And first let me say that I myself am a PC gamer...
But do you start asking yourself "Am I crazy for wanting/needing to buy a new $350 GPU just so that I can play the newest game when the (game) looks and plays pretty darn good on a console that costs about the same as my video card alone?"
Do you ever begin to question your ROI?
I mean when you look at games like Borderlands you realize that TOP END graphics are NOT a requirement for a game to be fun. Would Dragon Age: Inquisition be any LESS fun with Borderland style graphics...?
And I KNOW you can do so much more than play games on your PC but do you think there might be a MIDDLE GROUND device at a price point between the CONSOLE ($395) and a nice gaming rig ($1300) some day?
If they would come out with a quality, reliable mouse and game pad (WSAD, Run, Jump keys) for consoles, I would be VERY tempted...
I don't know, I just feel there comes a point where FPS and shadows begin...over shadowing...the FUN of gaming.
Hope to hear your thoughts...
Thanks!
Have you ever done word processing, spreadsheets, Photoshop/Lightroom, etc. on a console? ROI on consoles is bad.
First, consoles are mainly good for playing games and media streaming, whereas PCs are much more flexible. A cost-effective PC build without GPU isn't going to cost much more than a console, and you can simply buy a budget GPU and still get a good gaming experience. If you don't play a lot of games, you don't even need to upgrade your GPU necessarily, if you are willing to tolerate lower resolution and framerates off your iGPU.
Second, PC games tend to cost less at launch and during after-launch sales due to lack of licensing fee. So if you play a lot of games, consoles will cost you extra for each and every game.
Third, some games do not translate well to the couch. FPSes rely on crutches like quasi-auto-aim. RTSes like Starcraft? Forget it. RPGs? Only if the interface is dumbed down. Even strategy games like Civ are better on PC. You can always plug in an XBox controller or joystick or wheel to a PC if you don't like kb/mouse/trackball.
Fourth, if you are into XBL/PSN that will cost you monthly. You don't need subscriptions for PC unless it's to an MMORPG or something in which case you may need to pay that for console MMORPGs too.
Fifth, you don't NEED to buy a $350 GPU. You could buy something more cost effective and sell/upgrade every few years. GPUs don't retain value that well, but neither do used consoles.
Sixth, you haven't lived until you experienced six pr0n scenes going on simultaneously (split-screen times 3 monitors). Just kidding. Sorta. For real though, multi-monitor is good for productivity scenarios and it's something consoles can't realistically do, nor would they excel at it even if you could, due to crappy input device (gamepad).
Seventh, mods. Think Skyrim, for example.