Help for someone thinking of transitioning from console to PC gaming

thedragon

thedragon

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In short:

I am thinking instead of going Xbox One or PS4 going for a gaming PC.  The Steam sales are too damn lucrative every year and it would be a great way for me to have a huge collection of games for a reasonable price.  Now here is the question I need answered:

every time I try to dabble in PC gaming I end up having issues installing games and poor performance, maybe its because I've never used Steam, maybe its because I've never had a dedicated gaming pc - but how much work does it really take to get your average newish PC game to play?  Is it really that full of patching and crashes etc??  I love sitting in front of a tv and what is (essentially) plug and play with the consoles, but just don't know enough PC gamers to figure out what it will really entail and justify the switch.  I need some info before plunking down the $800 or so to make the switch, please enlighten me folks. 

Thank you in advance for all who can help.

 
Hi there's probably a ton of responses incoming for you but I use steam and the good news about it is it does all the patching and installing for you.  I have never had an easier time getting games running.  There's still a lot of tweaking you can do with settings and whatever but it is just as easy as using xbox live or psn for downloading.  Steam also has some ways (several I think) to get games onto a big TV. And finally for what it's worth I use an xbox controller on my pc and it basically works 100% the same as on xbox.  So in short there's little reason not to do it if those are your concerns.

 
When was the last time you dabbled in the PC arena? When I speak with others who are thinking the same thing and they bring up some of the issue you have they were usually mucking around in the 90's or early 2000's.

I have 8 to 10 PCs in my home. Two of them are "killer rigs" designed for gaming. I have 2 HTPCs (connected to projectors - I don't do TVs) devoted to couch/bedroom gaming all with 4 wireless gamepads and a ton of games. My kids and their friends love this setup. My ladies love it to for when they just want to relax and play. Right now they are playing "Frogatto & Friends" as they lay in the bed. The rest of the rigs are Frankestiens for mixed purposes (Cam Security, Arcade Cabinets, VMs for OS testing and others)

If you are going to go with STEAM then you should not have much trouble with your gaming needs. I'm going to assume you are going the Windows route and for the most part you are not going to be doing much patching. STEAM will take care of that.

Just select the game - purchase and/or download (STEAM has Free to Play, Freeware and Free Giveaways - Like L4D 2 for the moment). The game installs. You click. You play. If the game has joypad support - Use your pad.

(((If you have games that don't support gamepads but still want to play them via gamepad - You can - but that takes a bit of work - So pay attention to the info as STEAM tells you if the game does or does not support gamepads)))

Tweaks on the other hand are all about preference. Many games have a lot of options and customizing while other don't. Out the box most retail and freeware games run with NO NEED for you to mess with these settings - unless you dealing with a modern game and legacy hardware (older stuff like 5+ years going back).

You should be good - As for a $800 rig - Ask the ppl here - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/topic/194397-the-ultimate-build-a-pc-thread-complete-with-pricings-recommendations-060610/ - They will help you out. I build by sales and I never go over $400 so I usually not the best person to ask unless we on the same page.

 
Thank you both very much, between the two of you I think most of my worries are put aside.  I am just going to go purely windows, probably everything through Steam. 

I bought a bunch of random pc games around 2000 , the games just seemed way cooler than what was happening during that era of  console gaming.  The problem was that I remember only ever getting about half the games to work and a few of the ones that did work either ended up not being very good or not performing well. 

If steam will take care of my patching worries and from what I am understanding here will serve as a relatively trouble free hub to launch my games, then the biggest worry I had is taken care of.  Additionally, back then I remember PC controllers sucked pretty bad, from what you guys are saying I assume they have caught up to the world of consoles on that front.

Also thanks for directing me to the other discussion, $800 was about what I saw a gaming pc for sale for at a local shop (I think the rig was called a Cybertron).  I don't know if I'm experienced enough to build my own, but I am not in a rush, I can definitely wait for sales on parts.  If  it can be accomplished for something like $400 that would be amazing, I'll have to get familiar with what I'll need and browse some of these topics.

A final question with respect to older games - one of the reasons I'm considering this shift is that I've sold off a lot of my old consoles and want to still have some of my old favorites (Deus Ex, KOTR, etc) - will there be much in the way of issues getting these games running if they are purchased through Steam or GOG or whatever service sells them?

Thanks again guys, its really appreciated

 
thedragon said:
A final question with respect to older games - one of the reasons I'm considering this shift is that I've sold off a lot of my old consoles and want to still have some of my old favorites (Deus Ex, KOTR, etc) - will there be much in the way of issues getting these games running if they are purchased through Steam or GOG or whatever service sells them?
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From what I can tell with my experience with old games on Steam, that won't be much of a problem. I played Dark Forces earlier this year; it was purchased through Steam and was instantaneously run through a DOS emulator (DOSBox) whenever I booted up the game. That said, I imagine that running games that were made for Windows 95/98 should be similarly painless. Not sure about GOG, but seeing as how they started out as "Good Old Games", it'd be quite surprising if they didn't have a similar setup.
 
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crystalklear64 said:
You might want to wait for a steam box. You are the targeted consumer for it.
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You definitely have point. I'm glad to see that playing older games shouldn't be too much of a hassle on steam other. I wouldn't have the money to completely build a system for at least another few months so I might keep my eyes on the steam box news and see if it looks like it will actually come out this year.

 
I have both a gaming PC and ps4 and I enjoy both a lot. My PC has great graphics and a buttload if indie games and my ps4 is going to be used for sony exclusives and playing bf4 with my friends list. $800 is a great price point to build a rig that play most new AAA games at ultra/high with 30-60fps at 1080p.

Here's a link so you can get some more information
http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc
 
A final question with respect to older games - one of the reasons I'm considering this shift is that I've sold off a lot of my old consoles and want to still have some of my old favorites (Deus Ex, KOTR, etc) - will there be much in the way of issues getting these games running if they are purchased through Steam or GOG or whatever service sells them?
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I still play games from the late 80's on Linux. It's not too much of a hassle as it was prior to 1996. Since then it's been easier and getting more easier - almost to the point where older games can be found in browser based formats that even work on non-smart phones.

GoG - Windows and Mac - Has all the games ready to roll with ease.

STEAM - Windows, Mac and Linux - Same deal.

What will be the killer - is how your maintain your PC.

I have several friends that went through some bad consoler times - defective units, RROD, games not working and they return or first timer'ed their way to PC gaming.

Many of them ONLY stick with STEAM or Origin or something like it - Desura, GoG, DotEmu...

When I get the calls/texts about their PCs acting up - 9 times out of 10 - it's shit they installed haphazardly.

Many of them are a lot more vigilant and are worthy of the PCMASTERRACE medallion.

PC Gaming is easier but one needs to be mindful that the awesomeness of it all requires keen eyes.

If that is not for you - head back down to consoles or wait for STEAMBOX like another had stated.

 
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Thanks a lot to all of you, with the responses here I think I can move forward!  I will see about maybe slowly piecing together my own rig - thanks so much for all of the links and info guys - big thanks to Megazell for preemptively warning me about things to look out for :)

 
I agree with the others that Steam makes things really easy to keep everything in one hub all patched up and ready to go or be reinstalled from one place if you ever move to a new machine.

Keep in mind that there are other ways to get games on Steam cheap other than buying from Steam. Some games will be sold as Steam keys from multiple other stores like Gamergate, Greenmangaming, Amazon, etc. Check before you buy first though if you really want to be sure it's a Steam key. In general EA and Ubisoft games sold outside of Steam won't be Steam keys though there may be rare exceptions. Also Indie Bundles frequently give Steam keys and you can amass a large amount of games very cheaply through buying them.

In terms of building or buying a gaming PC I think the single biggest thing I would look out of for is make sure you get a dedicated graphics card. Avoid any integrated graphics like Intel HD like the plague. They tend to have very poor performance and also are known to have issues with some games. Any relatively recent video card by AMD or Nvidia should be decent. You can check performance ratings as sites like Passmark. They have low, mid, high end video card benchmarks and then also ones rated for best value in price to performance ratio. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/

 
I want to add also - I don't buy games (much - yeah I supported humble bundle this year) - I use other services to give me free STEAM keys like the following.

GreenManGaming - Gives out free games quite often. Not trials. Not demos. Full games. They offered for a limited time and if you added them to your account they are yours forever. You can also use the STEAM keys of their free games on your STEAM account.

DotEmu - Has penny days. Where for 1 penny you get a game. The games are random as far as I know but again you can use those keys on STEAM also.

 
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I wouldn't recommend it. PC gaming is great but as a primary gaming platform the disadvantages outweigh the advantages imo. Steam sales are good but most days they aren't that great and if you plan to buy games on release date expect to pay around the same price as console games without the benefit of being able to resell or trade your games.  PC games can't be resold so no renting of games or used market.  There is no standardization on PC so you have to deal with accounts with all the different platforms(uplay, battle.net, origin, steam, etc) all with their own friends list and exclusive games.  As a PC gamer myself, these are the things that keeps me gaming more on my Xbox One than my PC. 

As for installing and performance, for most games they will install and run fine without issues but its not on the level as consoles. I'd say PC gaming works about 80% of the time which for most people is fine but once it stops working for whatever reason its very frustrating trying to find out whats the problem.  

 
^ You are quite incorrect on a great many things.

PC Games can be re-sold and/or traded - Granted many platforms do not support this but some do - Like GreenManGaming.

Also - Anyone who pays full price on any game and is on this site needs to get their prorities straight.

Console rate of failure on games and systems is about the same as PC if not higher. A lot of what you wrote was true in the 90

's but not today.

Welcome to 1997.

 
Most PC games can't be resold (due to Steam requirements or other DRM platforms) but the cost you pay is less than what you pay for the same game on consoles on average.  Moreover, publishers are already starting to look into ways to restrict the console resale market.

 
Mooby - not true for PS4 and PS3....those games can be resold.  Some publishers put out an online multiplayer code that can only be used once but that is only for those people who want to use that option of the game (cough EA).  Otherwise the only big MFG that said about console resale restrictions is just Microsoft when they announced Xbox One but then they reverted their polices on it and now leave it up to the game publishers.  So far I've been able to trade some of my sony games on PS4.

Btw if you are going to use your system for gaming, recommend a very good video card but don't buy it at retail prices.  If you have a microcenter near you, go there for system parts and look everywhere for good prices on video cards.  Back almost 2 years ago I got an eVGA 670 FTW for 200.  The card still retails for more than that...and the 770 is only 10% faster.  You don't need to get the latest and greatest but you really do need to do your own research.  You can share back what you think you are thinking to build in your thread and people will give you all kinds of suggestions.

 
Megazell said:
^ You are quite incorrect on a great many things.

PC Games can be re-sold and/or traded - Granted many platforms do not support this but some do - Like GreenManGaming.

Also - Anyone who pays full price on any game and is on this site needs to get their prorities straight.

Console rate of failure on games and systems is about the same as PC if not higher. A lot of what you wrote was true in the 90

's but not today.

Welcome to 1997.
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Most PC games cannot be resold. Your second comment is silly, there are a number of different reasons why people visit this site. Not everyone here is as cheap as you and some of us actually want to support the developers. I wasn't referring to hardware failure since you're right PC and console hardware failure is about equal. The difference though is that PC hardware doesn't need to fail for games not to run and this is very common on PC. Just this year Tomb raider on PC had problems with Nvidia cards. As a console gamer thinking of switching to PC, the OP needs to be aware of issues like this because most PC gaming issues are caused by incompatible hardware/software not hardware failure.

 
The best thing about PC gaming IMO is you will always be able to play your games, there's generally 100% backwards compatibility and you don't have to pay any extra money to play online.  You will save money if you don't buy everything the first day.

 
soulvengeance said:
The best thing about PC gaming IMO is you will always be able to play your games, there's generally 100% backwards compatibility and you don't have to pay any extra money to play online. You will save money if you don't buy everything the first day.
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Thanks for the continued input guys. I am really interested in the idea of having this ability to blur the older and new generations of games on one platform and not have a bunch of hardware to consider.

As far as used games are concerned, I usually keep anything I like and typically only sell of things I really didn't like so that's not a huge issue for me. It is even less of an issue, because for me, I rarely buy games right as they are released. I usually only do that for 1-2 games a year, the rest I wait around for discounts because my backlog is insurmountable and there is no point in adding to it for full retail price.

 
Sinfulfate said:
Most PC games cannot be resold. Your second comment is silly, there are a number of different reasons why people visit this site. Not everyone here is as cheap as you and some of us actually want to support the developers. I wasn't referring to hardware failure since you're right PC and console hardware failure is about equal. The difference though is that PC hardware doesn't need to fail for games not to run and this is very common on PC. Just this year Tomb raider on PC had problems with Nvidia cards. As a console gamer thinking of switching to PC, the OP needs to be aware of issues like this because most PC gaming issues are caused by incompatible hardware/software not hardware failure.
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I was correcting much of your error when you stated 'Can't' be resold as if NONE of PC Games can not be resold or traded. They can be and I am glad you changed it to most. Besides outside of SP games the rest of them on both sides can not be resold due to the reason that s0undwav3 stated.

Devs can be supported a great many ways - especially on the PC. There are countless ways (I've tried listing them once) to get games. If you are on CAG, you're trying to get games as cheap as possible. If you're are on CAG and you are not trying to get games for cheap....what's the point? That's like going to a veggie spot and ordering a BLT.

He don't got to be a cheap as me but it's cool that my way is a possiblity on the PC. That's the power of it all. To game as we see fit.

Hardware failure and software failure is what I am talking about. How many games on console launch botched? Still have bugs in them? Dead MP for MP games? (Section 8 comes to mind).

It use to be a clear line with consoles over PC - they were easier to game on. Tell that to your many people who both PS4s and how to crack open the cases and get a soldering gun to repair the HDMI port, Tell that to ppl that bought Red Dead Redemption on Day 1 had to wait for MP patch and so on and so on.

At NYU and City College in NYC I run the monthly and not the bi-weekly LAN. The console heads that come there are always griping about some shit going wrong with their units or a game they just got. While they are trying to see if this and that can work - The PC Gamers are on their 3 round of CS, Quake 3, UT2k4, Dota 2, LoL, L4D 2 and more.

If you're hardware fails on consoles. You're stuck. Unless you own a shop that caters to that units repair or sending it in. You can exchange it but take a look at what companies like Best Buy and others did to PS4 consumers the DAY after purchase when they tried to return their unit. Even ppl that had warranty were told to take a hike.

If you're hardware fails on PC (Mac, Linux, Windows and more). You have options. Companies have return programs free of charge *with in warranty and some have overalls like Kingston and Fyre.* Replace it yourself. Take it to a shop.

If you have software fails on console. You're stuck. You have to wait to the company patches. Some ppl mod their own systems but you run the risk of getting banned and/or violating warranties.

If you have software fails on PC (Mac, Linux, Windows and more). The online community may have a solution - usually for free. You can contact the companies (mixed bag of great and bad services). You can repair it yourself.

What all people coming into the digital medium to have their jollies needs to know is that sometimes they don't work. For years consolers and their makers have tried to hide that but thanks to the internet we should all know better.

PC puts much of the control into your hands. Lots of Pro and Cons with that. Consoles is too much locked down and out for many people.

 
Megazell said:
I was correcting much of your error when you stated 'Can't' be resold as if NONE of PC Games can not be resold or traded. They can be and I am glad you changed it to most. Besides outside of SP games the rest of them on both sides can not be resold due to the reason that s0undwav3 stated.

Devs can be supported a great many ways - especially on the PC. There are countless ways (I've tried listing them once) to get games. If you are on CAG, you're trying to get games as cheap as possible. If you're are on CAG and you are not trying to get games for cheap....what's the point? That's like going to a veggie spot and ordering a BLT.

He don't got to be a cheap as me but it's cool that my way is a possiblity on the PC. That's the power of it all. To game as we see fit.

Hardware failure and software failure is what I am talking about. How many games on console launch botched? Still have bugs in them? Dead MP for MP games? (Section 8 comes to mind).

It use to be a clear line with consoles over PC - they were easier to game on. Tell that to your many people who both PS4s and how to crack open the cases and get a soldering gun to repair the HDMI port, Tell that to ppl that bought Red Dead Redemption on Day 1 had to wait for MP patch and so on and so on.

At NYU and City College in NYC I run the monthly and not the bi-weekly LAN. The console heads that come there are always griping about some shit going wrong with their units or a game they just got. While they are trying to see if this and that can work - The PC Gamers are on their 3 round of CS, Quake 3, UT2k4, Dota 2, LoL, L4D 2 and more.

If you're hardware fails on consoles. You're stuck. Unless you own a shop that caters to that units repair or sending it in. You can exchange it but take a look at what companies like Best Buy and others did to PS4 consumers the DAY after purchase when they tried to return their unit. Even ppl that had warranty were told to take a hike.

If you're hardware fails on PC (Mac, Linux, Windows and more). You have options. Companies have return programs free of charge *with in warranty and some have overalls like Kingston and Fyre.* Replace it yourself. Take it to a shop.

If you have software fails on console. You're stuck. You have to wait to the company patches. Some ppl mod their own systems but you run the risk of getting banned and/or violating warranties.

If you have software fails on PC (Mac, Linux, Windows and more). The online community may have a solution - usually for free. You can contact the companies (mixed bag of great and bad services). You can repair it yourself.

What all people coming into the digital medium to have their jollies needs to know is that sometimes they don't work. For years consolers and their makers have tried to hide that but thanks to the internet we should all know better.

PC puts much of the control into your hands. Lots of Pro and Cons with that. Consoles is too much locked down and out for many people.
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[SIZE=10.5pt]What are you talking about? Your Xbox breaks, you call up MS and they will repair it for free if it’s under warranty or charge you if its not. Hardware failure repair works the exact same way regardless of the device. Same with software but the only difference with this is that software failure is caused by the software so it’s the software developers that need to fix the problem not the user. Sure you can support developers in many ways but money is the most important way. Also free games isn't exclusive to PC gaming, there are many ways to get games free legally for any video game platform. I too get most of my PC games free but I also get most of my console games free as well legally thanks to sites like Tremorgames and Swagbucks. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]PC gaming has about the same control as console gaming it’s just different. Since PC games are stored on your harddrive you can modify the files in any way you please but you are restricted on where you buy games and how you use them. Sure you can trade/resell PC games but only if you buy them from GMG and it’s only a select few. Steam does have most PC games but it also lacks many high profile games like Mass Effect 3 or Diablo III and has no method of trading used games. Console gaming doesn't allow you to modify game data(easily) but you are able to buy physical games at any retailer, rent almost any game, and do whatever you want with them after you beat them. The restrictions of PC and Console gaming is different but overall as a gamer you have equal control.[/SIZE]

 
Sinfulfate said:
[SIZE=10.5pt]Sure you can support developers in many ways but money is the most important way.[/SIZE]
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Incorrect. It's up to the devs/publishers and circumstance of the game's release to dictate what is of importance. For some it may be cash for others it may be promotion/advetising for others it could be feedback and so on. There is no one way and there is no way you could dictate any one method of support to be superior to the next.

As for free gaming being on consoles also - that's nice and cute but PC has way more free games (freeware, browser based, free retail, open source, free stand alone mods, f2p, selection based freeware and more).

[SIZE=10.5pt]PC gaming has about the same control as console gaming it’s just different. Since PC games are stored on your harddrive you can modify the files in any way you please but you are restricted on where you buy games and how you use them.[/SIZE]
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PC Gamers have absolute control in how they game and how they control their games. You play a PC game in anyway you see fit - If you want to.

There is NO restriction on the PC gamer on where he/she buy/gets games. He/She can pick any distrubutor he/she wants. You can even forgo this and get them independently or freely.

This is my personal list of where and what type of games can be gotten via digital distrubution.

http://www.pcgamer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20738

Old and missing over 830 (from October of 2012) Better Business Bureau recognized 830 DD platforms.

YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT OPTION ON CONSOLE. You go through their distinct digital stores or physical retail. That's it.

Why would you say something like this when it's not true at all?

[SIZE=10.5pt]Console gaming doesn't allow you to modify game data(easily) but you are able to buy physical games at any retailer, rent almost any game, and do whatever you want with them after you beat them. The restrictions of PC and Console gaming is different but overall as a gamer you have equal control.[/SIZE]
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You are not allowed/cannot resell certain console games if their code is tied to your PSN/MS/Wii accounts. It's been awhile since I stepped into a game store but the last time I was there (during the PS4 launch to lol at the ppl being unable to get the $ back when their machines were not working - 86th Street Best Buy - NYC) but there is a list of games at Gamespot, GameGenie, Game Demon and other locations in NYC that you CANNOT sell due to the code being used already.

This is a moot point for PC Gamers since many people take advantage of the sales and giveaways. How much can you expect to get for Mass Effect if you got it during the 49 cents sale, honestly?

For every game that is not on the PC there is a monsoon of other games waiting to be enjoyed.

Consolers are stuck on what they can get and how they can enjoy them...if they can even get thier machines to run right out of the box these days.

 
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