gaming Why do PC gamers get so frustrated with console gamers? (mild rant)

[Snivinerior 79]

Because we pc gamers struggle to get 60 fps (or at least 30 fps): tinkering with our video options, upgrading our hardware, updating our system drivers to maximize our gaming experience while console gamers just sit back and play. Simple as that, they don't have to go through our sh*t to play. So that's why.

[Envy 6,122]

Really?

"There are plenty of reasons to own a console and not mess with PC gaming."

 

In no way, shape, or form is that saying that PC gaming is lesser. I already explained this in my last post. I said that there are reasons that some people would prefer to play consoles instead of PCs. It's that simple. That's all I'm saying.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Envy

[The Shadow Stallion 127]

I got a dog in both sides of this fight, but I am not overzealous.

 

Basically for PC gamers, I believe they are growing fearful that the age of PC gaming will be coming to an end. Mainly because it appears that consoles are getting way more popular and are generally better to play games on. I think there is also a question of skill involved because most PC gamers have to deal with an entire keyboard which consists of over 50+ buttons depending on your keyboard. They think it doesn't take much skill to play a console game as it does a PC game. This also reverts back to my first point. They are afraid that skill won't be part of the games anymore.

 

Now I met a lot of console jerks out there before. They criticize PC games as being crappy because they don't want to take the time to learn the controls of the games for PC. PC games generally have more complex controls and a whole lot more buttons and hotkeys involved then say an xbox 360 controller. Also many console players consider people who game on PC, as nerds or geeks, dweebs, no life constant mmo players. This is a false assumption, but it is made by many Console gamers.

 

Now personally I like console and PC gaming. I do all my FPS, 3PS and more gunning/racing stuff on console while using PC for MOBA's, MMO's, and RTS games. Both are good, I don't understand why there has to be fighting, but I can understand somewhat why people feel the way they do.

 

P.S. One last point. It also depends on what gaming system people have been raised on. It affects loyalty. In psychology whichever device one has been raised with more, they form a sort of attachment and feel insecure about it. They want their anchor to be represented as strong, thus people argue that theirs is better for crazy reasons. I was raised on PS 1 and PC so Im middle grounder.

I got a dog in both sides of this fight, but I am not overzealous.

 

Basically for PC gamers, I believe they are growing fearful that the age of PC gaming will be coming to an end. Mainly because it appears that consoles are getting way more popular and are generally better to play games on. I think there is also a question of skill involved because most PC gamers have to deal with an entire keyboard which consists of over 50+ buttons depending on your keyboard. They think it doesn't take much skill to play a console game as it does a PC game. This also reverts back to my first point. They are afraid that skill won't be part of the games anymore.

 

Now I met a lot of console jerks out there before. They criticize PC games as being crappy because they don't want to take the time to learn the controls of the games for PC. PC games generally have more complex controls and a whole lot more buttons and hotkeys involved then say an xbox 360 controller. Also many console players consider people who game on PC, as nerds or geeks, dweebs, no life constant mmo players. This is a false assumption, but it is made by many Console gamers.

 

Now personally I like console and PC gaming. I do all my FPS, 3PS and more gunning/racing stuff on console while using PC for MOBA's, MMO's, and RTS games. Both are good, I don't understand why there has to be fighting, but I can understand somewhat why people feel the way they do.

 

P.S. One last point. It also depends on what gaming system people have been raised on. It affects loyalty. In psychology whichever device one has been raised with more, they form a sort of attachment and feel insecure about it. They want their anchor to be represented as strong, thus people argue that theirs is better for crazy reasons. I was raised on PS 1 and PC so Im middle grounder.

[long gone 8,929]

Because we pc gamers struggle to get 60 fps (or at least 30 fps): tinkering with our video options, upgrading our hardware, updating our system drivers to maximize our gaming experience while console gamers just sit back and play. Simple as that, they don't have to go through our sh*t to play. So that's why.

You are not a PC gamer. I do not struggle to get 60FPS, I do not have to upgrade for 3 - 5 years, I only have to update one driver every few months (and even then I don't have to), I just click on a game I want to play on Steam, load it up and there, I'm in the game. 1080p, high settings, 60FPS. And if I can't get 60FPS on my own, I have GeForce Experience to help me.

 

 

Don't believe me? I'll send you some Fraps benches, no problem. But console gamers, can you please not do this?

Edited December 20, 2014 by Festive Daring

[Nuke87654 1,849]

Honestly, one of the reasons why I feel console gamers get crapped on by PC gamers lies in several areas.

 

 

1. PC gamers feeling jaded at how several gaming companies, notably Ubisoft and Rockstar have expressed their open dislike for them, and of how it seems many triple AAA publishers seem to prefer consoles over PC gaming despite PC gaming apparently is actually more profitable http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2014/04/28/as-global-pc-game-revenue-surpasses-consoles-how-long-should-console-makers-keep-fighting/

 

2. Typical arguments between two camps. You'll always have them regardless of what you try to do to quell it.

 

3. The fact many PC ports have gotten poor optimizations from their console counterparts, thus forcing PC gamers to seek other solutions to fix these issues will have course leave many bitter about the preferential treatment consoles get due in large part to developers laziness or a more malicious intent.

 

4. Because of the many advanced features that consoles and PC's share or PC's hold exclusively, many of my PC gaming brethren do hold a view that console gamers are 'young or unwilling gamers' compared to the more 'veteran and enlightened' pc gamer that has chosen to make PC gaming his primary game entertainment of choice.

 

5. Many Console gamers also like to arrogantly believe themselves as more justly gamers unlike the PC gamers such as how PC gamers like to pirate games when sales of used console games are actually more problematic than PC piracy and the fact console piracy is just as if not worse than PC gaming piracy considering the amount of emulation sites offering free emulation roms and software are. This of course leads to more back and forth arguments between the sides.

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-17-lionhead-pre-owned-worse-than-pc-piracy

 

 

It's these issues and more that others may wish to add that I believe has caused this rift. 

 

Personally, while I have a Wii U, 360, and depending upon future events, a 3ds and Xbox one as well as I'm a gamer through and through, I do however prefer PC gaming for many more reasons why I would prefer console gaming. They are however personal choices and if you prefer console gaming over PC gaming, that is your prerogative to find the most enjoyment out of something. 

Edited December 20, 2014 by Nuke87654

[long gone 8,929]

 

 

Basically for PC gamers, I believe they are growing fearful that the age of PC gaming will be coming to an end. Mainly because it appears that consoles are getting way more popular and are generally better to play games on.

 Also, where's your source on this? The general consensus among most PC gamers I've seen is that the PC is not in danger, but rather is the danger. To consoles, that is.

[Snivinerior 79]

You are not a PC gamer. I do not struggle to get 60FPS, I do not have to upgrade for 3 - 5 years, I only have to update one driver every few months (and even then I don't have to), I just click on a game I want to play on Steam, load it up and there, I'm in the game. 1080p, high settings, 60FPS. And if I can't get 60FPS on my own, I have GeForce Experience to help me.

 

 

Don't believe me? I'll send you some Fraps benches, no problem. But console gamers, can you please not do this?

3-5 years? Is your rig a god? The demand of games rises by the minute so that's not possible, unless your rig is the best there is. 

[Envy 6,122]

 Your TV is probably 30Hz then, so the most frames per second it'll display is 30. My monitor is 60Hz, and frankly, the difference between 30 and 60FPS is like night and day. Then again, it's what I'm accustomed to now.

 

I wouldn't even know how to tell whether it is or not, they really don't advertise that part. I just got a new TV a couple of weeks ago, and it's much fancier than what I had before. I still don't see any difference.

 

It may be night and day to you, but to me it is so miniscule that it is meaningless.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Envy

[long gone 8,929]

3-5 years? Is your rig a god? The demand of games rises by the minute so that's not possible, unless your rig is the best there is. 

No, but hardware has advanced to the point where new hardware generations are evolutionary rather than evolutionary. Compare the Intel Core i5-2500K and Core i5-4690K (what I have), there's barely any difference in real-world performance. Also, there are people out there with GPUs from 2009 and 2010, and they don't need to upgrade, if at all. Having to upgrade every single year is a myth, simple as that, and even then, if you have to upgrade, most of the time you don't even need to upgrade your entire system, usually just something like the GPU.

[Magnum Flare 553]

OK, so the thread has been on fire for a while, so I'm just gonna give my own opinion. I used to be a console gamer, but recently I only play LoL and Dragon Nest, a MMORPG.

 

"Why do PC gamers get so frustrated with Console Gamer?"

 

1. Because console games only required one machine and you're set to play any console game that'll came out in ~5 years before moving onto the next gen. PC gamers needs to upgrade their specs from time to time, thus more expensive by the long shot.

 

2. Console games has been in the spotlight for years, since they have been competing for years. PC has been overshadowed by them, despite the fact that they could compete with Xbox or PS or Nintendo console.

 

3. Most console games are AAA games (or Triple A), while PC games has some fair collection of console games and packed with a lot more Indie games, which can be interpreted in both ways.

[Snivinerior 79]

No, but hardware has advanced to the point where new hardware generations are evolutionary rather than evolutionary. Compare the Intel Core i5-2500K and Core i5-4690K (what I have), there's barely any difference in real-world performance. Also, there are people out there with GPUs from 2009 and 2010, and they don't need to upgrade, if at all. Having to upgrade every single year is a myth, simple as that, and even then, if you have to upgrade, most of the time you don't even need to upgrade your entire system, usually just something like the GPU.

Point taken. But that GPU surely costed a lot of $$$$... 

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

This topic has been going on for a while, and I've already given a few thoughts. Since I'm bored enough, it's time for the big explanation and the answer to this topic.

 

First, let's actually consider what a computer is. A computer is a collection of electronic components that is used to run any given operating system and perform a desired task. That's it. Phones, tablets, desktops, laptops, and supercomputers are really all the same things—just on different scales. They're all computers. Likewise, a console, too, is a computer. But I'll get to that in a minute.

 

Electronic computers, as we have today, process data using a whole bunch of tiny transistors, which are basically electronic switches. There are two ways you can increase the capabilities of a computer: you can increase the number of transistors, or you can increase the speed at which the transistors operate. For example, consider this simplified model: to process a hundred bits of data in a second, you need a hundred transistors running one cycle per second, or fifty transistors running two cycles per second.

 

Makes sense, yes? Good. Now keep with me.

 

Today, computers operate at speeds in the gigahertz, meaning they run through a processing cycle several billion times a second. This is made possible by their use of electricity—obviously, electrons are pretty quick. Increasing the speed is possible, but only up to a certain point. You need to add more voltage into the system to make it operate faster, and that uses up more power. More power produces more heat, and this can quite literally fry a chip. So, computers are designed to be balanced in areas of performance, energy consumption, and heat output.

 

Performance scales linearly with number of transistors, and so does power consumption. For example, two billion transistors are going to process twice as much data as one billion transistors in the same timeframe, given the same processing frequency. However, those two billion transistors are going to require twice the amount of electricity. This may seem complicated, but it really isn't. Think of it this way: two people can perform a task in half the time it takes one person to do it, but then you need to pay two people instead of one. Computers work by that principle—pardon the pun, but it's just logical.

 

Today, transistors are so small, we can fit millions and sometimes billions of them on a single "chip." Whereas a computer with a million transistors would have been the size of a skyscraper in the past, today that number of transistors can fit in your pocket. Over the years, we've developed ways of making smaller transistors. Smaller transistors are more efficient, and thus require less power to run. They're also physically smaller (duh), so it's possible to pack more of them into a limited space. Smaller transistors means more transistors, and more transistors means more processing capabilities.

 

What this boils down to is simple. The "faster" computer is going to be the one that has a lot of transistors running at really high speeds. "Newer" computers have smaller transistors that use less power, so there will typically be more of them. Transistors that process data faster will require more power, and obviously, more transistors will require more power. So, a computer's processing capabilities are related to how much power it consumes.

 

This is why desktops are more powerful than laptops, and why supercomputers are so big and phones are so small. This is also why today's phones are faster than supercomputers of half a decade ago.

 

Today, at the low end, we have smartphones and tablets. They're designed for portability and battery life, so their power consumption is kept to a minimum. This means their processing speeds and number of transistors suffer—they're not as powerful as laptops. Likewise, laptops aren't as powerful as desktops. Whereas a laptop can consume no more than ~100 watts of power, a desktop may consume ~300-1200.

 

But where do consoles fit into this, you ask? Simple.

 

Consoles are computers with size limits, power limits, and restricted hardware. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo go to the companies that produce computer components, and then say, "build us something that can fit into this little box." Everything that goes into a console needs to be cheap and ready to be mass-produced. It can't be too big, it can't use up too much power, and it can't be upgraded in the future.

 

So, the hardware manufacturers give them exactly that. They pick a low-power design, produce it in bulk quantities, and then ship it off to consumers. Game developers then work with the hardware to optimize their games on it, and the console manufacturers put their label on it all. Then they'll tempt you with it. "Look how sleek and shiny it is! It's really powerful and hi-tech! You know you wanna buy it!"

 

This is why PC gamers are elitists, and this is why consoles shouldn't even be compared to PC's. They're in completely different categories. Consoles are designed to fit into your entertainment system and replace your DVD/Blu-Ray player. They're designed to be sleek, cool, and quiet... oh, and they just happen to run games as well.

 

A PC is different, though. A man's PC is a reflection of his own needs—it's his own choice of hardware. If you want to run the latest games on the highest settings, across three monitors, you can do that. If you want to use just one monitor, you can do that. If you would rather sacrifice performance for a cooler and quieter system, you can do that. You can tailor your build to your specific preferences. Your only limitations are those you set yourself.

 

Now, as a PC gamer, it can be frustrating when console gamers don't realize this. Whether you realize it or not, that console you play on is, in fact, a PC. It's just a limited one. I admit, you don't have to game on a PC, and you don't have to like PC gaming. To a large extent, it is personal preference.

 

Now, that said, if you think consoles are a step forward above PCs, you're definitely, horribly lost. PC's have always been and will always be the bleeding edge of technology. Consoles are adapted from PCs to appeal to the masses. This is not opinion, this is fact.

 

PCs excel in both customizability and performance, and consoles excel in accessibility, usability, and simplicity. They're completely different, and while they can both play games, the two systems should never be compared. It's just not fair—it's like comparing a private jet to a sport utility vehicle, or a store-bought fire extinguisher to a firetruck or dedicated HazMat equipment.

 

So, consoles won't kill PCs. In fact, consoles can't even exist without PCs.

 

Conversely, PCs won't kill consoles. While PCs are the bleeding edge of technology, the truth is, not everyone wants that. Some people are satisfied with their lower frame rates and resolutions, and don't want to deal with the problems of driver issues, BSODs, compatibility errors, and so on. As we can very clearly see in threads like these, not everyone wants a 50 kg 1.5 kW quad-Titan 64 GB badass of a machine. 

 

Some people just want to sit on the couch, push some buttons, and have everything work without any trouble. Some people don't care about having the best performance, and that's okay. That's why consoles exist, and that's why they'll continue to exist independently of PCs in the future.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Regulus

[FractalMoon 378]

, I think my biggest problem with consoles nowadays is that they are so similar to PCs . Gone are the days of 'plug and play', of games that just work when you get them because there's no such thing as OTA firmware updates. gone are the days of having a friend bring over a couple of disks to play and running them no hassle. Gone are the days of local multi-player and using a dozen consoles instead of a heater at LAN parties. My problem was never with consoles of days long gone by,when they were in a niche distinct from PCs , my problem with consoles is that nowadays they just do what a PC does, but worse. They have every problem PCs have, from microtransactions to game breaking bugs to terrible user interfaces, but they out it in a limited box. The difference between using a console and a PC nowadays is negligible, except that one can only use a controller.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

Probably because console gamers sometimes tend to regurgitate console developer lies like "30FPS cinematic experience" (buzzword, as meaningful as "blast processing") and the hype about cloud gaming, which isn't viable in any country yet, or that you can't see the difference between 30FPS and 60FPS or 720p and 1080p (the difference is as clear as night and day, yo) or whatever else devs feed to them to try hiding console limitations. Or that the pre-rendered footage shown at E3 is actually in-game footage or actually running on the console.

 

Console gamers who see past the bullshit, though, I have an immense amount of respect for.

Whether 720p vs 1080p is noticeable depends on several things like how big the screen is and how close you are.

 

 

Except it IS weak in EVERY way that it matters compared to the bone/PS4. Let me quote some hardware specs for you.

PS4 and Xbone both have 8GB of unified system memory with 5GB avalible for games.

Take a guess at how much the Wii U has.

5GB?

4GB?

Nope, a laughable 2GB [which for anything new coming out is impossible to develop for, plus IIRC Wii U does not support using HDD space for system RAM which is something even the horribly outdated PS3 and 360 can do.

The PS4 has a peak GPU shader throughput of 1.84 TFlops, with the Xbone has one of 1.31 TFlops. The Wii U does not even have half of the xbone's throughput, and clocks in at a measly 0.352 TFlops. 

The PS4 and Xbone both have almost identical AMD CPU's being 8 core and 1.6GHZ [though some sources state the Xbone's CPU clock is slightly higher at 1.75 GHZ], the Wii U has a measly 3 core CPU at 3.25GHZ [however cores are much more important in this case and the Wii U's cores are also very weak], and to top it all off it may infact be 3 GCN cores on the same die.

Did I convince you?

 

Nintendo has been putting gameplay over graphics since the Wii, the WiiU also fills the void of being much cheaper than the other consoles.

Because we pc gamers struggle to get 60 fps (or at least 30 fps): tinkering with our video options, upgrading our hardware, updating our system drivers to maximize our gaming experience while console gamers just sit back and play. Simple as that, they don't have to go through our sh*t to play. So that's why.

 

I have a $100-$140 GPU(750ti FTW edition) and I get a solid, locked in 60FPS in Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes(a pretty impressive looking game) at 1080 and pretty high settings.

 

PC gaming really doesn't require the kind of over-powered hardware elitists try to justify. 

[Blue The Pikachu 537]

Anyways, because Consoles have less features than PCs. And for the people who complain "Pc's are too expensive!" It's because they can do ANYTHING! It's not only a gaming rig, but a work environment too! Think of, say, a new Surface Pro 3 (around $800), now add the price of an Xbox One/Ps4/Wii U (average $300-$350), and the total is about an average cost for a good Gaming PC. PC's aren't only ment for gaming now, they can be for work too. Try studying and turning in a school assignment on an Xbox, tell me how it goes XD Other then that, there are only minor things that make PCs less desirable than consoles other than cost. Exclusives? I can understand. Controller Vs. Keyboard? Don't give me that crap, half the games nowadays can be played with a controller on PC. As I see it, the only console I would ever own is a Wii U, and that's because Nintendo has the best exclusives. Just my opinions, who cares anyways

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

You know you can just get a new GPU for round 150-200 or so that will demolish anything the ps4 can offer, right? Heck - by the time you're looking to upgrade it'll be even cheaper.

750ti, it blows the current consoles out of the water and costs well under $150.

 

 

Actually, I thought it was a pretty interesting little infographic. There's only a few problems—a few of those games on there were canceled and never actually released. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is also a multiplat game, available on PC, 360, and PS3. I'm sure there's probably more errors that I just haven't found, as I'm not familiar with most of those titles, anyway.

 

Injustice is also on the PC now.

 

One more perk of a gaming PC, emulation that allows you run Gamecube and PS2 games in 1080p with some extras applied:

 

 

Edited December 21, 2014 by Shoboni

[FractalMoon 378]

750ti, it blows the current consoles out of the water and costs well under $150.

 

 

 

Injustice is also on the PC now.

 

One more perk of a gaming PC, emulation that allows you run Gamecube and PS2 games in 1080p with some extras applied:

 

 

Dolphin + GeDoSaTo= the most beautiful console experience on the market.

[Celli 4,336]

All of you need to watch this video. No, seriously. Watch it.

[FractalMoon 378]

All of you need to watch this video. No, seriously. Watch it.

 

I love Linus, his site is great for most tech stuff, but especially PC related.

[Jonny Music 3,374]

All of you need to watch this video. No, seriously. Watch it.

It's about time Linus brought that up!

[Kothen 279]

People can play on whatever they want. I don't hate the gamers themselves. I hate the fact that so many games are held back by consoles limitations. Often having to butcher the potential graphics or game play features so that the consoles could have them as well. Its not the gamers fault. Im a PC gamer but I dont think any less of console gamers. I just hate how so many games are limited by the hardware of those consoles. 

[Omega Centauri 316]

Why do playstation fans and xbox fans get frustrated with each other?

 

Why do atheists and religious people get frustrated with each other?

 

Why do people with different religions get frustrated with each other

 

Why do android users and iphone users get frustrated with each other?

 

Why do people get frustrated with MLP fans?

 

 

Why do people in general get frustrated with people who are different from them? 

 

The world may never know.

[Envy 6,122]

Why do playstation fans and xbox fans get frustrated with each other?

 

Why do atheists and religious people get frustrated with each other?

 

Why do people with different religions get frustrated with each other

 

Why do android users and iphone users get frustrated with each other?

 

Why do people get frustrated with MLP fans?

 

 

Why do people in general get frustrated with people who are different from them? 

 

The world may never know.

 

Actually, in couple of those cases it's not a matter of merely being different. Especially the religious and atheists getting frustrated with each other. (I'm not saying that it's impossible to get along, but given the very nature of religions like Christianity, it's not easy, perhaps not even practical if we take them as they are. If you wish to discuss this further you can PM me because this is not the place lol)

 

I've learned a little in this topic myself, why PC gamers are a little frustrated. I had never heard about games being held back because of the power of consoles. Oh well, I still don't care, as the PC series I play are actually horrifically watered down when they are released on consoles, consoles never hold them back (The Sims).

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

I've learned a little in this topic myself, why PC gamers are a little frustrated. I had never heard about games being held back because of the power of consoles. Oh well, I still don't care, as the PC series I play are actually horrifically watered down when they are released on consoles, consoles never hold them back (The Sims).

Yeah, the best The Sims games outside of PC that I've played are the ones where they don't even try to recreate the mechanics of the game and just do their own thing. I think it was The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS that I really liked because it was more of an adventure game.

 

When I've tried to play The Sims on my 360 it's aggravating because you have to flip through so many damn sub menus to do anything. The Sims was only ever meant to be a keyboard and mouse game.

 

 

On a related note, we have one of the great gaming mysteries:

 

First Person Shooters are very popular on consoles, but it's harder to play them with a controller.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

Yeah, the best The Sims games outside of PC that I've played are the ones where they don't even try to recreate the mechanics of the game and just do their own thing. I think it was The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS that I really liked because it was more of an adventure game.

 

When I've tried to play The Sims on my 360 it's aggravating because you have to flip through so many damn sub menus to do anything. The Sims was only ever meant to be a keyboard and mouse game.

 

 

On a related note, we have one of the great gaming mysteries:

 

First Person Shooters are very popular on consoles, but it's harder to play them with a controller.

 

It's only harder until you so spoiled to a controller that a game lacking out-of-the-box controller support pisses you off.

 

...not that I would know about that