Although some gamers may have a different opinion, when all is said and done, Windows PCs are still better gaming platforms, both for old and new video games, than consoles.
You can agree or disagree with this statement, but in the rest of the article, we’ll go through the six reasons why gaming on a Windows computer is a better solution than all consoles, especially the latest ones.
# 1 Games on a PC Can Be Modified/Finished with Different Mods, While on Consoles They Can’t
One of the reasons why gaming is better on computers, especially when we talk about computers with the Windows operating system, is mods. While some will say that mods aren’t essential to any game, which is somewhat true, what’s also true is that mods add to the quality of the game. Take Resident Evil 2 Remake for example.
Because of its filters that you can’t turn on in the options regularly, the game looks weird and worn out without mods. The picture is pale and everything somehow looks unnatural. You can correct this by installing a mod, which you can only install on the Windows version of the game. If you’re playing the game on a console, you’ll have to make peace with what you’ve got.
But thanks to the creativity of different developers, there’s a huge number of mods, which differ: from cosmetic ones, which are used to add new clothes for characters or new weapons, to mods that can improve or simply change the way the game looks.
Resident Evil 2 with and without Reshade mod are like two different games. The game with the mod on is much better in contrast, colors, light, and shadows compared to the standard version of the game. With the Reshade mod enabled, the quality of the game display is much higher.
If this is the case with Resident Evil, you can imagine how mods have shaped some of the more famous titles. Let’s take Counter-Strike for example. The most renowned shooter in video game history has celebrated the 25th anniversary of the introduction of a Half-Life mod this June. This mod has completely transformed competitive first-person shooter games by fostering communities, making memories, establishing the greatest eSport ever, and pressuring online bookmakers to offer a wide range of eSport markets; as a result, those featured at https://bookmaker-expert.com/bookmakers/esport-betting/cs2/ have grown to become known as the most reliable in the industry.
Forums are filled with players’ shared experiences of playing Half-Life mode on consoles, and then on PCs, saying that they had a terrible time getting into e.g., the Orange Box for Xbox 360, when played it, thinking it was grossly overrated and bad. Then, when they moved on to play it on PC, they could really understand why so many people found this mod and the CS game to be incredible.
# 2 Backwards Compatibility Makes the Windows Platform Far Ahead of Any Modern Console
If you want to play not only new titles but also old ones, the Windows platform, that is, Windows computers, is better for that.
Let’s say you want to play an old game from 2002. You’ll hardly be able to play these games on new platforms, especially not on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X or S, but you’ll be able to play them without problems on a Windows computer.
It’s an undoubted fact that the Windows platform is far ahead of the consoles, especially the newer ones, as far as backwards compatibility is concerned. Any game you want to play, whether it’s a PS3, PS2, or PS One, or perhaps a Nintendo, Super Nintendo, or Sega Genesis game, you can play on your computer. You just need to download the appropriate emulator, and if you own the game, that’s it.
If you want to play PlayStation 3 games, you’ll need a more powerful computer, since the emulator for that console is quite demanding, but all in all, you can play hundreds of titles on an average Windows computer today. Try playing a game from the PS One console on PlayStation 5? Even if you can, you’ll have to pay extra for it.
Not to mention that the list of those games from PlayStation One that you can play on PS5 is very limited. On the other hand, if you own a PS One game and want to play it on your PC, you’ll just need to download one of the available emulators and configure it a bit. To make matters better, those games you play through emulators will always look much better than their originals, which you played once upon a time on the original consoles.
# 3 You Can Find, at a Much Lower Price, Tons of Games for Windows PC That You’d Buy for Consoles
Games have always been expensive. Even in the days of old consoles, such as Nintendo and Super Nintendo, games used to cost US$50 or more each. Today, games are even more expensive, and this is something that’s especially felt by console players.
But if you want to buy a game and if you want to save a lot, you’ll be able to do it much easier if you buy a game for Windows PC. Thanks to sites such as Kinguin, G2A, or GOG, you can find a huge number of new and old titles at very affordable prices. Don’t buy games on Steam, although there may be different discounts there as well.
If you want to save money and play games on a Windows computer, visit one of the many sites where you can buy the game, often at much more affordable prices. Although console owners also get different discounts, which are often seasonal, the situation is incommensurable with what PC owners have at their disposal.
# 4 The Current Console Exclusives Just Don’t Have That “Secret Ingredient”
This is very subjective, and we’re sure many will disagree with this. Especially the gaming population that’s between the ages of 14 and 20 will disagree, but if, for example, we look at the exclusive titles sold by PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, the latest exclusives simply don’t have that “secret ingredient”, to put it that way, that would make an older and more experienced player buy a new console.
Not to mention the situation back in 2000, when the PS2 appeared on the market: it was drastically different from the one we have today. Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty (later released for the Windows platform, as Substance), Silent Hill 2 (later released on Windows and Xbox platforms as Silent Hill 2: Director’s Cut and Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams, together with additional DLC materials, while the standard Silent Hill 2 was released only for PlayStation 2), ISS Pro Evolution Soccer 3, Ratchet & Clank, Jak and Daxter, Devil May Cry, Ico, Final Fantasy X, and Shadow of the Colossus are just some of the exclusives that were released for PS2 and which attracted a huge number of players.
How does it compare to the PS5 and Xbox Series X today? The answer is easy.
# 5 Larger Selection of Controllers
While some will choose an Xbox One or PS4 controller, many gamers like to have the options in front of them. With consoles, you’re limited to 1-2 controllers that you can use with that console. Windows computers have more than ten controllers to choose from.
And if you want, you can also use controllers for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5, as well as many clones, which actually do the same job, but cost less.
# 6 Indie Games Are Another Reason Why Playing Games on Windows Computers Is Preferred
Another reason why we prefer to play games on Windows computers and why we prefer Windows to consoles is indie games. Today, if you have an idea and know how to develop a little, it’s quite easy to make a game. At least it’s easier than it was 15 or more years ago. If you’re creative and know how to program, you can design great games. You don’t need a big team of people for that.
Some games, which sell quite well, and fall under the indie group of games, were designed by individuals. If, say, you like horror games, you have certainly played some indie games, which are of very high quality and can be recommended: Tormented Souls, Alisa, Conscript, Crow Country, Outlast…
Final Word
Overall, we feel that a PC is still a significantly better platform for gaming than a console. But that’s just our opinion. And this doesn’t mean that consoles don’t have some of their pluses. However, we’ll talk about that on some other occasion.
