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PC is finally the golden standard for gaming

My only concern with PC gaming is that I often find myself troubleshooting and forum browsing for hours on end just to get a simple game to work. It recently took me almost a whole day to get RE4 running at the right resolution and without my screen being off-center. And I got my "fix" from a 5 year old forum post with no replies.

My Xbox downloads updates while it's turned off, and makes sure everything works with the flick of a switch. Literal plug and play. It simply always works.
I'm not trying to discredit your story, but I don't get this. I have played Resident Evil 4 so many times (I'm probably one of that game's biggest fans on this forum), reinstalled it several times after storage upgrades, and even installed the latest "Remaster/HD" mods. And none of those times, have I ever had an issue with installing or running the game.

I keep reading people that say that they do nothing but mess with settings because PC supposedly doesn't work out of the box. Based on my own personal experience, I would say that's a myth. Every game I've played has worked out of the box, and only about 2 or 3 I had to change PC settings (e.g., Grand Theft Auto V didn't initially have audio) that took like 30 seconds to Google.
 

Nautilus

Banned
FF alive and thriving?

final-fantasy-giggle.gif
Hey, FF 7 Remake was a masterpiece, even if I hated that they butchered the game into tiny pieces.

But fine, you do have a point about the thriving part.Unless FF 16 turns out to be amazing.Then we can say is thriving again.

All hail Nomura!
 

Dutchy

Member
I'm not trying to discredit your story, but I don't get this. I have played Resident Evil 4 so many times (I'm probably one of that game's biggest fans on this forum), reinstalled it several times after storage upgrades, and even installed the latest "Remaster/HD" mods. And none of those times, have I ever had an issue with installing or running the game.

I keep reading people that say that they do nothing but mess with settings because PC supposedly doesn't work out of the box. Based on my own personal experience, I would say that's a myth. Every game I've played has worked out of the box, and only about 2 or 3 I had to change PC settings (e.g., Grand Theft Auto V didn't initially have audio) that took like 30 seconds to Google.
The majority of times I have played (or tried to play) games on PC, have given me major issues. Often driver related, or tied to super specific hardware incompatibilities.

Maybe you're simply more of a PC buff than the average consumer, including those with gaming PC's. So whatever issues we're getting may simply be negligent to you.

I'll boot up RE4 a couple times tonight and snag a screenshot whenever it loads with the 25% of the screen missing. Which still does occur for me. But continously tabbing in and out of task manager fixes this (appearantly it has to do with the fact that I have three monitors?). Anything that won't have me come off as a liar.
 

DukeNukem00

Banned
Agreed, and this is why I'm so confused at the various "I have to tinker with the settings forever, nothing works!" posts.

Building a PC these days is glorified Lego, and getting things to work on the software side is incredibly easy.

It always was, frankly. Even in the earliest days, 80s, 90s. You would just put floppy disk's in and follow the instructions. Im sure you know the youtube channel LGR. Watch him install each and every single game in his videos. There is zero shit that needs to be done. He opens the game box, he puts in the first disk and starts the setup. Then boots the game. Of course it wasnt as automated and bulletproof as today, but i dont think it ever was this complicated journey some people are trying to make it out to be
 
The majority of times I have played (or tried to play) games on PC, have given me major issues. Often driver related, or tied to super specific hardware incompatibilities.

Maybe you're simply more of a PC buff than the average consumer, including those with gaming PC's. So whatever issues we're getting may simply be negligent to you.

I'll boot up RE4 a couple times tonight and snag a screenshot whenever it loads with the 25% of the screen missing. Which still does occur for me. But continously tabbing in and out of task manager fixes this (appearantly it has to do with the fact that I have three monitors?). Anything that won't have me come off as a liar.
I don't think you're a liar at all. Notice I started my post with "not trying to discredit your story."

I am a software engineer by trade, but when it comes to gaming PC usage, I'm just a regular shmuck like everyone else. I'm not a superuser by any means. I don't do anything special, really; just apply Windows patches when they tell me to, apply patches to the GPU whenever AMD or Nvidia tell me to (I've used both of their software utilities since I own GPUs from both of them), and install Steam and apply patches to Steam and to individual games whenever Steam tells me to. That's all, beyond that I don't ever touch any settings, any files... anything, really.
 

Dutchy

Member
I don't think you're a liar at all. Notice I started my post with "not trying to discredit your story."

I am a software engineer by trade, but when it comes to gaming PC usage, I'm just a regular shmuck like everyone else. I'm not a superuser by any means. I don't do anything special, really; just apply Windows patches when they tell me to, apply patches to the GPU whenever AMD or Nvidia tell me to (I've used both of their software utilities since I own GPUs from both of them), and install Steam and apply patches to Steam and to individual games whenever Steam tells me to. That's all, beyond that I don't ever touch any settings, any files... anything, really.
I'm a freelance animator/editor. Though it hasn't been my main job for a long while. I have a great rig, but know absolutely nothing about PC's outside of the Adobe Software. It's possible that we're overcomplicating our own issue's, of course. But my personal experience is that very few of my games really worked as intended. If there's any chance you could help with the following two issues then that'd be great. Who knows I could learn a thing or two as well.

Metal Gear Rising: Mouse cursor won't disappear from my screen no matter what I try and it's incredibly annoying.
Apex Legends: This game maxes out my GPU to the point where I'm getting worried. Despite playing a lot more demanding games. Putting the graphics from max to low(est) makes absolutely no difference either. Which shouldn't make any sense, right?
 

Ellery

Member
I'm struggling to hit 100 fps in AAA games which is the minimum playable with a 3080 and that's with quite a few compromises so why would I want more graphically intensive games?

Now imagine people with much worse GPUs. The hardware is not there yet and I would argue games are pushing the envelope too much.

You should try to change some taxing graphic settings that give no increase in visual fidelity. You also should make sure that it is actual your GPU bottlenecking in that scenario. Some games are being held back by optimization, CPU or RAM (latency/MHZ).
Some games have PC graphic settings that tank your GPU performance by 20%+ going from High to Ultra and all those settings do is higher resolution god rays behind clouds etc.
Other than that more games are getting DLSS support make sure to turn that on.
 

Dutchy

Member
Almost forgot (I don't know how to edit posts on here): DmC: Won't start at all because 'Steam has to run in order for this game to work'. But it will say that even when Steam is running. Internet told me to verify files and restart Steam/PC but no bueno :(
 
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Man, PC fans can come off so desperate for validation sometimes.
This is not specific to PC; every platform has an obnoxious portion of the fan base.

Most PC fans I know (including people from this forum) just enjoy talking about and playing games on PC. They don't care for or need any validation from other people. The validation is provided in beautiful graphics and smooth framerates 😎
 
This is not specific to PC; every platform has an obnoxious portion of the fan base.

Most PC fans I know (including people from this forum) just enjoy talking about and playing games on PC. They don't care for or need any validation from other people. The validation is provided in beautiful graphics and smooth framerates 😎
PC gamers can even say they don't need validation without needing validation.
 
I have to say... I'm a huge fan of the original Resident Evil PlayStation trilogy. And I own those games on multiple platforms (PlayStation, Dreamcast, etc). But I started getting annoyed in the door loading, low blurry visuals, etc. Then Soodanim Soodanim taught me a trick on how to get the PC versions working -- not just working, but with mods that have so many QoL enhancements that I practically can't play any other version of those games anymore. I'm not exaggerating when I say it breathed new life into those games (that I already loved).

This was only possible on PC. I'm sure there are no shortage of stories like mine, where someone was able to patch/mod a game into exactly what they wanted.
 
Outside of Nintendo's gimmicks, console gaming hasn't really brought anything to the table (aside from cash, which has its plusses and minuses) since 3dfx Voodoo came out in the mid 90s.
200.gif
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
FF 7 Remake a masterpiece?

tumblr_inline_pjz8l2Cuun1qh4qwy_540.png
B-b-but the journalists! Look at the metacritic man! That surely can't be wrong, right?

fellowkids.jpg

How do you do fellow PC gamers.
Man, I'm really getting bogged down by constant IRQ conflicts and drivers issues!
My ATI Radeon just packed up and left me.

She never liked how I spent my afternoons defraggin' my HDD and browsing PcGamingWiki for fixes instead of playing with her. Now I'm alone, again...
 

Boss Man

Member
Nope, the value proposition is still way worse (unless you buy a ton of brand new games) and the UX for a couch gamer is still really bad.

I mean, it is the gold standard but it’s not “worth it” objectively speaking. Even if I could get a PC that’s the same as a PS5 for the price (I can’t) I wouldn’t choose Steam prices + experience over the PS5 ecosystem right now. Maybe if I was sitting at a desk?

The one thing PC has is better VR options, but again the cost is just so high and PSVR2 is coming.
 
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Hari Seldon

Member
I have been PC gaming since the 90s and despite owning every console I still game 99% of the time on PC. The only time I use my consoles are for a new Nintendo game or my ass needs a break from sitting in my office chair. I'd say the same thing that I always said, if you only play AAA console games then just get a console. But if you want to play other shit then you need a PC. Out of all the gaming I do, AAA console style gaming is an extreme minority which is why PC is my preferred platform.
 

SenkiDala

Member
I'm not trying to discredit your story, but I don't get this. I have played Resident Evil 4 so many times (I'm probably one of that game's biggest fans on this forum), reinstalled it several times after storage upgrades, and even installed the latest "Remaster/HD" mods. And none of those times, have I ever had an issue with installing or running the game.

I keep reading people that say that they do nothing but mess with settings because PC supposedly doesn't work out of the box. Based on my own personal experience, I would say that's a myth. Every game I've played has worked out of the box, and only about 2 or 3 I had to change PC settings (e.g., Grand Theft Auto V didn't initially have audio) that took like 30 seconds to Google.
Everytime I talk to a person saying that "PC gaming sucks, bugs everywhere, boohoo I lost my save file, games are always crashing", after few minutes of discussion I figure out they're playing shitty ripped warez versions... Litteraly 100% of times. Those same people needs to watch a youtube tutorial to plug an HDMI cable (let's not talk bout building PC or just adding ram, oh nono "I"m not an engineer" they'll answer), so... yeah no surprises here.

Been playing PC gaming (along with consoles) for decades and never had any problem... As long as you're able to read and understand what you read...
 

kingfey

Banned
My only concern with PC gaming is that I often find myself troubleshooting and forum browsing for hours on end just to get a simple game to work. It recently took me almost a whole day to get RE4 running at the right resolution and without my screen being off-center. And I got my "fix" from a 5 year old forum post with no replies.

My Xbox downloads updates while it's turned off, and makes sure everything works with the flick of a switch. Literal plug and play. It simply always works.
Are you playing old games?
The only time you have issues, is when you are playing old games. These sucks, since you need to trouble shoot alot.

Newer games dont have these issues, aside of poor optimization.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Nope, the value proposition is still way worse (unless you buy a ton of brand new games) and the UX for a couch gamer is still really bad.

I mean, it is the gold standard but it’s not “worth it” objectively speaking. Even if I could get a PC that’s the same as a PS5 for the price (I can’t) I wouldn’t choose Steam prices + experience over the PS5 ecosystem right now. Maybe if I was sitting at a desk?

The one thing PC has is better VR options, but again the cost is just so high and PSVR2 is coming.
PC can be plugged into TV.
PC can be controlled with gamepad.
PC can be comfy too.
 

Dutchy

Member
Are you playing old games?
The only time you have issues, is when you are playing old games. These sucks, since you need to trouble shoot alot.

Newer games dont have these issues, aside of poor optimization.
Mostly, yeah. Aside from Apex which simply destroys my GPU for no particular reason. There's a bunch of newer games that I can play without any issue.

That's good to know though. Appreaciate the heads-up. Seems like nobody in here wants to admit that PC gaming isn't as ''fool-proof'' as they make it out to be. Not in it's totality at least. Appearently I'm an idiot for not getting some games to work despite doing nothing out of the ordinary.
 

kingfey

Banned
Nope, the value proposition is still way worse (unless you buy a ton of brand new games) and the UX for a couch gamer is still really bad.

I mean, it is the gold standard but it’s not “worth it” objectively speaking. Even if I could get a PC that’s the same as a PS5 for the price (I can’t) I wouldn’t choose Steam prices + experience over the PS5 ecosystem right now. Maybe if I was sitting at a desk?

The one thing PC has is better VR options, but again the cost is just so high and PSVR2 is coming.
PC has XBOX+PS games. It has all timed exclusive games. It has tons of shooter and mmo games. PC has all BC games, which your PS5 doesn't.

Please dont compare PC to consoles.
 

Boss Man

Member
PC can be plugged into TV.
PC can be controlled with gamepad.
PC can be comfy too.
These things are all true but also a better experience with (cheaper) consoles.

My PS5 looks nicer in the living room and the OS is made for a gamepad and a TV. I actually looked into options for a gaming OS last time I was looking to build a PC and there’s nothing that seems viable. I quit at researching modifying Windows to boot directly into the Steam gamepad view.

There’s actually no way to turn a PC into a console experience and even if there was the PC I’d build would be the best bang for buck, and that just turns out to be buying a game console.
 
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kingfey

Banned
Mostly, yeah. Aside from Apex which simply destroys my GPU for no particular reason. There's a bunch of newer games that I can play without any issue.

That's good to know though. Appreaciate the heads-up. Seems like nobody in here wants to admit that PC gaming isn't as ''fool-proof'' as they make it out to be. Not in it's totality at least. Appearently I'm an idiot for not getting some games to work despite doing nothing out of the ordinary.
These problems are faulty drivers, which is caused by updates.

Arkham games has these issues, where it just goes blank. You will need to download the newest windows direct x packages.




This should help fix most of your issues.

Also, windows 10 is pain in the ass sometimes. Try windows 11, if you can.
 
If these kinds of threads teach me anything, it's the huge amount of misconceptions around PC gaming.

It's perfectly fine to like consoles (I myself grew up with Sony consoles and some of my favorite games of all time were at some point, or still are to this day, PS1/PS2 exclusives. I still own a lot of retro consoles).

But preferring consoles doesn't mean that you have to spread lies about PC.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
These things are all true but also a better experience with (cheaper) consoles.

My PS5 looks nicer in the living room and the OS is made for a gamepad and a TV. I actually looked into options for a gaming OS last time I was looking to build a PC and there’s nothing that seems viable. I quit at researching modifying Windows to boot directly into Steam.
Yeah, I guess that if you want to just press one button and start playing, consoles are the way to go.

Thing is, for me at least, having to press 3 or 4 buttons instead of one, or even walking a few steps between the PC and the couch, is a non issue, specially when compared to all the things I'd miss from PC if I went full console.

Some people prefer the things the PC can offer over the console, and some others just want to game and get comfy. Different strokes and all that. :)
 

kingfey

Banned
These things are all true but also a better experience with (cheaper) consoles.

My PS5 looks nicer in the living room and the OS is made for a gamepad and a TV. I actually looked into options for a gaming OS last time I was looking to build a PC and there’s nothing that seems viable. I quit at researching modifying Windows to boot directly into the Steam gamepad view.
That is not correct PC.
What you really need is big picture, which will give you ps5 like experience.

Normal stuff can mess up your pc, if you arent careful.

While PS5 is a great console, it still lacks in some key areas.

I like the ability to minimize my games, while I check YouTube or guides, in order to find solution for what I need. I can do that on my phone. But browser on pc makes it faster to get what you need.
 

Boss Man

Member
I’m actually really surprised there aren’t more specialized gaming OS’s. Last time I was looking into it I remember Steam on Linux was getting a lot more support and considered SteamOS, but it looked like it was on its last legs.

I was basically trying to recreate a console experience with beefier specs. It would have been complicated (small form factor + limited/no OS options) and cost 3x as much as a console.

I probably would have eaten the price just to play EUIV on the TV and have control over my specs but the lack of a good/seamless UX killed it. I hope the dream of SteamOS stays alive.
 
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Dutchy

Member
If these kinds of threads teach me anything, it's the huge amount of misconceptions around PC gaming.

It's perfectly fine to like consoles (I myself grew up with Sony consoles and some of my favorite games of all time were at some point, or still are to this day, PS1/PS2 exclusives. I still own a lot of retro consoles).

But preferring consoles doesn't mean that you have to spread lies about PC.
So we're back to spreading lies? I already thought it was odd to not discredit my experience while calling it a myth two lines later.

Anyway, I prefer PC over console as of now. It's the versatility of being able to listen to music, watch movies, make stuff in adobe, browse the internet, and play games all on one machine. But I'm not letting my platform of choice get in the way of rational thinking. I'm not the only one who has tons of issues playing games on PC. And your resident evil 4 working fine is hardly evident of it being a fool-proof system.
These problems are faulty drivers, which is caused by updates.

Arkham games has these issues, where it just goes blank. You will need to download the newest windows direct x packages.




This should help fix most of your issues.

Also, windows 10 is pain in the ass sometimes. Try windows 11, if you can.
Thanks! Though I'm almost certain everything is up-to-date, I will still give this a try. I really just want to play Metal Gear Rising without my mouse cursor following my every move.

What's your take on games being ported from console to PC? I've noticed how they're often not very indicative of the oldschool experience. Minor, but key differences that somewhat ruin the experience for me. Halo 2 and Halo 3 being some of the most extreme examples. I think it's the 30 to 60fps that messes up the framing/timing/pacing a lot of in-game mechanics.
 
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yes


considering it barely affected the games, yes.


no, but it still wasn't specialized controller, nor it invented motion controls


yes


If thats what you're framing as innovation, PC also innovate all the time.
The 3DS 3D was such a great innovation that Nintendo moved on from it in the following hardware, people turned it off when playing and there was a model without it.

Dual screens was terribly clumsy and Nintendo moved on from it later.

Wii motion controls were garbage and got dropped in the following console.

The hybrid console is a good idea but the Joy-Con itself it no good.

People give Nintendo way too much credit for all of this weird stuff, there are plenty of weird ideas on the PC space that didn't get anywhere like 3D Vision, multi monitor support or some other nonsense that I can't even remember.
 
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Dutchy

Member
I didn't say it was you at all.

You're actually one of the more reasonable posters in this thread.
Thanks. But it still doesn't sit right with me. I'm sure there's a lot of people with a stick up their ass who simply do not want to admit the positives of PC gaming. But I think it'd be a lot more encouraging if we tried to help anyone who's having troubles with playing games on PC.
 

Mozzarella

Member
It seems some users are saying PC gaming is in a bad spot because it has no AAA exclusives and i get that, but i dont mind it at all, because FUCK exclusives.

I think PC is good not because exclusives or graphics, but because of its multi purpose.
You can have a big library of games from old generations back, you can emulate consoles and nintendo, you can install tons of great mods, you can use it for video editing, making programs, doing all sort of stuff, and the online is free.
That's the appeal and not some 955352 framerates or ultra 61k with ray tracing, or some AAAAAA exclusive that has real life graphics.
But if you want some exclusives there is some, games like Alyx and the remake of HL1 Black Mesa and some indie games, but that's not really important to me.
I would love old PC centric devs to make games again but i would want them to release them (probably 1 year later) to console so they get a good port too.
Divinity OS2 and Disco Elysium were PC exclusives and they were ported to consoles and now can be enjoyed by all gamers.

I agree only with the point of PC centric devs doing less games not because of exclusivity but because we need more awesome games, and sadly those companies either died or became soulless cookie cutter product machines.
Generally as a gaming enthusiast you would want to own at least 2 platforms, preferably 3.
 
Thanks. But it still doesn't sit right with me. I'm sure there's a lot of people with a stick up their ass who simply do not want to admit the positives of PC gaming. But I think it'd be a lot more encouraging if we tried to help anyone who's having troubles with playing games on PC.
Very well said, and that's fair. There are a lot of GAFers here willing to help. (Myself included, even though my specialized knowledge with these things is minimal.) It's actually thanks to GAF that I became a primarily PC player.

But otherwise... If this is going to be a debate on the merits of the platforms, I guess I was lamenting that some of the anti-PC arguments were made either in ignorance or in bad faith. That's all.
 

kingfey

Banned
What's your take on games being ported from console to PC? I've noticed how they're often not very indicative of the oldschool experience. Minor, but key differences that somewhat ruin the experience for me. Halo 2 and Halo 3 being some of the most extreme examples. I think it's the 30 to 60fps that messes up the framing/timing/pacing a lot of in-game mechanics.
They are shit experience at launch. Some of them get iron out later, and some don't.
Its all depend on the publisher and the devs.
Nier automata was shit on steam, before gamepass fixed the issue. Then we got steam fix, after steam user started to get mad.

Its a hit or a miss.
 
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