I’ll try to settle this old debate of console vs. PC gaming once and for all. Hopefully, i’ll explain why PC gaming is better than console gaming.  

1. ​Cost

PC gaming can be more affordable than console gaming. You don’t necessarily need to buy a gaming PC to game. You don’t even need the latest PC to game. You can buy an old regular PC and modify it to best suit your gaming needs with hardware such as SSD, fans, deleting unnecessary files, etc. depending on the games you want to play. 

That’s the great thing about PCs - if you want the cheapest setup, you can do well gaming by buying some of the oldest hardware you feel comfortable with.    

A TV or monitor can cost around $8-20 whether you’re console or PC gaming.

I’ve seen used desktops that cost around $100 and used laptops costing around $50. A good SSD can cost $9. Fans can cost around $15-30. 

Steam CD keys can cost around $10. Used physical games can cost the same or less than that. Cloud gaming services can cost the same price per month.     

A used console like the PS4 can cost around $200. A console cloud gaming service like Playstation + costs around $18 per month. Physical games can cost around $10. 

Since you can only play specific games on a specific console generally, you can’t save money on hardware like you can with PC gaming. 

While it might be expensive to buy a PC upfront, once you buy it - you’ll only have to replace a part or two. Meanwhile, you have to completely replace whole consoles regularly. 

As you can see, you’re paying much less for PC gaming than console gaming.        

2. Versatility

PCs offer much more versatility than consoles. There are controllers built for PC gaming, mice, keyboards, joysticks, keypads, laptops, desktops, handheld PCs, built-in monitors and speakers, external monitors, emulators, all-in-1 laptops, tablets, smartphones, the list goes on. You have a ton of freedom to mix and match different kinds of hardware to best suit your gaming experience. 

For example, you could add liquid cooling to your desktop PC or fans. You could game on a laptop or desktop with controllers. You could game with a hard drive or SSD.

You can also modify character skins, game data, and maps on PC.

Consoles offer handheld devices, regular consoles like the Xbox 360, joysticks, and controllers. Consoles don’t have much versatility compared to PC gaming. The only console that does is the Nintendo Switch to some degree. 

Nintendo Switch is like a tablet that functions as a portable and home device. You can use the switch as a handheld device or share a controller with another player and set up the screen in front of you both.  

3. Quality of hardware

PC gaming hardware is much more powerful than console hardware. Gaming PCs have better graphics than consoles because of more advanced hardware components, such as faster processors, larger amounts of memory, and high-quality graphics cards. This allows for higher resolutions, more advanced graphics, and smoother frame rates than console gaming. As a result, you’ll have a more immersive realistic gaming experience with a PC.

The pros of console controllers over keyboards and mice is they allow you to comfortably sit back and/or lie down while you game. The con is they’re less accurate than mice and keyboards. When playing FPS games, console gamers have to use aim assist. 

Controllers require you to memorize button combos. For specific actions. You might have to push down joysticks and move them around during some combos. Using a controller feels unnecessarily complicated.

Mice and keyboards feel more natural and efficient. If you want to perform specific actions, you can use hotkeys. Mice are some of the most accurate peripherals.   

The large surface area of Mice lets you move the mouse faster. 

The pro of console controllers is they’re more pressure-sensitive than keyboards. Sometimes, they can be more accurate.    

4. Durability

PCs are more durable than consoles. 

Consoles generally last around 6 years. A gaming PC can last 10 years but depending on the hardware, it can last longer.    

Gaming keyboards can last over 10 years. Gaming mice can last 1-3 years. Console controllers last around 400 hours. 

5. Style

Gaming PCs have a much larger and better range of styles than consoles. Just look at these gaming PCs!  

This is a mini PC.

This is a custom-built PC.

Gaming laptop

Vinyl wrapped PC

The con of PCs is consoles are marketed better. The PlayStation slogan at the end of each PlayStation video ad is memorable, stylish, exciting, and catchy. It makes you want to game on PlayStation. Gaming PCs don’t have the same memorable brands that say Nintendo or Playstation have.

6. Quantity of games

PC games have much more games than consoles. Not only are there games exclusively for PC, you can also use emulators that play console games on PC.        

Both are tied when it comes to games exclusive to their systems.

7. Quality of gaming

The pro of using consoles is they’re easier to use than PCs. Its much faster to game on consoles than it is on PC. On PC, you have to boot up your system and log into your account. 

The con of using consoles is you don’t develop technical skills for upgrading your system like you do with PC gaming.  

While console controllers let you relax out of convenience, one could argue its easier to get too comfortable and possibly fall asleep. Keyboards and mice force you to stay alert by having an upright posture to perform at your best. 

The pro of PC gaming is its easier to play RTS games than it is to play them on consoles.  

In conclusion, PC gaming is generally better than console gaming. If you want to read similar articles, check these articles!

https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/10-things-pc-gamers-can-do-console-gamers-cant

https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/5-things-every-good-gaming-pc-must-have

https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/console-community-calls-valorant