What year did you realize PC gaming was superior to consoles?

2000s

PC will be better when I can play PC games with my friends when they call over. I do use it for single player nowadays though.

You brought back memories.

I started playing on PC, Starcraft, Warcraft, AoE, SimCity, etc, then it became too expensive. Returned in 2010/11 and I'm not going back.

When I was playing Simcity 4 and discovered the joys of modding.

And since when have Manticore's not been allowed on this forum? Sorry I choose not to be a living, breathing advertisement like so many of you on here choose to do and I think it's hysterical to watch you people argue which console has marginally better graphics and how you deny yourselves great gaming experiences because of childish fanboyism.

So you're basically trolling.

Until the PS3/360 generation, when consoles become more PC-like, I found console gaming to be superior. I had more fun with NES, SNES, Genesis, PS1, PS2, N64 than any PC gaming. Console gaming in those days was so much more social than PC gaming. Only uber-nerds had LAN setups back then. Plus I've never really gotten into Shooters, so much of PC's 90s library wasn't of much interest to me.

Back in college, getting hammered/stoned and playing marathon sessions of NHL 94, Mario Cart 64, Madden, FIFA, or Goldeneye in the dorms with a bunch of buddies remain some of the most fun I've ever had.

I love that I can kick back on my couch with the laptop and play Civilization while the wife and I binge watch Netflix, but PC gaming is pretty damned solitary...but that's probably just fine with most of you social degenerates.

Because telling people that they should enjoy games on all platforms and to look at themselves and realize how foolish fanboyism is trolling... But I guess this is System Wars and being a reasonable human being is considered trolling here... Also neglected to answer my question whether or not Manticore's are no longer allowed on this forum.

just this year :D

Original? It was released on PC (MS DOS) first then ported to Sega Saturn and Playstation.

Outside of superior BC, mod support and higher resolution/fps everything you said has a positive effect and a negative one

My GTX 970 was $332, that's literally the price of a whole console, hell you can get a Xbone and the MC collection for $349. Cheaper games? again that's depending on the game and if it's on sale, got to love paying $59 for a digital copy of a game

I used to be mainly PC back in high school and a couple of years after that... but then I went back to console. Sure PC is superior in a lot of ways, but consoles have their advantages. I like being able to come home after work and just lay on my bed and play Xbone.

@Ballroompirate said:

@Wasdie said:

@Ballroompirate: Yeah I guess having a superior range of hardware, cheaper game prices, more accessible game distribution, custom content, native backwards compatibility, and the largest variety of games of any platform is still somehow not better.

I've always been a PC gamer knowing that the PC had the best variety of games and most fulfilling game experiences. I never played a game on the consoles that came close to stuff I was playing on the PC. Sadly I couldn't get a proper PC until 2007. Before that I had to deal with hand-me-downs and a laptop.

Outside of superior BC, mod support and higher resolution/fps everything you said has a positive effect and a negative one

My GTX 970 was $332, that's literally the price of a whole console, hell you can get a Xbone and the MC collection for $349. Cheaper games? again that's depending on the game and if it's on sale, got to love paying $59 for a digital copy of a game

I think of PC gaming vs Console gaming kind of like cars. PS4 and XB1 are like everyday cars. They get the job done and will get you from point a to point b where a Gaming PC is like a sports car. It's faster and better looking. It all comes down to you get what you pay for.

Around 2006 - 2007. My first graphics cards I bought was the 8800GT.

The point of the forum is to discuss the merits of each system against each other.

You can't then enter it and insult them for doing exactly that. If this was general gaming of off-topic you'd have a point. The forum is specifically designed for it. And not everyone can afford all systems btw, probably most can't especially with the economy these days (dwindling middle class).

2011, for the comparatively superior console ports. I really didn't and still don't care for the exclusives that much.

I don't own all the systems. In fact all I have/want is my gaming rig... Perhaps a Wii U in the near future. I do see your point though. And each system does have it's merits, I just think when the personal insults go flying in here because "I love system A and you love system B" is a bit ridiculous. But then again I guess that's what I get being a 30 year old still talking about/loving video games. You unfortunately have to deal with the younger, less mature crowd a lot of the time.

That was a pretty mighty card for the price back in the day. (I also had a 9800 gt around then and as many well know the 8800gt and 9800gt were the same card) My first video card was way back in 2004 and was a Radeon 9500. Good times. I guess that's what got me into PC gaming, I used to love going to PC bars and playing CS with my HS buddies but as soon as I saw Half Life 2 I needed to get a computer capable of playing it.

I guess 80's. I had my choice of either Amiga Falcon or MS-DOS Falcon. I considered the Amiga as a PC. We used to snicker at PC CGA.

My hobby is better than your hobby.

Superior, as in hardware?

I didn't know how superior it was until I got my hands on my first console (sega mega drive 92/93) an older game I used to play on the PC looked much better than the games I had on the mega drive... The first game that I actually made me drop my jaws in amazement was when I played Tom and Jerry's Yankee Doodle's Cat-Astrophe. Don't know if anyone else remembers this game lol. I spent countless hours playing it.

It really really hit me when I played Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind on the PC compared to an Xbox that PC gaming was on a whole different level. World of Warcraft the confirmed for that console gaming will never even come close to PC gaming.

Built my first PC in 06'ísh I think. I wanted to try out some proper PC gaming with a serious PC.

Always been a PC gamer just wasn't that much into it until 2010.

When I bought Doom 2. Those were the days.

i remember receiving my first pc and my dad taking like half day just to install doom 1 and 2, heretic, hexen, shadow warrior and duke nukem 3d, needless to say, my mind was blown that day playing on pc for the first time.

The year of never ever

And the truth will set us free.

Still better than any console fps.

ha ha nice one big

I actually started gaming on PC way back when i was a kid playing games like Red Alert, Counter Strike, Call of Duty 2 and some other strategy games but as soon as i got a PlayStation 1 i was introduced to the world of consoles and never looked back! Consoles will always be>>>> than PC (imo)

@Ballroompirate said:

@Wasdie said:

@Ballroompirate: Yeah I guess having a superior range of hardware, cheaper game prices, more accessible game distribution, custom content, native backwards compatibility, and the largest variety of games of any platform is still somehow not better.

I've always been a PC gamer knowing that the PC had the best variety of games and most fulfilling game experiences. I never played a game on the consoles that came close to stuff I was playing on the PC. Sadly I couldn't get a proper PC until 2007. Before that I had to deal with hand-me-downs and a laptop.

Outside of superior BC, mod support and higher resolution/fps everything you said has a positive effect and a negative one

My GTX 970 was $332, that's literally the price of a whole console, hell you can get a Xbone and the MC collection for $349. Cheaper games? again that's depending on the game and if it's on sale, got to love paying $59 for a digital copy of a game

GMG nearly always has a code for 20% off their games, so if you don't shop around, sure the game costs $60.

@uninspiredcup:

I had to have RAM installed for the first time and my soundcard didn't even work, but I played through it regardless and loved it. But Doom 64 was the better Doom in the end.

PCs being more powerful than consoles? Around 2000. PCs offering more versatile experience? Circa 2002.

Grew up on PCs, never owned consoles, except inheriting my father's NES. Got a gamecube later in my childhood because it seemed exotic compared to the PC world I knew, and all my friends had a console. Was good fun, but PC was just a different league and couldn't compare. I could mod my games, play old ones without changing systems, games were usually cheaper....now the benefits are getting stronger every year

Was brought up on NES and SEGA, eventually got a PlayStation, and then in the summer of 1999 I was exposed to Counter-Strike and the culture surrounding it at the time.

I knew they had better graphics before that tho, I remember going to netcafés with some friends to play Action Quake 2, and I was really impressed with the graphics.

I've never been a huge PC gamer always been more of a console person my self and still am. I would say my Console to PC gaming ratio is about 5 hours of console gaming to 1 hour of PC gaming. And when I am playing on my PC it is to just play Civ V.

I knew I was onto something back in 2012 when I built my first rig and started accumulating a nice list of Steam games...

I knew I would never look back once I started descending through the clouds of Columbia in the opening scenes of Bioshock Infinite. It was awe-inspiring.

I don't understand how anyone can say PCs don't offer the better experience. I just (finally) hooked up my PC to my TV tonight. Booted up Arkham City and am using an Xbone controller, and not only can I say it's better, it's objectively so. If you have a rig capable, you get higher resolutions, better frame rates (this really adds to playability more than you'd think), more detailed textures and geometry, anti-aliasing, Physx for cloth/hair/fur simulation, further draw distances, particle effects, and far reduced loading times along with customization and mods. On the con side, you have to deal with unpredictability, tweaking, and crashes. Consoles have convenience and stability to their name, no argument there.

But all things being equal, once the same game is running side by side on both platforms, it's asinine to claim PC is not an objectively superior experience in many more ways than one. I'm no Hermit, nor do I look down on consoles or those that enjoy them. I enjoy them as well for exclusives. But PC is the way the go for the best gaming money can buy, and it can be hard to go back to the console version after having played it on a capable rig prior. Preference is subjective, but technical quality certainly is not.

I haven't

2000s

Today I'd have to agree. When I do buy a ps4 game I have to plan ahead. I don't play games as much as I used to so when I buy I do so because it is then that i'd like to play the game. It seems minor but those lengthy installs/updates are somewhat aggravating.

The only exception imo is the standardized playing field. I like that everyone is on the same hardware with the same controller with the same configuration. Some might disagree but with pc there are tons of tools that assist pc users in the ways of varying control methods all the way to manipulating game visuals to gain a benefit. The other area I still think consoles do better is local multiplayer. I've always had some kind of issue pop up with multiple controllers on pc.

Really this current gen.. I have been predominately a pc gamer over a decade, but I at least had some interest in owning one of the consoles of that gen.. Now? No way.. Not only are the current gen consoles even more strict and closed systems with less features compared to last gen, but many of the once console exclusives are now being developed on or ported over to the pc.. For me it's fighting genre, you use to have to get one of the consoles to enjoy all the big fighting games out there.. Now we are seeing studios like Capcom, Nether Realm, etc etc devoting significant resources in releasing their fighters onto the pc..

I seriously think consoles are going to be in trouble these upcoming years if steam machines will take off and become more affordable.. Because you will not only have the accessibility of the console platform but will have the open platform of the pc.. Meaning you can play the games you have owned for over a decade with out having to repay the company or other such bullshit.. The console is losing its advantages it once had.. I hope this happens because it will force Microsoft and Sony to losen up their platforms..

I started with Nintendo games back in 1990's. Later, our family got some PC games. I liked both. NES still had my favourite games, though. Right now, there are more Nintendo games than PC games I want to play. So I guess Wii-U / 3DS is superior right now, gaming wise.

PC will always be superior in the graphics department, of course. But I don't play graphics.

I think I've been "PC and Nintendo is the best place to be" for ages now, rather than just "PC is the best place".

1994, the year i've officially stopped being jelly of my console-owning friends.

Xcom, Doom 2, Master of Orion, Warcraft, Wing Commander 3, One Must Fall 2097, Descent.

Too much mindblowing stuff to handle.

Probably because people compare the whole experience, not just how the games run. The unpredictability, tweaking and issues can be interesting for a while, but it eventually gets old and it's just a hassle. Consoles also have the benefit of a single contact when hardware misbehaves. If a piece of the console goes bad, there's one number to call, one company to deal with. When a part of a PC goes bad, it's up to you to figure out which part and what company to contact or what part to replace. For some, these hassles aren't worth the possibility of the better visuals or faster frame rates.

The 90s, until I was tired of the tinkering needed to keep up. Quake 3 arena was about the time I quit pc gaming basically. Played a few here and there but never got back into it. Even though games have better graphics and are mainstream now they've degraded a lot. The golden age of gaming has come and gone and it's just a big mess now