Serioid question here… I’ve been so attached to consoles growing up though it will be a bit of a big change.

  • Darthsenio_Mall [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    Instead of paying $70 or whatever the hell for a single game, you can just have it for free instead. Also you still have the option of playing with a controller steering-device

  • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    imo there’s really no reason to own a console unless it’s nintendo. PC generally has ports and often they are superior (or superior through mods and fan patches). Plus there’s the added benefit of using a pc for stuff outside of gaming which a console can’t do.

  • Orcocracy [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    The biggest advantage of most consoles is that they don’t have a proper web browser or social media apps or software for doing work or any of the other bullshit that PC has. If you sit down in front of a console you are forced to not do work or doomscroll or whatever. There are too many opportunities for all of that shit to eat away at your free time on a PC.

  • Thallo [love/loves]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    Yeah, I used to be really big on consoles, but the last one I owned was an Xbox 360.

    Once I got a PC, I never looked back. There are hardly any console exclusive games anymore, and you don’t have to worry about your old games being backwards compatible with a new console. You’ll have access to more indie and smaller titles through steam, too.

  • I honestly can’t think of a single advantage of consoles besides exclusives… Except for the Switch - to me it has staying power in ways that the others can’t touch. First, you get portability built in. Second, despite Nintendo being a heinous company, they focus on the fun factor. It’s still an amazing system for hosting a party.

  • Gorb [they/them]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    PC gaming can have some severe frustrations that consoles lack so you’ll have to be up for some tinkering if things don’t work right. I can list all the pros and cons if you want I’m too lazy to do it atm

  • Procapra [comrade/them, she/her]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    Everyone who games should own a laptop or desktop of some kind. Even if its not the latest and greatest, it makes things like mods far easier and allows you to check out all the latest new indie games that might not be available on consoles.

    For ~$650 you can probably get around PS5 performance if you build the PC yourself. I mostly play old 360/ps3 era games, so my crappy 8th gen laptop already does the job. If you own a PC already that isn’t being used for gaming, try running some older stuff on it. You might be surprised by the performance, and it might be possible to upgrade things.

    If you buy everything on steam, you’ll most of the time have 0 issue just buying the game, downloading, plugging a controller in and gaming (wired 360, Xbone, and series X controllers work best). If you want to pirate stuff, you might have to tinker, but you’ll save a lot of money. Consider also, if you buy a game on steam, you have it forever. You won’t have to buy the game again when you build a new pc, unlike with buying a new console.

    • FumpyAer [any, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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      4 months ago

      I’d say a steam deck type device is more useful than a gaming laptop unless you are regularly playing games that are very dependent on keyboard and mouse.

      Desktop PC is best because it can be upgraded piecemeal and I value low weight and great battery life in a laptop anyway.

      It should be mentioned that there are some annoying extra hurdles to playing pirated games on steam deck, though. If you need a portable device and game prices are unrealistic in your region, I could see a gaming laptop being worth it.

      Or get used to attaching a keyboard and mouse to the steam deck via a USB hub, because that makes the piracy process easier. Or have a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

    • Darthsenio_Mall [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      4 months ago

      For ~$650 you can probably get around PS5 performance if you build the PC yourself. I mostly play old 360/ps3 era games, so my crappy 8th gen laptop already does the job. If you own a PC already that isn’t being used for gaming, try running some older stuff on it. You might be surprised by the performance, and it might be possible to upgrade things.

      To add to this: you can save a ton by getting a secondhand cpu and gpu from ebay. I used to be worried i’d get worn out or mistreated stuff but then i learned there are a few easy tests you can run for peace of mind, and oftentimes if the thing still works at all then it’s 100% fine.

  • blobjim [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    A PC is so much more expensive to get good performance for newer games. Even a low end PC for doing work is more expensive than a console. And the user interfaces for launching games are truly awful and infuriating. Anything from a big studio like EA or Ubisoft will use their own awful launcher. I think first person games are more enjoyable using a keyboard and mouse (supposedly you can do this on consoles too). If you have a lot of “disposable” income it’s probably worth it, at least if you also use the computer for other stuff too. But you’ll have to sit at a desk to use the desktop to get to the button to launch the game, to do OS updates, install games, etc. so it sucks compared to the ease of use of a console. Another pro is that you can usually install lots of extra storage.

    • unmagical@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      You can set a game launcher to automatically start on boot, have it go full screen, and use a controller from across the room to install or start your games. You can also set up automatic OS updates. Once it’s configured it’s really a non-issue. I also wouldn’t say it’s “so much more expensive.” It certainly can be, but there are decent machines for sale around $800.

  • tombruzzo [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    I’ve seen deals for low spec gaming PCs that cost a little more than a PS5 does now. This is factoring in it’s low spec for today’s hardware and the PS5 came out in 2020.

    They come in ITX cases as well so they’re smaller than a regular desktop so you could easily have one at the TV like a dedicated console.

    You could set it up to automatically open steam in big picture mode so you get that console experience and the added benefit of all the games you already own ready to download.

    The only reason to get a console now is to match the system your friends play online with. Exclusives are becoming less of a concern