Whether you are a seasoned gamer or are looking for gift ideas for the gamer in your life, there are some things worth considering before you launch into your digital adventures. As both gaming PCs and consoles can be expensive.
Console scalpers, crypto miners, and COVID-19 have all driven up prices. This, combined with the demand for hardware, turns all options into daunting financial choices. It is easy to find yourself lost in the video game console wars between PlayStation and Xbox, or get lost rabbit hole of r/pcmasterrace, or get lost researching the best gaming laptops.
Here at Xidax, we honor gaming on all platforms! And we are here to answer some key questions to help you make your decision.
Modern gen consoles have an MSRP set between an affordable $400 and $500… Oh, if it were so simple. Supply chain issues plus limited availability and scalping have driven prices into the $1100+ range. This is the territory of PC prices with a fraction of the performance and none of the productivity benefits.
PCs have their own set of pricing pros and cons. However, graphic card availability makes it more challenging than ever for people to build their PCs and source parts.
Luckily, most PC builders have a supply chain established, allowing customers to buy a complete gaming PC in the $1k to $2k range with the advantage of doubling as a work/productivity device.
We live in an age where gaming consoles go to war over exclusive games in an effort to drive sales above their competing platforms. Exclusive games create some serious incentives. After all, PlayStation released a couple of last-gen games that we adored, like the latest God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn, for example.
Since the initial release, both games have since come out on PC. In addition, almost every exclusive game releases eventually on PC, with increased performance and graphics.
To the credit of the console makers today, they have been putting effort into porting and remastering games to make them available through their latest systems. PC players have been enjoying Super Mario 64 without a Nintendo 64 and other retro games for years, thanks to emulators.
This is perhaps my favorite PC gaming advantage; PC gaming bolsters the juiciest game selection by miles. PC games often collect more game of the year titles in more categories than other systems.
PC has the upper hand here; hands down, even modest gaming PCs tend to outperform consoles. This is because PC gaming pushes the bleeding edge of gaming technology, and consoles get the lower performing hand-me-downs.
All of this makes PC gaming your champion if you want the best graphics, the highest framerates, and the quickest load times.
A gaming PC performance is not just for gaming. Video editing, CG rendering, content creation, and live-streaming; all benefit from the same components that make a PC great for gaming.
This functionality and power make your gaming PC a multi-functional piece of tech that can take you from work to games with the click of a button; no upgrades or transport are required.
I love gaming on consoles, but there are so many times when I wish I could slap a new GPU into my console to improve poor game performance or install a massive high-speed SSD to speed up load times and increase storage.
Regrettably, consoles all follow the same lifecycle. First, a new console releases. A few years later, they release a pro model which you have to buy to get better performance on the latest games. Then a few years after that, the new generation comes out, and the cycle continues.
PCs are entirely modular, and upgrading one as needed has become easier than ever. Does your PC need more storage, faster speeds, or upgraded graphics? No worries, buy the parts you need within your budget.
Gaming PCs scale up with your wants and needs. No need to buy a brand-new system every time the industry moves forward.
Most of us have fond memories of sitting on the couch with friends and family and gaming as a group on our favorite consoles. After many Nintendo and Sega sessions, my face was sore with laughter that earned a permanent spot in my memory.
Consoles have always made it easy to connect to the TV for group fun, all you needed were a few extra controllers, and you had an instant party on your hands.
There was a time when connecting a PC to a TV was just a bit clunky. Besides, if you are using your gaming PC for work, you probably want to keep your PC at your desk anyway. However, those concerns are a thing of the past.
Modern PC gaming has couch/TV gaming perfected. Connecting controllers via Bluetooth is a breeze, and you can (and should) game wirelessly from your couch while leaving your PC in your office or studio.
PC gaming is also more accessible to play with friends and family. Every console system has additional charges associated with online play; the PC does not have this barrier. So whether everyone has to own a copy of Phasmophobia or hop on Teamfight Tactics, playing with others doesn’t cost extra.
One massive bonus on the PC can be set up to play however you want; as I mentioned, both wired and wireless controllers are easily connected to the PC to play games.
You can set up custom keymaps or set up all kinds of different gamepad options that have come out over the years, making gaming accessible for everyone no matter how they need or want to play.
Your setup can look as unique or straightforward as you want between the array of beautiful parts and peripherals that are available in the PC market today. From RGB lighting to custom gaming desktop decor and set up, everything about your custom gaming computer can match what you love most about your favorite games!
PC gaming or Console gaming — gaming is gaming; however, you choose to game is perfect and valid for you. However, If you want to get the most productivity, the most quality games, the best performance, easy upgradability at a price that isn’t much higher than what you can get a PlayStation 5 for on eBay, then a gaming PC is suitable for you.
Of course, we didn’t even mention the world of high-quality VR that only runs on PC… But we will save that for another time. If you’re ready to build your custom gaming PC, Xidax is always here to help!
