Why I'm a PC Gamer

The new consoles may be making headlines right now, but I won’t be buying one. I haven’t bought one since the original Xbox. Why? I already have a gaming machine with better graphics, a better controller, and more flexibility...and it didn’t cost much, either. I’m talking, of course, about a PC.


You’ve probably heard us PC enthusiasts (in some cases, PC snobs) extoll the virtues of the PC a hundred times before, but there are a lot of myths out there I think many people—including some PC gamers—ignore. Not every gaming PC requires a ton of money, a ton of tweaking, and a smug superior attitude to enjoy. So I’m going to try to explain, with logic, why I’m a PC gamer—without ever using the phrase “glorious PC master race”.



Why I'm a PC Gamer


PCs Have Higher Graphics Potential

You’ve heard this a million times before, so I doubt I need to reiterate, but I will for argument’s sake. PCs have much better graphics (or at least the potential for better graphics) than consoles. Even with midrange hardware you can play a game with sharper textures, less aliasing, and farther view distances than you do on your consoles. And as the consoles get older, this becomes even more apparent.


PCs Are More Flexible and Upgradable

Why I'm a PC Gamer



Of course, a lot of people don’t like the idea of tweaking their games to infinity, and that’s okay too—you don’t have to, despite what a lot of people claim. With programs like GeForce Experience, you can have all your games set up optimized for your hardware and get a balance between quality and performance with only one click.



Modding has become a popular pastime in PC games, and it doesn’t take a lot of effort to install a few mods and make your games look (and play) better—especially older games that may not hold up as well out of the box. But even with newer games, it’ll completely change your experience. Have you ever played Skryim with mods? Going back to a console version afterwards feels like you’re playing Morrowind. And it’s not just graphics. You can add new quests and missions, new items and armor, new game mechanics, UI elements, and just about anything else you can think of. Including a dancing bear.

The Price Myth: PC Gaming Doesn’t Have to Cost an Arm and a Leg

Why I'm a PC Gamer

The biggest argument against PC gaming is that it costs a ton of money, and this is absolute bull. You don’t need to buy the latest parts and have a tricked-out, $2000 gaming machine. Even a lower midrange graphics card can get you better graphics than a console, especially as you get later into a console’s lifespan. You can build a solid gaming PC for $600, and while it won’t be the best gaming PC on the block, it can still be better than a console. (And you can upgrade it whenever you want.)

But here’s the really important part: You can’t compare a $400 console with a $600 PC and say the PC is more expensive, because you already have a PC. Not all of that PC’s cost is going toward gaming. If you’re in the market for a new computer, going from a regular home PC to a gaming PC only costs a couple hundred dollars more. Spend an extra $400 on that PC’s processor and video card, and you’ve spent just as much as you would on a PlayStation 4—but for a PC that can do more. You probably buy a new PC at least as often as you buy a new video game console, so all it requires is a little forethought. And before you counter with the “but I use a laptop argument,” you could probably split that cost into a laptop and a desktop and still come out ahead.

Secondly, let’s not forget a lot of the hidden costs in console gaming. You’re putting down more than just $400 for the console. You also have to pay $60 for each game, plus whatever an online subscription costs if you want to play online. On the PC, these costs are much lower. Thanks to digital distribution and a lack of licensing fees, PC games are a bit cheaper than console games, and drop in price much faster (not to mention get super cheap during sales). In the long run, those costs add up much faster on a console than they do on PC.

To be clear: I’m not saying PC gaming is cheap. I’m saying that the “PC gaming is expensive” argument is false. You can easily pay a similar amount to what you’d pay for a console for similar or better performance—and you can pay a little more for much better performance.

They’re Two Different Beasts

Of course, at the end of the day, it’s all personal choice, and there are legit reasons to be a console gamer as well, and both platforms have things the other doesn’t. I’m not trying to convince you that you should all switch to PC and consoles should go extinct. I’m merely pointing out some of the myths surrounding PC gaming, and all the benefits you can get by putting up with a slightly more involved, less plug-and-play experience. It’s well worth it.
