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Question

1

Please give one advantage or disadvantage per answer (then we can see through votes what people think the most significant ones are).

Try to avoid vague or subjective answers like "because the games are better". If you want to give reasons like "Advantage: because you can use a mouse on PC's" add a qualification/explanation of why this is better, like: "a mouse makes accurate aiming in first person shooters and unit selection in real time strategy games easier".

I'll put in a few myself for starters.

(Note I asked this on SuperUser, but it got deleted for being game related, so asking again here).

flag	asked Feb 17 at 5:46 MOwen 96●5

should be community wiki – Jonathan Fingland Feb 24 at 0:45

MOwen · Answer 1 · 2010-02-18 01:31:59Z UTC

Pro PC: PC games end up being cheaper

...because:

Steam sales (Bioshock $5, Orange Box $10; there's nothing like this for consoles)
The prices drop faster in the months after initial release
There are more demos for PC titles, so you spend more time playing those (though this is changing)

MiffTheFox · Answer 2 · 2010-02-17 22:08:19Z UTC

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Pro Console: No compatibility issues

No dealing with system requirements or ever-increasing hardware in order to just play games when all you have to really do is buy a new console every 5-8 years.

Also mentioning here is that console games don't bog your PC down with DRM like most PC games do.

answered Feb 17 at 22:08

MiffTheFox
106●5

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Though this is generally the case, one could argue that certain games aren't compatible with non-HDTVs (small text, etc). – Ryan Versaw Feb 21 at 23:16

MiffTheFox · Answer 3 · 2010-02-17 22:14:39Z UTC

Pro PC: Customization

Creating game mods on PCs is much easier due to the proliferation of PC development tools and the fact that users have unlimited control over their PCs (despite how software manufacturers try to make this not so).

PC games tend to give players the ability to add to the game's content, such as creating new maps for an online FPS game, either officially or unofficially (hacking).

StampedeXV · Answer 4 · 2010-02-26 13:46:20Z UTC

Pro PC: Diversity of Actions

I can use the PC for other things than gaming. For comparison I'd have to compare only what I bought for gaming purposes only. Now my "gaming" PC is cheaper than my PS 3.
I can play old games pretty easily (Civilization 1 - using DOSBox).
The games I can play on a PC offer a broader gaming expierience due to a completely different input controller concept (mouse/keyboard vs. controller).

( yes I know mouse and keyboard are available for PS3 - but the games are still made for normal game controllers).

MOwen · Answer 5 · 2010-02-17 06:10:55Z UTC

Pro Console: PC hardware is more expensive than the console equivalent

(Meaning to run the same game with equivalent visual quality/speed, the PC costs more than the console)

Although, someone once pointed out to me that if you already have a newish PC, buying a decent video card is cheaper than buying a console (which is why I'm mainly a PC gamer at the moment, myself - I needed a new PC anyway for work, so I just added a good GPU).

Apparently this is mainly because the programmers can spend more time optimising for exact specs of the console, when the PC may have a range of hardware combinations.

MiffTheFox · Answer 6 · 2010-02-17 22:10:40Z UTC

Pro PC: Free online gaming

Instead of paying every month or so to play online, online gaming is for free because it's done over a standard TCP/IP network instead of with a propriety wrapper such as Xbox Live or Playstation Network.

Also, PC versions of games tend to come with tools for hosting dedicated servers, so that you don't have to grapple with hosts and clients when it comes to playing.

jva · Answer 7 · 2010-02-25 14:27:55Z UTC

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Pro PC: LAN play

Four guys with laptops == LAN party anywhere.
Many people use work PCs for gaming after official hours.

answered Feb 25 at 14:27

jva
48●3

What are the advantages/disadvantages of gaming on a PC vs consoles?

7 Answers