Has anyone ever 'left' PC Gaming to go back to being console only?

[MonthOLDpickle]

Pretty much the opposite for me. I started on consoles. At some point family got a PC but that didn't get me on one type, I was playing them both. Up to about the time the PS360 that is when consoles started to lose their value. I stopped pretty much buying consoles. I got to try out the PS4 and stuff, but I found out the value of having one does not outweigh the value it doesn't have for me. In the end I am still gaming on a PC I built years ago. The CPU is from 2012. I had to replace my GPU because I fried it, so that is the only thing relatively new. I did get a switch, PC + switch seems to be a really good combo.

 

[Plum]

Update! After playing a bit of Days Gone to my PS4 Pro having gone into full-on 'jet engine' mode (I cleaned it today so it's not dust buildup, unfortunately) I'm definitely starting to get a bit of perspective on just how 'loud' my PC is.

Still feel very similarly to how I did when making the OP but, honestly, I just wanted another opportunity to dunk on the PS4 Pro's god-awful cooling and noise.

 

[Cloud-Strife]

Always main PC and consoles for exclusives.

That's the only way to greatness.

 

[Shoichi]

back in the PS2 days, I went from being a PC gamer (I love strategy games) to being a mostly console player. I've always had consoles though. I started to play more PC and become mainly a PC player though ever since the PS4/XBO era began after I build my first gaming rig. Can't go back now. PC Multiplats, Consoles Exclusives has been what I've gone with.

 

[BoxManLocke]

Update! After playing a bit of Days Gone to my PS4 Pro having gone into full-on 'jet engine' mode (I cleaned it today so it's not dust buildup, unfortunately) I'm definitely starting to get a bit of perspective on just how 'loud' my PC is.

Still feel very similarly to how I did when making the OP but, honestly, I just wanted another opportunity to dunk on the PS4 Pro's god-awful cooling and noise.

Click to shrink...

It's fucking terrible.

There's always changing the thermal paste but heh. I bought a headset instead lol

Btw I assume you take the entirety of the top off when cleaning it ? The heatsink is where all the dust accumulates on my unit and it's not easily accessible unless you take most of it apart. Cleaning that makes it noticeably quieter for about a month.

 

[Deleted member 45468]

I left PC because I like games more than tinkering. I just want to plug in a console and play a game.

 

[deltabreak]

I'll buy a PS5 regardless, but whether I get 3rd party games on it hinges exclusively on the price of GPUs and SSDs that are actually better than what's in the PS5.

 

[Talus]

Opposite for me. Left console gaming behind after the PS3 gen. Tired of owning multiple game systems that play largely the same games as my PC. PC gets a good healthy mix of everything, and is easily my preferred way to play.

 

[Zelda]

I'm waiting to see how next gen games perform on the PS5 and XSX, then I'll decide if I want to go back to consoles or if I'm going to upgrade my 1070. Internally I'm rooting for next gen consoles since I prefer controllers to mouse and keyboard anyway.

 

[New Username]

Edit: deleted post

 

[TheMadTitan]

I'm waiting to see how next gen games perform on the PS5 and XSX, then I'll decide if I want to go back to consoles or if I'm going to upgrade my 1070. Internally I'm rooting for next gen consoles since I prefer controllers to mouse and keyboard anyway.

Click to shrink...

But the vast majority of PC games have native controller support that's 1:1 with consoles.

Controllers and TV play are exactly the same on both sets these days and shouldn't even be factored into these kinds of conversations anymore.

 

[Arsene no Kiseki]

No. All my friends are on PC and I prefer the benefits of PC over console easy.

I still have a PS4 and Switch but barely use them

 

[Curufinwe]

I mainly played PC games from 2007 to 2009 when I got a PS3. I never got a new gaming PC and have stuck to consoles since then.

 

[Shoichi]

I'm waiting to see how next gen games perform on the PS5 and XSX, then I'll decide if I want to go back to consoles or if I'm going to upgrade my 1070. Internally I'm rooting for next gen consoles since I prefer controllers to mouse and keyboard anyway.

Click to shrink...

Lot of games especially ones with console ports have pretty much the same controls as their console counterpart. Especially if you play on a Xbox Controller. But even DS4 controllers work really well on PC.

 

[Zelda]

But the vast majority of PC games have native controller support that's 1:1 with consoles.

Controllers and TV play are exactly the same on both sets these days and shouldn't even be factored into these kinds of conversations anymore.

Click to shrink...

I just meant it in that mouse and keyboard is not something I care about and it isn't keeping me rooted to PC (since it's not a readily available option on consoles). If the performance of games on next gen consoles is good (really hoping for 120 fps options on competitive multiplayer games like rocket league, cod warzone, etc) then I really don't have a reason to upgrade my PC. But if that turns out to not be the case then I'll probably put my money towards a 30XX series Nvidia GPU.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

Yes, I seem to come and go from PC gaming. I stayed out of PC gaming the vast majority of this generation...

I'm only back right now because of the progress that gaming laptops in particular have made and my own lifestyle being suitable to an on-the-go high-performance gaming laptop. I do not have a strong desire to have a desktop build right now, though I am eager to see how the next few generations of ray-tracing capable GPUs fare and would like to build a desktop once there's a decent amount of ray-tracing capable games and performance is relatively reliable, which I think will be the case in 2 or so years.

 

[OSPC]

I always get a kick out of the tinkering argument

So called gaming enthusiasts don't want to put in the slightest amount of effort to get the best experience possible.

 

[Quality Garbage]

I gave up on gaming PCs in 2014 after 20 years of use and went full console at that point.

I also pulled back from playing competitive online games after getting married so the constant need to have top tier hardware became moot and the desire to game on a PC effectively died.

Aside from Rust there isn't anything on the PC that gives me any interest in building one again at this point considering the substantial financial investment it would require for my own satisfactory setup.

 

[newmoneytrash]

"dRiVer IsSuES"... Are people downloading their drivers from piratebay? Even if drivers aren't perfect initially like in Navi's case, the experience is still significantly better than on console.

Click to shrink...

yeah i will never understand how this 2004 ass argument still exists

 

[Curufinwe]

I always get a kick out of the tinkering argument

So called gaming enthusiasts don't want to put in the slightest amount of effort to get the best experience possible.

Click to shrink...

A lot of gamers don't care. This is why 200 million PS4s, Xbox Ones and Switches have been sold.

 

[canderous]

I kinda did this at the start of the 360 generation, but around 2011/2012 went back to primarily PC. I didn't even buy into current gen until PS4 Pro and One X. But the new consoles seem quite powerful, and with the focus on pushing for 60fps (at least from Microsoft anyway), I think a greater portion of my time will be spent on consoles this upcoming gen. I have a 2080ti right now which I don't think I'll have to upgrade in quite a while now that DLSS is becoming more standard (what is this sorcery btw?). But for the price of a 3080ti I can probably get a PS5 and a Series X with money to spare for games, so that's where I'm headed.

 

[Ganransu]

For someone who uses PC for more than gaming, it's the opposite for me, I left consoles. Game primarily on PC, and switch when there is an exclusive.

 

[BeefTengoku]

I was mostly a PC gamer until 94 or so, and then got a SNES. Been pretty much console-exclusive since then.

Since then, just about the only games I've played on PC are FFXI and FFXIV.

 

[OSPC]

A lot of gamers don't care. This is why 200 million PS4s, Xbox Ones and Switches have been sold.

Click to shrink...

This is a gaming enthusiast forum.

You would think people here would be enthusiastic about playing games with better graphics, performance, and mods even if it required slightly more effort.

 

[Scruffy8642]

Not quite that, but after being a console gamer my whole life, I did get access to a friends powerful PC while they were away. And I barely used it tbh. I was honestly pretty disappointed with the differences. After hearing so much about it being superior and frame rates and all that, it just really wasn't a big deal. Playing The Witcher 3 on Ultra at like high FPS and it really didn't even look good. Every other game I tried out was a bit smoother from frame rates sure, but that was about it. Idk if it's because most multiplats really just aren't all that graphically or what, but I was expecting to be blown away when the difference was minimal (granted only 1080p monitor because even this rich fuck couldn't justify getting a better one).

Also I just really don't like the idea of sitting at a desk to game. I can't get into a relaxed mindset, in my mind desks are for work and I already spent far too much time sitting at them. I realise you don't have to do this, but having a PC hooked up to a TV makes it very useless for actual PC things too, so you can't win either way. And I guess I just find gaming on PC extremely frustrating, as until that point I had never owned anything powerful enough to run games of the current generation at decent frame rates even on low settings despite having access to so many darn computers growing up. I really don't see the point unless I can play something on at least high settings at 60fps because I may as well be on console otherwise. On console you at least get a decent experience, but for many that just isn't assured on PC. That Ultra low 15 FPS experience for a good 20 years of my life seems to have permanently ruined any potential positive mindset I can have towards PC lmao.

I also don't see how anyone can justify damn expensive full rrp games at digital, I totally feel like I'm getting ripped off paying that much for something I can't even sell. Steam prices seem to have gone up and the sales gotten worse within recent years too, so the games are no longer considerably cheaper. Add on the fact that most of what I play are console exclusives anyway and there isn't much left I actually want to play on PC.

All that said though, VR was absolutely fantastic.

 

[Pwnz]

Usually I would temporarily go console primary at launch because GPUs to get 2x that console at launch are super expensive, but my 1080 ti is more or less faster than the PS5 AnD I have 64 GB of RAM and an NVMe SSD and 3900x so I'm good until whatever trounces the 1080 ti and doesn't cost a kidney comes out.

I'll probably sit launch out this time and get a PS5 when the big budget exclusives come out.

The nice thing about PS5 at launch is you get what a $1500 PC would cost with GPU prices these days. You also get stupid easy HDR and I'm assuming DLSS like abilities, so it'll be able to bullshit a pretty good approximation of what would take so much more horsepower. However, with a 4K TV now with VRR and HDR10 at 4K and 120 Hz, the need to keep a high end GPU is greater. VRR works best at 60+ fps and to get that with next gen engines at 4k is a lot of GPU. I'm hoping we see a huge jump and price drop in the next 18 months. It's been too long since we've had a highly performance mainstream GPU.

 

[Arthands]

Left console mostly after I realize how great PC gaming is. I still have consoles like Switch and PS4 for exclusives and portability.

 

[karmitt]

I did for reason 4 ish. We just bought a two bedroom house and don't really feel like having one of those being taken up by a PC gaming setup. Our living room is lux and comfy, so keeping gaming to that spot isn't really a major sacrifice.

I'm also in the camp that feels that the gains were making as new cards and consoles hit are nowhere near as impressive as they used to be. Series X and PS5 are just stellar looking

 

[Deleted member 25042]

Not leaving PC gaming but very well might leave higher end PC gaming as I feel I'm being priced out of it.
Depending on the price of next gen cards I might not upgrade my current PC and just buy a PS5

 

[wbloop]

I always get a kick out of the tinkering argument

So called gaming enthusiasts don't want to put in the slightest amount of effort to get the best experience possible.

Click to shrink...

Not to mention that the tinkering argument has been memed up to hell and back, as if nowadays you'd still need to tinker around for hours until the game runs well. I mostly hear that from people who left PC gaming more than fifteen years ago and since then have played on consoles only.

As for me, I play on both. PS4 Pro and Switch for exclusives and some multiplats, PC for basically everything else. And I will continue this strategy with next gen: PC for Series X exclusives and most multiplats, PS5 and Switch for exclusives and select multiplats. Seems to be the best way for how I usually go about.

Although I might go primarily with PS5 for the next year until I upgrade my PC (my last big CPU upgrade was in 2014, so that should be in order soon).

 

[Pwnz]

I'm a PC gamer but tinkering is partially true. Good luck setting up HDR on a PC without spending an hour the first time studying the TV and fucking around in various places in windows. Literally the experience on PS4 is use HDR in display and if you forget it asks you when you start the game and it just works.

This kind of shit was common before steam with getting games to be stable. Steam made it much easier.

 

[Shadow Dancer]

After 20 years on PC I left for Xbox One and other consoles in 2015. I probably will stay on console. Planning to buy a Series X or S next year.

 

[Birbos]

Honestly. I've been driving myself nuts lately by trying to perfect performance in every game. If I get even the slightest stutter I go nuts trying to track down the issue.

I could honestly see myself spending a little more time on console.

 

[Rygar 8Bit]

No, it's my primary thing I play games on. Consoles are for exclusives, everything else I run better on PC. Then you have PC exclusives things like Half-Life: Alyx and World of Horror, both of which are at the top of my GotY list.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

I suffer from choice paralysis and constant procrastination. PC gaming leads to me not actually playing games. I'm either modding, tweaking or adjusting to get the best look/framerate even though at the end of the damn I barely care about framerate and resolution.

I've been sticking to console so I actually play games

 

[Grooski]

Been a PC gamer most of my life. This gen I stopped. I'm too old to be bothered and just enjoy not having to optimize my PC every 3 years.
Never thought I'd join the console heathens, but I did.

 

[speedomodel]

Started on PC and played through early 2000's, but once my computer was outdated and all my friends were playing Halo I switched to console. Have never looked back.

 

[Blackthorn]

Yeah I spent years PC gaming and really enjoyed it but as time went on I was spending more and more for less appreciable benefits. Ultimately, I was playing the same games, and the satisfaction of each upgrade gradually diminished until I couldn't justify it anymore.

(Plus, nothing would ever top the wonderful sweet spot that was the Q6600 + 8800GT combo.)

There was also the issue that I just couldn't leave games alone sometimes. I'd keep adjusting settings and modding things to get them "just right", which was especially bad in the first hour or so. I don't think I ever really enjoyed the opening of any PC game because that was prime tinkering time.

Then when things would just sometimes to wrong for no apparent reason, I'd lose hours to troubleshooting. That never stopped being an awful experience.

I enjoyed my time with the platform – and I continue to believe it is an essential platform – but it just isn't for me anymore. I'm too fussy for it and having options taken away from me actually helps me relax and just enjoy the game without thinking what I could improve.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

This is a gaming enthusiast forum.

You would think people here would be enthusiastic about playing games with better graphics, performance, and mods even if it required slightly more effort.

Click to shrink...

It's a gaming enthusiast forum. A lot of people are just enthusiastic about playing games.

 

[Dead Man Typing]

I've told the story on here before but I got a gaming pc in mid 2013 instead of buying an Xbox One or PS4.

Then a series of broken and badly performing games frustrated me. I loved playing 360 era games at 1080p 60fps, but newer games had weird issues. Then Arkham Knight broke me.

Part of it was my own inability to switch off my brain. I can play Call of Duty on console and it drops frames in busy battles but I don't mind. However playing a similar game on pc and every subtle frame drop would cause me to be back in the settings menu to start tweaking again.

Wolfenstein the New Order was a prime example. I played through the game on PC but then swapped to Xbox One for the Old Blood dlc. It probably looked and ran worse on Xbox than on my pc but I couldn't do anything about it, so I just enjoyed the game.

I'm much happier playing games on console. It's my problem, not PC gaming's.

 

[Grooski]

I enjoyed my time with the platform – and I continue to believe it is an essential platform – but it just isn't for me anymore. I'm too fussy for it and having options taken away from me actually helps me relax and just enjoy the game without thinking what I could improve.

Click to shrink...

Exactly my take.

 

[Kindekuma]

Bruh gaming on console is just so fucking CONVENIENT. Sit down on the couch/bed, load up a game, boom. Controllers work just fine, updates were already downloaded in sleep/rest mode, and there's no tinkering around. For PC games I always feel that there's a ridiculous amount of tinkering just to get the damn thing running and when I do my motivation to play just drops out of nowhere because I spent all my energy just trying to fix something.

Like I had an issue with P4G not having any audio whatsoever on Steam, so after what felt like hours of troubleshooting I finally got it to work because Atlus never bothered to include a Direct X dependency. When PC gaming works, it's nice. But man, I just don't have the effort at times to really get these games going. When I had the Vita version I just put in the cartridge and got playing with no issues at all.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

I've told the story on here before but I got a gaming pc in mid 2013 instead of buying an Xbox One or PS4.

Then a series of broken and badly performing games frustrated me. I loved playing 360 era games at 1080p 60fps, but newer games had weird issues. Then Arkham Knight broke me.

Part of it was my own inability to switch off my brain. I can play Call of Duty on console and it drops frames in busy battles but I don't mind. However playing a similar game on pc and every subtle frame drop would cause me to be back in the settings menu to start tweaking again.

Wolfenstein the New Order was a prime example. I played through the game on PC but then swapped to Xbox One for the Old Blood dlc. It probably looked and ran worse on Xbox than on my pc but I couldn't do anything about it, so I just enjoyed the game.

I'm much happier playing games on console. It's my problem, not PC gaming's.

Click to shrink...

The possibility to fix issues makes every issue more glaring cause you can try to do something with it. With console you just shrug and move on cause that's just the way it is. It's almost freeing lol

 

[Hokey]

Yea after exhausting Diabo 3 I went back to console but upgraded the PC couple of months ago so I'm back! I kinda regret playing MHW and RE2R on Ps4 Pro so will make sure to only use the Switch and PS for exclusives now.

 

[RestEerie]

i did that during ps3 mid-gen from PC to a ps3 slim and never look back. as an enterprise server administrator at work, i just don't want to deal with microsoft windows at home.

And before anyone ask, no...i am not using windows when typing this post. I am using a Chromebook.

 

[Birbos]

Yeah I spent years PC gaming and really enjoyed it but as time went on I was spending more and more for less appreciable benefits. Ultimately, I was playing the same games, and the satisfaction of each upgrade gradually diminished until I couldn't justify it anymore.

(Plus, nothing would ever top the wonderful sweet spot that was the Q6600 + 8800GT combo.)

There was also the issue that I just couldn't leave games alone sometimes. I'd keep adjusting settings and modding things to get them "just right", which was especially bad in the first hour or so. I don't think I ever really enjoyed the opening of any PC game because that was prime tinkering time.

Then when things would just sometimes to wrong for no apparent reason, I'd lose hours to troubleshooting. That never stopped being an awful experience.

I enjoyed my time with the platform – and I continue to believe it is an essential platform – but it just isn't for me anymore. I'm too fussy for it and having options taken away from me actually helps me relax and just enjoy the game without thinking what I could improve.

Click to shrink...

I feel like im on track to this. I'm gonna try to reverse this.

 

[Spark]

I hope people read threads like this when debateing whether releasing Microsoft or Sony games on PC will cannibalize console sales. The two markets are distinct with different demographics, no reason to not go after more revenue.

 

[Equanimity]

Yep. I stopped gaming on PC when current-gen consoles launched, haven't looked back since.

Console gaming has never been better than it is now.

 

[Intraxidance]

Can't do it. There are just too many fantastic games that will never get console releases. Consoles do not have nearly the breadth of content that PC has.

 

[Artifice]

I stopped gaming on PC with current gen consoles. It was just more convenient. I did not have to deal with numerous menu settings.

Do not get me wrong - it was fine when I started playing on PC, but when I switched over I was at a place in life that I had to choose convenience or I had to stop gaming. I chose convenience and I have not regretted it.