Question Is PC gaming still a thing in 2020?

[Killer Beast]

For me, it's the experience that determines console or PC for a particular game. When it's those third person adventure games set in a huge world I always go console. I like to play those on my couch, eight or nine feet away from my gigantic 4K TV, and just take it all in.

If I am playing any kind of first person game, strategy, traditional RPG, or some kind of competitive game (even if with a controller, like Bleeding Edge) I'll opt to play on my PC. My PC stays in my home office, I don't stream from it or anything. But I find being close to it, the mouse and keyboard for most the previously mentioned types of games, and close proximity to my monitor, improves those experiences. And it's not bad visually. While I don't have a 4K monitor I have a large 1440p one and hardware to push most games to their limits.

Yep, that sounds fine! And I’m gonna sound most likely like a broken record, as this has been said numerous times in such discussions, but you can also connect your PC to a TV and use a controller, if you really enjoy that couch experience.

 

[_Al]

assumptions and misunderstanding.

Yes. Quite. I decent gaming PC isn't too expensive when compared to the anticipated $500 pricetag for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. And, for me, you get much more for your money.

On the subject of size I mean PC gaming tends to require a desk, a chair, a space of it's own. Consoles get shoved under the TV.

 

[Nova]

I think the restrictions of consoles combined with the flexibility of PC is not only keeping PC alive, but making it grow.

Indeed. Consoles can't help you do the browsing and the internet usage the same way the PC can do. PC can also allow you to run games and create them. PCs simply can't be that shiny like the consoles unless you buy them that way. It is indeed making the PC industry grow.

 

[_Al]

Consoles are evolving. I’ve had - let me see if I can remember the order of these

Sega Megadrive
SNES
PlayStation 1 (this is when I started using PC for games too)
PS2
PS4

So not every and all but certainly several covering early options and next gen. Point to note: I haven’t played PS4 for two years. It’s sat in its box.

I bought my PS2 on 24th November 2000 for £299. A hefty sum 20 years ago. With it I also bought on first DVD - Gladiator starring Russell Crowe. A classic movie, one of my favourites.

My mind was blown. I could play DVD on a games console! DVD players were expensive back then.

My son has an Xbox One. He plays games and watches YouTube and Netflix. Games consoles are more and more becoming Entertainment systems. Xbox/PS both feature apps and more are released. Twenty years ago I didn’t need a DVD player as I had my PS2. Twenty years on my son doesn’t need a Blu-ray player, fire-stick, PC, because he can do most ‘entertainment activities’ on one machine.

However he cannot complete tasks such as computer-aided design, drafting and modeling, computation-intensive scientific and engineering calculations, image processing, architectural modeling, computer graphics for animation and motion picture visual effects, building and creating websites, writing books or explorings millions of AAA, retro or indie games titles.

He can’t upgrade to the latest tech. My PC is technologically superior in every way to his Xbox. When the PS5 and Xbox Series X launch at the end of 2020 they will already be technologically inferior to the best PC hardware.

PC will always be king because it can do everything a games console or ‘entertainment system’ can do - and more.

 

[Nova]

I think consoles are going backwards though considering PS 5 digital only edition shows you no longer have access to the DVD drive. And who knows in near future USB would lost too. And that way more anti hack or anti cheat games would be possible for them. So they may make hardware like that.

 

[RedmondG]

for someone who was mainly a playstation gamer (AKA me):

- Playstation exclusives are less interesting to me as time goes on. (Also recent censorchip policy is annoying).
- OG PS4 got underpowerd very quickly into the generation.
- Xbox exclusives i can get day 1 on pc.
- Steam regional pricing is a game changer.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[_Al]

who knows in near future USB would lost too.

I can't see that happening. USB connectivity is a fairly standard requirement these days and encourages usage. Want to plug in a mouse or keyboard? Any will do - and this encourages usage.

 

[Nova]

I can't see that happening. USB connectivity is a fairly standard requirement these days and encourages usage. Want to plug in a mouse or keyboard? Any will do - and this encourages usage.

I don't know man, who knows something wireless may come up. We never knew USB would come up in 90s did we? But it came and changed the game for all the devices. But yeah we have to just wait and see the innovation in the due process. I guess we will find it out.

 

[_Al]

Wireless is already a thing though. Most things for consoles can be connected wirelessly. USB is fairly ubiquitous. The PS1/PS2 had dedicated connections for wired controllers. PS3/PS4 moved to USB. Isn’t it the same with Xbox too?
Wireless with USB when you need to charge & play at the same time.

 

[MicroNort]

Wireless is already a thing though. Most things for consoles can be connected wirelessly. USB is fairly ubiquitous. The PS1/PS2 had dedicated connections for wired controllers. PS3/PS4 moved to USB. Isn’t it the same with Xbox too?
Wireless with USB when you need to charge & play at the same time.

We'd need a new PC standard for wireless though. All new mobos and bios would need to allow wireless connectivity otherwise you wouldn't be able to get into the bios before starting the OS.

 

[Legend]

Well yeah but i guess consoles took place in somehow i guess

 

[JennyorAlice]

I wouldn't know since all my gaming is done on consoles. I've never been a PC gamer (if I'm going to be honest). I know people that have been into PC gaming (don't know if they still are or not).

 

[Nova]

Wireless is already a thing though. Most things for consoles can be connected wirelessly. USB is fairly ubiquitous. The PS1/PS2 had dedicated connections for wired controllers. PS3/PS4 moved to USB. Isn’t it the same with Xbox too?
Wireless with USB when you need to charge & play at the same time.

Possible but the world is slowly moving towards the spatial computing, paper displays and the VR. So yeah sooner of later these consoles are nothing but trash in the shelf like the books that we read. Thigns are in the process of the change.