A premium PC might no longer serve its purpose, and gaming could lose its appeal.
A premium PC might no longer serve its purpose, and gaming could lose its appeal.
If you're using your PC less often and eager to enjoy more PS4 games, selling the PC for a PS4 would be a smart move. A PS4 is also more portable and protects your budget if something breaks. I'd like to have both, but finances are a constraint. Console games have reached a high standard now—though not 4k or 2k resolution. Still, I can play in 1080p at 60fps and it's still enjoyable. Enjoyment matters more than visual quality. There are also many DOS-based titles that are quite entertaining. Don't hesitate, you'll get more out of it than you do now.
It depends on you at the end of the day if it's worthwhile for you and you can finally enjoy the games you like. Then everyone's opinions here shouldn't matter.
Do what brings you joy.
Good read and well put. The truth is, even though I own a Mac, it doesn't offer the best graphics, but it's still sufficient to play all the games I like. I don't enjoy PUBG or Fortnite; I prefer SC2. I've already sold my gaming PC a while back, and I don't plan on buying another one anytime soon—no need for it.
It's natural for technology to progress, and at some point you had to invest in a powerful system, now you can comfortably use mid to low-end setups for many games. The timeline was inevitable as advancements made consoles keep up. The key is to focus on what you require from your setup so you don't waste resources on unnecessary hardware.
My PC needs fluctuate like a rollercoaster. During high school and my initial college years (2001-2007), I constantly sought the newest upgrades, always swapping out my PC or laptop annually. It was all about staying current, even though it became costly once I moved out. Then, while diving into coding, I discovered it was far more satisfying than gaming, so in 2008 I sold my gaming PC and laptop and bought an HP Mini-Note 2133 for $749 with 2GB of RAM and a VIA C7-M CPU. I relied on that machine until 2010, when I upgraded to an HP Mini 210 HD for $442, which I used as my primary device until I resumed gaming in 2013 with a gaming laptop (HP Envy 15z).
In 2015, I assembled a gaming desktop and continued the cycle of frequent upgrades for optimal performance. However, by last month I’m increasingly relying on ODroid H2, to the extent that I haven’t plugged in any of my Ryzen desktops for nearly a week after reorganizing my workspace. I can confidently say I’m comfortable using my H2 with an Intel Celeron J4105 (or my Lenovo Carbon X1 ultrabook) as my daily device. I only use my Ryzen PC for gaming and streaming; if I skip streaming, I can switch to GeForce Now for the same experience on my desktop.
I don’t play consoles much—I prefer Steam Link over Dreamcast, PS2, or Game Cube (is age influencing this?). Still, from what I’ve read and seen, consoles remain relevant and viable options for many people.
I also wanted to touch on another topic: Gaming as a Service. GeForce Now is a remarkable service. The pricing model is impressive, though challenging to accept. From my perspective, it suits someone like me. While it’s pricey if you’re a regular gamer, it could be worth considering if you only play occasionally—especially when factoring in the cost of building a PC today and future upgrades. Picture paying a monthly subscription to stream games whenever your schedule allows, without needing to upgrade, because the provider (NVIDIA) will handle the updates behind the scenes. Think about the next crypto bubble: a low-end graphics card could cost $500, but a high-end one for just a few dollars a month could be a more affordable choice. This aligns perfectly with the idea of future-proofing.
Sorry to veer off topic, but this sparked my thoughts.
Sorry, buddy, but I don't think you're misunderstanding. My very first computer was an IBM running Windows 98.
I understand what you mean, but I'm not entirely convinced. I believe the high-end PC market is driven by those who really appreciate the best and enjoy customizing their systems to perform optimally. At the same time, I admit I'm an enthusiast, but I haven't used my main PC in a year thanks to my job keeping me away from it.
I do think the gap between gaming on PCs and consoles is narrowing. If consoles can reach 144hZ at 1080 or even 60hz at 4K, it could shift how people view gaming PCs.
Your personal rule about "Single Player Campaigns" usually directs you toward a gaming console. As you noted, the majority of the latest popular single-player games are only accessible on consoles. If you prefer that path, then invest in a console and skip the PC.
However, claiming that a PC gaming setup is obsolete because of your needs is an overstatement. Many players enjoy online multiplayer action games, especially first-person shooters. The numbers are impressive—tens of millions of people play daily, across countless titles. These players can certainly enjoy consoles, but the experience remains distinct and may never fully match the PC's versatility. I’d wager my earnings would be affected by this view. PCs excel at gaming due to their adaptability. Upgrade your GPU, add more RAM or faster storage whenever needed—this is exactly what makes PC gaming worthwhile. These enhancements are in fact supportive of console gaming, not opposed to it.
So, no—there’s no need to dismiss a high-end PC for gaming purposes.
There are distinctions between a PC enthusiast and a gamer. You should be thrilled about adjusting BIOS settings, reapplying thermal paste, customizing your setup, overclocking, and simply being aware that the hardware is the newest. A gamer would just focus on playing games and might say my CPU is an Intel 3.6ghz.