Everyone and their mothers predicted the death of PC gaming the moment windows 95 was out to the public followed by the PS1 and Nintendo 64. Then came the PS2 era and everyone claimed that PC gaming is done. Fast forward five years later and Xbox 360 and PS3 were available to purchase. This time PC gaming had what’s coming for it for sure. Strangely enough, it’s 2016 as well as the second year for Xbox One and PS4 and yet PC gaming is still here, stronger than ever. What’s going on folks?

Reason #1

It is no longer a niche platform! When you thought of PC gaming in the 90s, first person shooters, real time strategy and online RPGs were the first things that came up. Not anymore. PC gaming today host all kind of different styles and games. From Mortal Kombat X to Resident Evil saga. The gap between PC gaming and consoles in terms of an available type of games is now closed. No longer is the PC a master of a few type of games. You can find anything made in recent days on  the PC which brings us to reason number 2.

Reason #2

Less reasons to own a console. Owning a console back in the PS1 era was a must. Where else would you have found gems like Crash, Grand Turismo and Castlevania Symphony of the Night? Sure, many games got ported to PC such as croc and final fantasy as well as Mortal Kombat Trilogy but the majority of home versions such as Xmen vs Street Fighter were only available on consoles. New days, everything comes to PC as more and more developers started coming out realizing you can make a profit selling games on PC and even start developing on it when you’re new.

Not to mention you can use any kind of controller o the PC as well as the mouse and keyboard. I personally prefer to use the Xbox 360 pad but you can use PS4 one if you like. The choice is unlimited. So what was the reason to own a console again? The exclusives you say? Well, I hate to break it to you but console exclusives are dying faster than college girls morality. Sorry, but as a consoles owner myself, I hardly touch them due to no real exclusive games to play apart from a very selected few which are great games, just not many.

Reason #3

PC versions are mostly better. If you still don’t know why PC versions are better then you need to come out of the rock your living under and do some research. PC version gives you control on how your game looks and feel. Want the sharpest, best image setting possible? No problem. I used to care about graphics setting everything on high and ultra until I got to play a game in the glorious 60 frames per second. Now I tend to set my settings on med-high as long as the frames are above 50. It’s just better.

Moving on to another important factor which is the price, you can get good deals online almost daily. I managed to get Batman Arkham Origins for about $20 day one. Beat that. Plus Steam sales as well as Origins and GOG.com are hard to ignore. Plus you get to play old retro games on your current PC with the little help of tweaks and add-ons as well as an awesome community. Playing your favorite game which you got cheap on the highest smoothest settings using your favorite controller, whats not to like?

And let’s not forget about the modding community. Google Fake Factory Half-Life 2 mod and prepare to be convinced. Adding free stuff to a game you already own for free is something console developers hate because they get to release the same stuff as a paid product. Paying for gun skins? Aint nobody got time for that!

Image Credit: http://xmastergeorgechiefx.deviantart.com/art/Ada-Wong-Extra-Costume-for-Remaster-HD-510645663

Reason #4

Many options. Want your games digital with fast delivery and best prices? Go with Steam. Want DRM free version? Go with GOG.com. Want physical copies? No problem. Changing the hardware is also cheaper than you might think. My brother got a used GTX 650 and is playing everything on high with no problem. My GTX 750 is rocking, even more, frame rates and that’s dirt cheap. All you need is a cheap graphics card and some ram. Almost any PC can run PC games provided you set the right settings. Stuck on something? Google or Youtube it and your done.

. . . . .

Yes, consoles are still popular and are not going away anytime soon. The exclusive games are mostly worth it and if all your friends game on consoles then its the only way to go. Gone are the days though when you can just put the cd in and start the game. The new era of consoles brought new problems like hard disk space and long updates and installations making it no different than your average PC game.

Yes, console gaming is still relevant and the only way to go for many gamers but if you’re serious about your hobby or want to save money in a long run then, at least, consider PC gaming. Trust me, there are hundreds of amazing games you never heard of due to lack of advertising and most of your favorite console franchise started out on PC like Call of duty.