History MediaNotes / PCVsConsole

** On the other hand, the modding tools are PC-exclusive (which has been the case since ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', the first multi-platform ''Elder Scrolls'' game; both of these points are also the case for ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', which are from the same developer and publisher, respectively). In addition, Skyrim was the launch bed for Steam Workshop, which allows user-made content to be shared online and added to the game with a single click. The modding community for the ''Elder Scrolls'' series is very extensive, and within days of a launch of a game or DLC, modders will have already patched all the bugs left untouched by official patches, which are essentially PC-exclusive.

Another thing that commonly pops up is the issue of cross-generational compatibility. Consoles are rather notorious for requiring one to buy completely new hardware to play the next generations' games, and in only some cases, you can rarely use your new system to play games from the previous generation. (The backwards compatibility of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance were touted as ''selling points'' for those systems, and the removal of backwards compatibility from later models of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 caused a lot of DarthWiki/RuinedFOREVER cries.) For [=PCs=] this is less of an issue, but there have been a lot of bumps. It mostly showed up in recent years, but [[OlderThanTheyThink there have been problems with older games being incompatible with modern systems as far back as the '90s]]. Some games used to be on different formats, such as floppy discs, and even if you could buy a CD Version, there were still problems with it being unable to run without causing glitches. That is, if you can find them. Some games you just flat-out couldn't buy anymore for various reasons, and if you could get them, you'd have to use an emulator or a lot of fan-made patches so it would actually run and not look really really weird due to the resolution since they weren't made with computers 20 years later. To remedy the problems of backwards compatibility, as well as availability, companies have put up a "virtual console" or "Digital rerelease" version, and the PC in fact has a [=DOS=] emulator.

The thing that is [[TechnologyMarchesOn difficult to believe these days]] was that during this period, [=PCs=] simply were ''not good enough'': accelerated graphics was the exception rather than the norm with the [=PCs=], and developers were not able to ensure that their game run smoothly on [=PCs=]. During the first half of this decade, you can't even expect that a PC will have a sound card that works with your game. [=PCs=] were still considered business machines, and usually didn't come with sound cards at all, barring the emerging "multimedia" market. During the second half of this decade, [[MassSuperEmpoweringEvent the jump to 3D]] happened, bringing to households something that was previously only in arcades and massive rendering facilities. PC hardware manufacturers initially dismissed the idea of PC as serious competitors to 3D gaming consoles, but games like ''Quake III'' showed them the potentials. This is also the beginning of the stereotypes: PC gamers must tinker with their rig to get performance that can catch up to PS1, N64, and the like, and they were largely derisive of the kids who simply "did not earn their fun". The console gamers reacted by painting the PC gamers as insufferable nerds with no social life.

In 2015, the somewhat high specifications for the UsefulNotes/OculusRift are released, and it and at least one competing VR headset are months from launch. This could spell the end of the 'good enough' PC, while in the meantime Sony's Project Morpheus for the PS4 has yet to bear fruit but has received some good press. Stay tuned on that one, as the fates of both [=PCs=] and Consoles are uncertain with these factors in play.

2015 also saw the increasing number of games announced exclusively for one console AND PC, most commonly timed-exclusive PS4 and later PC combo, even when the console makers fund the game like in case of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. Possible explanations range from PC re-gaining enough ground to be relevant again, to rising costs of game development necessitating for the game to be on as many platforms as possible without breaking "exclusivity", to Sony and Microsoft not caring as long the games do not appear on the competitor's console.

One thing that's almost never mentioned is the developer's point of view. Consoles are easier to develop for because every single version of that console has (or should have; hard drive size will vary) the exact same hardware and firmware; it's much easier to tailor the game to the platform, and to push the platform to its limits. Meanwhile, the PC world doesn't ''have'' standardized hardware; you might be running one of three operating systems[[note]]Windows, Mac OS or Linux. For a long time, Windows was pretty much the default gaming OS, but this is starting to break down just a little now that more publishers and developers are serving Mac OS and Linux as well. Though both competitors biggest gains are in tablet and smartphone gaming.[[/note]], two manufacturers' style of graphics cards[[note]]AMD Radeon vs Nvidia Geforce[[/note]], two manufacturers' style of ''CPU''[[note]]Intel vs AMD[[/note]], and God only knows what amount of hard drive space and RAM. And to be popular, your game needs to be accessible to as many of these options as possible. Part of the reason that games like ''VideoGame/JurassicParkTrespasser'' and ''VideoGame/UltimaIX'' flopped was because most computers then available could not run them without melting down; likewise, part of the charm of games like ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', ''VideoGame/SinsOfASolarEmpire'' and pretty much all indie games in general is that you ''don't'' have to upgrade your computer to run them -- you could run them on lower-to-mid-end computers. To further confound it, there's the fact that the PC Format is constantly evolving, and nobody is able to stay "on top", even the most dedicated PC gamers don't bother to stay "on the top" because [[CrackIsCheaper nobody can afford it]]. Even buying a dedicated gaming PC can be a lot more expensive than buying one gaming system. Long story short, it's easier to make a game that "a PS3" can run than "computer''s''" can; and in the 2010s, where AAA games have Hollywood-movie-level budgets and expectations invested in them, lower risk and fewer variables makes everyone happy.

** One point of contention is the fact that, since the Xbox 360 has just a DVD drive (as opposed to PS3 supporting the comparatively-massive Blu-ray, and PC being able to just download games), ''every version'' of the game had to be massively cut down so it would fit on a reasonable number of DVD's for the 360 release.

On another end, anytime someone asks if a PC game has controller support, expect PC elitists to come out of the woodwork with varying levels of replies. This has become less of an issue now and days since the PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers can plug into a computer and work right away (the Dual Shock 3 may need tweaking to work) while the Wii Remote can connect via Bluetooth with some tweaking. Ironically, even though the USB specification defines "Human Input Devices" with controllers in mind and Microsoft had a working API for controllers, the Xbox 360 and its accompanying API, [=XInput=], became the de facto standard for PC controllers. Games that have controller support will work with a 360 controller beautifully, while devices that only follow the older API will behave strangely.

* The new generation of consoles for all intents and purposes are specialized gaming [=PCs=], abandoning the unique hardware architecture (Cell, Emotion Engine) that could cause troubles for developers (like it did for PS3 at the start of its life) and raise the already high costs.

On the other hand, while console platforms are easier to tailor a game for, [=PCs=] are easier for small indie studios to ''publish'' games for, with a wide variety of distribution options and technologies available and cheap or free open source game engines and [=SDKs=] to work with and no platform licensing fees. The digital distribution model is also more amenable to the smaller cheaper games that indie teams are capable of creating, and these smaller games tend to run well on the lower-powered laptops and tablets that are starting to be favored as new hardware purchases. Consoles have been fighting to alleviate this problem over the last decade, however, with markets such as UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade for Microsoft's systems, the PlayStationNetwork for Sony's systems, and the VirtualConsole for Nintendo's systems.

* ''VideoGame/CounterStrike: Global Offensive'' was originally planned to allow cross platform gaming between {{PlayStation 3}} players and PC players. To help even out the playing field, [=PS3=] players can use a keyboard and mouse with their console. However, Valve has since decided not to support cross-platform play.

With the success of Steam, other publishers tried get in on the act. Sony and Microsoft started to sell digital versions of games on their digital stores, with Sony even creating a version of their PlayStationPortable that forewent the UMD drive entirely and relied on downloading games. EA notably released a competitor to Steam called Origin, which launched with mixed results and controversy. [=GameStop=], traditionally known for its chain of brick-and-mortar gaming stores that mostly cater to the console crowd, also tried to get in on the action, buying the Impulse content delivery platform from Stardock and rebranding it as [=GameStop=] PC Downloads. All four also followed in Steam's wake with sales or other perks.

Soon into the decade, there were rumors about Sony's upcoming PlayStation4 (then known as Orbis) and Microsoft's XboxOne (known as Durango). Rumors were heavily pointing to the [=x86=] architecture and other components found in [=PCs=], which lead to the following conclusions:

Naturally, this results in many a FlameWar on the web, not to mention high levels of FanDumb. According to PC gamers, consoles are holding back the development of gaming due to outdated hardware, while console gamers are either immature adolescents or obnoxious frat boys screaming obscenities and racial slurs into the microphone, too stupid and/or lazy to learn how to use a computer, unwilling to play any game not RatedMForMoney, and likely unable to properly type their own name (at least, not without framing it in Xs and adding "420" at the end). According to console gamers, PC gamers are elitist nerds with no life who [[YouNeedToGetLaid need to get laid]], pour hundreds if not thousands of dollars into the latest hardware that will be outdated in two years, and consider themselves the [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation glorious master race]] despite living in their [[BasementDweller mom's basement]]. Unfortunately, magazines only reinforce these stereotypes, making gamers who play both or even exclusively one to yell "StopBeingStereotypical" every time they read the next issue of their gaming magazines.

One thing that's almost never mentioned is the developer's point of view. Consoles are easier to develop for because every single version of that console has (or should have; hard drive size will vary) the exact same hardware and firmware; it's much easier to tailor the game to the platform, and to push the platform to its limits. Meanwhile, the PC world doesn't ''have'' standardized hardware; you might be running one of three operating systems[[note]]Windows, Mac OS or Linux. For a long time, Windows was pretty much the default gaming OS, but this is starting to break down just a little now that more publishers and developers are serving Mac OS and Linux as well. Though both competitors biggest gains are in tablet and smartphone gaming.[[/note]], two manufacturers' style of graphics cards[[note]]AMD Radeon vs Nvidia[[/note]], two manufacturers' style of ''CPU''[[note]]Intel vs AMD[[/note]], and God only knows what amount of hard drive space and RAM. And to be popular, your game needs to be accessible to as many of these options as possible. Part of the reason that games like ''VideoGame/JurassicParkTrespasser'' and ''VideoGame/UltimaIX'' flopped was because most computers then available could not run them without melting down; likewise, part of the charm of games like ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', ''VideoGame/SinsOfASolarEmpire'' and pretty much all indie games in general is that you ''don't'' have to upgrade your computer to run them -- you could run them on lower-to-mid-end computers. To further confound it, there's the fact that the PC Format is constantly evolving, and nobody is able to stay "on top", even the most dedicated PC gamers don't bother to stay "on the top" because [[CrackIsCheaper nobody can afford it]]. Even buying a dedicated gaming PC can be a lot more expensive than buying one gaming system. Long story short, it's easier to make a game that "a PS3" can run than "computer''s''" can; and in the 2010s, where AAA games have Hollywood-movie-level budgets and expectations invested in them, lower risk and fewer variables makes everyone happy.

* PC gamers usually cite the computer's modding abilities, keyboard/mouse control along with the ability to use every control scheme you can think of[[note]]Even Kinect and the Wii Remote are usable on the PC[[/note]], cheaper games, better graphical capabilities, openness to indie games, free online play, and sheer practicality: ever since the late '90s, the PC has turned from an optional luxury to a necessity for modern life. Usually, it is also cheaper to build a very powerful gaming PC (especially if the more basic PC you [[ItsForABook have for homework or job-hunting anyway]] is a desktop model), although [[CrackIsCheaper pre-built [=PCs=] are another story]].

It should also be noted that some genres just naturally fit onto certain platforms better. RealTimeStrategy and other RealTime simulations are accepted by most people to be PC-only territory, due to the difficulties with attempting to "click and drag" with a joystick (''VideoGame/StarCraft'' is ''the'' most-played RTS in history, but its {{Nintendo 64}} port was a wipe), and trying to do a {{MMORPG}} on a console is probably suicidal (''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' have been the only console [=MMOs=] with financial success, and the latter started PC-only). Meanwhile, {{fighting game}}s belong in Console Country, since those games are designed for local multiplayer, which video arcades[[note]]And 6502-based home computers, but those haven't been in wide use since TheEighties. (Think the UsefulNotes/AppleII, the UsefulNotes/BBCMicro, and the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}}, the last of which used an updated derivative of the 6502.)[[/note]] have been offering since the '80s but which [=PCs=] only managed around 2006 once HDTV sets became affordable.[[note]]Individual PC games have attempted to make multiplayer using the same system, except that this can get very uncomfortable as a typical PC's monitor is big enough for ''one'' person.[[/note]] Today, the major battleground is the shooter genres (be it [[FirstPersonShooter first]] or [[ThirdPersonShooter third]]); wars have been fought, only some of them digital, over whether a game's console version or PC version was better. Initially, [=PCs=] had the edge, due to the awkwardness of gamepad controls in a shooting environment and the lack of Internet multiplayer, but then dual analog sticks, ''[[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 GoldenEye]]'' and ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' came along and collectively made those things work on a console, and from that day forward all bets were off.

Paradoxically, the advent of emulation can also be accepted as a reason for why console gaming is better, since a few emulators (such as the Everdrive) require you to download the games on a chip, which you can plug into a cartridge, which then can be plugged into a console (and thus gives access to all the titles that were released on that particular console). This has the advantage that it does not take any loading space. The disadvantage is that it does not directly update and that you thus have to update it regularly by yourself by reinstalling it on the PC to play the homebrew title for it that just came out. It also has an even less wider range of games you can play for it, as it can only work with cartridge-based consoles.

Naturally, this results in many a FlameWar on the web, not to mention high levels of FanDumb. According to PC gamers, consoles are holding back the development of gaming due to outdated hardware, while console gamers are either immature adolescents or obnoxious frat boys screaming obscenities into the microphone, too stupid and/or lazy to learn how to use a computer, unwilling to play any game not RatedMForMoney, and likely unable to properly type their own name. According to console gamers, PC gamers are elitist nerds with no life who pour hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars into the latest hardware that will be outdated in two years, and consider themselves the [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation glorious master race]] despite living in their [[BasementDweller mom's basement]]. Unfortunately, magazines only reinforce these stereotypes, making gamers who play both or even exclusively one to yell "StopBeingStereotypical" every time they read the next issue of their gaming magazines.

Naturally, this results in many a FlameWar on the web, not to mention high levels of FanDumb. According to PC gamers, consoles are holding back the development of gaming due to outdated hardware, while console gamers are either immature adolescents or obnoxious frat boys screaming obscenities into the microphone, too stupid and/or lazy to learn how to use a computer, unwilling to play any game not RatedMForMoney, and likely unable to properly type their own name. According to console gamers, PC gamers are elitist nerds with no life who pour hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars into the latest hardware that will be outdated in two years, and consider themselves the [[ZeroPunctuation glorious master race]] despite living in their [[BasementDweller mom's basement]]. Unfortunately, magazines only reinforce these stereotypes, making gamers who play both or even exclusively one to yell "StopBeingStereotypical" every time they read the next issue of their gaming magazines.

2015 also saw the increasing number of games announced exclusively for one console AND PC, most commonly time-exclusive PS4 and later PC combo, even when the console makers fund the game like in case of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. Possible explanations range from PC re-gaining enough ground to be relevant again, to rising costs of game development necessitating for the game to be on as many platforms as possible without breaking "exclusivity", to Sony and Microsoft not caring as long the games do not appear on the competitor's console.

2015 also saw the increasing number of games announced exclusively for one console AND PC, most commonly time-exclusive PS4 and later PC combo, even when the console makers fund the game like in case of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. Possible explanations range from PC re-gaining enough ground to be relevant again, to rising costs of game development necessitating for the game to be on as many platforms as possible without breaking "exclusivity", to Sony and Microsoft not caring as long the games do not appear on the competitors console.

2015 also saw the increasing number of games announced exclusively for one console AND PC, most commonly time-exclusive PS5 and later PC combo, even when the console makers fund the game like in case of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. Possible explanations range from PC re-gaining enough ground to be relevant again, to rising costs of game development necessitating for the game to be on as many platforms as possible without breaking "exclusivity", to Sony and Microsoft not caring as long the games do not appear on the competitors console.

2015 also saw the increasing number of games announced for exclusively for one console AND PC, most commonly time-exclusive PS5 and later PC combo, even when the console makers fund the game like in case of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. Possible explanations range from PC re-gaining enough ground to be relevant again, to rising costs of game development necessitating for the game to be on as many platforms as possible without breaking "exclusivity", to Sony and Microsoft not caring as long the games do not appear on the competitors console.

In 2015, the somewhat high specifications for the OculusRift are released, and it and at least one competing VR headset are months from launch. This could spell the end of the 'good enough' PC, while in the meantime Sony's Project Morpheus for the PS4 has yet to bear fruit but has received some good press. Stay tuned on that one, as the fates of both [=PCs=] and Consoles are uncertain with these factors in play.

In 2015, the somewhat high specifications for the OculusRift are released, and it and at least one competing VR headset are months from launch. This could spell the end of the 'good enough' PC, while meanwhile Sony's Project Morpheus for the PS4 has yet to bear fruit but has received some good press. Stay tuned on that one, as the fates of both [=PCs=] and Consoles are uncertain with these factors in play.

On the other hand, while console platforms are easier to tailor a game too, [=PCs=] are easier for small indie studios to ''publish'' games for, with a wide variety of distribution options and technologies available and cheap or free open source game engines and [=SDKs=] to work with and no platform licensing fees. The digital distribution model is also more amenable to the smaller cheaper games that indie teams are capable of creating, and these smaller games tend to run well on the lower-powered laptops and tablets that are starting to be favored as new hardware purchases. Consoles have been fighting to alleviate this problem over the last decade, however, with markets such as UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade for Microsoft's systems, the PlayStationNetwork for Sony's systems, and the VirtualConsole for Nintendo's systems.

One more -- and perhaps unrelated -- thing to consider is the advent of {{emulation}}. If accepted for the sake of the argument, this can easily put the PC over any console it is given the power to imitate. However, there are proprietary, technical, and [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil legal]] challenges when it comes to emulation, such that it is difficult to find working PC emulations for consoles less than a decade old.[[note]]For example, emulators for UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, which was originally released in 2000, are notoriously unable to properly emulate the system architecture, despite the greatly-increased processing power of the modern PC. The system hardware is partially to blame -- a lot of the [=PS2=]'s architecture was and is proprietary, and therefore follows its own rules -- but even a decade and a half after release, coders ''still'' find the system extremely difficult to emulate with any degree of reliability.[[/note]]

On the other side of the fence, when PC games try to go over to the console side, things don't always go as well either. Control-wise, there are more buttons on a keyboard than on a controller, and it's almost impossible to translate the speed and precision of a mouse to a pair of analog sticks. As a result, games with a wide range of actions or those requiring quick and accurate pointing don't go over so well on the console. Hardware-wise, the relentless drive of PC component manufacturers to outdo each other results in performance advancements that rapidly outstrip that of consoles, whose specifications remain static for their entire lifetime. A couple of years after the release of each subsequent console generation, even the average Joe or Jane who doesn't care much about gaming often has a PC that is far more powerful (especially if he or she has just bought a new computer), forcing the creators to compromise the console port in ways that degrade the quality of the gameplay experience (such as less-detailed graphics, smaller levels, or LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading). Expect an enormous backlash if this is ever suspected of compromising the PC version itself.

On the other hand, while console platforms are easier to tailor a game too, PC's are easier for small indie studios to ''publish'' games for with a wide variety of distribution options and technologies available and cheap or free open source game engines and [=SDKs=] to work with and no platform licensing fees. The digital distribution model is also more amenable to the smaller cheaper games that indie teams are capable of creating, and these smaller games tend to run well on the lower powered laptops and tablets that are starting to be favored as new hardware purchases. Consoles have been trying to alleviate this problem over the last decade with markets such as XBLA for [=XBox=] or the Playstation Store for the Sony systems.

Another thing that commonly props up are issues of cross-generational compatibility. Consoles are rather notorious for requiring one to buy completely new hardware to play the next generations' games, and in only some cases, you can rarely use your new system to play games from the previous generation. (The backwards compatibility of the PlayStation2 and GameBoyAdvance were touted as ''selling points'' for those systems; and the lack of backwards compatibility in the PlayStation3 caused a lot of DarthWiki/RuinedFOREVER cries.) For [=PCs=] this is less of an issue, but there have been a lot of bumps. It mostly showed up in recent years, but [[OlderThanTheyThink there have been problems with older games being incompatible with modern systems as far back as the 90s]]. Some games used to be on different formats, such as floppy discs, and even if you could buy a CD Version, there were still problems with it being unable to run without causing glitches. That is, if you can find them. Some games you just flat-out couldn't buy anymore for various reasons, and if you could get them, you'd have to use an emulator or a lot of fan-made patches so it would actually run and not look really really weird due to the resolution since they weren't made with computers 20 years later. To remedy the problems of backwards compatibility, as well as availability, companies have put up a "virtual console" or "Digital rerelease" version, and the PC in fact has a [=DOS=] emulator.

In 2015, the somewhat high specifications for the OculusRift are released, and it and at least one competing VR headset are months from launch. This could spell the end of the 'good enough' PC, while meanwhile Sony's Project Morpheus for the PS4 has yet to bear fruit but has received some good press. Stay tuned on that one, as the fates of both PCs and Consoles are uncertain with these factors in play.

In 2015, the specifications for the OculusRift are released, and it and at least one competing VR headset are months from launch. This could spell the end of the 'good enough' PC, while meanwhile Sony's Project Morpheus for the PS4 has yet to bear fruit but has received some good press. Stay tuned on that one, as the fates of both PCs and Consoles are uncertain with these factors in play.

In late 2012 ''Franchise/WingCommander's'' Chris Roberts comes back from his ten-year vacation from game-making and pitches ''VideoGame/StarCitizen'', a PC-exclusive space MMORPG. A large part of his reasoning for the exclusivity seems to be PC fanboyism: he wants to prove once and for all that [=PCs=] have more power by creating a game with uber-realistic, ridiculously high-poly graphics. Although some commenters noted wryly that in the promo video Roberts was controlling his ship with an Xbox controller instead of a joystick.

* Koei, in the past the makers of many highly complicated strategy games, today are mostly known for ''DynastyWarriors'' and its many spin-offs. Only the ''RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' and ''Nobunaga's Ambition'' strategy series remain, and to a lesser extent ''VideoGame/UnchartedWaters''.

* Creator/EpicGames, the makers of acclaimed PC hits ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' and ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'', pretty much goes console-exclusive after ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar''. There was actually a too-little-too-late PC port, but [[PortingDisaster nobody bothers with it.]] Similarly, PC gamers became upset when they learned that they would not be getting a demo for ''VideoGame/{{Bulletstorm}}'' until after the game had come out. [[SarcasmMode You know, because people don't want to test the game before deciding if they want to buy it.]] Cliff's [[http://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/25979475304906752 tweet]] didn't help matters either.

A major source of InternetBackdraft, the PC vs. Console wars pit fans of both platforms in battles of nerd rage on forums all over the internets. As with ConsoleWars, fans of both platforms will argue on which is better for gaming.

As for the market, it is not as easy to tell, unlike in the ConsoleWars. While it is fairly simple to measure out the sales for consoles and their games, since the sales of console games is related to sales of the consoles, it is much more difficult to measure it out for PC games, since there are millions of [=PCs=] in the world that have never had a game installed on them. And this is just including ''mainstream'' PC games. It could be argued that the millions of ''{{Farmville}}'' players are PC gamers as well (though if you did you might GoMadFromTheRevelation). There is also the issue of piracy on the PC side. Developers usually prefer to work more on the console side because it's significantly harder to pirate console games.