Introduction
As a gaming hobbyist, you’ll often align yourself with a preferred set of hardware to do your gaming on which is usually either a gaming PC or a gaming console like an Xbox.
These allegiances can often cause heated arguments between gamers which leads to an all-out war, often in the form of memes to insult each other.
The battleground that hosts these meme wars is often popular forums like Reddit, IGN, and even social media platforms like Facebook.
In fact, humans are naturally tribal and we like to form strong identities between groups of people — For example, even console gamers fight each other over whether PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo is better.
So as you can see, it often doesn’t matter what the platform is, people will always find something to fight over as people like to stand for something to help define who they are.
With that said, there are some main reasons why PC gamers hate consoles which we’re going to look at today in detail.
Hopefully this should enlighten you to some benefits and drawbacks between both formats.
PC Master Race VS. Console Calibre: Top 6 Reasons Why PC Gamers Hate Consoles
1. Consoles can’t be upgraded
The first pet peeve for PC gamers when considering the aspects of a console is that they can’t be upgraded, unlike a dedicated gaming PC system.
This means after a few years, technology eventually out scales the advantage of the cost to power ratio of a console.
In fact, consoles are a great investment if you buy them upon release as you can get powerful hardware for relatively little money.
Console manufacturers often make their money from online subscription services and gaming downloads rather than the initial sale of the device meaning you really are getting plenty of bang for your buck.
However, as we mentioned, technology is rapidly changing and this is where gaming PC systems are a far better option as you can constantly upgrade them every year with all the latest technological updates.
Provided you have the money to spend, a dedicated gaming PC will always be way faster and far more powerful than a gaming console due to the flexible and modular nature of how they are built.
As time goes on, the planet’s population will continue to grow and rapid technological changes will become the norm making consoles fall behind even faster.
2. Consoles are one-trick ponies
It goes without saying that consoles are basically one-trick ponies that are designed to do only a select few jobs.
As a caveat, the jobs they are designed to do are usually done to a high standard making them ideal solutions if you know what you want to achieve.
If you find yourself needing more versatility such as being able to draft documents, manipulate imagery, and even start an online business then you’ll ideally need a dedicated PC system.
Windows, Linux and even MAC are open-source systems (to a degree) that allow you to download a plethora of software programs that can help you achieve many things within the same system that allows you to drive impressive graphic-driven games.
Most PC folk swear by this flexibility and often tout it as being the one definitive reason to choose a gaming PC system over a console and we can’t blame them.
3. Add-ons
If you’re a gamer then you’ll already know what we’re talking about when we say add-ons.
Essentially, console operating systems are extremely inflexible when it comes to modifying games with add-ons, plugins, and even emulation software that can expand an existing game into something wondrous.
The best example is Elder Scrolls: Skyrim which has become the poster child for PC advocates everywhere regarding the ease of modification and the fact they were able to customize it for many years before console gamers could.
In fact, many console games require direct approval from the developers before they can be modified whereas PC systems don’t have that issue as they are openly customizable.
The same goes for emulation, which is arguably illegal, but that doesn’t stop PC gamers downloading a program to play all of their favorite old-school consoles such as Super Nintendo or PlayStation 1.
Again, this would never be achievable on a gaming console as they are far too locked down in terms of their capability for modification or in how they operate.
4. Piracy
PC enthusiasts see themselves as a bit fat middle finger to the corporations who try to get us to pay for their overpriced goods or subscribe to their services on a month to month basis.
Depending on your moral code, you may or may not agree with the idea of being able to pirate things, however, PC has greater flexibility to allow you to download software, media, and games totally free of charge through illegal P2P or torrenting services.
This is a massive incentive for people who are on the poverty line or come from developing nations where they can’t afford the costs of expensive software or the latest games.
In fact, arguably, the ability to use software for free can be used for good in some cases where the person uses it to further themselves within an area of study or for the betterment of society.
It will always remain a grey area due to situations like this where the morality behind it is either clear cut or sometimes it’s not.
5. Consoles go out of date
On the flipside to our first point, some PC gamers prefer not to always upgrade their system which is another advantage of PC gaming in the fact that there’s constant support for older games and access to new games.
For example, a ten-year-old gaming PC will still be able to access the latest games through mediums such as Steam, whereas you would need to buy a new iteration of a PlayStation or an Xbox within that timeframe to get access to all the new exclusives or cutting-edge games.
It’s also a well-known fact that older console versions lose software support and updates that help keep them in tip-top shape whereas a PC wouldn’t have that issue for many decades.
In terms of longevity then, PC gaming is a far safer bet in the long run versus a console that probably has a lifecycle of just five years.
6. Console graphics have limited adjustment options
Another pet-peeve that PC gamers have with consoles is that they can’t be adjusted in terms of the graphical settings meaning some games will not always feel truly optimized for the playstyle you’re wanting.
In fact, it’s quite a recent advent for consoles to have adjustable settings between high refresh rates and lower ones depending on the quality of your screen, or depending on the version of the console you picked.
And it’s not always people wanting to go for the best graphical options either; some gamers prefer to play on low settings so they don’t have to splash out tons of money on a brand new console or powerful gaming system.
PC is truly flexible for whatever settings you want to play on meaning you can truly own the experience you want to have.
FAQ: A Console Gamer’s Solution to PC Gaming – Pre-built
Before we round off then, we know why gaming PC’s are supposedly better than consoles and why PC gamers feel superior to console owners.
This may have intrigued you to the prospect of getting a gaming PC of which we’ll try to answer the important questions below.
One of the biggest fears for a console gamer is putting a gaming PC together yourself. Luckily, you can go pre-built which we’ll answer some of the questions for below.
Is a pre built PC worth it?
Pre-built PC’s are definitely worth it, especially if you’re moving from a console as you won’t have to worry about setting it up.
Most leading retailers such as Walmart, Newegg, and Amazon stock pre-built gaming PCs with a very small mark-up meaning you’re not paying much more than putting it together yourself; and in some cases are not paying anything extra at all.
It also avoids the issue of damaging components or voiding warranties that could lead to costly mistakes that are hard to recover from.
The bottom line is to go for a pre-built PC 99% of the time if you’re not totally confident around building one in an efficient manner.
How long does a pre built PC last?
Pre-built PC’s are often built to high standards meaning they should last for many years, and even decades before they succumb to general wear provided you treat them well.
Another benefit of a pre-built PC is that they often come with a guarantee or some form of a warranty in case they break down.
Guarantees can vary though between retailers so make sure you read all the small print or terms of the sale before accepting to buy one.
Can you upgrade a pre built pc?
Yes, pre-built PC’s are built with the exact same components that are used to build your own meaning they are easy to upgrade further down the line.
This means you can enjoy all the benefits of having a gaming PC whilst giving you some time to learn the intricacies of how it’s built for when the time comes to install a new component.
Conclusion
PC gamers hate consoles for many valid reasons; you don’t have to agree with them but you can’t disagree that both have their own pros and cons.
Hopefully, we’ve been able to enlighten you as to why that is and have also been able to offer a solution if you’re on the fence about making the swap from console to PC gaming.
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