10 Reasons Why PC Gaming is Better than Console Gaming

In short:

Why is PC gaming better? PC gaming is better because games are cheaper, you have access to mods, better graphical capabilities, online gaming is free, and it’s backward compatible.

So if that answer didn’t satisfy you and you want a better explanation of why PC gaming is better than console gaming, then keep reading this post…

Table of Contents

1. Dirt cheap games

Why do we game on a PC or console? Because we love the games, obviously. Sure, we’re going to talk about graphics and mods in this post.

But what’s most important is the games. Games make a gaming machine, not the components. PC games are super cheap and there are so many different places you can buy them.

The main platform is Steam. But you can get real bargains from places like G2a and CD Keys.

You see, even on the initial launch of a game, the PC version is cheaper. Even if you can’t find that game on Steam you’ll still be able to find a cheaper game on another site.

Why are PC games cheaper?

Because unlike consoles, the majority of PC games are downloaded. This takes out the costs of CDs, cases, manuals, delivering those games, and giving a cut to retailers.

You can also buy 2nd hand games on PC. Not by purchasing the physical version but installing someone’s CD key.

It just makes PC gaming a lot more streamlined and efficient. You don’t have to worry about scratching that new game you got at a dirt cheap price.

2. Controller superiority and flexibility

When you first switch to PC from console, the controls are going to be an issue. I know it was for me.

I was getting destroyed in games and I felt like packing it up. But as time went on, I started to get better and even had games where I was on top of the scoreboard just like when I played on consoles.

You just need practice. And if you want to use a controller, you can easily do that. You can plug in your Xbox controller and start gaming straight away.

Or you can use a PS4 controller if you download a piece of software for it.

3. Online is free

One of the things that annoys me with console gaming is how I can’t just go online and play with my friends.

No, I need to have an online pass.

This is insane and one of the reasons why I didn’t get an Xbox 360. Because you needed an online pass for Xbox and online was free on the PlayStation 3.

An online pass for PS4 is $59.99 for a year. An average console lifespan is 5 years. So that would be $299.95 over the lifespan of your console.

That’s just too much to be able to play online with your friends.

This would help cover the majority of the cost for a new generation console. Again, it’s ridiculous these fees have to be paid.

4. Backward Compatibility

One of the things that was a big let-down for the new generations of consoles is how they’re not backward compatible.

I can’t play my old PS3 games on the PS4 and the same goes for the PS5.

It’s incredibly annoying that I have to switch from console to console or just purchase the game again. Another cost for consoles that can quickly add up.

With the PC, your entire library is just a few clicks away. And if you’ve got an old physical version of a game, you could probably just get it really cheap and get rid of the physical copy.

With PC, you can have the entire Tomb Raider library. But with consoles, you’ll have to have multiple machines that can clutter your gaming setup.

5. Mods

What really separates the PC from consoles is the modding capability. Mods can dramatically increase the lifespan of a game.

Skyrim is a perfect example of this. There are just an insane amount of mods out for it.

What are the chances of my modded Skyrim being the exact same as another person’s? Pretty slim I would say.

Minecraft is another example of a huge modding community.

One of the games I loved playing was The Witcher 3 and I modded it. The mods made that game so much more enjoyable for me.

witcher 3 texture mods — Witcher 3 texture mods

For example, I didn’t like the mechanic where I had a limited carrying capacity. A simple mod fixed that.

I didn’t like having to pause in the middle of a game to use a position. So what did I do? I installed a mod that automatically allowed you to drink a position.

There were also a couple of graphical mods that I added which made the game look so much better.

Modding has to be my favorite thing about PC gaming. You see, developers have to nerf a game because the console’s hardware can’t run the game.

That’s why the Witcher 2 didn’t come out on console until a much later date.

There’s a lot more money to be made with the console side of things because it’s much more mainstream.

Imagine a kid named Jimmy said to his parents that he wanted to build a PC and Jimmy was 9.

I highly doubt that would happen, instead the parents would end up getting him a PS4 or Nintendo because it’s an easier choice. Just plugin and play.

The Witcher 3 is the perfect example of a game getting heavily nerfed. Just look at the gameplay trailers and then look at the actual gameplay footage.

There’s a massive difference. Sure, a lot of trailers tend to do this. However, it was nerfed heavily because of the consoles.

They needed it to run smoothly and even still, sometimes The Witcher 3 on PS4 can feel pretty laggy. Mods helped bring back some of the graphics but it wasn’t enough.

6. You can do so much more than just game

So when you get your gaming rig, you can do much more than just game.

If you’ve always wanted to start that gaming YouTube channel or Twitch, it’s a lot easier to do on PC.

It’s easier to edit videos on a gaming PC because of the more powerful components, reducing rendering time. Have school work?

Then just get it done on your gaming rig.

There’s an endless amount of things you can do on your PC but only a handful of multimedia options on your consoles.

7. No need to wait for an upgrade

If you want to kick your gaming experience up a notch, you can just upgrade your PC.

For example, newer titles are starting to utilize more RAM. You can easily put another stick of RAM inside your PC. Do you want to upgrade your graphical experience?

Simply slot in a better graphics card and sell the old one to make some of that money back.

Upgrading your PC is simple. There’s no need for you to wait 5 years, unlike consoles.

8. Add personality to your gaming machine

If you want your gaming rig to look better and add some flair to your setup, a gaming PC is the perfect way to do it.

WHY?

Because you can customize it. For example. If you’ve a blue and white color theme going on in your gaming setup…

…you can easily just get a white PC case with blue LEDs. You can have a stunning theme going on.

For example, if you like anime, you can have an anime themed case. Of course, you’re going to need to know how to do this customization.

9. Learn new skills

The cold hard truth is when gaming on PC, you’re going to run into issues… A LOT OF ISSUES.

And of course, you’re going to have to troubleshoot them and fix them. One very minor issue I faced recently was when I purchased the original Mass Effect game.

With the in-game settings, it didn’t go up to a 1080p resolution. So I had to Google around and go into its files and fix it.

It was a very quick and easy fix and I learned something new.

When modding, you’re sometimes going to have to go into the different files and change some stuff.

In the process, you’re going to learn a little bit of binary, nothing difficult but a new skill nonetheless.

Before you know it, you’ve played around with different softwares and now understand how to fix a bunch of issues.

Although, this can be a big negative for PC gamers to some.

10. Graphics

How can we talk about PCs being better than consoles without talking about the graphics?

I’ve left this at the bottom because I believe it’s the least relevant. Graphics don’t make a game but they certainly help take it to another level.

In my opinion, after playing a bunch of different games on PC and console… I think the biggest difference in graphics comes down to the textures.

This comes down to the amount of memory on a graphics card.

You can get 8gb of graphics memory on your graphics card inexpensively on your PC and upgrade all the way to 16gb. But of course, you can’t do that with consoles.

Personally, this is what makes the most noticeable graphics difference when playing. You don’t need to compare both games to see the difference.

Are PC gamers better than console gamers?

PC gamers aren’t better than console gamers when it comes to intelligence. Console gamers aren’t stupid.

PC gamers are better when it comes to controller capabilities.

If someone with a mouse and keyboard is playing against someone with a controller in a first person shooter.

And they’ve both got an adequate amount of practice, the player using a mouse and keyboard will win because the mouse and keyboard allow for more precise aiming.

Not because one is more intelligent than the other. That’s why there’s control assist when you play on consoles.

There’s only so much precision and movement you can make using thumbsticks.

On the other hand, there’s an unlimited amount of room to move your mouse around and you can customize it to your liking.

For example, you can control how you grip the mouse, how much the mouse weighs, the surface you’re gliding it on, and more.

How long do gaming PCs last?

This all depends on the type of games you’re playing and your graphical expectations.

For example, if you’re playing low graphical games like League of Legends, your PC could last a decade.

If you’re playing high end games like Doom and The Witcher with the majority of the setting on high, your PC could last 3 – 5 years depending on the PC’s initial specs.

For example, if you go for a gaming PC that can just about max out the current games, it may only do that for 3 years.

However, if you go for a PC that can max out the current games and leaves more FPS than your monitor can output. It will last longer.

Also, the resolution is a factor when it comes to this. If you plan on playing at 1080p, this will further increase the lifespan of your PC.

If you plan on playing at 1440p, this would reduce the lifespan of your PC. And if you play at 4K, this would dramatically decrease the lifespan of your playing expectations.

NOTE: When I say “life span”, I’m talking about the lifespan of your playing expectations and not components.

Personally, I don’t care about fully maxing out games. As long as it’s a fairly high setting and I don’t dip below 30fps, I’m OK with it.

Summary

So those were the reasons why PC gaming is better than consoles.

However, this isn’t to say gaming on PC doesn’t have its flaws because it really does. Some of the pros I’ve mentioned above might be a negative for you.

For example, “learn something new”. You might find it annoying having to constantly fix things and it is annoying.

You might not care about the PC being able to do more than just play and solely want a game dedicated towards gaming. So take it as you will.