell me they are powering it with an Xbox one that can scarcely handle 1080p that I just have to laugh. Either you are a graphics/resolution connoisseur or you are not. I'm very happy running a lot of games at 4x DSR even on a 1080p Plasma and I know it looks much better than 1440x1080 or 1600x900 being subjected to two rounds of upscaling.

 

[TeknoBug]

Because you want to play Halo. Or NHL. Or Forza. Or Uncharted. Etc...

And if you don't want to play those games, and you are happy with only the games that the PC has to offer... Then, of course, YOU have no reason to buy a console.

It's all about the games.™

I was JUST going to write a post about that, there are games I want to play that's no longer on PC anymore like NHL (except EA really really really killed NHL 15 this year so no hockey game for me until I find out what NHL 16 has and from what I'm hearing it won't be worth it either), and Madden and solid racing games.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yep, it's all about the games. I have a PC, 360, PS3, Vita now. When there are enough exclusives I care about then I'll get a PS4 and/or X1 too.

 

[Wingznut]

I was JUST going to write a post about that, there are games I want to play that's no longer on PC anymore like NHL (except EA really really really killed NHL 15 this year so no hockey game for me until I find out what NHL 16 has and from what I'm hearing it won't be worth it either), and Madden and solid racing games.

I usually buy NHL on the day it comes out. But after playing the demo (via EA Access), I'm so glad I didn't spend $60 on it. I did just pick it up for $30, however. I figure half price is probably fair, considering how much is missing.