I just wanted to share my thoughts on a topic that comes up (inevitably) on nearly every other posting site besides our little community. And I will say up front, I have nothing against PC gaming and in fact - own PC games myself. Setting all other considerations aside such as preference between couch or desk gaming and controller preferences, these are the facts as I see it.
A PC can absolutely be the most powerful gaming rig on the planet. PC elitists are keen to point out how their keyboard/mouse combo is so much more precise and how they can run games in 4K resolution at a bajillion frames per second and that you can download and/or create your own mods for games, extending their lives beyond the scope the developers originally envisioned. And all of that is true, if you are willing to pay the price. That price ranges from (and correct me if I am wrong) $600 for a mid-range system you build yourself to over $2000 for a custom built PC. And sure, you can do a lot of other things with your PC besides just gaming.
On the flip-side, I can buy a PS4, Xbox One and Wii U for under $1000, complete with three games (one bundled with each minimum these days) and the controllers. PC Gamers are keen to show you where they get the best deals at, and if you wait until Black Friday sales begin, you can snag all three of these consoles for around $800. Sure, these systems don't run at 4K resolution. They don't let you do your word processing, though popular uses such as web browsing, Facebook, YouTube and others are readily available to you. They don't allow you to mod your games, though this feature is being implemented in Fallout 4, existed on the PS3 with Unreal Tournament III and more games are sure to follow.
So why do I think that console gaming is fantastic and the best way to go? Because of the games. PC gamers claim that "all the best games come to PC." This is completely false. Taste aside, where are the critically-acclaimed, award-winning games like Mario or Zelda on the PC? Last time I checked, Nintendo doesn't make PC games. So you have an entire consoles worth (not literally, but close to it looking at the Wii U's library) of fantastic exclusives that PC-exclusive gamers will never get to play. What about all the great Sony-exclusive games? Last of Us, LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo, Uncharted, etc.? They have never and will never make the jump to PC. Microsoft who also makes PC games, has a slew of titles that aren't available on the PC. PC-exclusive gamers will never get to play many of these games.
And setting a few cross-platform greats like Fallout 4 aside, I just don't see how being a PC-exclusive elitist snob even works since the bulk of their library is made up of games that are on the consoles or just aren't that great to begin with. Most PC games don't even see a physical release any longer which means you cannot even trade or sell your games. Not to mention the need to upgrade components every couple of years in your PC whereas consoles never need to be upgraded.
For me, playing the best games is a far more important factor than having the absolutely best cutting-edge hardware. I may not be able to play my games at 1000000fps @ 4K resolution with to-the-pixel laser accuracy with a mouse, but PC-exclusive gamers will never know the joy of Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros., Uncharted, Destiny, Gran Turismo, Mario Kart and literally thousands of other console-exclusive titles.
I'll take that trade-off any day. Thoughts?
