Published on August 20th, 2019 | by Bibhuranjan

5 Reasons Why PC Gaming Is Better Than Consoles

Are you looking to get into the world of gaming? If so, a console may seem like a cool choice at the beginning since they are readily available and have many awesome games and other media capabilities.

However, you’d be surprised to know that PC gaming beats consoles by a significant margin. Below are five reasons why PC gaming is still better than consoles in 2019.

1. Computers Are Highly Customizable

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Consoles don’t come with many options. While the current generations may have more powerful revisions (i.e., the Xbox One X compared to its predecessor Xbox One S) and a range of internal storage options, there isn’t much you can do with them.

When playing on a computer, you have complete freedom over everything about your system.

Are you on a tight budget and want to build a cheap gaming PC? No worries. You can, in fact, buy a RYZEN 3200G for $99 and build a budget PC for less than $500.

Do you want to build a robust gaming PC and play all the latest titles in ultra settings, even in 4K resolution? Don’t worry; you can do that as well.

You get to select parts that are suitable for your budget and needs rather than being stuck with a console which you can never upgrade. With a PC, you can add as much RAM as you need (16GB is the sweet spot in 2019), add more storage (even the super-fast NVMe drives), and do so much more.

Speaking of storage, the Xbox One comes with two storage variants: a 500-gigabyte (GB) and a 1-terabyte (TB) internal hard drive. The PS4, on the other hand, is boasting only 500GB internal hard drive. Yes; that’s about it.

With PCs, you can add multiple terabytes of storage, and even install an SSD to speed up your boot time, app opening time, the overall system performance, etc. Now, if you’re confused about Gigabytes and Terabytes, then fear not. Whatsabyte has a comprehensive guide on what these terms mean and how they are used in the world of computing.

However, if you’re looking for a short answer, they are meant to describe system memory and data storage space or disk space. We’d still recommend you learn more about “bytes” so that you don’t make any mistakes building your next rig.

For instance, the term “more is better” is not always true in PC gaming. You might think 32GB of RAM is better than 16GB. While there’s some truth to that, but 32GB is overkill, even for high-end gaming rigs.

2. Play Online for Free

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A big hidden cost of a console is that playing online requires a paid subscription. You need Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus to get the most out of your console’s online functionalities, and each cost about $60/year.

With PC gaming, there are no such restrictions. Online multiplayer gaming is free (aside from MMOs that require their own subscription). You can save that money and put it towards essential gaming accessories like a mouse, keyboard, headset, etc.

3. Enjoy the Best Gaming Graphics

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If you want to experience the best possible visuals in your games, look no further than PC gaming. It is, in fact, your only option. PC games offer detailed controls over textures, lighting, shading, and other graphical elements.

With a robust PC and a gaming monitor, you will enjoy far better graphics than any console can provide. There are some fantastic gaming monitors out there. If you read this list, you’ll see that gaming monitors these days don’t cost any more than $200 – $300. And that’s a steal!

If you’re an enthusiast who loves playing in 4K ultra settings and enjoy high-frame rates in gaming, you can achieve that too with the right PC hardware. The possibilities are truly endless.

4. More Controller Options

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With consoles, you’re stuck with the controller that comes bundled with it. On PC, however, you have the freedom to control your favorite games however you like.

Keyboard and mouse controls are superior for RTS (real-time strategy) and FPS (first-person shooter) games. For other genres that aren’t keyboard-friendly, you can connect a controller of your choice to your PC and play with it.

On top of that, several other gaming accessories are compatible with PCs. You could connect a joystick pad for a fighting game, a steering wheel for racing games, or even a retro USB controller for those classic games (emulating). With a PC, you have the ability to pick the best input method based on the type of games you play.

5. Full Backwards Compatibility

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Backward compatibility enables you to play old games even on newer systems, and unfortunately, most consoles do not support it. So, basically, you have to keep your old console in order to play your favorite old games.

ON PC, you can play any title released for Windows in the past decade with no hassle. That said, you might have to do a bit of tweaking to play old PC games. With a little effort, though, almost anything is playable.

While the Xbox One has excellent backward compatibility, it’s not the same with every other console out there. For example, PS4 has no backward compatibility, and Nintendo’s Switch cannot play Wii U games. A system that can play both old and new games without any problem, like PC, is a great investment.

Wrapping UP

Spending a lot of money on a gaming PC may sound daunting, but a powerful computer is capable of so much more than just playing games. If you have a high-end gaming PC, it will also handle intensive tasks like photo editing, video editing, rendering, 3D animation, and so on. So, instead of purchasing a console, you can have one mid-to high-range PC that excels at both tasks.

We have laid out some major areas where PC gaming beats playing games on consoles. Now, it all comes down to your personal opinion and preferences.

Which one do you think is a much better deal?

Do you game on a console or PC?

If you already have a console, do you think it’s worth upgrading to a PC? Well, we would say, “Affirmative!,” but we’d also appreciate you sharing your thoughts and suggestions with us in the comments below.

Tags: games, gaming, hard drive, pc, pc gaming

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.