I haven't upgraded my reasonably-priced PC in some 5 years, save for a new video card when the old one blew up. It wasn't top-end when I bought it. I have yet to come across a new game I can't run, though long/large Civilization 5 games tend to process turns for quite long. The idea that you have to be constantly upgrading your gaming PC is just false, unless you're obsessed with running the heaviest new games at the most demanding settings. And upgrading your memory or video card is dirt cheap, which is usually all you need to do.

But it's true that PC gaming is probably a little more expensive on average. (It can be a lot more expensive, or it can be cheaper.) The games are cheaper, but the initial investment is greater if you want longevity. But the game selection is vastly superior, further enhanced by the ability to play everything released for PC in the last twenty years on the same machine and the fact you can emulate consoles. You can customize your games, optimize performance, work around bugs yourself, take part in lively multiplayer and modding communities much more conveniently, etc. That's why it's a no-brainer for me.

Well, yes you can emulate consoles up to ps2 / wii (but not Xbox yet) but you need a very good processor to do so (would probably cost as much as a second hand PS3 for the processor, £100 minimum I would think, perhaps more if you go the AMD route as they'll often need overclocking to get games at playable speeds so you also need to have a motherboard that supports OCing). Will be an absolute age before the current gen consoles see successful emulation. Half a decade at least, probably more though, so for the exclusives you'd still need to buy the consoles (same with the next gen obviously).

That being said, PS2 emulation was one of the main reasons I got myself a decent PC as I was desperate to play all the RPGs that never reached Europe (and in HD no less).

Written by IronAngel on 30.12.2012 at 19:59

I haven't upgraded my reasonably-priced PC in some 5 years, save for a new video card when the old one blew up. It wasn't top-end when I bought it. I have yet to come across a new game I can't run, though long/large Civilization 5 games tend to process turns for quite long. The idea that you have to be constantly upgrading your gaming PC is just false, unless you're obsessed with running the heaviest new games at the most demanding settings. And upgrading your memory or video card is dirt cheap, which is usually all you need to do.

But it's true that PC gaming is probably a little more expensive on average. (It can be a lot more expensive, or it can be cheaper.) The games are cheaper, but the initial investment is greater if you want longevity. But the game selection is vastly superior, further enhanced by the ability to play everything released for PC in the last twenty years on the same machine and the fact you can emulate consoles. You can customize your games, optimize performance, work around bugs yourself, take part in lively multiplayer and modding communities much more conveniently, etc. That's why it's a no-brainer for me.

With PC Gaming I've saved so much money. Sure the initial investment can be high, mine was 1200 bucks, but the games are so much cheaper. I don't think I've paid over 40 bucks for a game on steam, and the gog sales can be even more insane. Also, the graphics don't mean shit. As I said I spent 1200 bucks on a high end pc and I'm playing games like Drox Operative, Anachronox, and Stealth Bastard deluxe. The real reason to own a pc is the wealth of experiences you just couldn't have on a console.

Written by Guest on 30.12.2012 at 20:11

Well, yes you can emulate consoles up to ps2 / wii (but not Xbox yet) but you need a very good processor to do so (would probably cost as much as a second hand PS3 for the processor, £100 minimum I would think, perhaps more if you go the AMD route as they'll often need overclocking to get games at playable speeds so you also need to have a motherboard that supports OCing). Will be an absolute age before the current gen consoles see successful emulation. Half a decade at least, probably more though, so for the exclusives you'd still need to buy the consoles (same with the next gen obviously).

That being said, PS2 emulation was one of the main reasons I got myself a decent PC as I was desperate to play all the RPGs that never reached Europe (and in HD no less).

Sorry for the double post, but I saw your post and was just wondering what PS2 emulator you used? I've been looking for a decent one for a while.

Written by whatsacow on 02.01.2013 at 06:54


Sorry for the double post, but I saw your post and was just wondering what PS2 emulator you used? I've been looking for a decent one for a while.

PCSX2. It's easy to install and configure and plays nearly all games with few to no issues. (as long as you have a good processor anyway).

I guess that's true, Joe. I didn't really think about it like that, because I haven't been remotely interested to play new console games that didn't get a PC port. I'm really quite happy to emulate Pokémon, Super Metroid and some cool N64 games like Ocarina of Time, every now and then. There are so many great games in the world that I'm not impatient to play all the latest blockbusters the moment they drop.

Written by IronAngel on 02.01.2013 at 18:24

I guess that's true, Joe. I didn't really think about it like that, because I haven't been remotely interested to play new console games that didn't get a PC port. I'm really quite happy to emulate Pokémon, Super Metroid and some cool N64 games like Ocarina of Time, every now and then. There are so many great games in the world that I'm not impatient to play all the latest blockbusters the moment they drop.

Yeah in reality there's a wealth of games to emulate from a vast number of consoles and handhelds. I tend to play Mega Drive, SNES and PS1 games on my phone these days (RPGs pretty much as anything that requires precise control is impossible on a touch screen) but I love having half a terabyte of PS2, Wii and Gamecube games at my disposal on my PC.

Xbox 360 junky here

PC

Pc and Xbox 360.