Yep, I’m going there.
Efficiency. When I talk about nerds, that’s one of the words that comes to mind most frequently. Intelligent people, geeks, nerds, dorks, whatever you want to call them, often look for the most efficient, clean, consistent method of achieving their goals. They tend to seek what is factually true, and are often frustratingly annoying in disseminating that information. Some call that “gatekeeping.” This term is meaningless to me, however that is for another article.
The console wars have raged on since time immemorial. Well, at least since 1989, when SEGA, desperate to break Nintendo’s stranglehold on the industry, fired the opening salvo of what has turned into an almost eternal war; Genesis Does What Nintendon’t. Initially that campaign actually worked, and Genesis beat down the NES. Nintendo, not to be outdone, would launch the SNES, which went on to dominate the Genesis.
Consoles have come and consoles have gone, but ever since the beginning, one juggernaut has always lurked about in the shadows. Eventually, it would begin a dramatic rise to open prominence, truly coming to the forefront of the gaming discussion in the early 2000’s: The Personal Computer. Originally, games were fairly basic, and often educational, but towards the end as Windows 3.11 and 95 came into being, they became quite complex (and sometimes violent.) In the beginning, the PC wasn’t much considered much for gaming, only as an afterthought to word processing, paint, and 3D Pinball (lovingly made by one of my favorite developers up until 2003, Maxis.)
With every iteration of consoles, PC has been there in the wings, advancing at an ever increasing rate, to a point now where it’s outpacing consoles almost on their release. What a console can do, a PC can often mimic or have a port made for it with a plethora of more options and customization in game. One begins to question, “Why even get a console at this point?” Staggeringly, despite what you’ve probably correctly deduced as my obvious bias, consoles still do have a place in contemporary gaming.
Nintendo may have wavered during some iterations of their take on the home console (though their grip on the handheld gaming market has, until recently, remained impressive), but the introduction of the Switch and their increasing forays into mobile spaces will precipitate increased growth for Nintendo for the foreseeable future. Nintendo stands apart from PC and other consoles in one specific, unique way: innovation. The Wii, etched in the annals of history as the third best selling console of all time, did so on the merits of providing a new and unique experience that everyone could enjoy: responsive, real time motion controls. While the Wii U failed to iterate properly and capture that magic, the Nintendo Switch has reclaimed some market share (and Nintendo’s glory) by providing a handheld and home console experience, on top of responsive motion controls, versatile controllers, and a touch pad. These are experiences that PC simply cannot offer, unless you’re willing to shell out hundreds to thousands for a touch screen monitor.
Playstation 4, Sony’s flagship console, offers little in the way that can compete with PC these days. Sony’s strength currently lies in it’s ability to shell out money to developers to secure early or exclusive access to titles that are undoubtedly in demand. Gone are the jokes of their previous console, the Playstation 3, wherein the internet often sarcastically remarked “But the PS3 has no games!” In terms of comparable power to PC however, PC had already eclipsed the console in 2014, and as we approach 2018, only a minor power iteration, the the PS4 Pro, is Sony’s meager offering to keep the console competitive in terms of raw numbers.
The X-Box One… well. You tried, Microsoft. Halo just isn’t the same without Bungie or engaging multiplayer modes and support. There aren’t any other exclusive games with mass market, pure hype appeal to convince someone to drop what was originally $500, now $350 on the system unless you were a die hard X-Box fan, of which each of the big three does certainly have. The power is essentially comparable to the Playstation 4, but with the enormous blunder that was E3 2013 when the PS4 was announced at $100 less than the X-Box One, Microsoft has yet to find a way to separate itself from the pack via the only way a traditional console can: engaging, engrossing, high quality games.
Covering all that, PC stands taller than the rest. The advent of Steam provided a platform for an exponential (sometimes unchecked for a long while) growth, while maintaining all the features you could ever ask for in a system, with the ability to modify games easily (or at all), go retro, or upgrade hassle free. You can go ultra-precision with a mouse and keyboard, or keep that console feel with a controller. Extra monitors and creative tower designs, and the ability to build your “rig” yourself in the comfort of your own home give you the ability to customize your “battlestation” space, limited only by your imagination (and budget.)
Efficiency. Gamers are bright, often too smart for their own good people, and they value what makes the most logical sense. PC Gaming, by every measurable standard, is the standard bearer of what all gaming should be measured by. Power, versatility, personality. With these, you control your experiences in gaming, and PC will always triumph over consoles attempting to directly challenge it head on. Only Nintendo seems to understand this, so many kudos to them. However, without increased 3rd party support, the Switch may suffer a downturn similar to it’s predecessor.
The PC is simply the “Master Race” of gaming by every objective measure. Does that mean you shouldn’t get a console? Absolutely not. If you are looking for the best? Save the money, build a rig. Feel the pride that comes with it.
You may never go back.
-Mitsu
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