Bought launch PS4 yet shelved it for my first gaming PC a month later. Anyone else?
Is PC gaming going through a renaissance?
I was pretty hyped for the PlayStation 4 launch. The previous gen Xbox 360 and PS3 systems were getting way, way long in the tooth and far overstayed their welcome, IMO. Sony had a really impressive campaign with a welcome focus on games. They had tremendous momentum on their side. I started out last gen with a 360 but permanently migrated to a PS3. PS+ was a great value and I had a Vita. The PS4 couldn't come any sooner. I got the PS4 at launch with AC4, KZSF, BF4, and CODG. Nothing spectacular but enjoyable enough. After I got done with AC4, I realized these consoles are just bad PCs. There are patches, mandatory installations, firmware updates, game breaking bugs, no local multiplayer, etc. Basically a lot of nonsense that initially deterred me from PCs in the first place. But if I'm dealing with these issues on a console, why not get a PC? Plus, these new consoles are massively unimpressive on a technical level. I saw all these interesting PC exclusives during the Steam Winter Sale. And many other multiplatform games that were dirt cheap. What have I been waiting for? Why didn't I do this sooner?
So,
thanks to the great guys at GAF, I built my first gaming PC. They dispelled so many PC gaming myths that initially kept me away. It's not impossible to build one on your own. Drivers and such aren't a big deal -- if you're on GAF, you can figure out how to update them. Xbox 360 controller makes it plug and play. I'm a big fan of comfy couch gaming. Thanks to Steam, I can totally do that. Building a PC was incredibly easy, Steam sales make gaming so cheap, and Big Picture Mode makes using a controller and my 60" HDTV on a couch doable. I basically have a $1000 console. I'm totally cool with that. I'm not going to say "master race" or anything similar. I can see why gamers on a budget go console. It's cheaper right now and you know your console will last a few years. But this generation has been so incredibly disappointing. New consoles used to be such a technical marvel. Not this time around. Arguments about 720P, Xbox One doing that, PS4 being able to do that, etc. are laughable. The fact that we're even talking about compromises already is ridiculous. If anyone comes out of the woodwork talking about "but this gen just started!", give me a break. These systems are not Cell unique.
Maybe it's because I just got a PC and because of that, take more notice, but it feels like PC's mindshare has grown. Many others on GAF are getting their first gaming PC rig. In the Build thread, there are many who talk about it being their first build. I see clamoring for PC release dates more often, like Dark Souls 2
Lots of Steam discussion. Frankly, it's like the PC has a mindshare it never had. Does anyone else feel the same way? I'm not trying to be inflammatory. I just wonder if there are others who were like me, afraid of PC gaming, but then found now a really good time to jump in. PCs are certainly not perfect but maybe, if you've been a console exclusive gamer your whole life, you might want to take a look at them.
edit: I'm not worried about post-launch console drought. That's typical. I owned an N64 at launch. I'm saying I'd have never considered a PC before but now that I built one, I love it. All of my multiplats will be on the PC.
we get that, i dont know why pc elitists feel the need to throw it into every thread. console nikkas dont want a 700-1000$ video card in their system; a console company would be downright idiotic to put one in there to begin with. you probably wont have the latest card because it'd be overkill and you'd be foolish to cop it at release. pc elitists are known for circlejerking, bragging and stroking their epeens about their "emazing" builds.
miyamoto is a god
