Is Console games coming to PC a good thing, or bad?
Back in the good old days of console gaming, say the 16-bit era, there was a clear distinction between what was available on consoles and what elsewhere.
Sure, there were multi-platform titles available for consoles and home computer systems or the PC, but most of the time you had to own multiple platforms to play all the games you were interested in.
Multi-platform pushed to the mainstream eventually which meant that more and more games were released for multiple systems. If you look at the PS3 and Xbox 360 era for instance, you will notice that most blockbusters were released for PC as well.
There were still exclusives though that were released for a single platform only. Many were created by in-house studios or through publishing deals.
If you look at the current generation of console gaming, you will notice that two of the three companies are recognizing the PC as a platform.
Microsoft started to migrate the Xbox platform and PCs to Windows 10 for instance. With the move came the announcement that the majority of exclusives for Xbox One that Microsoft gaming studios create would also come to Windows 10 PCs.
Sony announced yesterday that it would bring its PlayStation Now service to Windows PCs as well. PlayStation Now is a streaming service that was available to PlayStation 4 owners only up until now. Starting this year, PC gamers on Windows may subscribe to PlayStation Now to access a library of over 400 games including many exclusives such as The Last of Us, Uncharted or God of War.
The company will launch the DualShock 4 USB Wireless Adaptor in early September that PC and Mac users may use to connect their DualShock 4 controller to the computer.
PlayStation Now will be available on Windows 7 SP1 and newer devices. This is different from Microsoft's offering which requires Windows 10.
The core difference between the offerings of both companies is clear. Microsoft offers Xbox One exclusives on Windows 10 as well, for the full price of the game. Sony makes the subscription service Playstation Now available which features PS3 games only currently.
Microsoft's games play locally on the PC for the most part, while Sony's PS Now offering streams games to PCs instead.
Good or bad
PC gamers benefit from the new strategy. While some may not like that Xbox One games are Windows Store exclusives for now, Microsoft announced already that this is going to change in the future.
PC gamers who never owned a Playstation console, or owned one but don't anymore, may play games they missed or loved on PC.
The situation is different for console gamers. One of the main benefits of being a console gamer was that exclusive games were available on those platforms that one could not play on PC.
With that barrier removed or at least moving, that argument for owning a console becomes weaker and weaker.
There will still be exclusives for Xbox One, and Sony has yet to make PS4 games available via PlayStation Now though.
Are Microsoft and Sony already preparing to exit the console market and provide their services on PCs or via streaming?
Now You: What's your take on the development?
It sounds like another bully monopoly attempt, see the consoles now need PAID subscription even after you already PAID for the console and you already PAID for the game and you already PAID for internet!
My DS4 connects over Bluetooth normally, but I suspect this dongle and DS4 controllers will be pushed as mandatory purely to prevent people playing with Xbox controllers.
Hell yeah! I have been waiting for a long time!
Even purchased a gaming PC, but there’s no universal platform to unite the gamers to a single platform despite the different devices: Xbox, Sony and PC.
Steam sucks.
it would be great if they do a proper port. have good graphics not console. have decent control options with good key mapping.
there is nothing worse then a bad port take arkham knight as one example.
if they do all of the above i will by them for pc
you mean the first assassins creed , terrific game , but horrible port, even way more then Arkham Knight.
and i’ve played both with controller, another benefit of PC, you can use a controller too :)
Well still hoping Nitti will bring Bayonetta 2 to PC
I do not own a TV, nor will I pay for X-Box or Playstation hardware. The only platform I use is my PC. That is the only way I will play. If a game can’t be downloaded or streamed to my PC then that company won’t get my money for that title.
That being said I agree with and will echo everything ZzzZombi said.
I have used NVIDIA’s Georce NOW service on the Shield. Works insanely good. I can;t really tell I am playing a streamed game over the internet. Really cool. This could work out for Playstation. I still prefer PC games made for PC. Not ports.
Good thing. Who wants a hundred boxes taking up space?
More games on PC is always good ^^ Ofc, I’d rather prefer a local option over streaming one (local as in running on PC, not stream from console to PC, so eliminating the need of a console), but still good enough. Although servers tend to go to hell once many users connect to them.
Also to mention, Quantum Break comes to Steam and requires DX11, hence Windows 7. There goes down the drain the only argument pro Win10.
I love the PS4 controller. Couldn’t care less about streaming.
I don’t know of a single console game I miss on PC. PC games have long been dumbed-down to fit with console requirements as a business decision rather than because gamers wanted it. Consoles are successful at simple action games, which are good in themselves but don’t have the depth of complex PC games, practically every revolutionary game franchise came from the PC, and many from independent PC developers (id Software, Bioware, Bethesda, Westwood, Valve, etc.).
Even if you ignore Nintendo and all of its franchises for the moment, consoles have seen many exclusive franchises.Think of all those great role playing games that never made it to PC or made it to PC but decades later (Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, Shining Force).
I dislike shoot em ups on consoles though because of the lack of control controllers give you, and the fact that developers dump them down to adjust to that.
Nothing beats a good old match of Unreal Tournament or Quake 3.
Strange.. Shot em up games’ control are really simple, it’s just move, shoot, and bomb. Are talking about different genre? It’s actually easier for me to play Shot em up games on console than pc.. My fav was TwinBee, you can play with friend too!
RPG games do have better place on console, but recently new RPGs are available on Steam too.
I agree with the ‘simple action games’. I played Resident Evil on PC first, after that my friend asked me to play his Resident Evil on PS2(or PS3? I forgot). It’s really hard to run, aim, and shoot. I prefer using D-Pad, I never like analog stick and that game forces me to use it. With mouse and keyboard it’s much more simple.
Mouse and keyboard. Perfect example is Overwatch.
PC players are an advantage over their console companions, and as such, Blizzard are now having to tweak the game separately for Console vs PC..
All that said. the Topic at Hand. If people want console game on PC, i say cool. Consoles are PC’s after all. With the new consoles coming out, and Xbox integration with PC, you might as well buy a PC for your gaming Needs.
Only two comments in and already a superiority complex comment lol ^
I’d say it’s good it will not harm console companies too much since they will also earn back from this service if it does well.
So far it’s only select PS3 games not all the exclusives but some, looking forward to playing a few as i left my PS3 back at my old house. I don’t think they’d be willing to put PS4 games on it as that will damage them too much.
My laptop just meets the minimum requirements looking forward to give this streaming service a go. For me il always be both a consoles and PC gamer i don’t like to limit myself because of self egoistical ‘pride’ which is pretty sad il play games wherever
Bad.
Console versions are always inferior to PC ones.
Yes, the PC version of Uncharted 4 is great.
PS Now sounds great but something about just streaming the game and not actually owning it seems very unappealing to me. True, I haven’t been buying physical games for the last few years but I can at least access the files and modify them if I can (at least in single player games).
That being said I think this is nothing but a step forward. I’m just happy that it exists.