Should I Switch to PC Gaming? The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Should I switch to PC gaming?

Is it worth it? What are the pros and cons? Is it right for me and will it be expensive?

These are all questions we’ll be answering in this post.

I’ve been gaming on PC for many years. In fact, I made the switch in high school, from console to PC.

So I will definitely be able to answer all the burning questions on your mind.

This guide will be based completely on reality, no hype whatsoever.

In fact, I’m probably going to get some hate from PC gamers because I’ll be exposing some critical flaws.

Flaws that not a lot of PC gamers like talking about.

Let’s get straight into it…

Graphics

So the first thing that comes to mind when you think of PC gaming is graphics. Aren’t the graphics amazing?

Well, yes and no.

Yes, you will have a boost in graphics but they’re not as amazing as you think. 

It all depends on the games you play…

If you’re playing games like Fortnite, you won’t notice a huge difference in graphics when you compare both platforms.

Heck, you most likely won’t notice a graphical difference in games like The Witcher 3. 

Unless you add mods which we’ll talk about later.

Let me just put it out there…

GRAPHICS DO NOT MAKE A GAME!

The biggest graphical difference you’ll see in a PC VS consoles is the resolution. 

If your console is playing at 1080p and your PC is playing at 1440p or 4K. There will be a major difference.

Don’t consoles run at 4K?

No, it’s not true 4K. Just an upscaled version.

When you install graphical mods it will make a major difference in graphics. More on mods later.

So mods and resolution will make the biggest difference. 

However, when you play the game straight out of the box, you won’t really notice a difference. 

Unless you compare both games side by side.

What I’m trying to say is, if you’re thinking of making the switch to PC because of the graphics…

…it’s probably not worth it.

Performance

I think one of the biggest reasons you should switch to PC is when it comes to Performance. 

I’m currently playing a game on my PS4 called Days Gone. It’s a great game but the only issue is the frame rate. 

It often dips below 30fps. And things start to get choppy. 

It’s pretty annoying and I just think to myself, “I wish this game was out on the PC so I can have more frames”.

The Witcher 3 is another example. I played that game on ultra settings and installed lots of graphical mods. 

It was a blast and is now one of my favorite games of all time. However, when you play 

The Witcher 3 on console, it has a frame rate issue. And that’s why I prefer PC gaming most of the time. 

You can control the frame rate. You can even go into the settings and turn a few things off to increase the frame rate. 

Making games more enjoyable and you feel immersed.

I think this is the biggest issue with console gaming. 

They just don’t hold up very well. They’re always behind on specs which hurts gaming. 

Heck, consoles are holding back a lot of video games.

WHY?

Because companies develop games for the consoles first since that’s where the money is made. 

Most people game on console. The Witcher 3 is a great example of this…

…the gameplay trailer looked fantastic but when you actually played that game, it was downgraded massively. 

Why? 

Because the consoles couldn’t handle it. Remember, consoles are developed for first and PC later.

Mods

What are mods?

Mods are user created content that will change the way a game works.

There are some games I just can’t bring myself to play without mods. 

For example, Skyrim, when you play it for the first time, it’s great. Heck, it’s a masterpiece as it got many 10/10 reviews.

But when you play Skyrim with mods, it takes it to a completely different level. 

The graphics are completely upgraded. 

The mechanics of the games are different and things are just a lot more enjoyable.

Imagine that, taking a game from 10/10 to 100/10. Now that’s a great accomplishment.

The Witcher 3 is another great example. Gamers were super disappointed with the graphical downgrade. 

So instead they created their own graphical mods and completely changed the way this game looked. 

The texture mods made a giant difference. 

Also, I didn’t like the way Geralt had a carrying capacity and I removed that capacity with a simple mod. 

I didn’t like that you had to apply oils to your sword via the inventory tab. So what did I do? 

I simply installed a mod that automatically added the correct oil to the sword. Simple!

Mods are definitely a major reason why you should make the switch.

Minecraft on console is OK. But on PC with the insane amount modding options, it becomes a game you can never complete.

Controls

When I first switched from console to PC, the controls were an issue. It took a while to get used to.

I was getting destroyed in games and rage quit a lot.

HOWEVER…

After I got used to the controls, I found it difficult to go back to console when it came to first person shooters.

The mouse and keyboard gives you much more control and precision than a console controller.

You can easily snap to enemies after you’ve got used to the mouse.

FUN FACT: Originally, first person shooters were created just for the PC because it would be too difficult to play with a normal controller. 

That’s why aim assist has been added to consoles.

It’s pretty simple to get used to the mouse. 

Just turn off mouse acceleration and apply a low sensitivity. And then, just practice.

With the keyboard, you can get muddled-up with different keys. Not knowing which one is which without looking.

To move, you will be using the A,W,S,D keys. 

So you’ll be using them a lot and it’s where your fingers will rest. 

So I would recommend getting rubber A,W,S,D keys.

After some practice, you’ll be at the top of the scoreboard, killing it.

Exclusives aren’t as great

Let’s face the facts… consoles have better exclusives than PC.

Sure, PC has some of the most played games in the world such as World of Warcraft and League of Legends. 

But consoles have more black buster exclusives.

Spiderman and God of War were the reason why I purchased the PS4. 

And I kept it for the other great exclusives such as The Last of Us, Detroit Become Human, and Days Gone. I loved them.

PC does not have these types of exclusives like the PlayStation. 

Sony is on top of the world when it comes to exclusives and they’re whoopin Microsoft. 

But that’s another story for another day.

The point is, you don’t want to abandon console gaming. 

Corporations know that’s where the money is at so they keep on producing great exclusives. 

Exclusives that you’ll never find on PC.

It’s one of those major downsides to PC gaming.

Bugs

You’re going to go through a lot of frustrations on your PC. One day your PC will stop working and you’ll have to figure out why. 

Is it the motherboard? Is something wrong with the RAM? 

Is something not plugged in properly? Has something shorted-out? 

There are many questions you’ll be asking yourself and researching online. 

Something will inevitably go wrong and you’ll have to fix it. 

It’s not like a console where you can send it in for repairs if you have a warranty. 

Unless you purchase a pre-built PC with warranty.

There are many software and incompatibility issues. 

Games will crash on you and you’ll have to figure out why. Why does my game crash randomly?

Why does it minimize randomly? 

You have a powerful PC but the game still keeps lagging. You’ll be pulling your hair out of frustrations.

It’s not pretty but this is the reality of PC gaming. 

When you come home from work, you want to just relax and play a game. 

And not spend a bunch of time researching and fixing issues.

This is the ugly side of PC gaming that many PC gamers don’t like to admit. 

There are so many bugs and fixes out there. It’s incredibly overwhelming.

You want to chill and play a game. 

That’s why I say you should never abandon console gaming. 

Because if there’s an issue, most of the time you can just turn the console on and off. 

Or just reinstall the game. 

Reinstalling a game is annoying but at least you know how to fix an issue.

If you don’t want to do any research or tweak your games, PC gaming isn’t for you. 

Stick with consoles because it’s plug in and play. PC gaming isn’t.

Cheap games

You’ve probably already heard and seen games on PC that are super cheap. 

It’s not difficult to find great deals at any time of the day. 

You see, the vast majority of PC gamers just download their games. 

This way you cut out money needing to be spent on cases, manuals, and CDs. 

You can also cut out the middleman like Gamestop. 

But not always because games are often purchased on platforms such as Steam. 

The point is, a lot of the costs are cut out allowing games to be cheaper.

So if you don’t have a lot of money but still want to play some epic games, you can easily do so.

There’s one downside. When a big sale comes on, you’re going to buy a lot of games and never play them. 

Or just play them for a couple of hours and never complete them. 

Many PC gamers, including myself are guilty of this. Buying a bunch of games to never finish.

Multitasking

One of the issues with multitasking on consoles is it’s not as fast, it’s slow, and very limited. 

With a PC, there are no limits. If you’re stuck in a game, you can just “Alt+Tab” out the game and search up a tutorial in a few seconds. 

And then get back to the game very easily. 

Or maybe you just want to check social. You don’t have to pull out your phone or laptop. 

Just do it on your PC which will be the fastest and best looking, easiest option.

This is one of those little features that make a big difference.

Not one place to launch all your games and show off your trophies

This is one of those few instances where the console is more streamlined than the PC. 

With the PC, if you want to play a game by Ubisoft like Assassin’s Creed, you’ll have to open Origin. 

Which is where you buy and play Ubisoft’s games. 

You might play a game like The Witcher 3 but because you purchased it from Gog, you’ll have to play it on their launcher. 

Also, your trophies will be stored on Gog or whichever platform you play on. 

So your friends will never get to see all the games you play and your trophies. The console takes a point for this one.

So if you like collecting trophies, you’ll probably just forget about them when you game on PC.

Backwards compatibility

If you want to play an old game like Fallout 3, you’ll have to blow the dust off your Xbox 360.

A lot of games are not backwards compatible. 

You’ll either have to play that game on your old console which will be most of the time. 

Or you’ll have to hope they remaster that game. 

With a PC, you purchase that game once and never purchase it again. 

Also, that game can be modded so you get more content out of it. 

This is a great way to increase the lifespan of a game. 

With the mods, you can upgrade the graphics and mechanics of a game. 

But on console, it’s going to be the same bland thing.

Easy upgradability

One big issue with consoles is the lack of upgradability. 

Sure you can upgrade from the Xbox to the Xbox S. 

However, what if you don’t want to buy an entire system. 

For example, not too long ago, games started to use 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB being the maximum. 

With the PC, you can easily just slot in another stick of RAM. Or if you want a massive boost in performance. 

You can easily slot in a different graphics card. And building a PC these days isn’t very difficult. It’s almost like Lego.

Aesthetics

Let’s face it, no one looks at a console in awe, shock, and admiration. 

But everyone looks at a great gaming rig in awe. 

When it comes to looks, there’s just no competition. You can customize a PC in every way you could imagine. 

If you’ve got a color theme going on in your setup, you can make your PC the exact same color.

Just look at Terry Crews PC:

How much does a gaming PC cost?

It’s incredible what you can get with a $600 budget gaming PC. 

Something that will blow the PS5 out of the water. 

If you plan on just playing light titles like League of Legends, Fortnite, CS Go, Overwatch etc… 

You could just get a $300 rig. 

No, you won’t be maxing out games but you’ll definitely be able to get playable frame rates at decent graphics settings. 

If you want to play the latest titles on max settings but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, $600 will get you there. 

And you won’t need to upgrade for a few years.

For a great rig that can play games on 1080p and even do 1440p gaming, we’d recommend this gaming PC.

It won’t break the bank and will give you lots of power. It’s the perfect PC for a beginner.

If you’re looking for an absolute beast of a gaming PC. 

Something that will play games on max settings at 4K… it’s going to cost a couple thousand. 

We decided to take some time and research the best 4K gaming PC whilst spending every penny wisely. 

And we’ve come to the conclusion that this gaming PC would be best for 4K gaming.

So a gaming rig that plays light titles will typically cost you $300 – $400. 

A gaming rig that can max out your games should cost you around $600 if you’ve done your research right. 

And an all out 4K gaming machine will cost at least a couple thousand dollars.

Our recommendation

We would recommend going with the Skytech Archangel Gaming Computer. 

It’s great for people getting into PC gaming. 

It allows you to crank games to the absolute max and add lots of mods without performance suffering.

GTX 1660 6GB

The graphics card is going to be the heart of your gaming PC. 

You’ll be pleased to know there’s a GTX 1660 in here. It’s a graphics card that can handle the most intense titles out there…

It can run Crysis 3 on max setting at 1080p with an average of 77FPS.

The Witcher 3 on ultra setting with hair works turned off will run at an average of 65FPS.[1]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider on max settings gets an average of 56FPS.

As you can see, some of the most demanding games run incredibly smoothly with the GPU.

There’s also 6GB of video RAM. Simply put, this allows you to load more textures in a game. 

And you can take it a step further by adding texture mods. 

For me, texture mods had the greatest impact when it came to graphics.

RYZEN 5 2600X

The RYZEN 5 2600x is a 6 core CPU with a speed of 3.6GHz. 

However, just because this has some gigahertz and cores, doesn’t make it great. 

Anyone can put a bunch of core and gigahertz inside a CPU. 

It’s all about how a processor performs in games. And this processor can handle whatever game you throw at it. 

It’s even strong enough to handle video editing tasks and live streaming if that’s what you’d like to do.

16GB RAM

Games these days can use up to 16GB of RAM and that’s exactly how much this PC contains. 

You’ll be able to multi-task with ease and not experience lag.

500GB SSD

500GB is plenty for the operating system and some of the latest games. 

An SSD is much faster than your standard hard drive that comes with consoles. 

One of the reasons I find console gaming so tedious is the long loading screens. 

You won’t suffer anymore from long load times. An SSD makes your whole PC snappier and a joy to use.

Free Gaming Keyboard and Mouse

This comes with a free gaming keyboard and mouse. 

They’re pretty basic and will get the job done. If you feel like you want to upgrade, you can do that too. 

After all, it’s free, you’re not losing out on anything here.

You get all the ports you’ll need with the PC including lots of USB ports, headphone and mic jack, etc. It’s all there.

Looks

This PC looks stunning. It’ll definitely make your friends jealous. 

The PC lights up in a rainbow color because of the fans and the strip at the front of the PC. 

It’s the talking point in your gaming setup.

There’s a window there for you and others to admire this beast of a rig. 

There’s plenty of room for airflow as well as mesh to prevent dust build up. 

It’s built by veterans and the cable management is perfect.

1 year warranty

This is a prebuilt PC, so there’s no headache involved. 

It’s just as simple as plugging it in and playing. 

And if anything goes wrong, there’s a 1 year warranty so you can just send it back and get it fixed. 

There’s also a free Windows 10 operating system already installed.

Are you ready to take your gaming experience to a whole new level?

Check Price of the Skytech Archangel

Conclusion

So I hope I answered your burning questions regarding PC gaming.

If you’re thinking of making the switch, make sure to go with the PC. 

We researched it and handpicked the best one. You won’t be disappointed.