Should I get a PC? Or stick with Playstation?

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Benny44

Benny44

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Canada
Oak Bay, NB, Canada
Bic44
For the first time in a long time, I'm toying with the idea of getting a PC. A big part of the reason is getting a wheel. I don't need the best of everything, and getting a PS4 would mean spending more than I want to if I wanted a wheel. I just don't know how much a decent PC with a wheel will cost compared to a PS4. I don't need a monster PC, just one that will run the latest racing sims, and not necessarily with all the graphics options cranked up. I'm not getting a monitor either, as I plan on hooking it up to my TV.

The other thing is that I don't like FPS or RPGs. I like racing games, and the occasional sim game (flight sims, the sims 4). The only other type of game I like are multiplayer, and since I own a Wii U I am pretty well covered there. And one more question - I really don't care much for MS, is it possible to play a lot of these games on Linux? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts/opinions!
 
I will say right off the bat, you will need a Windows box to play sim games. Seeing as you're using a TV, you do save quite the bit on the monitor (or monitors if you were planning on eyefinity or nvidia surround)

I do have a wheel myself, and have never tried to hook it up to a console, only a brief time for Forza. It is superior on the PC in every way without a doubt.

You can get by with a medium level PC to get the job done for sure, and you will find you'll still be able to crank up the graphics since you're using one monitor. As an example, I'm running an old 2500k, 16GB of ram (Even ran fine on 8GB) and crossfired AMD 6950 video cards. I bought all this years ago, so you'll be able to get even better hardware video card wise than myself. You can easily run it off one current gen video card cranked up without a doubt.

You have a lot of options as well. Richard Burns Rally with a wheel on the PC is amazing with all the extra things available. Iracing, rfactor 1 and 2, Old Simbin games, including the new games such as Arsetto Corsa and Project Cars. It's endless options and a lot of fun.

You will have to decide on a wheel, that alone can skyrocket up in price. I do suggest picking up a G27 as you can get them for a pretty good price. Buy that wheel, and see how you like sim racing and you can decide to upgrade from there if you wish down the road. Wheel, plus PC I would budget around $900. That's a rough estimate, if you want when I have time I can put a parts list together with a total price for you.

Do you have PS3 and Gran Turismo? Why not purchase the g27 and see how you like it with GT6. Just note though, buying a G27, I don't believe PS4 will support it as newer wheels have come out from Thrustmaster supporting it.

Hope I answered some of your questions
 
Thank you Franjo....I used to have the DFGT for the PS3 and it was fine for me. I'm not looking to go all out (just yet!), even a G27 is fairly high end for me right now. This is a couple months of still, so I have lots of time to do my research. I'm going to focus on the PC first and the wheel second. I can always grab a decent controller first until I save up enough for the wheel. I appreciate the info.
 
Shirrako
PC for better graphics & for online games
PS4 for better games (Single Player)
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I think you've that the wrong way around. With a mid range PC the graphics would be better on the PS4 and generally, if anything, consoles are more suited to online play. I'd also say , for driving games especially, the PC has the better games. Read this: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/game-stock-car.255978/page-6#post-10480123

However. i would suggest he get a wheel first. Controllers aren't as well integrated with PC games as they are with PSX and especially GT.
For me, in sim racing, feeling(Physic/FFB) is the most important thing in any game. It's the feeling that is so far ahead on PC games and you'd miss out on this without a wheel.

In my opinion a PC beats the a ps4 any day, unless easy of setup and use is top of your prioreties.
 
I think the only racing sim that would really call for a monster PC is Project CARS. Most of the alternatives are running "outdated" graphics engines with limited bells and whistles, emphasizing simulation elements over visuals, while Slightly Mad Studios is pushing for a "next-gen" game with the sort of graphics fidelity people expect from today's console games. There's also a sizable backlist of racing sims to try, like a few of the ones Franjo recommended, and those should run on high/max settings even on an entry-level PC. I have a humble 2011 laptop that can max out the graphics settings at 100fps when hotlapping in Live for Speed, although it needs lower settings to operate a full grid of AI cars.

Also, dufyc87 has a point about using a controller on PC. Racing sims on PC typically aren't programmed to accommodate steering with a joystick the way console games are. Until you buy a wheel, you should research to find out whether specific games offer input smoothing/filtering for joystick steering. Any multiplatform games (including Project CARS) should be good, though.
 
Personally, YES. Get a pc. I'm pretty much a console guy all my life but the last 3/4 years I heavily invested in a good pc and setup. After buying a wheel for the Xbox 360 (for Forza 4(Fanatec CSR)) and playing it for some time, I connected it to my pc and gave iRacing a try; I never went back. Went on to try all these other sims, like Formula Truck (muchos fun!) and Euro Truck Simulator. Then I felt 1 monitor wasn't enough, went for a triple setup. I think I enjoyed this setup for more than a year without changing anything. Now I like simulation a lot, also playing flying sims like DCS World and Prepar3d/FSX. Tried sim flying with a simple 50 dollar joystick and now find myself investing in better hardware. Swapped the triple monitor setup for 1 42" screen with TrackIR and a new HOTAS. Probably this will stay in place for at least a year.

My PC only has a GTX650Ti, but if you invest a bit in processor and mobo then probably you never need a high end graphics card for simulation games. I have an i7 3770k @ Asus Zabertooth Z77 with 24gb ram. Windows and games are installed on an SSD (imo an SSD is a must have for everyone).

Good luck 👍
 
I built my own PC about 2 years ago after owning consoles for 25 years. I don't miss the consoles at all and have way more games to play because PC games can be had for so much cheaper. It's fantastic for simulators, because you are not limited by the console to what controllers you can use. Also I always hated FPS games on console, but on PC they are very enjoyable because of the mouse is more realistic for aiming.
 
Do both. Some games are good on PC others are good on the console. Can't hurt to do both but not at the same time, you may have issues.
 
PC there is definitely advantage with more options on Wheel but otherwise PS4 is a better option. But there are cons as well with reliability, size, noise, heat as well. I always wanted to get a PC mainly for Assetto corsa and rfactor2 nothing much TBH. But I play different genre of games and prefer controller so I have decided to go with PS4 in near future.
 
The only reason I even play on a console anymore is because I can't convert my friends to all go PC.

As far as racing Sim games go there is no comparison. PC blows console away. Really it does in every genre except sports games and arcade racers.
The only way I would recommend consoles over a PC is for someone really into sports games or somebody who is really bad with computers.
 
PC way more options plus all the mods added later you just don't get with consoles plus way cheaper in the long run. Years of using consoles you always loose in game play. Example PS3 NASCAR 2014 sound bug they never fix and a few graphics bugs and that goes for other games also. I am more of a simulation gamer than a lot of flash and crappy gameplay, it comes down to what are you're preference.
 
gtracedriver1
PC there is definitely advantage with more options on Wheel but otherwise PS4 is a better option. But there are cons as well with reliability, size, noise, heat as well. I always wanted to get a PC mainly for Assetto corsa and rfactor2 nothing much TBH. But I play different genre of games and prefer controller so I have decided to go with PS4 in near future.
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You can use a controller on PC also. I play Batman Arkham origins on PC with an xbox controller and it's exactly the same as on console except it's smoother with better graphics.
 
Benny44
For the first time in a long time, I'm toying with the idea of getting a PC. A big part of the reason is getting a wheel. I don't need the best of everything, and getting a PS4 would mean spending more than I want to if I wanted a wheel. I just don't know how much a decent PC with a wheel will cost compared to a PS4. I don't need a monster PC, just one that will run the latest racing sims, and not necessarily with all the graphics options cranked up. I'm not getting a monitor either, as I plan on hooking it up to my TV.

The other thing is that I don't like FPS or RPGs. I like racing games, and the occasional sim game (flight sims, the sims 4). The only other type of game I like are multiplayer, and since I own a Wii U I am pretty well covered there. And one more question - I really don't care much for MS, is it possible to play a lot of these games on Linux? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts/opinions!
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Couple of things. I just made the switch myself, and I'm not a tech guy at all, so I had someone build the pc for me. Here's a couple of things that sort of make a lot of sense to me now.

1. The main advantage of the console is it's plug and play nature. No tinkering with systems or graphics cards or anything else, just pop the game in and it usually works unless your system if failing. PC's may or may not require some tinkering and may or may not lead to a lot of frustration depending on your knowledge level. I along with some of my online friends have made the jump to pc and our experiences have varied between very smooth to a little bumpy to a lot of frustration in at least one case.

2. When firing on all cylinders I think PC gaming has several advantages especially for the sim racer. Actual sim racing is a huge one. Sims are to console games like Forza and GT what a 2015 Corvette C7 is to a 1995 Corvette C4. Same name, same general idea, both get you from A to B, but the experience of getting from A to B is light years apart in the two cars and a completely different experience by almost any measure. You can't really get it until you experience it. My first night in AC I grinned from ear to ear and laughed out loud because the experience was so enjoyable and it still is.

There is a wide range of other less well known games on PC for sim drivers like Euro Truck Simulator, WreckFest, SpinTires, lots of older PC sims + the newer stuff like PCars, AC, R3E, iRacing, Game Stock Car etc., stuff you just don't find on console and likely never will. You'll never lack for good driving and racing games and the ability to mod cars, tracks and environments along with liveries in many games, is a big plus.

All racing peripherals work on PC and you have the added advantage of integrating things like SimVibe, using various adaptors to mix and match components etc.

PC also lets you tinker with your experience, rather than limiting your experience as console often does. Want to turn up the graphics? No problem, as long as your hardware can handle it. Struggling to keep up a steady 60fps to match your monitor? Turn some things down and voila problem solved. Don't like motion blur? Turn it off. Find you can't play the latest game on the highest settings you want? Upgrade your GPU.

PC is more about options and tinkering and fine tuning and a deeper, richer experience. Console is more about plug it in and play and enjoy what the game has to offer.

For a PC I'd suggest starting with an i5 4690k (usually just a few dollars more for the option to overclock so why not get it) and either a GTX970 if it's in your budget or a GTX960 or equivalent at the low end. A solid state hard drive is a nice bonus but it doesn't affect gameplay, it just reduces loading times and the speed of Windoze. 8 gb of ram is plenty for gaming at this point and can always be upgraded later as necessary.

I would also suggest upgrading to the G27 to improve the experience dramatically from the DFGT. The shifter and clutch alone make it worthwhile, but it's a much smoother and overall better wheel with smoother, quieter FFB. At $CDN200 last time I checked it's a bargain. Best Buy will price match any online price by the way, that's how I got mine for $220ish when their price was $299.
 
I could never go back to a console now, at least not as my only platform. My brother has a PS4 but so far it has yet to give me a good reason to go and buy my own; GTA V and MGSV are both being ported to PC, after all, so GT7 is the only thing that could feasibly swing me if it has audio that doesn't send me to sleep and at least a quarter of GT6's car list - minus the duplicates, I mean - as premium models.

Anyway, the list of benefits PCs bring is pretty huge. If you:
- don't play many games,
- are the sort of person to get enthusiastic about things to the point where you spend money on unnecessary but nice things when you can't always afford it,
- value simplicity, energy efficiency and quite operation over configurability, openness and variety,
- don't have much space,
- don't want to spend much,
- don't mind the current PS4-compatible wheels,
or
- want to play games on a TV while sitting on the sofa,

Get a PS4. Otherwise, PCs make a pretty convincing argument. I could go on for many hours and thousands of words but I think most people here have covered the bulk of it already. Sadly there are no racing or flight sims for Linux on Steam right now.

Just to give you an idea of the breadth of simulation games on PC, you can get 2003 NASCAR, 1967 Grand Prix, mid to late '90s WRC, historic touring cars, mods for almost anything you can think of... Flight sims (modern, WWII, WWI, Cold War combat, civilian, helicopter), submarine sims, naval sims, military sims, survival sims (zombie apocalypse, Canadian mountain plane crash, desert island...), space sims - Kerbal Space Program allows you to build rockets, jets, spaceplanes, rovers, satellites and so on while Universe Sandbox allows you to alter physical attributes of celestial bodies to see what would happen - comedy sims (Goat Simulator, Surgeon Simulator, Probably Archery)... Loads of super dry German-made simulators of boring stuff, train simulators, Euro Truck (and soon American Truck) Simulator, RC plane/helicopter sims, gun sims, um... Rube Goldberg machine sims, a boardgame simulator... The Sims... Oh and a bus simulator.

So, yeah, you can simulate a lot of stuff.
 
Wow....thanks for all the responses. Maybe I will start with a little lower end PC, one that I can afford, and play some of these older sims from the last couple years. It will get my foot in the door at least, and I will probably try to get something I can easily upgrade for things like pcars. A wheel will be soon after. I've always gamed on a shoestring budget, but that should change in a couple months. Thanks for the answers. I think my biggest issue with console racing is sound (yes, even forza....cars seem to be one of about 10 different sounds to my ear). So I'm looking forward to a change there.
 
For me, it comes to accessibility and games. Games is entirely up to your taste and if you're against piracy of emulators or not. PCs for me are too expensive and I've never been good at tech stuff so there'll be many troubles for me. Also, IMO, Keyboard controls are horrible (except for the mouse) and for Racing, like people say before, I hear the optional controller option is bad too.
 
While the many advantages of a PC have been well covered, I think the disadvantages have been understated. If I may quote myself:
Wolfe
...When I was a teenager my leisure time revolved around my desktop setup, and I played a lot of PC games. Part of the reason I'm not so much of a PC gamer anymore is because PC gaming is inevitably a pain in the ass. When something isn't simply broken, you have inconsistent framerates and stutters, some games that are poorly optimized, input lag gremlins, DRM hassles, hardware bottlenecks you weren't yet aware of, and lists of settings to go through to get the most out of your experience.

Any quality game on a console is hands-down a more polished, refined, and hassle-free experience, not just because you can boot it up and go, but because you'll always get a flawless framerate (assuming the game was built and optimized for it), perfectly responsive controls, and transparent DRM, to name a few things. I'm willing to accept lower-grade graphics for those qualities.
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I still play PC games, even though it's rare to find one that doesn't get hung up on something. In the end, software is what matters most -- go with whatever platform has the games you want to play.
 
If you're into single player games like The Last of Us, Final Fantasy X, Halo etc, games that have a good story then you probably won't get that kind of exclusives on PC, the single player game exclusives are quite bad on PCs compared to consoles, Half-Life 2 is one of the few that come to mind when mentioning single player for PC, other than that there isn't anything that even matches TLOU or Final Fantasy X stories.

I own a PC and a PS4 and I play on PC when i want to try out some indies or run games at high settings, As a single player fan, I think the PC is quite terrible on exclusive single player games, that's just me.
 
Shirrako
I own a PC and a PS4 and I play on PC when i want to try out some indies or run games at high settings, As a single player fan, I think the PC is quite terrible on exclusive single player games, that's just me.
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You only really find exclusive PC games when it would be too difficult or too much of a compromise to port them, like Arma 3 for instance. No one is paying anyone to make their games PC-exclusive like Sony and Microsoft do, but that does also mean there isn't the same sort of budget for first party/exclusive (same thing) titles like TLOU, Uncharted or GT6, which is why there'll never be a PC racing game with GT or Forza-length car lists.

As for the issues @Wolfe mentioned, I think the real weakness you're pointing to is the inconsistency of one PC owner's experience compared to another. I don't have many issues with recent games, I can't remember the last time I had anything really difficult to solve. The biggest problems I've had have either been shared by everyone (BF4's early teething issues and, um, late teething issues) or have been caused by my setup's somewhat exotic native resolution of 5760x1080. Old games, though, are trouble for everyone. If you've got a fairly typical system and you haven't abused it by installing things badly or playing around with the registry and you're playing fairly recent, well-known, well-supported software you won't have any real trouble. Maybe you'll need to read a first-time setup guide but you won't have to do anything like set core affinity, run in a certain compatibility mode or force V-sync or anything like that.
 
I decided to skip this generation of Consoles mainly because I only bought a PS3 for GT6 (I also own a X360) but due to the costs of available wheels for the Xbone and Ps4 I decided to invest in a PC and a G27 since I did needed a better Pc for when I had to work from home.

No regrets for my decision since I bought several games from Steam in Black Friday and bought some other really low cost bundles from bundlestars.

Also in Pc you don't need to pay any extra for playing online (PS plus or X-live gold)

EDIT: even if you can't afford a G27 right now, the list of compatible wheels for PC is much bigger
 
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Just to add, you said you had a DFGT, well that will work on PS3 as well as PC so why not get one of those again for now (should come in at less than $100) whilst you concentrate on your rig? Then perhaps upgrade to another wheel later. The DFGT is still a great wheel.
 
eight6er
You can use a controller on PC also. I play Batman Arkham origins on PC with an xbox controller and it's exactly the same as on console except it's smoother with better graphics.
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Yeah I know. Steam box is also an option for a boxed PC with small form factor. Just like a console to play on TV. Alienware alpha is any option. I personally want to just stick with one platform just for gaming. I don't think I will go back to monitor and conventional PC style gaming. If steam box turns out well and get good support I might give it a second thought
 
Ok what ever suits you best, you obviously just have different priorities to me. I personally don't care about the size or looks, I just like that the PC can do anything and be a games machine. I'm not sure why you need a monitor, I use my 32" tv the same as I used with my PS3.
 
As a counterpoint to the 'consoles are easy' thing:

I, er, inherited my brother's PS3 because it was sitting around unused for months. I started downloading GT6 on it so I could be one PS3 away from triple monitor GT6 (I've already got the three monitors for my PC, after all). About 30 hours later the download was complete, about four hours after that the installation was complete, I installed the DLCs and all that too.

Then, on Tuesday, I launched the game. It said I needed to update to 1.16, I knew that was coming so that's fair enough. I left it to download the updates and went about my day as usual. Later on I came back and the PS3 was just sitting at the XMB, which was odd. I launched the game again and it said I had nine updates to do, so I thought ok, it must've done a couple and something happened, maybe I accidentally logged in on my PS3 which upset it, that's fine - annoying, but fine. I turned the console off and went to bed.

Yesterday I powered it on in the morning to do the updates, came back later in the evening and the console was off. What? Fine, ok, whatever. I moved it over to the TV and left it switched off because I wanted to do some online stuff and could use the bandwidth.

Today I started it again in the morning, nine updates left - it didn't do any yesterday, apparently. That was at 10am, it's now 4:30pm, I came back and the console was off, again. I turned it on, launched GT6 - Nine updates. Wow.

So now I'm sitting in front of the TV with my laptop, looking up every now and then to see what it's doing so I can see when it powers itself off to see if it's a power problem or maybe a dead hard drive. I mean, four hours to install 16GB certainly suggests the hard drive is at least very, very slow but because it took just as long on my own PS3, I don't think it's actually broken, but I guess I'll find out.

Also, what's with the PS+ limitation that means you can only enable auto downloads on one PS3? What if I have two and want to keep games automatically up to date to avoid situations like this?
 
neema_t
As a counterpoint to the 'consoles are easy' thing
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Totally agree, I live in a country where 'fast' internet speed is a merely 1mbps connection (which isn't even real) so it is a real pain to download anything bigger than 500 mb, I always complain how is it possible for the PS3 not to have a resume function for downloads inside games (not talking about background downloads which can be resumed) Every time my connection failed I had to download all over again.
 
Some consoles have more complex features than others. Wii U is mainly just plug and play. Especially that it automatically does updates for you :P.
 

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