PC, PS3 or X360?
 

Hi all

I Haven't had a gaming machine for some time now and there are a few games building up that i would like to play. The problem is i dont know what system i could get the best gaming out of :DL

I either go for a gaming pc which i would be able to play all the multi platform/ pc games with top graphics and frame rates or i get a ps3 or xbox.

The sort of games i want to play are

Mass effect 2,3
Bioshock infinite
Diablo 3
MGS4
Ratchet & Clank games
Dead space 2
Doom 4
Total wars
and loads more :hmmm:

If i invest in a new pc will there be plenty of top games coming out in the next 2 years to justify it or should i buy a much cheaper console?

That's really a question you need to answer for yourself I think.

For me the answer is PC by a mile, simply because it has more games I like. And if you find there's nothing to look forward, you can always look back 10-20 years and pick up classics and favourites of the past.

The one thing against PC is that it requires a little maintenance and know-how.

I think the answer lies mostly in games and exclusives. The fact is that technically, the PC will always be a better or at least more powerful and versatile platform. However it doesn't sit well in the living room and lacks certain releases.

Looking at your tastes, I don't think you'd be able to do with just one. The PC lacks Metal Gear Solid and Ratchet & Clank and the like; and good luck playing Total War on a console. So, decide which you want more.

In my experience, investing into a better PC is never a bad idea as long as you know your options well, and right now hardware prices are very very good - so it's not a bad time to invest in one. However it looks like whether you get one or not, you'll be craving a PS3. So be aware of that...

Mass effect 2,3(Ps3/360/PC)
Bioshock infinite(Ps3/360/PC)
Diablo 3(PC)
MGS4(Ps3)
Ratchet & Clank games(Ps3)
Dead space 2(Ps3/360)
Doom 4(PC)
Total wars(PC)


Pretty much a break down of which consoles the games you want are on. I would stay away from the 360. Unless you want exclusives like Halo:reach as it is the least powerful, still has Red Rings(although they changed the name), and charges you to use the online.
It pretty much comes down to what the others said. The PC is the most powerful, but requires some knowledge to upgrade, and gets the least games. Also if you're interested in Blu-ray and have an HDtv, the Ps3 has benefits in that category.

Depending on your budget, I would recommend a mid-line PC(which you can upgrade at a later point) and a PS3. Best of both worlds.

Dead Space 2 is coming for PC too. :03:

Do what we do here in the good ole USA. Go into debt and get both. :haha:

PS3 320 GB Slim @ £270 approx with upgrade free gaming for the next 7 years.

Mid-Range PC @ £800 - £1000 requiring upgrading within 2 years (possibly sooner depending on games).

:hmmm:

Although Spike nailed it. Given the games you wish to play, your choice is quite simple, both.

There's only one type of people who upgrade their PCs that often. The ones who want 100FPS instead of 99.

^ True, not necessarily the whole PC but certainly GFX card.

Would a mid range PC bought 2ish years ago have a GFX card that could run SH5 or MTW2 today, not to mention other current PC games, or am I just too interested in all the eye-candy.

Surely most of the games listed by AJ would want to be run in max detail on a high rez screen.

My computer from 2 years ago cost about as much as you listed in your last post and can still run almost all games on the highest settings (Well, except DX11 stuff, but that's another problem).

And that price is sligthly high, although I'm not sure what prices are like in Europe. I got a very solid mid-range PC last year here for under $1000 (excluding monitor), and it still performs very well for everything new that I'd tried. That's a system that is technically several times superior to the PS3, costing just 3x the price. And as of a year ago, at that - now you'd be looking at an even better deal.

Likewise, the lack of upgrades for consoles is not always a good thing. It just means that the games grow increasingly technologically obsolescent compared to the PC versions; and while optimisation is always a factor, it's usually possible to tone down settings on newer PC games and run them on relatively old systems as well. I know plenty of people who run Modern Warfare 2 on 5-6 year old systems, for example, and it looks no worse than it does on a console.

Finally, my main annoyance with consoles is the cost of games. Especially with services like Steam on PC now, buying games for the PC is simply cheaper by several factors of magnitude. So I'm not so sure if the price argument really holds up. Although again, the marketing approaches and targets of PC vs. console will always be a bit different.

Overpriced.

@ Raptor1

Fair enough.:salute:

I just struggle to find a PC in that price range that can max my PC games running @ 1920 x 1080 with full AA and AF.

Also to add, I'd probably own a console anyway if I could afford one, and probably it would be an X-Box 360, but that's mostly on technical factors and games preferences (I never was really that interested in PS3 exclusives). But it's a bit much, and I doubt I would be playing my money's worth out of it, given how little free time I have and how much of it gets sunk into the PC.... IMO the most sensible thing to do economically is still to pick one gaming platform and stick with it. Sadly, wanting to play specific games in specific settings can throw some complications into it!

"Full AA"? What does that even mean? 16x16 supersampling? :O:

You don't need more than 4x multisampling if the engine implements it right. 8x CSAA or 8xQ MSAA is enough for the ones that do it a little less well.


It was 3 years before I replaced my card, mainly because it was starting to fall behind (ArmA2 was just problematic, everything else was fine) and I just couldn't resist the deal offered in the GTX460.

Thanks for the views everyone.

Its a tough one for sure. I am not fussed about the PS3 exclusives but there are a alot of games on the pc that are also on the ps3, only optimised (although not as pritty as high end pcs)

I could just buy a ps3 for now and wait until the end of next year to buy a gaming pc. At least by then alot of the 2011 titles will be out and we will have a much clearer view on what to look forward to in 2012 and beyond.