Drawbacks to PC Gaming

[Evastio]

So besides the big amount of money needed to constantly upgrade your computer for gaming, what other drawbacks are there to PC Gaming?

Keep in mind I'm not very familiar with PC Gaming, which is why I'm asking.

[Pike]

Installation time and possible related issues, poor ports (we seem to wind up with poor console -> PC ports more often than the other way around). Some people think PC games are less plug and play than console games are, which is a fair assessment, though personally I feel it's a matter of taste.

Some people also feel that console games are "comfier" because you're more likely to play them on a couch; me, I use the same chair for both console and PC gaming so it makes no difference to me.

I can't think of too many other major drawbacks. Also I feel like I am not "constantly upgrading my computer", personally - once every five years maybe

[Roogle]

The biggest issue that I can think of when it comes to the drawbacks of PC gaming has to do with the cost associated with it.

I had a poor computer for several years and I recently replaced it with a computer that has near top specifications for this generation. All in all, it probably cost about $1500 in parts to put together with several hundred additional dollars going into peripheral devices like monitors and so on.

The initial cost associated with it is much higher than buying an Xbox 360 or something like that.

[Freya]

Besides things like patching for MMO's or download times for those games you get off steam or wherever, there's not too much draw back. Depends on the game too. Such as Battlefield 3, it's way harder to fly a plane in the PC than the console but to overcome this just have a usb controller to use when you fly!

[Pike]

The biggest issue that I can think of when it comes to the drawbacks of PC gaming has to do with the cost associated with it.

I had a poor computer for several years and I recently replaced it with a computer that has near top specifications for this generation. All in all, it probably cost about $1500 in parts to put together with several hundred additional dollars going into peripheral devices like monitors and so on.

The initial cost associated with it is much higher than buying an Xbox 360 or something like that.

For me the cost is offset by the fact that I'd have a computer anyway, whether I gamed on it or not. My current setup is pretty much top-of-the-line and I built it for $900. That's only a couple hundred more than I'd drop on a decent non-gaming computer. So a gaming computer actually works out to be slightly cheaper than a regular computer + a console.

That might just be me, though. And I usually have at least one console anyway, so. xD

[Aulayna]

The initial setup cost of a PC is quite pricey but then you can do a lot more with your PC than you can with your consoles. I spent around 750 euro on mine about 3 years ago and it still has no issue running the latest games smoothly. Plus you have more control over the performance too.

When the new consoles come out there will likely be a bit of expenditure to get a better graphics card but that's about it. Honestly a decent custom built rig designed for what you need it for will last you a good 4-5 years (even longer if you can deal with not having all the settings on max on the latest games) and then the cost of upgrading bits of it on demand is no more expensive than having to buy a replacement console. PC gaming is a lot cheaper and accessible these days compared to what it was as little as 10 years ago.

[Del Murder]

The biggest drawbacks for me are threefold:

Cost - This has already been explained by others. Yes, you do get a PC that can be used for other things out of the deal but personally I don't like sitting at a PC and browsing online. I usually do that from a laptop or tablet, which aren't really great for hardcore gaming. So for me a PC would strictly be a gaming device and therefore the initial cost is more than a console.

Convenience - A lot of this stuff is minor. A console is more plug and play, but these days not really by much. There's also the aspect of the console being a 'complete' product that doesn't require you to do anything else to it, while a PC may need some maintenance, upgrading and knowledge of what's in it. I like putting the disc in my system and then playing it on my couch a minute later, which you can do on PC with some effort, but I hate effort.

Exclusives - This goes with selecting any console, you'll only have the games that are released for it. There's no Mario, Zelda, Halo, Uncharted, FF, etc. for PC. There are many PC exclusives for sure. It just depends on your gaming tastes. I've always loved the Sony and Nintendo exclusives which is why I stick with those systems.

[edczxcvbnm]

Drawbacks? The only one I can think of is really missing out on some exclusives.

My PC was middle of the road 3-4 years ago when I built it. Core i5, Radeon 5770, 1TB HDD. Under $750. This is more than a console but I was going to buy a PC anyway so the hit really isn't that bad considering I would be spending close to this anyway.

I have no problems with backwards compatibility. There is a much better thriving indie scene on PC. Steam sales! I sit on my couch and play games on my TV with my 360 controller. The mods...my god the mods!

Yeah... Exclusives is the only draw back.

[Madame Adequate]

Relatively poor selection of certain genres, for example JRPGs and platformers. This usually gets overcome by ports, though as Pike said there's a tendency for PC ports to be a bit shoddy, and can also be overcome by emulation.

PC is the only platform where people seem willing to release completely broken games. Not with some bugs or something, but flat out broken, do not do what they're supposed to.

Several large PC publishers have a massive hardon for insane DRM systems, because they seem to think that inconveniencing paying customers will encourage pirates to become paying customers.

[NeoCracker]

The games I play rarely show up on PC. That's pretty much it for drawbacks for me.

[Polnareff]

Relatively poor selection of certain genres, for example JRPGs and platformers. This usually gets overcome by ports, though as Pike said there's a tendency for PC ports to be a bit shoddy, and can also be overcome by emulation.

PC is the only platform where people seem willing to release completely broken games. Not with some bugs or something, but flat out broken, do not do what they're supposed to.

Several large PC publishers have a massive hardon for insane DRM systems, because they seem to think that inconveniencing paying customers will encourage pirates to become paying customers.

These, plus the fact that some newer games (and even some fairly recent ones that didn't just come out) require insane specs to play. Look at the Crysis games. You'll get screwed over wanting to play those unless your PC is completely and totally top-of-the-line. PC is the only gaming rig I can think of where not having good enough specs can effectively lock you out of games you may wanna play.

[Bolivar]

No big drawbacks, really, just minor headaches and even then, it's nothing that a little Googling can't fix, such as learning which ports to forward or what lines of the config file to edit.

I totally agree with the premise that I first saw Vivi post a long time ago, that if you add up what you'd pay for a PC and what you'd pay for a console, the cost of a gaming pc isn't that bad. When you factor in what you'll pay for games, it's not even close. Game prices on Steam are utterly ridiculous compared to console, and Amazon's even cheaper.

I don't think the generational transition will be all that painful this time around. Xbox One games will run off a total 5GB DDR3, and that's not bad at all to build even right now. Sure, you'll want a little more ram for everything else, but that's dirt cheap. And with architecture being so similar, I don't see why all the crazy optimization techniques console titles receive won't necessarily translate to the PC version. Compatibility will continue to be an issue, but still...

[Formalhaut]

Patches can sometimes be annoying I guess, but even then Consoles now have those 'system updates' that take forever. Pretty much everything else has been said by others.

[Slothy]

These, plus the fact that some newer games (and even some fairly recent ones that didn't just come out) require insane specs to play. Look at the Crysis games. You'll get screwed over wanting to play those unless your PC is completely and totally top-of-the-line. PC is the only gaming rig I can think of where not having good enough specs can effectively lock you out of games you may wanna play.

The Crysis games aren't really the go to standard for high spec games anymore. Sure, the original required a beast of a system to run at the maximum settings in its day, but even the recommended specs for either game are so low that a decent gaming rig from even five years ago could run them both at pretty high settings. If we expand things to today's average rig they'd run those titles no sweat.

Hell, even some of the true monsters of today like Metro or Battlefield 3 will at least run on five year old or more gaming rigs.

Game prices on Steam are utterly ridiculous compared to console, and Amazon's even cheaper.

Indeed. I've seen games brand new to a few months old go on sale at absurd rates like 50% off before. Even bigger titles like Skyrim have had insane deals really soon after release. And for older stuff? Forget about it. I just bought all of the Allen Wake stuff for $4.00 (90% off the regular price). If you want your games cheap, PC is a good platform to game on.

[Del Murder]

I guess if you buy a lot of games it makes up for it in the long run.