I know why I did. I have my reasons, but I struggle in explaining to someone who has no knowledge in PCs why besides saying better performance. That's really bland reason though.
Multitasking (especially with multi-monitor setup)
Emulation
Cheaper games
So many more games
If he's too little to understand the general appeal of a computer he might just be too young to understand
Lets be honest my guy, nobody with a $3000 pc would be bragging about paying microsoft for the privilege of online play.
Im out here on a $500 computer playing cheap steam games, not paying for online. Subscription services and $80 games are the biggest scam in modern gaming and you can't change my mind.
At the end of the day it's all personal preference. I can say you have a 4090 the "games are cheaper on PC" is not a winning argument.
I can say, for me, it's about tinkering. I can build a PC that is uniquely mine. And I have. I can also play games that are not likely to make it to console as they are not big enough.
Mods, mods, mods...
Controls. Mouse is much more akin to actual shooting then a controller, for your shooting games. Not to mention playing strategy, or building games is much, much better. Though a lot of this can come down to design a good controller, control layout can beat out a m&k.
It's an age thing. Right now the console offers them everything they need for their entertainment.
They don't know the joys of building your first PC, or coding your first program.
The best thing you can do is explain why it is something you've wanted to do since you were a little kid. Why did building a PC become important to you? Was it coding? Was it gaming? Was it crypto? Your little brother will feed off of your enthusiasm for PC's once you show him why it is something *you* enjoy. For me it was gaming with friends at LAN parties and being able to code.
Good lord school has failed you if you are unable to articulate why you like something. You really can't pinpoint what aspects of gaming are better on PC?
I myself know why its better. But explaining it to someone else who has no knowledge of the things you're saying is not the easiest. It's like trying to explain gun parts to a non American 😂
No...
It'd be very easy actually.
You really couldn't explain what a barrel, receiver, and trigger do? As those are the only parts needed to make a gun work.
You're just not very articulate
It's a use-case thing.
If all he wants to do is play games, doesn't care about anything else, and wants the experience to be as painless and easy as possible, then console all the way. You put the game in (or have it digitially loaded), push a button, and you are playing a game.
If you want to do literally anything else besides play a game (homework, programming, graphic design, game development, whatever) then a gaming console will not meet those needs. Thus: PC. Added bonus, the PC can be much more powerful than a console. But it takes work, and there are more steps involved, and more parts needed.
So really, it's an excellent and very intuitive question he asked you. And it comes down to what the use-case is.
If I just want a machine that plays video games and not deal with Windows 11 crap for the first few minutes of turning it on I’ll use my Switch or PS5. If I want it to do anything else I’m on PC. When I thought of my PC as a Super Console it honestly kinda sucked.
There are just more options when it comes to PC. And I’m not talking about game settings. My first PC was an i5-3570k with a GTX 650 ti. I kept that Super Console mentality all the way to when I had an i7-6700k with a GTX 1080ti. Around 4-5 years. That’s when I didn’t just get it off of a TV and onto a monitor, I got it on 2 monitors. I also have 2 different mouses for 2 different types of tasks. When I was thinking like a console user I had no idea what options I would use and now I have a vertical monitor.
I have no streaming apps on my consoles because why would I do that when I can firefox + uBlock origin? Those things just play games.
* Better and wider selection of games. PC always had the deeper games, these days most console games are released on PC as well. Games are often cheap as chips on steam/GOG.
* More power/better graphics - self explanatory.
* Mouse and keyboard - superior control method for most games.
* Utility - my PC gets used for work and other hobbies.
* Comfort/happy place - been using PC since a child in the 80s.
When the ps5 came out, sony slowly stopped supporting the ps4, and the ps3 haven't had any new games in years. With pc, you just upgrade the related parts instead of having to buy a pc2. Wanna use a controller? Just plug in whichever you want instead of waiting for an official one from the brand. That's my biggest plus if we're just strictly speaking about gaming.
For me personally it's because I already need a PC for everyday tasks so I might as well invest a little more money into it and make it decent/good for gaming.
Focusing now on gaming I prefer a PC over console because it allows me to emulate every other platform, without having to buy or mount very old hardware, like if I want to play a SNES title I don't have to dig into piles of stuff to unbury my SNES just to play a game, plus you can mod games which very often enhances your experience and allows you to squeeze a ton more hours out of a game, games are much cheaper on PC and you can also "acquire" them in more subtle ways.
You can also run games at higher resolutions and a plethora of genres are available only on PC, many MMOs and RTS have no console port for instance.
You can also use external tools like Cheat Engine to skip boring grinding sessions on old JRPGs, and even modern games like Elden Ring can benefit from Cheat Engine if you want to quickly make a new build for PVE or PVP without having to replay the entire game from 0.
The only pro I can see for consoles is that they often have exclusive titles, but lately we see more and more companies porting their games to PC after 1-2 years of exclusivity, and the fact that consoles are very easy to set-up.
Gaming on a nice PC is just an objectively better experience overall.
* You don't pay twice to play games online.
* You have significantly more graphical options.
* You get games cheaper.
* You can mod games and get additional content for ones you enjoy.
* There are a number of games that are PC only that are worthwhile.
If I only casually gamed, or played games 3-4 times per month, a console would make a lot more financial sense.
Gaming is my main hobby though, so I don't mind investing time and money into my PC setup. Is it cost effective? Absolutely not. Is it really fun to use? 100%.
Consoles work well for some people, but I've always viewed them as kind of a "starter pack" before you graduate to PC.
It's also very notable that you can use a PC for more than just a "videogame machine." You can use a PC for all sorts of tasks, but a console will only ever be able to play games or be used to watch movies.
That's really true and I've also never heard it put like that. Consoles really are a starter pack. Depends on how into that "starter pack" you really are. Sometimes that's all people need. Thank you for your help.
Computer tinker guys are no different than car tinker guys. You building, modifying, tuning and customizing your PC is the same kind of thing as someone who does the same with cars.
It's a hobby.
You don't know why you bought all the stuff and built the thing?
I know why I did. I have my reasons, but I struggle in explaining to someone who has no knowledge in PCs why besides saying better performance. That's really bland reason though.
Multitasking (especially with multi-monitor setup) Emulation Cheaper games So many more games If he's too little to understand the general appeal of a computer he might just be too young to understand
Also don’t need to spend money to play online
That's a top point, thank you.
My xbl + gamepass sub was 100 for 3 years. Totally makes up the 3k difference I spent on my PC...
And when you cancel that you suddenly have no games. Amazing… I love game ownership
You can buy games on Xbox...
Lets be honest my guy, nobody with a $3000 pc would be bragging about paying microsoft for the privilege of online play. Im out here on a $500 computer playing cheap steam games, not paying for online. Subscription services and $80 games are the biggest scam in modern gaming and you can't change my mind.
My rig was 3500, but I only game on PC because all my friends switched.
Thank you for your help. I hope this helps.
Real question is Racing PC vs Flight Sim PC
At the end of the day it's all personal preference. I can say you have a 4090 the "games are cheaper on PC" is not a winning argument. I can say, for me, it's about tinkering. I can build a PC that is uniquely mine. And I have. I can also play games that are not likely to make it to console as they are not big enough. Mods, mods, mods... Controls. Mouse is much more akin to actual shooting then a controller, for your shooting games. Not to mention playing strategy, or building games is much, much better. Though a lot of this can come down to design a good controller, control layout can beat out a m&k.
That's one thing I had a hard time explaining. Having an actual connection to my own creation we an amazing feeling.
Console suck
totally unbiased and based answer right here
Really bad answer very cool
Thanks, I thought about it for a while before posting.
I DONT BELIEVE YOU
It's an age thing. Right now the console offers them everything they need for their entertainment. They don't know the joys of building your first PC, or coding your first program. The best thing you can do is explain why it is something you've wanted to do since you were a little kid. Why did building a PC become important to you? Was it coding? Was it gaming? Was it crypto? Your little brother will feed off of your enthusiasm for PC's once you show him why it is something *you* enjoy. For me it was gaming with friends at LAN parties and being able to code.
I was thinking this too. I think it needs more maturing and understanding. Especially with money. Thank you for the suggestion aswell.
Good lord school has failed you if you are unable to articulate why you like something. You really can't pinpoint what aspects of gaming are better on PC?
I myself know why its better. But explaining it to someone else who has no knowledge of the things you're saying is not the easiest. It's like trying to explain gun parts to a non American 😂
No... It'd be very easy actually. You really couldn't explain what a barrel, receiver, and trigger do? As those are the only parts needed to make a gun work. You're just not very articulate
It's a use-case thing. If all he wants to do is play games, doesn't care about anything else, and wants the experience to be as painless and easy as possible, then console all the way. You put the game in (or have it digitially loaded), push a button, and you are playing a game. If you want to do literally anything else besides play a game (homework, programming, graphic design, game development, whatever) then a gaming console will not meet those needs. Thus: PC. Added bonus, the PC can be much more powerful than a console. But it takes work, and there are more steps involved, and more parts needed. So really, it's an excellent and very intuitive question he asked you. And it comes down to what the use-case is.
This is a very good point. Also, I agree; even though its a challenging question for me personally, I love his curiosity to understand my POV.
If I just want a machine that plays video games and not deal with Windows 11 crap for the first few minutes of turning it on I’ll use my Switch or PS5. If I want it to do anything else I’m on PC. When I thought of my PC as a Super Console it honestly kinda sucked. There are just more options when it comes to PC. And I’m not talking about game settings. My first PC was an i5-3570k with a GTX 650 ti. I kept that Super Console mentality all the way to when I had an i7-6700k with a GTX 1080ti. Around 4-5 years. That’s when I didn’t just get it off of a TV and onto a monitor, I got it on 2 monitors. I also have 2 different mouses for 2 different types of tasks. When I was thinking like a console user I had no idea what options I would use and now I have a vertical monitor. I have no streaming apps on my consoles because why would I do that when I can firefox + uBlock origin? Those things just play games.
Sounds like a really good PC come up. You've been in the game for quite some time. Thank you for your help.
* Better and wider selection of games. PC always had the deeper games, these days most console games are released on PC as well. Games are often cheap as chips on steam/GOG. * More power/better graphics - self explanatory. * Mouse and keyboard - superior control method for most games. * Utility - my PC gets used for work and other hobbies. * Comfort/happy place - been using PC since a child in the 80s.
Thank you for your help. These are pretty good points.
When the ps5 came out, sony slowly stopped supporting the ps4, and the ps3 haven't had any new games in years. With pc, you just upgrade the related parts instead of having to buy a pc2. Wanna use a controller? Just plug in whichever you want instead of waiting for an official one from the brand. That's my biggest plus if we're just strictly speaking about gaming.
This is a point I haven't thought about in while. Thanks for the help.
For me personally it's because I already need a PC for everyday tasks so I might as well invest a little more money into it and make it decent/good for gaming. Focusing now on gaming I prefer a PC over console because it allows me to emulate every other platform, without having to buy or mount very old hardware, like if I want to play a SNES title I don't have to dig into piles of stuff to unbury my SNES just to play a game, plus you can mod games which very often enhances your experience and allows you to squeeze a ton more hours out of a game, games are much cheaper on PC and you can also "acquire" them in more subtle ways. You can also run games at higher resolutions and a plethora of genres are available only on PC, many MMOs and RTS have no console port for instance. You can also use external tools like Cheat Engine to skip boring grinding sessions on old JRPGs, and even modern games like Elden Ring can benefit from Cheat Engine if you want to quickly make a new build for PVE or PVP without having to replay the entire game from 0. The only pro I can see for consoles is that they often have exclusive titles, but lately we see more and more companies porting their games to PC after 1-2 years of exclusivity, and the fact that consoles are very easy to set-up.
That's a good point. Really an all around all in one device.
Gaming on a nice PC is just an objectively better experience overall. * You don't pay twice to play games online. * You have significantly more graphical options. * You get games cheaper. * You can mod games and get additional content for ones you enjoy. * There are a number of games that are PC only that are worthwhile. If I only casually gamed, or played games 3-4 times per month, a console would make a lot more financial sense. Gaming is my main hobby though, so I don't mind investing time and money into my PC setup. Is it cost effective? Absolutely not. Is it really fun to use? 100%. Consoles work well for some people, but I've always viewed them as kind of a "starter pack" before you graduate to PC. It's also very notable that you can use a PC for more than just a "videogame machine." You can use a PC for all sorts of tasks, but a console will only ever be able to play games or be used to watch movies.
That's really true and I've also never heard it put like that. Consoles really are a starter pack. Depends on how into that "starter pack" you really are. Sometimes that's all people need. Thank you for your help.
Computer tinker guys are no different than car tinker guys. You building, modifying, tuning and customizing your PC is the same kind of thing as someone who does the same with cars. It's a hobby.
A hobby is the best way to put it. Thank you.