There was a time that PC gaming was seen to take a back seat to the console. In the changing technological world though this is slowly changing, and the reason for this is that the console cannot catch up with the speed the PC is upgrading. Is the PC really a competition for the dominance of the gaming console though?
With the release of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 there were high hopes for the “next generation” of console. With the expectation of fans for 1080p gaming and 60 frames-per-second it soon become apparent that both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 could not always manage these speeds. The PC though could provide this, at a price.
The simple fact comes down to the speed of the evolution of gaming technology. Whether it be the processor, graphics card, memory, or even storage, the PC sees many increases in performance. With the versatility of the hardware meaning that upgrades can be done easily (but at a price) the PC can also have that new power straight away. The problem for the console is that it cannot.
If the console is going to be able to compete with the PC on this stage, there needs to be a way to upgrade the machines on-the-fly, and not be dependent on new models being released. We are seeing this in action with the rumoured PlayStation 4 Neo. Console owners are understandably reluctant to upgrade to this machine, and understandably so. This is one are the PC has the advantage.
The other advantage is in the versatility of gaming style. The PC is open not only to the latest Triple-A games, but also conciser bingo games, casual games, and the latest MOBA instalments. Upgrades to these games are provided at a faster pace, and have less restrictions than consoles. One drawback though is some of the shambolic releases the PC has seen. Look to Assassin’s Creed Unity, and Batman: Arkham Knight for examples of that.
The PC is a challenge to console gaming simply through the power it can provide. This may not be to everybody’s taste, and the consoles provide an ease of use that the PC often cannot give. What cannot be ignored though is the fact that PC gaming is becoming stronger, and consoles have more of a challenge than ever.