To next-gen or to PC? That is the question.

[dampi256]

I have no idea whether to put this post under the console or PC threads. I feel it is a general issue some might have so I post it here.

I recently came to the shocking realization that I might not be getting a PS4 or any of the next gen consoles. This might not sound like a massive issue to you but for me it is. Let me explain. This conundrum developed as a result of me thinking what would be the best financial decision for me. These are the questions I have to answer: Is it better to spend the money on a console or PC? and, Which medium will provide me with the best possible value for money and functionality?

I migrated from PC gaming to console in 2010. Why? I had to make the decision whether I was going to upgrade my old PC box or use the mula to get a console and laptop (laptop for work purposes that later changed into a portable recording studio and work laptop). My thinking at the time was that most PC games (with the exception of RTS) was released on consoles and that I don't like the idea of upgrading my PC every time I wanted to play the latest games in a year's time. Yes, I know that you don't have to upgrade but face it, if you have a PC and you play a game on medium quality, you are having a bad day... well I do at least.

When I play a game on PC I play it on the highest possible settings cause that is the default setting for me. I have the system that is capable of playing games at high quality and so I'm going to use it. I know you don't have to play on high quality but I feel that I am under-utilizing my system if I don't push it to the max, or at least as close to high quality as possible ensuring a smooth enough frame rate. So I feel like I am wasting money playing a game at a graphical quality that is below par and I hate playing games on PC with blurry textures and at a choppy frame rate.

So I looked at consoles and saw that the graphical quality was anyway below par compared to PC's but the lifespan of consoles are 5+ years. This made me think that I would rather pay about R4500 for a console, keep it for 5 years with no need to upgrade, have the games run at a relatively constant frame rate and the games will work 99% on the time on launch. No need to worry about graphic drivers being incompatible, sound drivers dying halfway through the game, having not enough Ram, etc. Games just work on the consoles and frankly, it is just easier. Yes console games are double the cost of PC games but you don't have to buy them at launch. You can get them 2nd hand in shops a while after release so that's a + for consoles... for me at least.

So I made the plunge in 2010 and really never looked back. I have logged 558 hours on Black Ops 2 alone, not counting the hours spent on great titles like Far Cry 3, Crysis 3, The Last of Us, Heavy Rain, Assasin's Creed 2 and 3, etc. I absolutely loved the fact that I could buy a game new or 2nd hand, pop it in my console and play. No need to worry whether my system can run the game and no need to upgrade.

But now, I am at a cross roads. With the new gen imminent and PC tech having evolved to a level where it has basically stabilized regarding Video Card and CPU power i.e. you can get a mid range GPU and CPU and play the games effortlessly on high, the advent of Steam and the absolute mind blowing specials they offer on a daily basis and lastly Indie games making a massive impact on the industry. Steam OS looks to be a viable alternative for a solid duel-boot system as it caters for games and it's free and with the Steam controller announced, I can get console like controls on a PC. If you look at the specs of the PS4 and Xbox One, they are in essence mid-range PCs so I can just as well get a PC and have the ability to upgrade it later. With all these in mind, I'm considering going back to PC gaming.

But the above is not the only reasons why I am considering going back to PC. I record my own music and I want to get into creating more YouTube clips and dabble in Video editing. This cannot be done on a console so a PC is becoming the logical choice for my entertainment medium. On a PC I can do most of the creative stuff I want to do, play games offline and online, record my music and surf the web.

If my consideration was purely gaming then I would have probably decided to get the PS4 and stay with PlayStation as PS+ is absolute amazing value for money and I have a track record with them.

So PC it is, for me at least. I will look at the PS4 much later in it's cycle and then get it if I have surplus cash available. The PS3 will still stay relevant for at least a year and I believe that PS+ will keep releasing great titles free of charge to subscribers to keep them hooked to the PS3 until they migrate to the PS4.

Going with PC might mean that I have a little higher initial cost e.g. R9000 for the case and hardware inside (I have a 24" screen so that lessens the blow) vs R7000 for a PS4 but, keep in mind the "running costs" i.e. games cost less for the PC with Steam having massive specials and games costing around R399 in the shops compared to console games reaching record highs of around R870 in some cases (Beyons: Two Souls). If you look at the costing over the life span of the console and PC then they should even out eventually 'cause you will have to upgrade your PC's GPU at least once during this period at lets say R2500 for a mid-range card. So if you look at costs the PC might work out cheaper because next gen games will be relatively more expensive than current gen console games during it's cycle not factoring in the 2nd hand market into the equation.

Now the last choice I have to make is whether I'll be getting a mobile system like a high-end gaming laptop or a desktop? I love being mobile and my work, being a financial adviser, requires me to have a laptop. So why not incorporate both worlds into one but then I sit with the issue of upgrade-ability and initial cost of the Laptop being way more than a desktop. AAAARGGGGHHHHHH! Will this conundrum never end?!

I hope this help some of you get perspective on the whole console vs PC issue and the financial impact of the decision.

Cheers.

[Snare]

Quite a riddle you have on your hands good sir. I think the smart thing would be to address all the issues individually and assess them in terms of what is important to you


Cost
As you stated the initial capital required for PC is higher than console but it has lower operating costs; A gaming laptop that you will also use for work has by far the greatest cost, and although it has even better versatility than a PC, the sheer weight of the initial cost tips the scales negatively against it. With all variables balanced a Console is cheapest but a PC has the best cost-to-use.

Longevity
In terms of shelf life indeed a console is a guaranteed 5+ years of smooth gaming[assuming nothing breaks]; and the reality is that in order to be able to play the latest Games with all the bell and whistles one must upgrade their PC every 2-3 years. A laptop is even worse, after 2-3 years the upgrade is simply non-negotiable and you will be spending similar amount at each juncture. Console has a firm hold in the longevity department.

Utility
In terms of mobility, Laptop is just straight up the best with PC being the worst in this regard. Between the 2 of them a Laptop has arguably the greatest versatility although given the fact that PC's scale the best with any additions, I would say that PC has better utility when taking into account your artistic and financial needs.

Gaming
No one can possibly dispute that gaming in most respects is technically better on PC; but the fun of the experience itself depends on you personally.

In Conclusion PC slightly edges out the others but I think that the best option would be to do what many other men have resorted to doing. A Gaming PC as your right hand and little laptop for all your work needs.

[hideinlight]

PS4, it's adoption rate is gonna be extremely high. Games will be optimized for it, they will look good, less hassle, versatile, good games and unlike the Wii U the adoption rate is gonna be high with the catalogue growing and growing to the point where there's gonna be a significant second hand and eventually budget game market for it too.

PC has become to much of a chore to be honest, it becomes harder and harder to find people to play with if the game isn't LoL or DOTA2. That's the advantage of consoles over PC atm, a good balance.

Too many games can work against a platform.

[rootworm41]

If you like consoles...

1. Build an HTPC
2. Put SteamOS on it (Or Windows with Steam Big Picture Mode)
3. Buy an Xbox One, PS4 or Steam controller. (Get the Steam controller)
4. Buy cheaper games with better graphics XD (Had to say it)

aaaand...get some real work done (on the same machine) XD

[Glordit]

If you like consoles...

1. Build an HTPC
2. Put SteamOS on it (Or Windows with Steam Big Picture Mode)
3. Buy an Xbox One, PS4 or Steam controller. (Get the Steam controller)
4. Buy cheaper games with better graphics XD (Had to say it)

aaaand...get some real work done (on the same machine) XD

Depends on the PC itself, it could look worse than a PS4, if you don't put money into the proper components. Which can sometimes cost more than the console itself.

OP, get whatever you think is right for you. Myself? I am keeping my PC as is for certain games and study/work related purposes, and moving to PS4.

PS4, it's adoption rate is gonna be extremely high. Games will be optimized for it, they will look good, less hassle, versatile, good games and unlike the Wii U the adoption rate is gonna be high with the catalogue growing and growing to the point where there's gonna be a significant second hand and eventually budget game market for it too.

PC has become to much of a chore to be honest, it becomes harder and harder to find people to play with if the game isn't LoL or DOTA2. That's the advantage of consoles over PC atm, a good balance.

Too many games can work against a platform.

In the states and EU alone, pre-orders get sold out in minutes of becoming available. Hell some people are having their pre-orders cancelled due to there not being enough stock available for launch. It's adoption rate is probably twice as much as the PS3 was.

Looking forward to picking up some awesome PS4 titles for cheap after launch, specially pre played titles.

[reedOsama]

So I looked at consoles and saw that the graphical quality was anyway below par compared to PC's but the lifespan of consoles are 5+ years. This made me think that I would rather pay about R4500 for a console, keep it for 5 years with no need to upgrade, have the games run at a relatively constant frame rate and the games will work 99% on the time on launch. No need to worry about graphic drivers being incompatible, sound drivers dying halfway through the game, having not enough Ram, etc. Games just work on the consoles and frankly, it is just easier. Yes console games are double the cost of PC games but you don't have to buy them at launch. You can get them 2nd hand in shops a while after release so that's a + for consoles... for me at least.

You know I've never understood this way of thinking. Consoles obviously have their advantages (and there are a lot of them) but the upgrading thing really doesn't make sense to me. Console games look like their graphics are set on low/medium in comparison to PC graphics and even if they look better than that the lack of AA always makes them look terrible in my eyes.

So your thinking is that because there isn't a better looking console to replace it, those not so great graphics are fine. Inversely... even though your old PC has better graphics than a current gen console, if it isn't the best possible graphics for the game you'll be forced to upgrade What the hell kinda logic is that?

I remember looking at someone playing Modern Warfare 2 on PS3 and thinking, "holy crap... is he playing DOOM"? I'd rather play games on a PC that has an old 8800gtx set on medium (with a bit of AA) for 5 years than be stuck with those DOOM graphics for 5 years (all other factors constant). That's just how I see it.

But now, I am at a cross roads. With the new gen imminent and PC tech having evolved to a level where it has basically stabilized regarding Video Card and CPU power i.e. you can get a mid range GPU and CPU and play the games effortlessly on high

I'm scared this isn't exactly true with larger resolution screens coming out, but it'll be a while before I can afford them anyway so... meh.

It's still weird to see FPS just slightly above 30 again:

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/asus_radeon_r9_280x_top_review,18.html

[Snoek]

Wow! This really got me thinking. I've been pretty deadset on getting a PS4 for a while now considering the upgrade costs, but all the points you raised are really valid. I want a console primarily for the multiplayer aspect (same room) The ability to invite a couple buddies over and jam whatever. Now that I think about it very few games are releasing worthwhile split-screen multiplayer games. The best options are sport games for that but even that can be adjusted to work on pc just as well.

For that reason I've been quite hesitant to upgrade my PC in the past year. The other reason I want a console is for the console exclusive titles. Journey, Flower, Uncharted, God of war, Last of Us, GTA 5 and Final Fantasy XIII are all games I really wanted to play but couldn't because I only have my PC and with really awesome games coming up on PS4 you can imagine things will be the same. I'm desperate to play Final Fantasy XV >_<...

In your case a PC is obviously the best choice (unless you have the same gaming dilemma i have). I have this crazy hope that Steam OS will somehow allow those adventure/JRPG games to be run on a pc with the handy addition of a controller but I know too well to hope too much in that.

Any big choices will have to wait till next year though. If those massive titles happen to be optimized for Steam OS , I will throw my money at my PC and turn it into an absolute beast, Else I'll probably invest in a PS 4 I can (sort of) share with the family

[Glordit]

I remember looking at someone playing Modern Warfare 2 on PS3 and thinking, "holy crap... is he playing DOOM"? I'd rather play games on a PC that has an old 8800gtx set on medium (with a bit of AA) for 5 years than be stuck with those DOOM graphics for 5 years (all other factors constant). That's just how I see it.

Graphics will improve on consoles with time, they always do. It will never be as good as a PC's but it will be close especially with next gen. Then again I believe if you playing a game purely for how it looks you probably not going to enjoy it as much, than if you were playing it for the story or gameplay.

[Ser_Bunnylot]

I don't get it. Why not both? It might take some clever budget work and a few months of saving, but why not? Why one or the other?

[Tydmors]

Graphics will improve on consoles with time, they always do. It will never be as good as a PC's but it will be close especially with next gen. Then again I believe if you playing a game purely for how it looks you probably not going to enjoy it as much, than if you were playing it for the story or gameplay.

I have to agree with you, games are looking much better now than when ps3 launched.

Just to get back to the expensive console games --

You can get a console and just buy PS+ -- That will be less than R500 on all your games for the year. I have a PS backlog of about 15 great games.

I have ps+ and i think I have only purchased 2 games this year and both was under R180 each new. (Black Ops2 and Dishonored)

Once Ps4 launches, the games that you will receive should all be 'new' PS4 games or perhaps some PS3 ports that was re-made for PS4, you should still get about 3 or 4 new games every month.