For decades now, PlayStation has been the home to Japanese games – particularly the countless smaller projects that come out of the country. However, in recent years, software sales have been dwindling domestically – and with the PlayStation 5 continuing to be supply constrained, one unnamed executive has insinuated that Sony’s stranglehold is steadily transitioning to PC.
The Japanese publishing source told Bloomberg that “players who used to buy PlayStation versions of its games are now gradually shifting to the PC version”. It’s unclear whether he’s referring to a local or global trend, but more and more PlayStation associated franchises like Yakuza are making the shift to multiformat environments, and are proving incredibly popular on PC, so it’s not a huge surprise.
There’s been much hand-wringing with regards to Sony’s treatment of its native Japan among PlayStation fans of late, which reached fever-pitch when the firm shuttered its legendary Japan Studio. Whether the manufacturer wants to fight for a market it once dominated, however, is up for debate – after all, the platform holder is even porting its own first-party games to PC these days.
[source bloomberg.com]
Comments 115
Transitioning to PC? Not this Playstation gamer, that’s for sure!
Sony blew it when they killed the Vita but they really messed up when they shut down Japan Studio. To think of all the unique games & ideas and some of the iconic titles like 'Everybody's Golf' have gone.
And Playstation Inc. are not a Japanese company any more, they're more like a US M$ clone. Sad.
boring nonsense, as if it's easy to buy even the components for a PC that's comparable to a PS5, when you have to fork out 1500 quid for a graphics card that generally is only going to give you extra frames 🙄 the shift in software sales is just the decline of traditional consoles in some regions and the gain on pc is the just the gradual increase in 'gamers' overall, it's not a migration of console players
I mean if Sony keeps porting their games to Windows then the logical move is to transition to PC.
The start of Sony exclusives coming to PC day one is a lot closer then I think anyone could of imagined... let's hope not
I'm fortunate enough to have both, but I can see the appeal for switching. My rush to PS5 was purely for Demons Souls, now it exists to play through my PS4 backlog. With the Sony exclusives pool shrinking, you aren't missing much on PC these days.
Almost as if its pointless to own a Console except Switch since PC gets literally all the Games haha. But yeah, Playstation releasing their First Party Games on PC issnt damaging business at all, right? /s
Yakuza is absolutely a PC franchise now tbh, the fan base is so much larger now and that can only be for the better. I do think there will be a place for PlayStation though, there always will be as long as the graphics card shortage continues and people want that cheaper (relatively) entry into gaming.
https://nichegamer.com/capcom-monster-hunter-resident-evil-pc-focus/
PS or PC is fine with me.
But PS is the value solution for sure. Cheaper than a PC and you can still Rent, Buy used, trade, sell your physical games. So will always have a market
My gaming budget would explode if not for my console.
PC day one launches coming soon. No matter hard they sony fans deny it. Might as well just accepted it now and save the rage.
Yeah, as someone who works with PC machines all the time, I'm glad that I can play my games away from one and I'm not going back to PC gaming anytime soon. I think they mostly meant the PC gaming segment is growing in Japan, which I suppose is true.
PC gets almost everything. Almost all Japanese games. The best versions of PlayStation games. All Microsoft games. Some Nintendo console-exclusive games like Monster Hunter Rise. Your choice of controllers. The best deals on games. Free multiplayer and cloud saves. Literally thousands of PC exclusive games. And, with Steam Deck, the ability to play games away from the TV
Why wouldn't players who want the best possible gaming platform transition over to PC?
You framed the story as if its a Sony executive saying this when it's an unnamed executive from a top Japanese Publisher. Japan doesn't care about consoles, end of story. Even the Wii U sold horribly there. The only reason why Switch is popular is because it's handheld. It doesn't really matter though considering Europe and NA are buying games at an insane rate. As long as Japanese developers stick around I'm fine with this.
@Ralizah Exactly. PC is the place to be, these days.
@mucc that makes zero sense, you say switch only sells well because it's hand held.... okay but it's still a console, the fact it's mobile doesn't mean it doesn't exist, it's not shrodingers Japanese console
Well, obviously. Sony ban and censor Japanese games for no good reason. I’ve had to get games on Switch, or just go without (because I’m not a PC gamer), due to Sony’s insulting, arrogant, puritanical, sickening behaviour.
@Victor_Meldrew It makes perfect sense. Standard sit in place consoles don't sell in Japan anymore. Just look at how much PS consoles have dwindled in Japan each generation. Yes Switch is a console, but it's a handheld console which makes it mobile. Mobile gaming dominates Japan and has so for a number of years now.
I would say I'm a PlayStation player who is transitioning to PC.
You lay in the bed you made. Soon as they started porting their exclusives to PC, they should have knew this was coming. Hell even ive gravitated towards my PC more these days.
True for me, coming from PS4 went for PC instead of PS5.
Perhaps there are some people that are moving that way but there's definitely people moving the other way too.
It's been a few years since I've owned a PC but now I prefer to spend my time actually playing games rather than messing around with trying to make Windows and games work with the hardware. I'd only bother switching back to PC if something like the Steam Deck gets traction as that makes PC gaming as straightforward as console gaming.
It's no surprise this is happening and it's only being accelerated by Sony themselves who are putting their own 1st party games on PC, discouraging people from buying the console in the first place.
For a hardcore gamer PlayStation is becoming more and more redundant as a platform worth owning when practically all major Japanese 3rd party games now come day and date on PC apart from certain games that Sony have made timed deals with like FFVII/FFXVI. Even Capcom recently said they're going to target PC as their primary platform moving forward. The "unique" features of the DualSense controller can't even be used as a selling point for choosing the PS5 version over the PC either when a lot of devs are implementing its supposed "unique" features there also.
I guess the leadership at PlayStation believes it can survive solely from its casual playerbase; those who annually buy FIFA, CoD, GTA and Fortnite MTX and they can afford to lose the former loyal hardcore gamers who supported them from the humble PS1 beginnings though to the turbulent PS3 launch.
So many of you who claim Sony is discouraging people from buying consoles by putting their first party games on PC are just so factually incorrect and is just fanboy cringe. MS is doing better than ever hardware and software wise and they put their first party stuff on PC day 1. Sony has ported what? Like 3 games so far that are a number of years old to PC and have confirmed the return on investment is massive. These PC players weren't going to buy a console to begin with. It hurts no one in the end as if you want a cheap experience you get a console and if you want higher end you go for a PC.
@mrtennis1990 wake me up when that happens for single player games like God of War, The Last of Us or Horizon.
I am super confused about the responses to this article. Japanese games have been getting put on Steam for years and it was obvious that PC gamers would buy them there. How does Japanese devs putting games on PC and gamers buy them there equal Sony made this happen. Literally, Sony does not own these games. As one of the very gamers who used to by Japanese developed games on PS and now buys them on PC, it never had anything to do with Sony. I was always gonna buy them as soon as they weren't only on PS. Xseed started doing it and then their success lead to other Japanese devs releasing everything on PS and Steam. It has been going on since at least the beginning of last gen in 2014. I'm aware that people on this site have some bizarre fear of PC gaming but this specific issue is both beyond Sony's control and has nothing to do with their recent efforts on putting their exclusives on PC. Japanese games are also going to appear more on the Switch because people are willing to buy them there and it is that simple.
@mucc agreed, other than the point about MS. Weren't the xb1 number disappointing and lower than the previous generation?
I mean, given Jim Ryan’s leadership, I wouldn’t be surprised if pushing PlayStation gamers to PC was his entire goal at this point.
@Khitzi Nice big expensive PC. Lovely multiplayer where you don't know if who you are playing against is actually cheating against you or attacking your machine. Countless complexities abound. Thank God for cheaper alternatives that are powerful and more simple.
Sony is going to be the new Sega sooner or later. They'll do nothing but software. And as their revenue drastically drop as Sony won't see a dime from third party sales on PC, Sonys own games gonna be subpar, at best.
Can't wait to see hundreds of videos on YouTube from these "content creators" with titles like "the history of the downfall of Sony", "when Sonys decline happened" or "Remember when Sony was good".
@IonMagi
For me personally not i hate PC
-expensive
-hardware updating
-putting effort into playing a game
-no physical options
-drivers
-controller
-games only available through launchers so no real ownership.
In pc you can buy games in a much lower price and for some people it's a way better experience (if your pc has the power) ... Wow what a surprise that many people are playing now on pc ...
People buy a ps because either they don't care about the "unnamed" (pu**y) games and want to play fifa, madden and warzone or because they want to play ps games, yes now more and more ps games are coming to pc but as someone who doesn't play "whatever" and only plays what really hypes me I know I can't wait two years for them to be on pc because in this wild world you don't know if you are going to be alive in two years.
Sony with those pc sony games are never a good idea.and who knows when ps6 comes it will be day to day.one of the dumbest moves sony ever did.word up son
@JAMes-BroWWWn Playstation is doing better then it ever has before yet you seem to think their on their last legs.
There will never be a mass exodus to PC, consoles will still be the most desirable way to play most games because of the convenience. PC is still too expensive and plagued with random issues that stop you from playing in the first place.
@naruball I hope that day never comes
@The_Pixel_King Well, I have both but I get why Sony might be bleeding fans to PC and it's due to supply shortages. Long time Sony fans might would prefer to play on a PS5, but that doesn't matter if they can't find one.
@truerbluer The games that went to the PC where in the budget bin and nobody was buying them. Why let them sit and rot away when other players can enjoy them its such a waste. And i really dont believe that a console player is going to PC because of that. A console player is someone who likes plug and play and is not going to become a hoghend PC player because some exclusive games go to Steam and Epic.
@Neonix Just plug and play sit down atomatic updates no effort put in whatsoever thats the same reason i play on console. I believe that without a console i probably would play a lot less of maybe even go do other stuff.
@Khitzi Not for me i like the consoles way better. PC is always a effort a Laptop does not do it for me.
2 of my close gaming buddies have moved to laptops this year. Trying to bring me along too, but I'm not ready for the hassle just yet. This feels right.
@mrtennis1990 No. It's not.
PlayStation gamers aren't going day n date any time soon. As long as games keep selling like they have, PC will merely extra revenue.
With Sony putting many of if not most of their IPs on PC as well now... there's little reason to hold out to buy a PS5 if you don't already have one. The move made by Sony to transition gamers out of their ecosystem does and will continue to have a negative impact on their hardware sales.
Don't see myself sat attentively at a monitor bashing away furiously on a keyboard anytime soon. That sh*t sounds like what they call nowadays work!
What a really bad take. (Or translation)
It makes nice headlines though.
🍿🍿
EDIT
Oh I just realised it’s from Mochisuki the peoples said sources.
Gotcha
@JAMes-BroWWWn You are a clown.
Read Sony's quarterly and see how stupid you sound. PlayStation is making record profits. PS5 was the fastest selling console ever. Demand is ludicrous. PSVR2 is launching holiday 22 or spring 2023....MORE HARDWARE. PS5 Pro is already in development. PS5 and PS4 continue to dominate Xbox in hardware sales.
PlayStation is more successful than ever. PS4 is nearly at 120 million and PS5 is expected to hit 22 million by early spring. 47 million PS+ users and over 100 million active users. Four studios signed in three months. Numerous partnerships. Haven, Firewalk, Deviation. PlayStation is Sony's biggest earner. If anything, Xbox will leave the hardware business..
You have no clue what you are talking about. PlayStation is flying off the shelves. Sega killed the hardware business after numerous unsuccessful consoles culminating in the Dreamcast flop. Sony is riding the second best selling console of all-time and now the fastest selling console ever, back to back. Go home.
The gap between Xbox games coming to PC and Xbox games coming to PC day 1 was 2 years (The start was Fable Anniversary coming to PC in September 2014 and the start of day 1 was ReCore and Forza Horizon 3 in September 2016) so if a similar timeline was to happen for PS we'll start seeing day 1 PS games releasing on PC in 2022.
I am looking to build a gaming budget PC if anyone has tips for parts. I want to enjoy Bethesda titles that are likely not going to be multi Plat anymore.
@Ralizah Consoles are more comfy. I wouldn't want to sit in front of a desk to play games.
In fact, if possible, I would rather much play games on a smartphone or tablet than a desktop computer.
I tend to buy PlayStation first but definitely have both PlayStation and PC, just a matter of what's cheaper and a lot of times PC games are cheaper
PC gaming sucks. I will never become a pc gamer. I don’t think Japan is becoming pc gamers either. I think they are into the Switch way more than other consoles. Which is weird cause the Switch has sucked for a few years now. Very few games come out worth playing. Cool console that just doesn’t hold up.
The positives of playing on PC far outweight the negatives and with many games being patched to use the Dualsense and all of its signature features its oddly the definitive way to experience many PlayStation games now.
sweet! ive the Yakuza games on steam.
im all in for exclusives lol my pocket gets hit each console generation 😅
i get all 3 each generation. but if all goes on pc thatll be way better!
Hey there japanese game fans. 星の欠片の物語、ひとかけら版 is currently free in the JP store. Not sure if this intentional or a mistake, so grab it while you can.
The problem is that most Japanese developers seem to have fallen behind. To this day we're still getting games that look like they'd run on the PS3. They just can't compete with the high standards being set by console so where else can they go but steam? Nintendo is another viable option and it's why games tend to do well on that platform too.
My pc is mainly used for obscure indie games you can't play on console ,its capable I just can't be arsed faffing about with settings and drivers and damn never ending updates to this and that for 4 hrs before I finally start a game ,I once spent 6 hrs on mad max messing with graphic settings because I didn't like the look of the shadows ,pc gaming is a lot of faff and don't let anyone tell you otherwise,who cares if games are on pc as well ,slap a disc in a console and off you go,it isn't always so simple with a pc......faff
@Juanalf the positives are only a positive if you can be arsed with them in the first place ,then they are very much a negative,I use an xbox pad on my pc ,does it work sure it does ,does it stop working sure it does, I cant be arsed, mods are they great sure they are,until they break your game after a few hours and then you have to start again because the part your up to is incompatible with a particular mod,I dont have much free time so console gaming is my main choice ,I just don't have the time anymore for pc faffy faff faff
I like PC gaming (I actually grew up playing more on PC than on console) but considering the high costs of components these days I just don’t see myself getting back into it.
There’s also a time factor. I work a lot. I play games when I have the time. So I have a PS5 and a Switch. For now that suits me. As bad as I want to play Halo Infinite, I’m not getting a Series S just for that. Or building another PC.
With that said, I will probably build a good PC rig when Elder Scrolls VI launches. At that point a number of Xbox exclusives I want to play will be available and they always release day and date with PC. Plus by that point, the PS5 and Series X will be falling way behind PC hardware. So it will make good sense to build by 2024 or so.
My PC is for survival games, older games with some quality of life mods, and Microsoft games. My PS5 is still the place for getting with my console friends and most other games, especially newer releases.
It's honestly just a good time to be a gamer!
As long as PlayStation consoles continue to exist and get a version of all the third party games, this is a non-issue, even if PC becomes the target platform.
Let's admit that PlayStation is dying, all thanks to Jim Ryan.
@JAMes-BroWWWn I remember similar talk when OG Xbox hit the market. They were actually throwing ps2s out of high rise windows for every so many units Xbox sold. Sony have been in a constant state of being 'doomed' since PS2 time. Are their sales slowing? Are their games slowing? How about psplus subscribers? Is psnow now at the highest it's ever been? What about awesome profits and intellegent investments? What about Sony basically part spearheading the chip shortage problem in Japan with new factories?
@Juanalf horizon and death stranding both run better on ps5 since patches according to DF and VG gamer.
@iamtylerdurden1 Aye. He IS a clown 🙈🙈🙈
@NomNom You probably want to build a system around a Ryzen 5 3400G - it has decent onboard graphics, which for what you're suggesting should let you get away without paying the ridiculous prices GPUs go for nowadays. That should be about £230, then you just need to find a compatible motherboard, add 16-32GB of RAM, a power supply from a reputable brand, a hard drive, and a case that'll fit it all, and you should be able to get a whole system for about £500-600.
Make sure you spec for a PSU which is a bit overpowered, so you can make an easy upgrade in the future but adding a dedicated GPU when the system starts to creak.
Edit: I forgot to factor in software - obviously a Windows license adds a bit more cost, but if you're building a system you should be able to get an OEM version which saves a little bit. You might also consider trying just going for Ubuntu and seeing how you find that - a lot of games work on Linux nowadays (of which Ubuntu is a type, not necessarily the best, but it's easy to get into and there's lots of community support because it's popular. I'd recommend going for an LTS release so things are relatively stable) and that's free.
@TheRedComet well you also have the option to stream the game on Gamepass if you like.
@Telekill What negative impact on sales is it currently having? 🙈🙈🙈
pretty sure sony is the one transitioning , people just adapt to their needs.
@theheadofabroom You make it all sound so simple 😂😂😂. Also get some good antivirus software, and watch who you play online, don't know if your gonna be competing or getting hacked. Also all new releases won't be optimised for pc. Oh and watch the motherboard because they bevel with graphics cards in them conveniently disconnecting the contacts.
I’ve said it before, I’m one of those close to making the jump to PC due to Sony games going there. I’ve only stuck with consoles due to the games they offer and if I can get almost all games on PC, I will.
@Voltan I know, right? Since I use PCs all day at work, who wants to spend their play time on a device he does spreadsheets and emails on all day? It’s like trying to jump on a trampoline in your necktie and trousers or watch a football game with your buddies in a library. 😛
@Ralizah all the option on PC is its greatest strength and its greatest weakness, depending on who you are. The console preferred gamer is typically exhausted by the mere thought of the PC experience itself. There is so much to consider, from higher level things like when is the right time to buy new hardware and what hardware, right down to what are the best settings the PC can handle for individual games (and having to learn what the settings even mean lol). The different games you can play dont even enter the equation. At most games just determine which console we are going to buy, if our friends didnt already determine that.
Im not opposed to dropping consoles, personally. For me, smart TV streaming is likely going to be what replaces consoles in the future, assuming I can stream my entire digital library with next to no sacrifice on input lag, performance, etc. I imagine playing my PS5.. and then techno-magically take away the PS5. Im just on my TV, but not one single thing is different. Of course, a lot of people demand physical ownership so consoles will have a relevant market for a long time. I cant even imagine that need ever disappearing.
Glad to know it’s not just me in the comments getting heat for stating the obvious.
This last gen, particularly Sony and Nintendo, was such an F-U with backwards compatibility, ports, remasters, and digital lockouts, is it any wonder gamers are leaving the gardens?
I prefer the console experience a hundred times more than gaming on PC, but how many times am I expected to pay for games I own again? How many games are going to be obsoleted? How many digital storefronts shuttered?
No clue where they are getting their numbers from, I'm still only a console player and always will be.
I'm one of the few who will be happy if PS release games on PC day one. I'll still play on PS but the more Sony makes from software sales the more they will invest in game development. It's a win win
I think people who realise they are more technical enthusiasts (graphical/frame fidelity) might make the move to PC if they have the option to play Sony games there. But console market is about accessibility at a fair price so I don't think more casual gamers or even console enthusiasts will make the shift so there will be a market for it.
Both Sony and MS are bolstering their studios so they can easily enough front themselves as publishers and the hardware will be wherever the market demands.
For me at least its becoming less about the hardware and very much focused on the exclusive game offering. I will go wherever the games are.
I used to be a ps gamer, recently started playing my PC again. Mostly coz there's games on there that I wanna play. Will probably get a PS5 eventually, not atm, as there's nothing I want to play on there. Got PS4 and series x.
@Ilovecoffee you don't have to sit at a desk on pc. Can just plug it in your tv in the living room, grab a controller and relax on the sofa.
@JAMes-BroWWWn wouldn't hold my breath, if I were you.
@Telekill "The move made by Sony to transition gamers out of their ecosystem does and will continue to have a negative impact on their hardware sales"
Any evidence to support that assertion? The ps5 is still sold out everywhere. You make no sense.
@PC_Peasant it's not opposite day yet, so why would be lie to ourselves exactly?
@naruball You haven't seen the comments of people sick of waiting to find a PS5 and with the news of Playstation games coming to PC... they've basically said "f**k it"? I've seen dozens of them across multiple gaming forums.
@KayOL77 Bevel?
1) I was recommending building a system without a dedicated GPU - it means you're not going to be gaming at 4k60 or 1080p144Hz, but it's at least a match for the Series S, and it avoids any issues with (2), and makes the whole thing actually remarkably simple.
2) I'm guessing you're taking about GPU sag, which is an issue for heavy, badly designed GPUs which are not sufficiently well tethered to the IO plate (often the heatsink attaches to the ICB which attaches to one side of the IO plate - better designs also brace the heatsink to the opposite side of the IO plate) but newer cases and GPUs will often include, or make available, a brace that will hold between the GPU and the bottom of the case, which prevents the issue. Another option is a vertical GPU mount, which allows you to place the GPU elsewhere, with a ribbon cable staying to the PCIE slot on the motherboard.
3) For most people the included Windows security tools are sufficient. There are free third-party security solutions for Windows and Linux, which are also fine. If all you're using your PC for is gaming, I wouldn't worry about it. If you have data on there which you need for your livelihood it's probably worth buying something, just for peace of mind.
You can also opt for options that aim to make things easy and integrated like the NZXT H1. It's a bit more expensive than my suggested budget, but it includes a PSU, an AIO cooler, lots of cable management is already taken care of, and it includes a GPU riser. One of the joys of PC building is being able to choose what's right for you. Unfortunately that also means researching what's right for you.
@Telekill that means nothing. You know how many people said they're sick of tv shows, movies, singers, etc, only for them to do better in their next season, movie, album, etc? You can't trust anecdotal evidence. When ps5 is readily available and struggles to sell, you can use that as concrete evidence all you want.
Even I said in March that I'm sick of trying to get a ps5 and until I can walk into a store and buy one, I won't bother again, only to spend 5 hours a few months later trying to get one (thankfully it worked). In other words, statements from random people are simply not trustworthy evidence.
@naruball That's all we have. You'll have to deal with it for now as what you're wanting won't show until hard numbers can be shown at the end of the gen in 7-8 years.
I wonder what the ratio is, and across age groups, of people staying with PC gaming for the long term vs. console, and how long the average span is for PC gamers to remain on PC.
When it's new, it's awesome, with endless possibilities, and very exciting. The longer you do it, the bigger the drag, expensive treadmill, the more time you spent troubleshooting, and the more responsibilities you get IRL, the less time/energy you have to spend troubleshooting your games instead of just playing them. Once the "learning new things" ends and it becomes "just work", the thrill of PC starts to become a nuisance.
I was in PC gaming for a good 10 years or so. Which translates to about 1.5 console generations. In that time I went through probably 5 generations of PCs, roughly every 2-3 years, that cost a heck of a lot more than consoles and had a ton more repairs, tweaks, and troubleshooting costs/time involved. Any "games savings" were wiped out in hardware costs 300-fold.
Sure "back then" hardware (and Windows) was a lot less stable and changed a lot faster, but the concepts haven't really changed.
I've gamed on PC for over two decades, in which time I've had 3 completely separate builds, but each one has evolved over time. I probably spent £1000 on each initial build, and then another £500
on hardware over its life, for a total of £4500, or £225 per year of gaming. It's an expensive way to game compared to console, if you want to play all the latest AAAs.
@Play definitely
@IonMagi exactly but those idiots at Playstation think otherwise
@Ken_Kaniff Lying ryan will learn the hard way
@truerbluer Let sony learn the hardway . only then will they realise their mistakes
@mucc Ms arent doing better than ever
@PC_Peasant yep
@Telekill then we have nothing. The sooner you realize it, the better.
Plus, you're saying it's already happening now, while current numbers don't reflect that at all.
@Umar and if you're wrong? Then what? Or is that impossible?
@theheadofabroom Thats the point I think...more expensive and much more complicated. A £700+ series S? Yikes. Also in my view a pc should be a monster. If you want a low-mid pc for gaming then it will be much cheaper for a console. Why would I want a series s spec pc when I could get a ps5 and still have hundreds left over? I'm not attacking you sorry. I'm not seeing the logic. Also in 3 years I get to trade my ps5 for a pro. Future proofing.
@Telekill Youve seen dozens? Well why didn't you say!!! 🙈. Also how many of those people are just saying it to inflame the situation? I'll play my ps5 thanks. Then I'll get a ps5pro. Lovely playstation. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhg !!!!
@naruball Sony (and Nintendo) have been near death since PS2 and N64 respectively. Fast forward and every single competitive maneuvre from every other industry to change things away from these companies keeps failing. Microsoft, mobiles, pcs, cloud, streaming, subscriptions. And Sony and Nintendo keep making record profits based solely on their gaming divisions. These people seem to be quite delusional("Next time, Gadget!!!!"). A view into an alternate reality they are sad they don't live in 🙈
@Umar Yeah, Sony are rueing the day right enough. Right to the bank 🙈
@KayOL77 I absolutely get where you're coming from, and in a lot of ways I agree, while in a few I don't.
If all you're interested in is playing AAA games, a PC is the least practical way of doing that. The £500-700 build I was suggesting will outperform the Series X in some places, while just meeting the Series S in others, which is why I talked about the Series S as something it would at least match - I'm sure if my phrasing wasn't clear there. That's still a lot more money and hassle than you would spend buying the Series S or X and having a predictable experience.
So if financial prudence and the hassle factor aren't a reason to go for a PC, what is? Well for me it has always been about two things:
1) Indie games - the barrier to releasing on PC is unbelievably low, so you see a much bigger indie scene - if you're willing to wade through a load of kinda broken, or derivative, or far-too-short experiences, you can find some real gems you'll never get elsewhere.
2) Creativity - a PC isn't just a games machine, you can use it for all sorts whether your hobby is streaming, digital art, or in my case, cranking out code. If you're going to spend at least £500 on a machine that'll let you do your non-gaming hobby, it's seductive to spend another little bit to make it do games too. If you're a streamer that goes double - you can use a computer with a capture card and a console, or you can just use a more powerful computer to do everything.
All that being said, I have a PC. It's no longer capable of playing the latest AAA games at high framerates and high quality (Haswell is kinda ancient at this point), and I'm no longer in a financial position where £1000 (IMHO the least you should spend on a AAA machine) is an amount I'm willing to spend. It still plays all the indie games, and it's still great for creativity, but I bought a PS5 to play my AAAs, and that'll do me until at least 2025 when I have to decide whether to abandon the windows-only part of my Steam library, or build another system 🤷
I won't pretend I don't enjoy PC-building, but for some people that's a large part of the hobby, whereas for me it's a perk every couple of years.
Continued in next message...
I think this is a bit like how you could think of gamers as people who drive cars:
1) You've got loads of people who will buy whatever car they can get that'll do the job, or rent one for the journeys they want to make: this is console gamers and people who use streaming services.
2) You've then got people who like to have the fastest cars, or the best for off-roading, or there's some specific thing which means they can't just use the current popular hatchback: this is PC gamers.
3) Finally you've got the people who spend their weekends rebuilding a V8 because that's their hobby. These are the enthusiasts.
You get plenty of people who drive fast cars and like the idea being in the third group, but they'll never do it because they either don't have the confidence, the skills, the space to work in our whatever. They spend time on forums talking about what they want to do, and smack-talking others, but it's best to ignore them.
You also get plenty of people who just need a car, but fantasise about fast cars or off-roading, but then if they ever pluck up the courage to buy their dream car, they discover that it's actually worse for what they were using a bog-standard hatchback for. Maybe the fuel economy is rubbish, or the stiff suspension makes the speed bumps and potholes where they live insufferable.
The point is that you get loads of people in groups 1 and 2 who think they should be in groups 2 and 3, but who are better off where they are. None of these groups are inherently better or worse than each other, they just have different wants and needs, and we just all need to understand what our own wants and needs are, figure out what's best for us, and stick with it rather than smack-talking each other online and pretending we know what it's like to be part of a group we've never tried.
@KayOL77 very well said
@theheadofabroom The indie game scene I am with you on. But I am happy to let pc players sift through the torrent, identify the quality and port it to ps5. The good thing about the current consoles is that we can also get competent ports of pc games too. People sometimes stress that the best ps5 exclusives are through time finding their way to pc. Well the exact opposite could also be true. PC Devs! Make your great games on console to a good degree and they WILL be bought.
I just like sitting at my console.
Though I do love developing software on pc. It has its strengths.
@NEStalgia Yes, almost nobody talks about pc owners also buying consoles. It would be nice to have some stats to cut through the bs.
@naruball if i am wrong then i am wrong. Guess it just shows that Ryan and co don't really care about what the hardcore gamers say
@KayOL77 Eh, it depends, some of the best will make it to console, others are built around having a keyboard and mouse, like for instance most Zachtronics games. It's not that you couldn't port them, but text entry with a controller, or navigating menus, are kinda painful.
Not all mechanics translate well. That said, maybe you don't find that sort of game interesting? Well in that case I guess you're not missing out on too much.
I also forgot to mention modding, for instance even if the port is perfect I can't see myself playing XCom games on a console because the Steam Workshop provides so much more to do in the games. Then again, this is another thing where you have to wade through the dross to find the increasing stuff. You'll never get the same on PlayStation, as shown with Fallout 4, which has mod support but Sony won't allow fan models to be added, and the scripting is terrible as they won't allow compiled code.
@theheadofabroom Im sure the functionality exists to put mouse into ps5, you can already use a keyboard. I'm not surprised Sony doesn't allow compiled user code...that could be disastrous. The new Skyrim special features a lot of the creator club mods.
@theheadofabroom Thanks a bunch for the information. I am going to start to piece it together over the next few paychecks. Hopefully I can get it up and running sooner rather than later. I'll have to look for locals deals to help with pricing.
@NomNom I'd prioritise the CPU, as a lot of crypto miners are catching on that the onboard graphics it provides are pretty good actually. If that precise one isn't available, I'd look at comparisons between the graphical performance of the different models in the Ryzen 5 range. 3400G seems to be the consensus for "best bang for your buck" the "Intel and AMD Integrated Graphics Gaming CPU Benchmarks Hierarchy" section on https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/reviews/cpu-hierarchy,4312.html is a good place to look, and you can compare that to the prices you're seeing when you're able to make a purchase.
@KayOL77 and yet these games, some of which are doing very well on PC, haven't ever come to consoles.
As for the mod restrictions, it doesn't seem to have ever been a problem for XCom 2, Kerbal Space Program, Fallout 4, Skyrim, Minecraft. These are games played by millions of people, and on PC playing with mods is at least as common as not. Hell, Fallout New Vegas is still alive and well on PC thanks to the modding scene. Even the Witcher games, GTA series, and Dark Souls have mods that are reputed to improve upon the base experience, with the GTA series in particular standing out, as the modded experience apparently far exceeds the recent remaster.
I don't think you can say that these things aren't a great feature of playing on PC, it's just that you might not care about them, and that's fine too. This is where I refer to my car analogy: I might wish my car had a bit more boot space, was faster from 0-60mph, and did a few more miles to the gallon, but it was the best compromise when I bought it between all of those factors, plus what I can afford and what's convenient. We don't have to pretend that other things we don't own don't have advantages over what we do own, we just have to be content with the reality that everything involves compromise in some way, and that what we chose was the best compromise for us and our circumstances.
@theheadofabroom The fact that a lot of these games don't come to console just means that some Devs are ok to leave money on the table. And that's fine. I don't think optimising a game one last time for console(absolute specs) for a game that's already doing well on pc is a good situation for not putting it on console.
Sidenote:. Death Stranding on ps5 has the option to use mouse and keyboard. That's probably been added to keep people happy accessibility wise.
Even Sony seeing for example god of war sell 19.5m copies, and after giving it free on ps plus collection have now seen there is money STILL on the table.
This can go two ways. The launch of psvr2 next year would be great for everybody if halfife alyx was a launch title. I mean Sony only spearheaded vr as a mainstream viable platform. The new steam handheld has benefitted by having Sony promote horizon on it. Like I say, this cross seeding CAN go both ways.
On the subject of Minecraft, it would be good to see this games statistics console sales wise v pc sales wise considering it started out and blossomed on pc.
@KayOL77 Sure it leaves money in the table, but how much money, and what's the opportunity cost? What proportion of console gamers are going to plug a keyboard and mouse (which they might not already own) into their console, and how many of them are likely to buy the game? Having an external keyboard and mouse is strongly correlated with already having a PC that could run these games, so it's likely not that much money.
On the other side of the equation, the majority of these games are often made by a small team of 1-4 people, sometimes hiring in contract help. If they spend time porting these games to console, that's time they're not spending on their next game, which has a reasonable chance of being more lucrative for them, as well as more creatively satisfying.
This probably means there's money on the table for a small studio that approaches indie teams with successful games on PC and offers to port them for a revenue split. How much money that is? 🤷
It's possible that again some games may be scuppered by Sony's community content rules, because a lot of indie games survive on community engagement, with a highly active modding scene, but they should be fine on XBox.
Edit: I would love to see someone attempt this and have it work out, as that would likely encourage both Sony and Microsoft to adopt policies that encourage more indie games, which generally makes this better for all studios, and therefore all players. At the moment there's a big barrier in terms of player base network effect, which means that currently PC is the best place for indie games. There's nothing that means this will inherently be true in the future.
@theheadofabroom it makes sense that pc is a haven for indies, that's where the games are made after all.
I'd wager a lot of dev time on pc is still spent on making sure the game runs the same across all the pc combinations. Console is one spec. Import the mouse and keyboard options. Then add some controller functionality. We don't know how much money is still on the table. What we do know is that console sales are booming, and the software is still selling very well(on ps and Nintendo at least).
I'd recommend any pc Dev who has a good well recieved game to make a console version. The most complicated part of the port is probably converting from indirectx to a ps API, but then there are probably a lot of great tools to help this. It is just a matter of symantics and converting names at that level.
EDIT:. In terms of group engagement, I don't imagine discord integration into the ps system early next year would hurt that growing dynamic.
@KayOL77 Yeah, other than current restriction on user generated content, there's nothing stopping indie from being on PlayStation.
For most of the games I'm thinking of hardware fragmentation isn't much of an issue as they'll run on lowest-common-denominator hardware using established game engines that have had a lot of the compatibility issues knocked out of them over a period of use by the AAAs.
For the moment there's just a big unanswered question over how much effort it's worth and where a small team is best spending it. That means it's a matter of risk, and for many, making another game on PC is less risk.
There's not much we can do about that as consumers until someone takes said risk, at which point we need to make sure it pays off for them.
HAIL PC the master race, I helped my friend transition to PC and he got rid of his ps4, hail the master race the greatest place to play video games at a cheap price and free multiplayer and superior graphics+performance and freedom of resolutions and mods...etc. long live the pc master race
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