Nvidia says "PC is far superior" to any console gaming platform

[Russ Boswell]

Are you trying to decide between an Xbox One and a PS4? According to Nvidia you should just skip both consoles and grab yourself a PC. Matt Wright, consumer sales manager at Nvidia, is shaking up the console wars with some recent comments he made in an interview with MCV. According to Wright, "The PC platform is far superior to any console when it comes to gaming." This is an argument that has been made six ways to Sunday, and this isn't the first time that Nvidia has compared PCs to consoles.

The company is hopeful it can rope in some more customers who may be on the fence about what's best for them in this newest generation of gaming. Wright spoke about the company's plan during the interview: 

"We are proposing small form-factor PCs to be a viable alternative to the next-gen consoles. Enthusiast players want the ultimate games system and that is the PC. We want to make PC gaming as simple as possible and we think that it's already becoming much more relevant and appealing to casual gamers."

It seems that Nvidia has recognized that complexity is a real issue that separates PC and console gaming. Although some people may not feel it's a big deal, others certainly prefer a console for the simplicity of popping a disc in and playing. Wright went on to speak about Steam's influence on the market: 

“Steam now has more users than Xbox Live. There is a whole new generation who grew up playing on PC with titles like Minecraft or World of Tanks. There’s a huge community who love playing their games on PC.”

Consoles have been around for a long time, but I believe that Wright is talking about the most recent "generation gap," where games like Minecraft and WoW have caught the attention of adolescents. These kids will "grow up" loving PC, much like children grew up loving the NES or the Playstation. Complexity barriers won't be an issue for the generation that was adopted by PC.

As much as I enjoy consoles, and as often as I play them, there is a lot of truth to the statement that PCs offer advanced gaming. Between mods and upgrades alone, there is a lot of room for games to grow and flourish on PC, certainly more-so than the DLC packs we see on console. But there are also some key arguments that can be made for consoles, specifically on the fronts of exclusivity and price point.

One of my biggest quarrels with PC gaming is that I am unable to rent games. I use Gamefly to get most of the titles I play, and it allows me to enjoy more games, as I don't have to spend $30 - $60 on every title. Sure, Steam sales are great, but they don't offer sales on every game I want, and even at $20 a pop it still adds up over a prolonged period of time. I'll be the first to tell you that PC offers a lot more functionality over a console, although consoles appear to become more and more "PC-like" each generation, in terms of hardware. If I could rent games for PC like I do for Xbox One or PS4, I'd be much more likely to invest in a PC over anything else. 

Then there is still the argument of exclusivity. There are some games you just can't get on PC. Take for example Grand Theft Auto 5 and Dead Rising 3, two big titles that offer a lot of fun, but can only be enjoyed on a console. I am also a fan of JRPGs, and though some are starting to pop up on PC, you see most of them hitting consoles. 

I think as time progresses, the argument will become less and less about hardware superiority and more about how many exclusive games a specific platform has, or how expensive titles are to secure for a given system. I understand Nvidia's argument, and I'm not saying that they're wrong, I'm simply saying that they aren't seeing the entire picture here. 

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/54853-nvidia-says-pc-is-far-superior-to-any-console-gaming-platform.html

 

[wastedkill]

Game at top is Payday and obv pc is far superior to any console even when a new "Next-Gen" console gets released its already 2-3yrs out of date...

Pc gaming has the community that mod games, improves them, makes new free DLC and guess what? You can have no restrictions to what you can do on the pc unlike console...

 

[insect]

Forgot the mention the "lifetime" of a game. My experience is that most console games you play through once and then move on. On PC I can play the same game for months because it is evolving with patches, mods, new players, multiplayer, etc. Blizzard games are particularly good at this, but also Borderlands and Valve games (I.e, TF2).

 

[EEatGDL]

Putting the same amount of money in a PC than you would on a next-gen console, you can easily have a far better experience: larger HDD (1 TB), same RAM (8 GB), good graphics (HD 7870), decent processor (FX-6300), a lot cheaper games, and you may even include a [360] controller to feel more familiar when coming from console.

My cousins want a PC this Christmas instead of a next-gen console simply because of those points, they had PS3 and 360 and they suffered a lot to get new games (they were pre-teens when they got them, now starting high school) simply because at least here are too expensive -buying 3 brand new games cost the same as buying another console. When they saw all the games I got with less than $150 USD their jaws dropped considering I could play 5 different titles for the next 12 months in average vs the 15 different titles they could gather in the last 7 years. And now showing them the Steam, Origin and Amazon sales they got all the more convinced -looking at the prices of titles such as Batman AO, Skyrim, AC IV, etc.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

Obviously NVidia would be saying this right now since none of their chips are powering these next-gen consoles. They're losing out on a lot of money because of console sales and the hype surrounding the launch of these new consoles. They gotta speak up and try and boost their sales. What they don't want people focusing on is the cost of a new PC that would be superior to a PS4 or an XBox 180. Can you purchase a PC that is superior to a next-gen console for less than the price of a next-gen console? Probably not. High end videocards can cost as much as the entire next-gen console if you got the money to burn.

insect,
I thought the PS3 was the first console to actually offer updates on already released PS3 games through PSN Network or whatever its called these days..am I wrong?

I still agree with you, PC is and always will be my choice for games, what little I play them these days. But still lets not distort the facts for others trying to decide.

 

[BMfan]

Wow Nvidia is soo smart or they had help coming up with that idea.

Nvidia PLZ keep quite now,we know you have nothing to do with current gen consoles,so you
don't need to come out with stupid statements every couple of weeks.
Next year I will still be buying a new PS4 even if you came out and said that the $100 PC is better.

 

[Prosercunus]

I am currently having some overheating issues with my GTX 580 related to some driver problems and I am still saying PC gaming is a par above console gaming. I think the problem is that some people are just too afraid to jump into anything remotely complicated outside of hooking up an hdmi cable and pressing the power button.

 

[TheDevopsGuy]

I am currently having some overheating issues with my GTX 580 related to some driver problems and I am still saying PC gaming is a par above console gaming. I think the problem is that some people are just too afraid to jump into anything remotely complicated outside of hooking up an hdmi cable and pressing the power button.

donlt forget about the need of upgrading your pc frequent if your an enthusiast gamer you can switch your gfx card easily once per year or 2 years depends on how hard your on gaming some people just don't bother pc gaming cause of that

 

[cliffordcooley]

Can you purchase a PC that is superior to a next-gen console for less than the price of a next-gen console? Probably not. High end videocards can cost as much as the entire next-gen console if you got the money to burn.

However high-end components are not needed for making superior PC than a console. Matching performance, you may still be right about the cost. But then when a PC is built, it is not confined to only playing games either. I want all my processing needs/desires confined to only one space.

I prefer PC's because they will do it all, excluding exclusive titles. I'll let the donating fish bite that exclusive title hook. If they want their titles reaching everyone, they will make them available to all platforms.

In light of all the consoles being AMD based, nVidia should be concentrating on promoting the Steam console with nVidia gear.

donlt forget about the need of upgrading your pc frequent

Thats not a need, that is a desire to stay on top of the I play at highest settings. Don't forget you are comparing to a console, which I hear in several threads consoles are no where near PC highest settings. If you are going to compare to console, then there is no need to upgrade passed the qualifications of a console.

 

[oldikes]

I prefer PC's because they will do it all, excluding exclusive titles.

O.O

 

[m4a4]

Translation: "We don't have our cards in the next-gen consoles, so we want you to go PC and buy ours"

But seriously, this is a subjective topic. There are no clear winners. Only a graphics ***** would argue PC for better looking games. Gamers care more about gameplay...

 

[jetkami]

PC= Potential for your rig to grow (SLI or Crossfire)
Console= Deadin the water.

Obviously NVidia would be saying this right now since none of their chips are powering these next-gen consoles. They're losing out on a lot of money because of console sales and the hype surrounding the launch of these new consoles. They gotta speak up and try and boost their sales. What they don't want people focusing on is the cost of a new PC that would be superior to a PS4 or an XBox 180. Can you purchase a PC that is superior to a next-gen console for less than the price of a next-gen console? Probably not. High end videocards can cost as much as the entire next-gen console if you got the money to burn.

insect,
I thought the PS3 was the first console to actually offer updates on already released PS3 games through PSN Network or whatever its called these days..am I wrong?

I still agree with you, PC is and always will be my choice for games, what little I play them these days. But still lets not distort the facts for others trying to decide.

 

[Lurker101]

If nVidia really want to help the PC gaming market expand, they could always drop the price of their graphics cards to a sensible level.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Any serious gamer knows PC gaming offers more, and they don't need nvidia to remind them. Nvidia is making noise right now about it because of what FatClowns mentioned, that Nvidia isn't making anything off console sales, and also because the only time in the generation of a console that it could be even considered to be better than a PC is within the first year or so after the console comes out.

During 2014 game developers will learn how to make great games for the XB1 and PS4 and they will probably be better than what you could get for PC, except for maybe your very top end gaming PC. But looking to 2016 and forward, PC's hardware will pull ahead again, just like it was for the last 4 years.

 

[theBest11778]

I've played consoles games since I got an NES when I was 3 years old. I started playing PC games in the late 80s. Since then consoles and PCs have always had a place in my home. Consoles mostly for party games, and exclusives, and PCs for FPS games, and also exclusives. Before the Xbox 360 PC had a fair share of exclusive titles, but last generation pushed them to consoles to boost sales (Remember Crysis would NEVER make it to the X360 or PS3??? Right...) I found myself buying games for my Xbox, to play with friends, then paying for the same game again on Steam because if I wanted to replay the game, might as well have a nice graphics boost. This went on for awhile, until I tried going console exclusive to save some money. I'd sell my PC, then buy a new one a few months later. I couldn't do it, so I tried it one more time this time with the Xbox One. I was playing BF4 on X360, and actually enjoyed the game, so I figured getting it on XBO (for only $10 to upgrade,) was a no brainer. I could get PC like graphics, play with my friends, and it didn't cost a fortune.

My experience with the Xbox One changed all of that. The graphic quality between the X360 and XBO versions of BF4 are minimal, load times are similar, and the controller settings aren't calibrated for the higher frame rate like it was for the X360. In fact, in my opinion, the XBO version of the game was inferior to the X360's. That was my final straw. I'm currently selling my XBO (Less than a week since launch,) and bought the parts for another PC off Newegg's black Friday deals. I was so disappointed that I'm willing to take a loss with only a week of ownership, but I don't care. The PC I built costs 2x as much, but is 4x faster (TFlops.) This generation will be an amazing let down. Once PCs are gaming at 4K resolutions at 60+ FPS people who care about quality will switch quick. 4K 60FPS graphics cards for $300-$500 are only a year and 1/2 away (2 more generations.) MS thinks the XBO will last 10 years. I don't see that happening.

 

[Sarcasm]

What nvidia is also forgetting is simplicity of the average consumer. They don't know (or care) what a graphics card is. They just know that box or device plays games and movies.

 

[Guest]

WORD!

 

[Prosercunus]

I am currently having some overheating issues with my GTX 580 related to some driver problems and I am still saying PC gaming is a par above console gaming. I think the problem is that some people are just too afraid to jump into anything remotely complicated outside of hooking up an hdmi cable and pressing the power button.

donlt forget about the need of upgrading your pc frequent if your an enthusiast gamer you can switch your gfx card easily once per year or 2 years depends on how hard your on gaming some people just don't bother pc gaming cause of that

That's only true if you are absolutely hardcore and need to have the maximum graphics on every single game. Even med-high settings on an older video card is still going to look better on true high definition compared to anything a console has to offer.

 

[Chuck Cortes]

I always enjoy people who seem to be OK with the fact that the average person's education is so low that we need gaming consoles because they are easier to use. just like the people who claim the reason Apple products are more popular is because they are easier to use. Because god forbid we would care about our education enough to want to use more complicated things which are likely to be better.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I always enjoy people who seem to be OK with the fact that the average person's education is so low that we need gaming consoles because they are easier to use. just like the people who claim the reason Apple products are more popular is because they are easier to use. Because god forbid we would care about our education enough to want to use more complicated things which are likely to be better.

I know, right! So insulting! lol

 

[amstech]

Nvidia does sound a little sour but hidden in their comments is a good point. If console gaming is all about gameplay then how much more are you getting by upgrading from a PS3/360 to a PS4/Xbox1?
While I am sure these new consoles will have enough power to distinguish themselves graphically from their older counterparts, will it be enough to justify a console upgrade alone?
My current 360S and PS3 handle all of my multimedia needs perfectly right now...bluray, renting movies, watching netflix/hulu and buying games online. I don't care for voice commands or Kinect/Move.
And GTA5 for my PS3 looks quite good.
I think as time goes on Big M and Sony will make more and more [new] games only available on the new consoles even though the 360/PS3 could run them fine.
For example, will Microsoft will make Halo 5 a Xbox1 exclusive? Surely Sony and Microsoft won't be so quick to eliminate their own stature.

 

[AnonymousSurfer]

Thank you Nvidia for stating the obvious...

 

[Guest]

"I understand Nvidia's argument, and I'm not saying that they're wrong, I'm simply saying that they aren't seeing the entire picture here. "

No, your problem is that you take their comment completely out of context. You clearly didn't read the part that reads "Wright told MCV that Nvidia recognises the hesitance from players towards the ‘complex’ PC market. Wright is working for a tech company so he's clearly looking at it from a tech point of view. Give the guy some credit, of course he fully understands why people pick a console, he's just saying that it should be possible to reduce the complexity gap between PC and consoles and nothing else. As for popular titles....c'mon hey...that has nothing to with consoles, it has to with products being popular. People didn't switch to consoles years ago because of more popular titles (actually they had less popular titles), but because of plug 'n play.

 

[hahahanoobs]

"As much as I enjoy consoles, and as often as I play them, there is a lot of truth to the statement that PCs offer advanced gaming. Between mods and upgrades alone, there is a lot of room for games to grow and flourish on PC, certainly more-so than the DLC packs we see on console. But there are also some key arguments that can be made for consoles, specifically on the fronts of exclusivity and price point."

You nailed it. I'm a PC only gamer and the whole elitist thing is stupid. No matter what you do to/on a PC, it will not equal the experience gamers get on consoles.

One thing I wouldn't mind having on PC that console gamers have, is one service that allows voice chat support in EVERY online multiplayer title with ONE friends list for all of them. I don't like having to flip flop from Skype to TS to Steam chat with friends lists for each of them. Even if would cost $60/year, I'd pay it in a heartbeat.

 

[bob333]

I think the problem is that some people are just too afraid to jump into anything remotely complicated outside of hooking up an hdmi cable and pressing the power button.

not "some", but "many"

this is the same situation as Android vs iOS. iOS users are mostly those who just want a decent, working phone, that's it. While Android users are actually looking for phones in which they are able to use all the features and have the total control in their hands, I believe many Android users are more Technical than many iOS users.