Am I playing on PC or consoles? Or both? Digital entertainment has video games as the star of the show. An industry that has fabulous twists and turns that uses all kinds of hardware in addition to the games themselves. Dedicated machines, but also all kinds of accessories and peripherals sold under the auspices of this brand playing games.

And gaming is a pleasure for many millions of people. Can be played anywhere and on any device. Mobile gaming has gained users due to the greater potential of mobile phones and the new youth that portable consoles are experiencing today. However, the greatest experience comes from great games on the desktop or in the living room. PC and console are the main media here, but which medium is more attractive today? In this special, we look at the pros and cons of each.

Advantages of PC gaming

The main computer tool has become a reference machine for video games in its own right versatility, graphics performance, upgradeability and number of games available. These are its great values ​​compared to a dedicated console.

Great versatility

Perhaps this is the biggest advantage of a PC over a console because you can use it for gaming but also for any task as a single computer for everything, be it surfing the internet, playing media and also for work, while consoles are useless outside of gaming features . And if you’re using a laptop, you can cover desktop and mobility, which a desktop console can’t do, except in specific cases like the Nintendo Switch.

Greater power

Modern games are a type of software that requires a lot from the hardware, especially in the graphics part, which we will see later, but also in other components. There is no color here. Any comparison you make will confirm that the PC offers more performance than the console. And it’s simply a matter of size. Consoles are large miniature machines that offer a compact size and an attractive price that requires some sacrifices. Any well-configured mid-range PC tower (or even a gaming laptop) will give you better performance.

Upgrade options

A console has to start developing many years in advance, and when it hits the market, its hardware is far from the latest available. On the other hand, the custom design with multiple welded components allows almost no type of upgrade. Additionally, the consoles are locked to prevent game piracy. If you find that the day comes when your console doesn’t have good enough graphics, you have no choice but to buy a higher model, while a PC tower is much easier to keep up to date.

Better graphics

A graphics chip is a key component in playing video games. If consoles, even the most powerful ones, have to settle for their own SoC that includes a graphics chip, PC towers have state-of-the-art dedicated graphics that offer unmatched performance, as well as in terms of visual quality, native resolution, high dynamic range support, advanced technologies such as ray tracing or a much higher frame rate per second. The latest graphics available allow you to play at up to 8K resolution, something unattainable for any console that barely reaches 4K.

Ease of repair

The modular design of a personal computer not only facilitates updating, but also significantly facilitates repair, which it understands as changing one of its components. Modern video game consoles are virtually impossible to repair and any attempt will void the warranty. Any serious problem will require the entire machine to be replaced.

More games available

The war of console exclusive games deprived us of playing some great titles on PC, but the situation has changed and many console games are being ported to PC as a natural move. The launch of services like Xbox Game Pass makes this easier. In addition, the total number of games for PC is much higher than the number available for each console. It is the most “neutral” platform and although it is penalized by the mentioned exclusivity war, the future points to more multi-platform titles that can be played on any device.

Drivers

Video game consoles include very good controllers and third parties offer a wide variety of controls that can be used. They’re very comfortable and allow you to play while lying on the couch, but if you’re looking for more control (and power), nothing beats peripherals like a keyboard and mouse. In addition, there are types of games where they are essential, see competitive shooters, where the millisecond matters, and let alone genres such as strategy, where, despite adjusting the controls, it is very difficult to play without a mouse and keyboard.

Advantages of playing on consoles

Fans of dedicated machines could repeat practically every one of the previous parts. And the console too they have their strengths over personal computers.

Price

The price section is relevant because it can flag everything else. Although a personal computer, as we said before, is extremely versatile and is used for other computing tasks, setting up a modern PC tower for proper gaming can multiply the price of a console by 4, 5 or more. Just a mid-range and higher dedicated graphics card already costs more than the entire console.

Installation and ease of use

Getting started with the console is very simple. You plug it into the mains, connect the HDMI cable to the display and that’s pretty much all you have to do to start playing. Building a PC yourself requires some knowledge, and even when buying new computers already assembled, you have to deal with the operating system, drivers, etc. Consoles don’t need any of that, and the ease of use is a big plus for many.

Optimalization

The programmers who work for the console do so on specific hardware and not on hundreds of different PC configurations, so it is understood that with a lower level of general performance the games work perfectly. The optimization, especially in the exclusive ones for each platform, is mostly high, with exceptions proving the rule and with the problems that usually come with porting games from PC.

exclusive games

Although fewer and fewer, there are games that are not ported to PC and require the purchase of a console to play. Additionally, major franchises/games are used to sell the consoles themselves to attract consumers to the platform. If the profits from hardware sales aren’t what a layman might think, the added games they buy (very expensive on consoles) and the potential services manufacturers can sell are.

After all the above, it is impossible to judge whether it is “better” to opt for a game on PC or consoles. It will depend on your specific preferences and needs. You can also opt for a more pragmatic solution: to have both worlds. Some users prefer to spread the cost, buy a console and add, for example, a cheap laptop for the rest of their computing tasks, which guarantees use on the go and at the desk. If you can afford it, it’s a good choice.