Why PC?

Forget everythin' ye thought ye knew about PC gamin'. 't's 2015 an' PC gamin' has never been this inexpensive, easy t' get into, free o' restriction, or more widespread than 'tis today. Largely t' thank fer this massive PC growth, consoles be havin' nerebeen worse than they be today an' a lot o' swabbies be switchin'. Aye, this be th' first time in gamin' history 'ere PCs be havin' surpassed consoles in ever' conceivable way fer less treasure (however, continue t' sell due t' dishonest marketin' an' traditional beliefs... sorta like $300 HDMI cords, Beats, an' multi-blade razors). This followin' page will explain (in detail) how an' why th' PC be th' unquestionably an' objectively superior choice (cheaper, faster, more & better games) compared t' underpowered an' industry-harmin' PS4 an' XBox One "PC imitators". 't's also non-linear an' can be read in any order that ye prefer. This be a very PC-oriented community, so ye may be expectin' unjustified or illogical fanboyism... however, a large drivin' force behind th' PC movement be on accoun' o' o' what 't offers; nay on accoun' o' o' what 't be, that would be choice-supportive bias. Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Th' past five voyages o' surgin' growth, competition, an' innovation in th' industry be havin' improved th' PC in almost ever' regard, largely due t' th' mobile hardware an' efficiency revolution, as well as things like Steam, Humble Bundle, an' Good Old Games. PC gamin' be now cheaper than ever, an' console gamin' continues t' get more an' more expensive as th' PlayStation & XBox divisions continue t' push prices (an' the'r own business operation costs) higher ever' voyage. Readin' this guide will cost ye exactly $0, whereas, in comparison, buyin' a console an' payin' fer all th' extended costs o' everythin' 't requires could easily exceed $2,000 in jus' a wee voyages (nay t' mention, consoles offer a considerably worse gamin' experience)! Honestly, what could 't really hurt t' read this? Bookmark this, read 't thoroughly, check all th' sources, share th' link wi' yer shipmates, an' enjoy!

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In summary, why ortin' ta I choose a PC o'er a console? What can 't possibly offer?

PCs be awesome machines fer gamin', work, an' entertainment alike fer many reasons. This includes, but be nay limited t', th' followin' reasons listed below. Th' sources that follow each bullet point ortin' ta link t' sections within this page, which in turn contain all th' sources ye'll probably want t' be seein'.

PC gamin' as a whole be much cheaper than console gamin' [1] [2]

Console-equivalent PC hardware be cheaper (same performance fer less treasure, more performance fer th' same treasure, or much more performance fer a bit more treasure). [1]

PCs be havin' th' freedom t' upgrade whenereYOU decide t', nay when Sony or Microsoft decide t'.

PCs easily work wi' TVs an' monitors, an' e'en multiple o' each.

PCs can play nearly ever' old console game eremade, through emulators, at higher graphical details, wi' whaterecontroller ye want t' use... fer free. [1]

PCs can use nearly ever' console controller eremade, modern ones (PS3/PS4/X360/XO) work without e'en needin' a USB adapter. [1]

PC games offer a clearer image thanks t' native resolution, console games don't allow resolution adjustments t' properly fit th' display like PC games do.

Gamin' services an' "social services" on th' PC be completely free, e'en wi' online play (Steam, Galaxy, Desura, Mumble, etc)

Gamin' services on th' PC offer more functionality than what ye pay fer on a console

PCs be havin' better better multiplayer support (LAN, 16x local multiplayer on th' same machine wi' softXpand)

Usin' a modern budget GPU yields around 60 frames per second durin' gameplay wi' recent game releases. Consoles can barely reach 30FPS most o' th' time.

Nay only can PC's be used fer education, entertainment, gamin', an' content creation... they're th' best at all o' these things.

Faster an' cheaper than a PS4 or XBox One, e'en fer $400

More exclusives than all th' current-gen consoles combined

More highly-rated exclusives

Free game modifications an' enhancements

More games, much larger library

More exclusive games

Healthy independent developer scene

Lots o' free games

Free abandonware titles

Can emulate many console games usin' freely available emulators

Increasingly cheaper hardware fer th' price as new GPUs be released

Big Picture mode fer bunk gaming

Easier t' repair an' highly modular

Aftward an' fore hardware compatibility o' ~2 voyages

Nay punishments fer repairing

Can be upgraded if desired

Easier t' upgrade

Better price-performance than consoles

Higher framerates (smoother)

Higher resolution (native t' yer display, amazingly sharp). Consoles struggle, e'en at 700-900p!

Higher graphical details (lightin', textures, foliage, particles, shadin', weather)

Ye're probably goin' t' own some sort o' PC anyways, why nay pay a bit more on top t' make 't a gamin' machine? That alone makes 't cheaper than a console.

Th' Swabbieal Computer be a constantly evolvin' platform. 't grows in power, capability, an' value ever' single voyage. 't's also free o' th' control o' any single entity, which be why many o' these advantages now exist. Rather than bein' regulated by a single company, control an' improvement influence o'er th' PC belongs t' sea dogs an' land lubbers equally. E'en ye, th' consumers, be havin' th' full freedom t' create or sell software, games, an' hardware fer 't. 't's bein' constantly improved by competin' companies an' swabbies all o'er th' spectrum, an' all o' them be tryin' t' offer ye (an' potential developers) th' best experience possible. Jus' keep readin'!

"Why do ye care what others buy an' play games on?"

That's a great question. We (th' PC gamers) love gamin' an' th' game industry wi' a burnin' passion. Unfortunately fer th' industry, modern consoles be suckin' 't dry. Nay, that's nay t' say ever' console manufacturer be responsible fer this, an' 't's also nay t' say th' ones that be responsible be doin' 't all th' time, but 't's still harmful.

Nowadays, th' console business be nay longer about satisfyin' gamers an' developers; 't's about buildin' a monopoly so they can forcefully attract an' monetarily drain developers t' th' point 'ere they can't afford t' develop a quality game on a competin' platform (hence, bad ports). 't's about bribin' them if they can't attract them through marketshare (paid exclusivity). 't's about doin' whatereit takes t' lock up as many franchises as possible t' yer own platform so th' competition has none port, which leaves ye wi' more market share (an' consequently, power). They've focused so much on killin' competin' platforms that they be havin' nay treasure port t' make th' consumers a product that makes them happy. Ye, as a gamer, ortin' ta be pissed at what they're doin' t' ye an' yer favorite games. If ye understand this an' continue t' defend what they're doin' simply on accoun' o' o' brand loyalty, ye really need t' reconsider yer reasonin'. Consoles take away WAY more than they give, an' that's all th' justification ere ortin' ta ereneed when they try showin' someone better alternatives.

Consoles hurt all o' th' following: PC gamers, console gamers, an' game creators.

Consoles help all o' th' following: Th' manufacturers that created an' fiercely market them, developers that be purchased by a console manufacturer, an' "journalists" that side wi' them. That's 't.

In comparison: PC helps all o' th' following:

Hardware manufacturers (Asus, AMD, Gigabyte, XFX, EVGA, Intel, Seagate, etc)

Software companies (Unity Technologies, Adobe, Mozilla, CD Projekt Red, Google, Dropbox)

Game creators (Blizzard, Gearbox Software, Crytek, Valve, CD Projekt Red, id Software, Rockstar, Devol'er Digital)

PC gamers

Console gamers (by givin' console manufacturers a standard t' aspire fer, unfortunately they jus' use marketin' t' justify shootin' fer th' bottom o' th' bin)

an' finally, PC hurts all o' th' following:

Profit margins o' console manufacturers

Developers that signed away the'r starboards or entire existence o'er t' console manufacturers

"Journalists" that rely on pro-console an' anti-PC FUD t' pay the'r bills [1]

't's a well thought-ou' systematic scam that's hurtin' sea dogs an' land lubbers, includin' ye. Consoles be nay longer a 'cool an' innovative' thin' that developers intentionally choose based on compatibility wi' the'r artistic vision (as be th' case in th' 1980s-1990s before th' 'new age' o' PC graphics). They're somethin' developers be havin' t' work wi' an' water the'r games down t' be compatible wi' (on accoun' o' they're either a subsidiary o' Sony or Microsoft, or they be havin' nay other choice), somethin' that many gamers be havin' t' buy (on accoun' o' o' marketin' lies an' forced/bribed exclusivity), an' that PC gamers be havin' t' deal wi' (on accoun' o' so many swabbies got tricked into buyin' them an' developers prioritize that large an' weak-hardwared demographic o'er th' PC). Sony an' Microsoft entered th' turf o' th' PC gamer when they attacked our games, our developers, an' our industry. Console manufacturers aren't yer shipmates. They're made by conglomerates that know nothin' o' th' game industry an' be seein' nothin' more than a cash cow when they eyeball gamers. They don't care about givin' ye good hardware, good games, or good experiences. They care about makin' th' industry THEIRS an' lockin' sea dogs an' land lubbers in t' the'r deadly cycle an' they'll put ou' any marketin' lies they need t' to get swabbies t' swashbuckle fer them (they know th' psychology, an' they know they be havin' th' power t' trick swabbies into defendin' them). So, if ye care about th' game industry an' innovation, understand this: They're drainin' th' industry dry an' puttin' the'r "dirty treasure" in absolutely nay places that benefit ye or th' industry. A world o' gamin' without consoles holdin' 't aft would be an amazin' one. Th' next time ye be seein' someone arguin' against consoles, jus' reckon this before ye confore them: Sony an' Microsoft picked th' swashbuckle, nay us.

"Current consoles be acceptable or relevant on accoun' o' o' th' experiences previous consoles provided."

Arguments justifyin' current-gen consoles on accoun' o' o' somethin' a past console has provided be th' textbook definition o' an appeal t' tradition logical fallacy. Sony an' Microsoft be piggyaftin' off o' th' successes o' past consoles t' make the'r current ones seem relevant, an' they'll always be havin' some degree o' success thar. Appealin' t' emotions or nostalgia be an' always be a popular marketin' tool. Don't let 't work on ye. Besides, ye can run all o' these old console games in emulators on yer PC. Anyways, aft t' th' good stuff!

"Isn't PC gamin' more expensive than console gamin'?"

Whoeretold ye that be either misinformed or intentionally lyin'. So nay, absolutely nay. Especially if ye only plan t' target console performance! Thar be already graphics cards available on th' market fer $120 that surpass th' PS4 an' XBox One in terms o' framerate, resolution, detail, value, an' power draw. Console gamin' isn't exactly cheap, either. A lot o' swabbies incorrectly b'lieve that ye be havin' t' spend upwards o' $750-$1000 t' get a PC fully capable o' handlin' games. This simply isn't true! These inaccuracies can be attributed partially t' th' highly vocal an' misinformed masses, an' t' th' availability (an' mainstream hype) o' th' expensive PC hardware we be seein' advertised a lot. Ye be seein' 't more on accoun' o' 't's advertised more. Why be 't advertised more? On accoun' o' th' companies make more treasure from sellin' 't as opposed t' the'r mainstream an' value offerings. Th' mainstream/budget parts be th' ones ye ortin' ta be lookin' at; nay th' $2000+ enthusiast gear. We're nay livin' th' 90's any more. PC hardware be cheaper today than 't has erebeen! When takin' a eyeball th' measly selection o' replaceable an' upgradable hardware that some consoles offer, ye'll always find a cheaper an' better alternative fer yer PC. In fact, ye can build a PC starboard now that will outperform "next-gen" consoles fer pretty much th' exact same price. After all, th' "next-gen" consoles be really jus' watered-down PCs wi' crippled operatin' systems. Plus, if ye only want t' target 30 frames-per-second an' only 720p, ye're goin' t' save a lot o' treasure. In fact, 't's actually hard t' find a minimum-range graphics card that can e'en perform that badly these days. If ye only want t' match console performance, ye essentially cut yer GPU budget in half. Be seein' TekSyndicate's own explanation an' build an' this rough explanation fer more information. If ye're lookin' t' get parts e'en cheaper than in th' example videos, PCPartPicker an' /r/BuildaPCSales be great places t' get discount hardware fer yer PC. Th' next time someone reminds ye that ''t's nay all about graphics', remind them that they're in luck, on accoun' o' that means they'll be spendin' almost nothin' on the'r graphics card t' achieve th' performance they deemed adequate.

Here's a heavily simplified example o' a modern gamin' computer that matches an' exceeds everythin' available in a PS4 or XBox One:

Type Item Price

Modern gamin' CPU Athlon X4 or Intel i3 $80

Modern gamin' GPU that destroys th' PS4 & XBO AMD R9 270 or NVidia GeForce 750 $100

Motherboard High-rated board that fits either CPU $60

Memory 4GB o' DDR3, probably 1333 or 1600 $30

Storage Hard drive an'/or fast SSD, 1TB(HDD) or 128GB(SSD) $60

Case Whatereappeals t' ye an' fits these parts (likely MicroATX) $50

Power Supply Whaterepowers th' build, ~400W $30

Total

Combination o' all estimated prices ~$400

Smart-like benefits: Nay online fees, tons o' free-t'-play games, free emulators, free abandonware games, much cheaper games thanks t' Steam an' GOG, re-use old hardware (controller, mouse, keyboard), won't need t' upgrade until games start t' struggle at 30FPS wi' low settings.

Optimization: As time goes on, consoles don't get stronger an' PCs don't get weaker

Some swabbies claim that consoles get better o'er time due t' "optimization" an' that PCs (on th' opposite end) get slower an' need t' be upgraded t' keep up wi' these "optimizations". Nay true! Aye, thar be an increase in developer hardware an' SDK familiarity after a new console launch (especially wi' th' XBox 360 an' PS3), but nay fer very long. These "optimizations" be nay exclusive t' th' consoles, either! Th' same optimizations be also taken advantage o' on th' PC when they receive large hardware revisions as well. Th' leadin' cause o' this "console optimization" misideeion (other than th' YouTube comments section) be likely due t' th' state o' hardware durin' th' launch o' th' XBox 360 an' PS3. When th' XBox 360 an' PS3 launched, they had entirely new types an' mixtures o' hardware that th' industry be very unfamiliar wi'. Th' XBox One an' PS4 simply will nay be havin' a similar developer learnin' curve that th' 360 an' PS3 had on accoun' o' both new consoles use x86-based processors (which be also used by PCs!). As fer th' second part o' th' argument, loss o' value wi' PC hardware (in comparison t' console hardware) doesn't happen at a faster rate. Let's break this down: First off, th' 360 an' PS3 be sold at a loss when they launched. Times be havin' changed! Th' Xbox One an' PS4 be both bein' sold at a profit after the'r first game/online purchases (e'en at $400/$500). Secondly, th' performance-per-piece o' eight o' desktop GPUs now be noticeably better than 't be at th' time. E'en while takin' this into account, a GPU in 2006 (durin' th' 360 an' PS3 launch) priced similar t' th' build price o' them consoles be still very much usable today. Th' best GPU fer this demonstration be NVidia's 8800 series. Nay only be they still gettin' dri'er updates today, but they're also gettin' support from game developers.

In addition t' increased value, th' PC also has a higher performance & quality ceiling

If ye're th' kind o' swabbie that wants t' go all-ou' an' buy a multi-chestfull o' piece o' eight setup wi' multiple monitors an' graphics cards, ye be havin' th' freedom t' do so. Game developers know that a wee fraction o' th' PC gamin' market does this, so they add more demandin' graphics options fer ye t' make sure that extra hardware doesn't go t' waste. A lot o' swabbies think that simply on accoun' o' these settings exist, they absolutely need t' buy th' latest an' greatest 'RadForce MegaGigaJiggaFlexx 95-billion Elite Zombie Slayer Edition' graphics card t' meet these settings wi' an acceptable framerate, or 'FPS'. Th' highest/ultra settings generally aren't created wi' th' majority in mind. E'en at low an' medium settings, ye'll be gettin' higher resolutions, smoother framerates, better lighting, higher resolution textures, an' more detailed scenes than a comparably priced console. Th' fact o' th' matter be, both th' hardware an' software companies know exactly what graphics hardware th' average consumer be goin' t' buy an' use, an' they build the'r games an' hardware accordingly. They're nay here t' build a game so demandin' that ye can't play 't, an' ere who says so isn't tellin' ye th' whole truth. Game developers want sales, an' if the'r game only run on th' aforementioned minority enthusiast sector o' PCs, they're goin' t' get minority sales t' go along wi' 't. 't's almost exclusively th' graphical mods that push th' game's minimum GPU cost t' $1,000 or more.

Battlefield 3 rendered across multiple displays usin' EyeFinity. Here's a video o' 't in action(2012).

Ye get more online functionality fer free than a paid console user

Steam be a very heavily integrated gamin' suite. Fer example: ye can trade coupons, games, items, an' cards wi' another Steam user starboard from within Steam (nay need t' be in-game an' meet them). Ye can be seein' what games an' servers yer shipmates be currently playin' an' join th' ser'er wi' th' click o' a button (an' vice versa, ye can invite them t' yours). Ye can trade on th' Community Market without erehavin' t' hunt someone down that has or wants certain goods. Steam also has an integrated software store, developer store, Workshop (fer easier modding), Greenlight, an' Big Picture mode fer bunk gamers. Steam will also automatically sync yer saved games an' settings t' th' Steam Cloud. Yer in-game Steam panel be pretty awesome, too. 't lets ye chat, trade, browse th' web fer walkthroughs an' whatnot, track achievements, an' much more.

PC games be so much cheaper that they alone can allow e'en a high-end PC t' undercut a console within a single voyage

All voyage round, PC games be bein' sold at extreme discounts thanks t' Good Old Games, Humble Bundles an' Steam sales. E'en brand new titles that be havin' yet t' be released can occasionally get a pre-order discount or otherwise drop below th' traditional console release price o' $59.99. Thar's also th' occasional franchise or "studio" bundles that can save ye around 25-50%. Summer an' winter Steam sales offer th' largest discounts, wi' single titles goin' as much as 75% off wi' entire franchises an' bundle discounts stackin' onto th' discount Valve already added t' 't. Aye, 't's true that ye may sometimes get games that ye don't want from a bundle, but ye be havin' t' be tryin' pretty hard when ye try t' label that as a disadvantage. Th' games be yours ere, an' thar's a pretty good chance that someone may want t' "borrow" 't from ye an' try 't ou' e'en if ye don't. O'er th' course o' 3-4 voyages, some swabbies be havin' saved o'er $3000 by usin' Steam. All them discounts, an' developers still earn more on th' PC.

Th' PC be better equipped fer online play than a console

Since PCs be havin' more processin' power an' faster networkin' (as well as modular networkin', ye can add a faster 10-gigabit ethernet card if ye want one). This means (ye be havin' th' option o') more enemies, more players, more action, much quicker an' clearer voice communication, lower game latency, an' much more. Developers an' hobbyist ser'er hosts be havin' made great leaps wi' th' PC in recent voyages; some PC servers can support up t' 10,000 players in a single FPS match! Imagine th' intensity o' 10,000 players compared t' a measly 64 player match(which e'en th' latest an' greatest consoles be havin' trouble reachin' at all).

PC games can be modded. Console games (legally an' logically) cannot

Be havin' ye erebeat a game an' felt that rush o' depression when th' last cut-scene finishes an' ye be sent aft t' th' main menu an' th' music starts? Probably. Fortunately fer PC gamers, thar be a plethora o' mods available fer our games that can be easily installed. Mods can change gameplay logic, add maps or characters, greatly improve graphical quality, introduce new game modes, an' e'en create entirely new games altogether. Consoles simply cannot do this. Th' easiest way ye could play a modded console game would be t' buy or burn a modded disc image o' th' game an' modify yer firmware t' accept 't, renderin' 't incapable o' online play an' possibly e'en facin' legal trouble fer tinkerin' wi' 't. Nay t' mention, mod support be tremendously helpful t' gamers, games, an' developers. Plus, thanks t' moddin' communities, PC games essentially age in reverse. Meanin', they get e'en better lookin' as time goes on. Take a eyeball GTA IV as o' Janree 2014 if ye don't b'lieve 't.

How generous! Consoles don't e'en delete yer saves if ye pay them fer a free mod.

Ye don't be havin' t' build a PC t' fully experience PC gaming

First o' all, don't erebuy a "gaming" desktop. ERE 't's either goin' t' be tremendously expensive (Alienware) or severely underpowered fer what ye pay (CyberPowerPC, iBuyPower, iMac). Most o' th' time, they toss in a completely unnecessary i7 along wi' some bilge watery $50 card an' yer games run like bilge water. Second o' all, ye can put yer newly-purchased hardware in any full-size desktop. As long as yer PC be relatively decent an' ye add a ~$100 graphics card t' 't, ye be able t' run modern titles very well. Although, buildin' be still th' best choice on accoun' o' 't will last much longer an' offer better customizability an' value.

If ye don't want t' build one(which be weird, on accoun' o' e'en a 5 voyage old can build a PC these days), me recommendation t' ye be t' buy a full-size decent non-gamin' desktop from a retailer, buy a graphics card, an' insert 't into th' PC yersef. 't's nay more difficult than upgradin' th' hard drive on a console or replacin' a homeport air filter. Once th' card be in, jus' install th' drivers fer 't from th' AMD or nVidia website, an' yer games be good t' go. PCPerspective e'en has the'r own in-depth video demonstratin' an' explainin' how cheap an' easy 'tis t' turn an 'office box' into a gamin' machine.

Buildin' a PC doesn't require extensive trainin' or a degree

't's like puttin' together a Lego house. Jus' watch some tutorials an' consult us, /r/BuildAPC, or /r/BuildAPCForMe. Pickin' yer own parts an' assemblin' yer build be actually pretty fun. Thar be plenty o' YouTube videos ou' thar that will help. Make sure ye read up on Intel's Ivy Bridge or Haswell chips if ye don't want t' deal wi' th' heat surfacin' problems. Finally, take a visit t' our builds page an' start readin'! Really, th' only thin' ye need t' do be a static discharge an' ye're ready t' (delicately!) handle th' parts.

Mac OSX an' Linux can be installed an' configured t' run perfectly on a laptop or desktop PC

A PC specifically configured t' run Mac OSX be often called a "Hackintosh". Since Apple switched t' Intel processors around 2005, users ben able t' install an' set up OSX t' run on most PCs since (assumin' ye use OSX-compatible hardware). Although 't does require about an hour or two o' effort, th' amount ye save an' gain by goin' wi' a PC o'er a Mac far outnumbers them two hours o' work if aligned t' an hourly salary o' ~$15-40. Our shipmates o'er at /r/Hackintosh offer a lot o' help an' information on th' topic, check them ou'!

O' course, if Mac OSX isn't yer thin', thar's always Linux. Glorious, beautiful, stable, free, an' customizable. Among th' popular "flavors" be Ubuntu, CrunchBang, Debian, ElementaryOS, an' many others.

Th' Virtual Reality revolution be bein' led by th' PC

If ye want t' enjoy virtual reality gamin' (an' other forms o' entertainment, th' PC be an open development platform so th' sky's th' limit) in its most immersive form, ye'll need a PC. High resolution an' framerates be absolutely essential fer Virtual Reality headsets (like th' Oculus Rift) t' properly immerse ye an' fool yer brain. Th' industry's leadin' VR company spake so they's self: e'en th' next-gen consoles be far too weak t' handle what they plan on doing. Some swabbies don't want t' use VR t' control the'r gameworld, an' some don't want t' use 't t' e'en view th' gameworld, which be fine. Virtual reality headwear isn't meant t' be a replacement fer desktop or livingroom gamin', 't's jus' meant t' be an immersive an' creative alternative fer th' games an' genres that best support 't. Jus' on accoun' o' ye don't want VR doesn't mean ye shouldn't get a PC; 't jus' means that yer PC budget will probably be a lot lower!

Th' ESports revolution be bein' led by th' PC

This has caused somewhat o' an unexpected explosion in PC popularity in recent voyages. Consoles don't e'en compete wi' PCs in this regard, as this video sort o' demonstrates.

"I be told that PCs be havin' compatibility problems"

Game developers adhere t' popular standards when they make the'r games. Hardware developers adhere t' popular standards when they make hardware. Nay doin' so would gain them a terrible reputation an' most likely bankruptcy. On accoun' o' o' this, games on PC don't be havin' th' compatibility issues they used t' in th' DOS days. In th' DOS days, thar be nay standards t' adhere t', an' thar be chestfulls o' different possible hardware configurations. Almost nay games worked wi' ever' piece o' sound, video, an' input hardware. Th' next time ye hear someone complain about PC gamin' bein' a pain on accoun' o' they hate 'checkin' t' be seein' if they be havin' enough video RAM' or 'makin' sure they be havin' a fast enough processor' or 'whether or nay the'r sound drivers be up-t'-date', jus' punch them an' link them here. PC game developers make the'r game compatible wi' an enormous possible performance spectrum! O' all swabbies that understand this, ye'd expect 't t' partially be console gamers seein' as consoles be among th' weak end o' th' spectrum. Arr nay, tho, on accoun' o' many spew misinformation like this t' scare swabbies away from upgradin'.

A PC be much better at makin' yer gamin' experience sharable

Streamin', screen recordin', video editin', in-game chats, voice chat(Mumble or TeamSpeak), video chat(Skype/Google Hangouts), game invites, an' everythin' else... 't's all built in. Specifically FRAPS, Movie Maker, Twitch.tv, an' Sony Vegas be popular choices among gamers. Nay need fer expensive custom hardware or a separate device fer editin' th' video; jus' install th' software, run 't, an' hit record. 't does 't all, an' wi' much higher quality footage than that o' a console. In fact, most demos an' commercials use PCs fer 'actual gameplay footage' t' sell the'r consoles an' games due t' quality/ease.

A PC be more family friendly than a console

Contrary t' what th' commercials show ye, a PC be a much better choice fer them who want a device capable o' entertainin' all age squadrons. 't can be hooked up t' multiple displays, terminalized wi' softXpand, access any streamin' service, used fer schoolwork, used fer web games, used from th' bunk, used at a desk, used remotely, used fer communication, an' e'en emulate console titles usin' any controller ye prefer. Ye name 't, someone ou' thar has written an application t' make yer PC do 't. In addition t' that, th' the PC has very in-depth parental/owner controls. Ye can add parental controls t' user accounts, web browsers, an' specific applications. Consoles, on th' other hand, offer almost nothin' in comparison.

A PC be better than a console fer media consumption

Th' only reason Microsoft an' Sony be advertisin' media consumption more than games this time around be on accoun' o' o' how far behind PCs they be, an' on accoun' o' consoles actually make better playaft devices than they do gamin' machines. They try t' claim the'r consoles be havin' access t' everything, but they really don't. Half o' all media streamin' services on th' internet use HTML5 or Flash. E'en attemptin' t' access them wi' th' crippled web browsers on th' PS4 an' XBox One will require a subscription first. Nay t' mention, th' PC has free online access an' several much better alternatives t' th' long-obsolete an' broken Internet Explorer (which th' XBox One forces ye t' use!).

Th' PC be far more socially capable than a console

More players per server, more "LAN party-optimized" games like GMod, more game modes, an' perfect compatibility between different "generations" an' forms o' PC. Be seein' th' /r/PCMasterRace Guide t' LAN Parties fer more information on LAN. PCs also be havin' th' ability t' use voice an' video communication services like Steam, Skype, TeamSpeak, an' more.

PC games support local multiplayer gaming

Although consoles be havin' traditionally been th' platform t' offer th' best local multiplayer support, that's changin'. Wi' th' surge in PC power in recent voyages, thar ben games released that fully support both split-screen an' "hotseat" multiplayer (nearly all o' which also support controller input). Some e'en support up t' 6 simultaneous players. O' course, e'en games without local multiplayer support can still be played on th' same PC... up t' 16, in fact. As well as SoftXpand, thar's th' popular splitscreen tool, which e'en allows screens t' be "split" t' a second display if one isn't enough! Borderlands 2 be one such game that supports local multiplayer, wi' controllers, on multiple monitors... e'en from th' same Steam account.

PCs come in many shapes an' sizes

PCs can be built t' be wee or large. They can be square, round, flat, tall, ye name 't. Ye decide what shape best fits yer spacial requirements, whether ye're buyin' or buildin'. Both market strategies be havin' in incalculable amount o' options. Ye can get a PC that uses less power than a console. Ye can get a PC that's quieter than a console. 't's great that consoles sit well in them departments, but th' PC takes th' crown in ever' one o' them categories.

A Swabbieal Computer can be used as a tax write-off, whereas a gaming console cannot

If ye can prove 't's bein' used fer yer work, ye can write 't off. E'en if 't's goin' t' be havin' an HD 7990 or Titan. As we've seen in past voyages, ownin' a GPU nay longer means that ye be havin' t' play games. Productivity software be becomin' increasingly supportive o' OpenCL an' other GPU compute features an' if yer work software can leverage 't, th' IRS has nay business tellin' ye that ye can't play games wi' 't as well.

Th' crewmate eye can be seein' far beyond a measly 30 or 60FPS

Contrary t' th' hordes o' uneducated swabbies tryin' t' defend underpowered consoles, ye can be seein' a difference between 30FPS an' 60FPS. Thar be many sources o' confusion. Th' first be YouTube. Aye, YouTube. Lots o' swabbies use YouTube as a test suite t' compare 30FPS an' 60FPS+. Bad idee! YouTube caps video framerates at 30FPS!. Before doin' so, be sure th' video ye be watchin' be 60fps compatible as youtube jus' recently uncapped its video's framerate. Th' second source o' confusion be sometimes an swabbie's own hardware. This doesn't really apply t' th' 30-60 debate, but 't does apply t' 60+. Both Europe an' th' US tend t' adhere t' a strict 50/60FPS cap (sans th' 'premium' displays ye can buy). This would explain why swabbies don't be seein' a difference between 60 an' anythin' more, on accoun' o' th' display they're usin' be only refreshin' 60 times a second (60Hz). Th' last an' final source o' confusion on this matter be whether or nay th' crewmate eye can distinguish between th' swabbie frames rather than be seein' them as a slideshow. Th' answer be nay, they cannot... which be th' entire point! Ye can, however, be seein' an improvement in fluidity when th' Hz (hertz/refresh rate/FPS) o' yer system an' display be increased. Here's an in-browser 30-vs-60 test if ye still don't b'lieve 't, an' another wi' actual game footage.

Also, th' argument about ~24FPS providin' a "better cinematic experience" be completely made up. Th' film industry adopted 24FPS as a standard on accoun' o' aft in th' 1930s, higher framerate films tookst up too much physical film an' lower framerate films be difficult t' synchronize wi' th' audio. Games don't need framerate caps on accoun' o' frames be generated in realtime as many times per second as yer graphics card can handle, displayed t' th' screen, an' then removed from memory t' make room fer th' next frame.

Anythin' wi' a framerate below 46FPS could strain th' crewmate eye

Th' majority o' console titles target 30 (at 1080p) an' occasionally a smooth 60 (although at a meager 720p). Due t' th' severe hardware limitations o' th' PS4 an' XBox One, almost nay titles at th' time o' this writin' be capable o' both 1080p an' 60FPS. Thomas Edison hisself concluded that anythin' below 46FPS will strain th' crewmate eye, wi' strain increasin' as th' framerate lowers. This be aft in th' days o' film strips, so th' bar be probably a bit lower now than 't be then, but eye strain still exists an' thar's a way t' avoid 't.

Th' crewmate eye can be seein' th' difference between 60 FOV an' 90 FOV

't's hilarious that some swabbies would try t' duel this, yet they sometimes do. Th' problem wi' a lot o' console titles be that th' developers be havin' t' narrow th' field o' view t' reduce th' stress on the'r target console's weaker hardware. T' give ye a glimpse o' what ye're missin' ou' on, be seein' this image. Although some titles be havin' th' same field o' view across all platforms, ones that be graphically intensive (like Battlefield 4, Skyrim, COD, etc) will often be havin' a reduced FOV on th' console version. Th' best part o' 't all, if ye really do prefer a lower FOV in a gi'en game or need t' lower 't fer medical reasons (vertigo, etc) th' PC version will almost always offer an FOV slider or other way t' change th' FOV. Th' PCGamingWiki be an' absolutely superb resource fer information on how t' tweak th' FOV (among other things, like resolution an' detail).

Academic studies be havin' pro'en that higher framerates increase player performance

Researchers at th' University o' Massachusetts be havin' determined through observation that nay only be th' difference noticeable, but player performance increases logarithmically up t' 60FPS (logarithmically means th' largest increases happen early on an' begin t' taper off, be seein' rough example here). Unfortunately, they didn't test wi' framerates over 60, so we can intelligently theorize (but nay scientifically prove) that this also applies t' framerates beyond 60. They also concluded (since th' curve be logarithmic) that framerates lower than 30 get almost exponentially worse, which be unfortunate on accoun' o' almost ever' "next-gen" demo so far has shown t' dip as low as 10-20FPS while renderin' heavier scenes.

After yer PC loses its luster 3-4 voyages down th' road, overclockin' can brin' 't aft

Let's face th' facts. PCs aren't consoles; they improve ever' voyage an' game developers adjust the'r games accordingly. If ye get sea sick o' runnin' yer games on medium an' low instead o' yer traditional high or ultra, overclockin' may be th' answer. Overclockin' be free an' 't's nay as dangerous as 't sounds. Performance gains vary, but once yer parts be ou' o' the'r warranty period ye nay longer be havin' t' worry about voidin' 't. Normally, e'en a wee increase would void 't. O' course, ye could always jus' buy faster hardware, but thanks t' overclockin' ye may nay need t'... at least fer another voyage or so.

Ye can share yer Steam games wi' others

Contrary t' popular belief, yer Steam games be nay stuck wi' yer account. Steam Family Sharing allows ye t' instantly lend yer digitally-distributed games t' another Steam user's library. E'en if they're across th' country... or world. 't's instantly in the'r library. Unlike physical media, they cannot steal, lose, or damage yer game in any way. Th' only downside be, ye need t' login t' yer account on the'r computer first (an' then log aft ou').

Th' games ye buy on PC be yours ere

Did ye sell yer PC or migrate t' a different one? Nay problem. Jus' log into Steam, GOG, or Desura an' re-download them t' yer new machine. Nay need t' insert a disc or re-buy an online key like ye would wi' a console. Thar's also nay limit on yer number o' downloads. Th' speeds at which ye download yer games be as fast as yer download bandwidth, so ye can sometimes re-obtain yer games in a matter o' minutes.

PCs be better fer bunk, TV, an' livingroom gamin' than consoles

Jus' plug yer PC into yer TV usin' th' HDMI port. Controllers compliment this very well, especially since a PC can use any controller (e'en a combination o' different ones at th' same time)! However, mouse an' keyboard combinations be jus' as easy t' do if ye be havin' a proper piece o' furniture t' support everythin'. Here's a video by BlackBusterCritic explainin' how this be possible an' fightin' th' misinformation spreaders that say otherwise. Another big factor be th' resolution output o' yer PC. TVs o' today be 1080p an' higher; sometimes e'en 4K (4x as dense as 1080p)! Mainstream consoles can hardly handle 900p, let alone 1080p... Usin' a PC wi' these TVs rather than an underpowered console will ensure ye hit th' level o' clarity th' TV be designed fer, nay what th' console drags 't down t'. Any resolution other than a display's native resolution will look blurry in comparison t' what 't be designed fer, an' ye'll notice this pretty quick when ye hook yer PC up t' yer TV.

PC gamin' from th' bunk usin' a keyboard an' mouse. Image courtesy o' Steiger Dynamics.

Any PC wi' Steam (laptop, desktop, etc) can run Big Picture.

PCs be capable o' much more than gamin', such as content creation

Think o' 't in terms o' 'how much be I savin'?'. Nay 'how much be I spendin'?'. A PC can do so many things in this tide an' age 't's ridiculous. All things considered, ye can still get a PC fer th' same price o' a console if ye really care about price equality that much. If ye're already a content creator wi' a powerful machine, congratulations!

Ye can put yer console budget toward yer existin' or upcomin' desktop PC.

Why nay put th' console budget toward yer PC? 't's already built! Jus' add a graphics card!

Both th' PS4 an' XBox One consoles be still behind mid-range gamin' PCs o' today

Modern consoles like th' PS4 an' XBox One use an enhanced AMD A10, which be a mid-range budget processor. Aft when th' XBox 360 an' PS3 came ou', things be different. Th' XBox 360 an' PS3 be both very competitive wi' equivalent PCs, an' they be sold at a tremendous loss, e'en wi' the'r $700 price tags. Consoles now be bein' sold fer $400-$500 an' makin' healthy profits on th' hardware alone, (at least after the'r first single game an' round o' online access payments, if nay immediately) ... an' yet they continue t' raise th' prices fer online access/special services an' increase the'r cuts fer per-game sales. Th' last-gen prices aren't e'en adjusted t' inflation, either! 't really says somethin' about console innovation when ye be havin' t' adjust fer inflation t' compare across generations, doesn't 't?

Console gamin' be (at one point) far better than anythin' PCs had t' offer

We don't try t' hide th' truth here. Quite th' opposite, actually. Aye, at one point consoles had far better graphical capabilities than th' PC. Up until th' popularity boom o' th' Apple II an' Commodore 64, PCs be barely more than word processors. But then 't became 1985. Consoles be havin' continued t' stick around o'er th' voyages but the'r time has long passed. Th' only advantages that consoles be havin' port (since th' late 80's) be market share, high profitability fer th' companies buildin' them, expensive games, an' exclusives. Th' middle bein' hardly anythin' t' brag about as a console user (ahoy, look how much I spent on this!). These days, games aren't exclusive simply on accoun' o' that's th' only system that can handle 't; games be exclusives on accoun' o' Microsoft an' Sony use the'r ill-earned profits t' influence starvin' developers. Especially Microsoft. Eyeball that, PS4 owner. Microsoft loves ye so much that they had t' pay th' studio treasure jus' so they wouldn't release the'r existin' game on yer platform. Isn't big business wi' console monopolies fun?!

PCs can be legally opened fer clistin', upgrades, an' repairs

Let's face 't. If yer device relies on fan coolin' or has vents, 't's goin' t' get dusty an' eventually very hot. If 't contains circuit boards, 't's goin' t' be susceptible t' power surges an' other electrical problems. 't doesn't matter who builds th' products or 'ere 't comes from. Nay electronic device be invulnerable. Luckily fer ye, ye get t' handle things yersef if/when yer PC has a problem wi' an swabbie part. Consoles aren't so forgivin'. If ye clist 't yersef, th' warranty be most likely void. If a part fails, ye be havin' t' send th' entire thin' in an' wait fer 't t' be sent aft. Sometimes ye can e'en continue usin' th' PC while waitin' fer th' swabbie part t' be replaced! Things like RAM cards, hard drives, graphics cards be good examples. Get a PC an' ye won't be havin' t' be lily livered o' voidin' a warranty ereagain as long as ye're nay physically violatin' th' warranty agreement fer th' part. Repairin' be frowned upon wi' th' XBox most o' all.

An intact warranty or a workin' machine? 't's nay a PC, ye be havin' t' decide.

What happens when ye try t' repair somethin' that ye bought.

PC parts be havin' longer warranties an' th' warranties be on a per-part basis; nay per-device!

Each swabbie part that ye view online has a warranty policy directly from th' manufacturer that ye can be seein' a summary o'. Many parts (like Patriot RAM) e'en be havin' lifetime warranties. Once ye receive th' PC components, ye'll be seein' that a copy o' th' warranty (wi' instructions) be included. If th' part goes bad within th' warranty period, (1-3 voyages, sometimes lifetime) th' company will mail ye aft a functional replacement. In comparison, a console requires th' entire device t' be sent in... sometimes after ye've already paid more treasure fer th' warranty! Disassemblin' 't t' send them th' defective part wouldna only be difficult on accoun' o' th' warranty would instantly be invalidated on th' console, but also on accoun' o' th' part be useless t' ye abroadside o' th' device (from a warranty standpoint, they won't honor 't or e'en acknowledge th' part belongs t' the'r console).

Pictured: PS4 & XBox One, two voided warranties, an' bottom-bin components. [1] [2]

Ye can experience beautiful studio-quality voice communication fer free usin' a PC

Wi' consoles, Steam, an' Skype, cell phones, etc, yer voice communications be routed through a ser'er an' relayed t' th' recipient. Mumble doesn't do that, 't goes straight from point A t' point B, which means less latency an' less stutter (assumin' ye're hostin' th' Murmur server). On a PC, ye be havin' th' option o' hostin' a Mumble (or TeamSpeak) server. Mumble be free an' open source, an' allows ye (th' ser'er host) t' set th' bandwidth cap as high as ye want. Both th' ser'er an' client be very lightweight, but if ye feel that hostin' 't yersef won't work ye can also rent one. TeamSpeak be also an option, but Mumble be open source an' nearly identical. As th' host, ye can decide how many rooms th' ser'er will be havin', th' maximum occupancy, an' much more. Jus' make sure that ye port-fore if ye host a Mumble ser'er (Murmur) yersef. Oh, ye could also join our Mumble server!

Mumble in action, connected t' a public voice ser'er wi' many channels available.

All platforms be havin' the'r own exclusives but PC has thousands more than any other

Many swabbies duel in favor o' consoles by pullin' th' "exclusives" card. What they don't reckon be, makin' that argument speaks entirely against consoles. In order t' get th' "exclusives" they always duel about(they often list things like Last o' Us, Legend o' Zelda, an' RYSE nevermind, RYSE came t' PC after Xbox One almost bankrupted Crytek), they would be havin' t' buy each an' ever' console that them games belong t', bringin' the'r budget well beyond $1,000. E'en puttin' $500 into a PC will get ye a system more powerful than each, wi' th' full library o' e'en th' most demandin' PC titles. PC has th' most exclusives fer a reason, tho. Due t' th' healthy, open, an' competitive PC market, independent developers tend t' gravitate toward th' PC. Console companies be generally hostile toward independent developers an' nay nearly as many can easily make the'r game available t' console markets. Wi' things like GOG, Steam, torrent sites (Nay, really! Indie developers an' artists be havin' used TheShipmateBay fer distribution on many occasions), an' Desura, developers be havin' cargo holds o' PC gamers they can reach without spendin' a single dime. T' play ever' console exclusive, ye would be havin' t' buy both consoles anyways (aye, th' largest argument be 'console' exclusives nay 'PlayStation' or 'XBox', jus' 'console)... which puts yer price point o'er that o' a PC. Nay t' mention, consoles be what trudged in an' created th' exclusivity issue in th' first place, hopin' that ye'd reward them fer 't an' buy into the'r cancerous ecosystem. In a situation 'ere ye be havin' a choice o' many, pick th' best o' th' squadron: PC.

Here's what ye can play on PC. Here's what ye can only play on PC. Here's what ye can play on PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox, Xbox 360, an' XBox One. PC suddenly doesn't look so bad anymore!

Ye can use any controller wi' yer PC, nay jus' one single model like wi' consoles

First off, mouse an' keyboard be th' best possible input in terms o' accuracy. PCs be havin' so many possible input methods, I can't e'en count them all. Ye've got Leap Motion, controllers fer PS3, XBox 360, SNES, NES, N64, wheels, joysticks, ye name 't. Console controllers be a close #2 in gamer preference on th' PC. Some games (like Super Meat Boy) can actually be easier wi' a controller. Ye can plug a console controller starboard into yer PC an' be on yer way. Very wee configuration be needed, 't jus' kind o' works on its own after 't's plugged in. This be a lot o' fun when ye use emulators fer console titles. Isn't freedom o' choice a beautiful thin'?

Popular PC input devices fer games an' emulators.

PC be th' kin' o' legacy game an' software support

Thanks t' emulators an' th' raw power o' modern PCs, ye can run any game or application. Be seein' our guide t' emulation! Yer PC can run games from DOS, Mac OS, Commodore, NES, SNES, N64, PS1, PS2, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP, Vista, ye name 't. Emulators be also known t' offer better control configuration (includin' support fer any controller) an' graphical options that make 't look better than its original platform. Games an' applications from old-ish (1990+) PC operatin' systems will require a virtual machine or DOSBox. Old console games will require an emulator, which fer th' most part be free an' open source. Be seein' this video (6:00 - 7:40) from TekSyndicate fer a more in-depth explanation. Here's th' latest XBox 360 emulator progress an' here's th' latest PS3 emulator progress.

Ye can turn one PC into many an' multiply its value by "terminalizing" 't

Before ye e'en begin reading: this be a diagram o' what 't looks like. Thar be software solutions ou' thar that can essentially add a terminal t' yer PC an' allow a second user t' play games or browse in parallel t' whatereyou're doin' without e'en interruptin' each other. All ye need be a second keyboard, mouse, an' display. Ye can turn yer single PC into up t' 6. SoftXPand be th' only software I know o' that can do this on Windows, however. Fer Linux, ye be havin' multiseat.

Six simultaneous sessions runnin' off a single mid-range desktop PC.

Wi' a capture card, ye can pull video output from another PC or console into a display or window on yer main PC

PCs be capable o' a lot, an' they can save ye a lot o' treasure. One such popular method among PC gamers t' access the'r console without buyin' a dedicated display be t' jus' send the'r video into th' PC an' display 't on one o' the'r monitors. 't saves power, treasure, an' space.

A PC can be used t' donate spare computational power toward th' betterment o' mankind... or yer wallet

Seti@Homeport, Folding@Homeport, World Community Grid, an' many others, be all a wee o' th' many options ye be havin' available as a PC owner. All ye do be install the'r clients, hit "Start" an' relax. Whenereyour PC isn't in use, 't uses yer otherwise idle CPU t' perform wee workloads an' submit aft t' the'r larger projects. Ye can help cure cancer, find extraterrestrial life, assist in drug research, an' many other things. Check ou' our foldin' team wiki page! This same compute power can be put toward Bitcoin/Litecoin/Dogecoin mining as well, earnin' thousands per voyage in some cases.

PC gamin' be strong an' growin', an' 't's nay goin' anywhere fer th' foreseeable future

Fer them o' ye that worry about th' possibility o' jumpin' onto a dyin' horse, worry nay more. Th' PC be profitable, stable an' e'en growin' (in some sectors) in market share ever' voyage. Nay only be 't growin' worldwide, but th' only areas 't has port t' win a majority gamin' marketshare in be Canada, th' US, an' Mexico. So, if ye want t' go wi' what's th' healthiest fer ye an' th' industry... go PC. Th' misinformation about PC "dying" be typically spewed by angry swabbies that want t' sprog others into th' ecosystem that they decided be best (probably jus' on accoun' o' they be already trapped in 't). Developers (th' swabbies who make th' games that drove ye t' choose a platform in th' first place) also prefer PC, on accoun' o' they don't lose half o' the'r profits t' manufacturin' an' exorbitant fees. Lastly an' most importantly, gamers be switchin' aft. Ultimately on accoun' o' th' PC be cheaper, more open, customizable, easier t' fix, an' capable o' so much more.

Consoles be nay longer th' industry innovation leaders

Aft when th' SNES/N64/PSX came ou', 't be a different time. Now, 't may seem that consoles be t' thank fer graphical fidelity makin' leaps ever' eight voyages, but they're nay. Th' reason gamin' takes a leap fore ever' time a new generation o' consoles come ou' be on accoun' o' they're what be holdin' 't aft in th' first place. Think about 't: 70% o' th' target audience o' any gi'en game will be havin' t' be playable on continuously agin' console hardware. That means that th' developers be havin' t' make sure that the'r game will run on spake machines, wi' or without th' features they desire. Many o' the'r ideas an' features they could be havin' implemented be thrown ou' th' window on accoun' o' th' hardware simply can't handle 't. As a result, th' developers be forced t' sell a stripped-down product. O' course, PC users will most often get a better product if th' same title lands in the'r hands, but 't's nereexactly what th' developer originally expected. In some rare cases, th' PC port be terrible... but only on accoun' o' th' developers be unable t' allocate as much time an' treasure t' th' PC branch o' th' project. Thar's a line they be havin' t' draw somewhere in between th' capabilities o' th' console an' th' capabilities o' th' PC. A fine example o' this would be Crysis, a game which launched on consoles four voyages after 't be released on PC. Thar ben occasional instances 'ere th' developer will rebuild th' game (graphically) from scratch t' make sure that th' PC version fulfills the'r vision, but e'en that be rare. So... th' less swabbies that be purchasin' consoles, th' less o' a stranglehold Microsoft an' Sony will be havin' on th' industry. Th' more swabbies that be on PC, th' more wiggle room th' developers be havin' t' make the'r game th' best 't can be. If ye enjoy seein' games get better, go wi' a PC.

Hardware companies an' game companies make more treasure from PCs than they do consoles

Aye, 't's true. E'en at full price on a console, developers make more treasure from 't bein' sold on Steam fer 75% off. Why? On accoun' o' developin' fer PC has nay per-sale royalty fees, nay development kit fees, nay submission fees, an' nay cost o' physically manufacturing/shipping/stockin' the'r finished products. Yer treasure goes straight t' th' developer's pocket, an' th' game directly onto yer PC. Hardware makers earn much healthier margins on PC as well, since they aren't relyin' on eventual-profit-by-volume under some tremendously long-term supply contract fer Microsoft or Sony. If ye care about savin' treasure fer yersef, go wi' th' PC. If ye care about fundin' developers an' keepin' yer favorite games flowin', go wi' th' PC. If ye care about th' hardware companies like AMD an' nVidia that make modern gamin' possible, go wi' th' PC. Once again, consoles exist only t' suck treasure ou' o' developers, hardware companies, an' gamers. 't's plain as tide: Sony an' Microsoft don't care about anythin' but treasure. If they really cared about improvin' th' state o' gamin', why be they suckin' ever' possible entity dry at ever' possible stage o' th' process? Literally, fer th' love o' gaming, go wi' a PC.

Used game sales be more destructive t' th' industry than sweet trade an' sales

Accordin' t' Lionhead studios, this be true. At least fer them, anyways. 't makes sense that this would affect all console developers equally, tho. This won't be an issue much longer, however, on accoun' o' th' console industry be beginnin' t' restrict used game sales t' th' point 'ere yer physical game be more like a receipt than an actual game.

This isn't an attempt at silencin' th' sweet trade problem as a whole, on accoun' o' sweet trade be a problem... but: 't's nay jus' PC. All platforms suffer from 't, e'en mobile! 't's jus' important t' reckon, if ye're goin' t' try an' attack sweet trade in th' name o' th' developer, ye ortin' ta reckon t' attack used game sales jus' as much (if th' real motive be t' help developers, which in most cases 't's really jus' an attempt t' justify an attack on th' PC platform).

Sweet trade be actually more o' a problem on consoles than 'tis on th' PC

Thar's a lot o' undeserved misinformation flyin' around, usually soundin' somethin' like, "PC gamers be a bunch o' shipmates"/"PC isn't gettin' this game on accoun' o' they're all shipmates"/"Developers did this or that on accoun' o' they're punishin' them fer bein' shipmates". In reality, as concluded by Intel's research, th' majority o' sweet trade ye be seein' today takes place on consoles! Th' massive drop in sweet trade can likely be credited t' easy, cheap, an' e'en free distribution methods an' services such as Good Old Games an' Steam. Judgin' by Intel's research, 't looks like th' only swabbies who really claim sweet trade be a massive problem on PC be th' ones who be known fer terrible DRM or hate 't purely ou' o' jealousy toward Valve (EA, Ubisoft).

Most o' th' screenshots an' gameplay ye be seein' on "next-gen" advertisements be actually from a PC

Be seein' th' image below? That's Microsoft XBox team they's self at a popular game convention usin' PCs t' demonstrate how "good" th' XBox One looks! If th' XBox team they's self be incapable o' convincin' ye that PC be superior, nothin' will. Seein' as all console games be developed on PCs an' then skimmed down fer consoles, 't's only natural that they use footage from th' best-lookin' system t' try an' sell the'r product. Sony an' Microsoft both know that th' truth be far from pretty, so they source the'r media from a high-end PC rather than a console. They think ye'll forget by th' time ye buy the'r system anyhow. They don't care about 't actually lookin' good, they jus' expect ye t' forget by th' time ye pay them upwards o' $500 fer everythin'. Th' question be, will ye let them?

Ye don't b'lieve 't? Jus' ask th' XBox team what platform be best. (They do this regularly) (Sony's nay innocent)

Console gamers be nay th' common enemy. Console gamin' be.

Sony an' Microsoft give ye an inferior system, charge ye treasure fer 't, an' make ye hold on t' th' pieces o' junk fer 8 voyages before they give ye th' option o' (measly) upgrades. By sellin' ye these systems, they lock ye into the'r overpriced ecosystem, helpin' them further th' cycle wi' the'r ill-acquired treasure. When ye take into account th' business strategy o' these companies, ye'll find that 't's all jus' one big greedy systematic ripoff o' uneducated consumers. They're holdin' yer favorite games hostage on the'r closed platforms on accoun' o' they's know ye'll buy into 't. If sea dogs an' land lubbers sailed' wi' a PC an' disregarded this disgustin' behavior, these developers wouldn't be so easily convinced t' support these "next-gen" consoles.. So, do yersef an' th' industry a favor an' go wi' a PC. PC exists on accoun' o' 't's an excellent platform an' fer nay other reason than that. Nobody's advertisin' 't. Nobody's cuttin' deals wi' Frito Lay t' get 't stamped on Doroto bags. Nobody's runnin' a 'PC booth' at gamin' festivals. PC exists an' thrives simply on accoun' o' 'tis freakin' glorious. XBox an' PlayStation consoles exist on accoun' o' the'r parent corporations hijack developers (an' games) that swabbies love an' cancel ports t' competin' platforms (other consoles as well as PC), an' force fans o' these games t' pay a 'hardware ransom' t' play 't. Th' PC be open, cheap, customizable, an' powerful. Yer best interests be always at hand, nay matter how arrogant some PC gamers may seem when they speak negatively o' th' "anti-gamer" consoles. Fer ere that's offended, I be truly sorry... but if ye're goin' t' get offended o'er this guide then ye probably had nay intention o' givin' PC a chance in th' first place. Jus' reckon: PC gamin' be superior t' console gamin', but th' gamers they's self be neither superior or inferior t' one another: they're jus' swabbies wi' varyin' degrees o' understandin'. Swashbuckle th' misinformation, swashbuckle th' false advertisin', an' swashbuckle th' anti-gamin' console monopoly. Long live freedom, long live affordable an' beautiful gamin', an' long live th' Glorious PC Gamin' Master Race!

An' thus, th' body o' th' guide be concluded!

Notable Links

Console gamin' be dead, everythin' that's good in 2014 be happenin' on th' PC

How t' get into PC gamin' Imgur album, tops imgur in mere hours at 10,000+ points

PC Gamin' an' why 't makes sense fer ye, tops imgur in hours again, also at nearly 10,000 points

Intel exec: Thar be o'er 700 Cargo holds o' PC gamers in th' world now now (an' growing

Be PC gamin' really dead? Steam jus' hit 100 cargo holds o' users.

Th' desktop be still th' most satisfactory platform

Why I switched t' PC

BlackBuster explains why console slaves be th' real problem

Linus explains display refresh rates, destroys low-FPS console fanatics

't's about time ye tried PC

Why do PC gamers bash console gamers?

Turn yer bilge watery desktop into a console-crushin' gamin' machine fer $149

PC gaming: Nay jus' still alive, but still growin' an' dominant, says PAX 2014 panel

As Global PC Game Revenue Surpasses Consoles, How Long Ortin' ta Console Makers Keep Fightin'?

Modded GTA IV on PC beauty shots that look like real life

Gabe Newell, founder o' Valve Software, talks about th' PC

Geek.com: Why now be th' time t' become a PC gamer (post PS4/XBO)

BlackBusterCritic attackin' fake PC gamers an' the'r claims against PC, proves them wrong LIVE

GameSpot: Can ye build a great AMD gamin' PC on a console budget?

TotalBiscuit explains why th' PC be on th' rise, a better choice than consoles, an' a better financial decision

Do we really need 60FPS as opposed t' 30? A comparison.

TotalBiscuit attacks "next-gen" 30fps/720p sympathizers an' explains why they're harmin' th' industry

Battlefield Bedtime Story

A rough video that shows how ye can put together a $100 gamin' PC

Sale time

YMCA

Further readin' at Wikipedia

List o' free PC titles

List o' all PC titles

List o' PC exclusives

List o' video game emulators (use them on yer PC fer free)

Comparison o' gamin' platforms (PC beatin' all consoles)

Author's Note

Arrrr, reader! I hope ye liked this guide, 't's taken me a long time t' build. If ye liked 't, all I ask be that ye spread th' word. 't makes me feel bad knowin' that thar be swabbies ou' thar wi' perfectly capable PCs, but they be havin' nay idee they can do half o' this stuff. 't makes me feel e'en worse knowin' that thar be swabbies ou' thar that be misled into buyin' consoles an' payin' fer online access on accoun' o' they had nay idee that a measly $100 would be havin' turned the'r 'office box' into a console crusher. Me goal be nay t' obtain treasure, karma, or anythin' else. I jus' wanted an area t' share me knowledge wi' as many swabbies as possible an' I think I've found 't here on /r/PCMasterRace. Th' greatest reward (t' me) be knowin' that someone be able t' make a better purchase on accoun' o' o' this guide. Thanks fer readin', an' if ye really liked 't or be havin' any questions, please send me a PM an' let me know! Contact me t' leave feedaft.

Sharin' th' guide wi' others

Simply print ou' /r/pcmasterrace/wiki/guide anywhere on Reddit, an' th' text will automatically link here!

Reader Response

"That be a very beautiful wiki by th' way. Good work." - Reddit Admin /u/Ocrasorm

"Ahoy thar, Jus' finished th' 'why PC' bit ye wrote on pc masterrace. Excellent, excellent read. Thank ye so much fer writin' 't. [...] One aspect I be very happy t' be havin' reclaimed be me love fer PCs an' PC gamin'. I missed 9 voyages o' 't. [...] I defended consoles somewhat wi' all th' lame arguments that ye put in yer article. [...] Now that I be havin' th' mental capacity t' submerge myself into all th' beautiful customization PC has t' offer, 't has become one o' me favorite things again. PCs solve basically ever' complaint console gamers (includin' me) had." -/u/spiralings

"I sailed' through th' entire guide ye wrote up on /r/pcmasterrace an' 't be absolutely amazin'. I've been on consoles fer voyages an' been meanin' t' try t' switch t' PC if I could but ben relatively lily livered o' th' prices. Yer amazingly well done section on costs o' various builds blew me mind wi' how simple 'tis t' switch. Sadly, I'm stuck on th' Xbox One fer th' foreseeable future but thank ye fer th' guide an' hopefully I'll able t' join th' Master Race soon." -/u/BarneyStinsbro

"I used a combination o' this sub an' Youtube. I be forerethankful, I canna go aft. 't does everythin' I need 't t' an' more. I be havin' used me build t' persuade a couple o' cousins, an' shipmates into startin' the'r own builds now." -/u/windigo105

"I printed this ou' (simplified, wi' URL) an' handed 't ou' t' th' XBox One guys at a LAN party. Th' next one (6 moons later) nay longer had any XBox One guys." -Anonymous

"Jus' wanted t' say thank ye fer makin' that very helpful page! [...] I felt really ou' o' th' loop an' didn't know 'ere t' read up but luckily I somehow ended up on yer page an' read through 't. [...] This page made me reckon that PC gamin' be th' answer fer me!" - /u/thebravelittletoker

"I be already startin' t' find ou' how much better PC's be compared t' consoles, but, yer guide has increased me pcmasterrace knowledge by ten-fold. I intend t' share this wi' all me console shipmates, e'en if they already use a PC. This guide be very impressive. Thank ye." -/u/Catabung

"I had a hard time gettin' me heartys t' switch o'er an' play on PC wi' me. One o' them had already pre-ordered a PS4 an' th' rest be listin' toward XBoxes. Through another comment chain on reddit I stumbled across a link here (nay entirely sure what th' host subredd'tis) an' spent an entire night readin' through 't. I be very happy wi' all th' sources an' links, an' so be me three shipmates (when I showed them th' guide th' next night). One cancelled PS4 pre-order an' a couple o' Steam sales later, we now be havin' semi-popularity in th' Streamin' world thanks t' our assortment o' PCs. I hope th' link t' this neredisappears!" -/u/masXXi

"Ahoy, jus' wanted t' say great work on th' guide. I've been dabblin' between gettin' a next-gen console or a good gamin' PC, but ye've made up me mind fer sure." -/u/harryisonfire

"This guide has honestly convinced me t' build a Gamin' PC, rather than t' buy PS4/XB1. 't's probably old here, but damn. Can't really think o' any differin' points t' what be mentioned in this site." -Cocopups0

"Bought a PS4. Got sea sick o' 30fps/low resolution. Also 't cost so horkin' much. Th' wiki be helpful in makin' me be seein' how much better PC be." -/u/Informalmoose3

"Great read, very well thought ou' an' easy t' follow!" - /u/_edge_case

"I've been a console an' PC gamer fer me entire life, but nerereally accepted th' argument that PCs be significantly better than consoles until I read yer detailed an' fantastic explanation on th' PC Master Race sub." - /u/chaltak

"Yer guide has shown me th' light. Although th' last generation be bad, this current generation o' consoles truly sucks. I be thinkin' o' gettin' a Wii U next moon, an' PS4 after that. Instead, I'm goin' t' take that treasure an' upgrade me PC." -/u/Bleachi

"I'd like t' commend ye fer creatin' such a detailed explanation. All th' arguments I could ereneed [...] be all in this guide. Thank ye so much. Ye're doin' GabeN's work, lad. Don't avast." -/u/exploitativity

"Be havin' t' say thanks t' this reddit fer helpin' me transition from console t' PC. While I do own a console (PS4), I think that PC will ALWAYS be better on accoun' o' o' everythin' this wiki mentioned." -/u/Illage2

"This be th' best guide I've seen, as 'tis very detailed an' complete." - /u/x_x_x_x_x

Other quotes

"Console gamin' be like re-buyin' a chunk o' th' PC ye already be havin' so ye can access th' games that be taken away from 't in th' first place." -Anonymous

"Th' designin' o' a console starts wi' a PC an' subtracts from thar." -Anonymous

"Th' problem wi' modern console manufacturers an' game developers be this: Rather than seein' th' finish line o' how great, smooth, an' detailed gamin' can be, they instead take that finish line a wee miles aft an' stick 't 'ere they're standin', greatly insultin' th' hard work o' all th' hardware software companies that achieved goals o' greatness before them. Th' saddest part be that some swabbies actually fall fer th' marketin' lies an' crocodile tears cheer fer them instead o' th' deservin' victors o' th' race: th' PC crowd." -Anonymous

"Goin' from a next-gen t' PC be an e'en bigger improvement than goin' from last-gen t' next-gen." -Anonymous

"Why be 't that a single hyped game plastered all o'er Mountain Dew cans be enough t' sway someone from one system t' another when 100+ unadvertised ones wi' numerically higher MetaCritic scores don't do a thin'?" -Anonymous

Other language translations