I just can't switch to PC gaming with these burning questions...

[Domenico]

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate that as well as any assistance you offer.

I want to switch from console to PC, and I am almost ready to do so, but I have a few questions I need answered before I am comfortable. I’ve only played on consoles for the past 36 years. The switch is a big step for me! I should mention that the PC will be used for gaming and VR. I don’t stream, or code, etc.

My first question concerns updating the machine. If I were to build a mid to low high-end PC, which seems to begin at $1,700 USD per my research, how soon will I need to begin replacing parts? I don’t know how frequently game requirements increase. I do know that I want to play a new game without constantly worrying if my PC is capable.

My second question concerns when updating parts is required. Inevitably, the PC will become obsolete. When it does, how much of it will need replaced? I know this question encompasses many variables that lead to various answers. The bottom line is I don’t want to spend another $1,700 in a few years to keep up with game requirements. I buy a new console at launch, so I think spending a few hundred more than the cost of a console every 6 or 7 years is reasonable.

My third question concerns my first build. Obviously, I have no idea how to pick and assemble parts. Forums and PC websites are excellent resources to pick parts. I am concerned about assembly. YouTube does offer a vast number of guides, but how do I find the one guide that works for me? Are the designs of parts by different manufacturers similar enough that I can watch practically any assembly video and it will apply to me?

My fourth question concerns the visual experience. Does playing on a monitor impact seeing details in the game? Currently, my console is connected to a 65” TV. These old eyes don’t need to squint to appreciate the fine details in games these days. I am concerned that if I dropped down to a 28” monitor, those fine details will be easily missed. Do you think I should use my TV as the monitor? I have seen this online with mixed reviews.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Welcome to the site

1. how soon will I need to begin replacing parts?

If you're willing to lower in game graphical settings as time goes on I'd say 5 years at that budget, probably more. Depends on a lot of things, both subjective and impossible to predict. Requirements for 3d action games will probably roughly follow the console generations. So the next big bump in minimum required specs for PC games will likely come whenever PS6 or PS5Pro are released. Get a newer 6 core + CPU from either AMD or Intel and you should be set until then. Its best guess but I think that's most likely.

2. .... become obsolete. When it does, how much of it will need replaced?

Again subjective, but as a rough guess when a GPU gets a bit older you can probably just switch it out for a newer model and it will give the machine a few more years. Generally the CPU and motherboard aren't as important for most games.

Get a good power supply, dont cheap out there and it will last you a long time and keep your components going longer.

how do I find the one guide that works for me? Are the designs of parts by different manufacturers similar enough that I can watch practically any assembly video and it will apply to me?

Watch several different guides until you are comfortable. Jayz 2 Cents and Linus Tech Tips on Youtube will have them for a start and should be reliable.

Motherboards have common form factors, the CPU sockets between Intel and AMD are slightly different, but other than that they all have the same sockets for the graphics card, and the same types of sockets for storage and fans. They might be positioned slightly differently and motherboards have more or less of them, but the sockets are all common.

Always worth reading your manuals, especially the motherboard one before you start. There's usually a basic build guide included in them these days that will help. The case you choose will probably have one too.

My fourth question concerns the visual experience. Does playing on a monitor impact seeing details in the game? Currently, my console is connected to a 65” TV. These old eyes don’t need to squint to appreciate the fine details in games these days. I am concerned that if I dropped down to a 28” monitor, those fine details will be easily missed. Do you think I should use my TV as the monitor? I have seen this online with mixed reviews.

Word of the day is subjective Some prefer a bigger TV screen over a smaller sharper one, some like to sit at a desk and others on a couch. If you like your TV and want to continue to use it, no reason you can't do it as long as you have an HDMI port on the GPU.

Most monitors these days offer higher refresh rates than most TV's which makes motion look smoother, have better response times (less blurring in fast movement), and look sharper in general. But outside of competitive FPS games there's no practical advantage apart from looking nicer close up. There are some pretty good, but expensive, gaming TV screens these day though as well.

 

[Pifanjr]

I do know that I want to play a new game without constantly worrying if my PC is capable.

You should be aware that PCs are more fiddly than consoles. When playing on consoles the developer will have figured out the right graphics options to make the game look good for the hardware, but for PCs you'll probably run into the problem that the automatic graphics settings are either too low or too high for your set-up at some point.

 

[Frag Maniac]

First off, it depends what level of console you're comparing. I assume you know the latest gen ones are well over $1000? Some take quickly to learning PC hardware, software, building, and graphics settings, and even game file editing to use graphics tweaks beyond the game's graphics menu. It really depends how tech savvy you are, but IMO, these are all things that are not as hard as many assume they are to learn.

Secondly, you certainly wouldn't need to replace the WHOLE PC every 3 yrs, at most just the GPU if you picked a good CPU, PSU, and RAM. It also depends what level of graphics settings in the games you're OK with, which is where comparing to the level of console you're used to comes into play. It's also wise when picking a power supply (PSU), to get one that has at least 100w more than your GPU needs, and is of good quality. That way it is more likely you'll only need a GPU upgrade the next time. Same with CPU, go with what the trend is headed toward. It's wise to choose at least an 8 core CPU of decent power to be sure it's future ready.

Lastly, whether you can game on your TV well depends if it's made for it. Chances are if it was made in the last 5 years it is, and it will have a Game mode, which is a picture mode that considerably limits or completely disables video processing, which lowers input lag quite a bit. A lot of people cling to high refresh rates on their gaming displays anymore, but truth be told, unless you're playing online shooters competitively like CS GO, Rainbow Six, Fortnite, PUGB, etc, 60 Hz is fine, especially if your TV doesn't have a lot of motion blur or high response time. High refresh rate displays can take more GPU power to run at their best, and right now, GPUs are definitely the sore spot in PC building, as the prices on them are quite high.

In summary, we need to know the type of games you play most, what brand and model of TV you have, and what level of graphics settings you're OK with. If you're unsure of the latter, YouTube has tons of videos by competent reviewers like Digital Foundry, that are guides on the more popular games that show optimized graphics settings, with comparison shots of how it looks on each setting. We also need to know if you're OK with learning how to build your own vs buying OEM, though as I said, lately the GPU prices makes that much less of a price advantage, unless you're building with a common mid level GPU like the 3060.

There are certainly people here that can assist with parts picking and build tips, including myself, but it might be wise to wait for the 4060 and 4050 GPUs to release, as well as AMD's equivalents. The 3000 series GPUs are being snatched up rather quickly after Nvidia revealed the high prices of the top tier 4000 series GPUs, but I would NOT recommend getting any of the Chinese brand GPUs recently released, such as Peladn, Yetsun, and Maxsun.

 

[ipman]

Hi, everything above.

It must seem quite a leap after 36 years. Going for a mid to high end PC sounds like a good idea and you could always take the easy route and get a custom build to start with. You might be best to decide on your available budget and work within that.

It's so easy, they offer a basic set up(pc case and components) and you can just choose your own components.
It's not for purists but as a way in and as you learn more, in time you'll get really knowledgeable and confident until you feel you can build your own. There are some good reputable companies out there(I'd use Scan here in UK) and they offer good advice and after service.

So if you pick gaming components; a good PSU(high Watts and gold standard), that will last. Then the best MB, CPU, RAM 16Gb or above and liquid cooler will last, + a large SSD(games are often over a 100GB so they quickly fill up), sound card(maybe) with that set up it's only really the GPU that you will have to upgrade occasionally. Gaming PC's are repairable and endlessly upgradeable.

Getting the right number of fans/filters and right air flow is also important.

The custom builds can be a good way to start as it's all put together, working and tested when you start. It's then very easy to swap out say the GPU(usually a few screws, power leads and cables).

I think modern builds are way in advance of where games are at, so in a way you're already future proofed.

I can't even remember when I had this PC built, maybe thirteen years ago. It is outdated but plays most AAA games easily. I have a smaller SSD for W10 and a hard drive with my games on(good old 2TB Seagate). My original GPU developed a problem, but some companies offer a free exchange upgrade for a small fee. This GPU is about ten years old and handles most games easily.

I did post a clip in Pop Culture & Entertainment/ YT channels and random interests/#22 PC Centric, where the guy does a build and talks about components.

It's a whole exercise in itself, researching components, compatability, prices, etc, but ultimately satisfying as you end up with a custom build suited to you, pretty unique to you. I think if you get it right then you may only have to upgrade the GPU about every ten years, if that soon.

You've come to the right place anyway, as you can see there's a wealth of knowledge here (and we all started like you). Good Luck.

 

[Zloth]

You don't NEED to build your own PC. Places like iBuyPower and CyberPower will build excellent PCs with the parts you want and they will alert you if there's an issue - like maybe the graphics card you want can't physically fit inside the case you've picked. With a site like that, you're then just hunting for the various components.

For the TV, how far away is it? A monitor is CLOSE, probably about arm's length. It will fill up the majority of your vision.

 

[Brian Boru]

Hello

Welcome to the forum

Can you confirm you're in USA, and do you have any preferred tech retailers to buy from?

You've gotten great advice and feedback above, so not much to add re your main Qs except maybe the last one.

TV as Monitor

Old eyes here too—I greet dirt with 'Hey kid'—and I've been using dual TVs as my screens for over a decade, currently got a pair of 42" at arm's length on my desk. My SO has a combo, TV and monitor, but the TV is her main screen. I would find it a serious visual climbdown if I had to go back to say a 22" monitor.

These are bog standard $200+ TVs at 60hz, roughly 6-7 years old, and I'm currently enjoying Far Cry 6 on the good one—the bad one has hundreds of lines on it, so is definitely the second choice with one leg in the iGrave. My graphics card is Nvidia 1060 (with 6MB VRAM), and it's at the limit of its ability with FC6.

Price

If you don't use the PC for anything else, that makes it less value. I've always used a PC for work, hence I never bought a console as it never made financial sense.

If you buy a lot of games, you’ll recover the difference quickly via the major savings on game purchases as long as you can wait for titles to go on sale.

Additional factors

Since this is your first step towards PC, some things you may know, or not.

You get access to tens of thousands of games—most of which are obviously exclusive to PC—at rock-bottom prices as long as you wait for your titles to go on sale. Have a quick look at Steam & GOG at the weekend—and of course EpicGames give away a free commercial game or two every week, as if there weren’t already thousands of free PC games.

Apart from choice & price, the biggest reason for me to prefer PC is the mods. Most big games have great modding communities and they produce some top-quality stuff. Mods can allow you to customize the game to your preferences, or fix bad design by the developers, or make a game almost totally different to the original.

Consoles have been becoming more like PCs for a few generations now, and that’ll continue, so the gap between consoles and PCs is becoming less with each generation. I expect the difference will disappear next decade, if not in the later 20s.

You can still play games from decades ago on modern PCs, as the guys over in the Retro forum will attest.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

Everybody above had great advice. I'll add my two cents for a couple of things.

1&2 are really pretty much the same question. One thing about PC gaming is that most of the mainstream games are made for consoles and ported to PC. The con about that is that games never truly push the limits of what PC has to offer. But the pro about it is that you usually don't need to worry about upgrading until a new generation of consoles comes out. Even then, you can usually get by for a while. Like others said, you just need to have reasonable expectations. You can get by on old hardware for a really long time if you're not stubborn about having to run the game at the highest resolutions on Ultra settings.

Question 3. Along with what everyone else said, I just want to throw out there that PCPartPicker.com is an excellent site to put a part list together. It has a compatibility filter. If you pick out a CPU, then for every part after that, it will only allow you to choose parts that are compatible. Then it shows you all of the cheapest places online to get the best deals. Plus, it has active forums full of people that help each other figure out the best part lists for their budget.

Question 4. I just want to throw out there that I always game with my PC on my living room TV. I sit in my recliner with a wireless keyboard with trackpad for navigating the GUI, and I game with an Xbox controller. People have their preferences, but I can verify that if that is your preference, it works very well, and I love playing that way.

Just want to point out a couple of differences with PC gaming. First, you don't get into PC gaming to save money. It's an expensive hobby, but can be fulfilling and well worth it. Secondly, like others have mentioned, dealing with a PC is a lot more work than a console. But it's mostly just setting it up. If you stick with Steam (which won't give you all games out there), you can use the Big Picture mode, you can navigate the user interface with a controller, and it's like using a console. But you're not going to do everything you want in Steam. PC is a little more complicated, but it's not as bad as what some console proponents want people to believe. You just need to fully understand what you're getting into. If you understand all of that, it's a really awesome experience.

 

[ipman]

For the TV, how far away is it? A monitor is CLOSE, probably about arm's length. It will fill up the majority of your vision.

I really like these PC specs I bought recently. I've got a 27 inch monitor at arms length and the intermediate lenses make it look slightly bigger taking up most of my forward vision.

+ saphire and darker tints not only reduces glare but seems to give better definition.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I really like these PC specs I bought recently. I've got a 27 inch monitor at arms length and the intermediate lenses make it look slightly bigger taking up most of my forward vision.

+ saphire and darker tints not only reduces glare but seems to give better definition.

My problem with sitting close to a monitor is that my up close vision sucks. I wear progressive lens glasses for reading. If I'm holding a book, phone, or whatever under my nose, it's fine. But if a monitor is at a normal height, I have to tilt my head back too far for the progressives to work well, so it ends up looking blurry to me. Sitting the distance from a TV is perfect for me. And if I use a laptop, the screen is usually low enough, or at a good angle that my progressives work well. But I have a couple of work computers I have to sit at sometimes, and I struggle. I definitely wouldn't want to game like that.

 

[ipman]

My problem with sitting close to a monitor is that my up close vision sucks. I wear progressive lens glasses for reading. If I'm holding a book, phone, or whatever under my nose, it's fine. But if a monitor is at a normal height, I have to tilt my head back too far for the progressives to work well, so it ends up looking blurry to me. Sitting the distance from a TV is perfect for me. And if I use a laptop, the screen is usually low enough, or at a good angle that my progressives work well. But I have a couple of work computers I have to sit at sometimes, and I struggle. I definitely wouldn't want to game like that.

I can really recommend those type. I made the mistake of paying an optician too much. Also my mind gets tired gaming now before my eyes do. It's hard to quantify but they seem to add depth to the gaming images(slight 3D effect).

 

[Domenico]

Welcome to the site



If you're willing to lower in game graphical settings as time goes on I'd say 5 years at that budget, probably more. Depends on a lot of things, both subjective and impossible to predict. Requirements for 3d action games will probably roughly follow the console generations. So the next big bump in minimum required specs for PC games will likely come whenever PS6 or PS5Pro are released. Get a newer 6 core + CPU from either AMD or Intel and you should be set until then. Its best guess but I think that's most likely.


Again subjective, but as a rough guess when a GPU gets a bit older you can probably just switch it out for a newer model and it will give the machine a few more years. Generally the CPU and motherboard aren't as important for most games.

Get a good power supply, dont cheap out there and it will last you a long time and keep your components going longer.



Watch several different guides until you are comfortable. Jayz 2 Cents and Linus Tech Tips on Youtube will have them for a start and should be reliable.

Motherboards have common form factors, the CPU sockets between Intel and AMD are slightly different, but other than that they all have the same sockets for the graphics card, and the same types of sockets for storage and fans. They might be positioned slightly differently and motherboards have more or less of them, but the sockets are all common.

Always worth reading your manuals, especially the motherboard one before you start. There's usually a basic build guide included in them these days that will help. The case you choose will probably have one too.




Word of the day is subjective Some prefer a bigger TV screen over a smaller sharper one, some like to sit at a desk and others on a couch. If you like your TV and want to continue to use it, no reason you can't do it as long as you have an HDMI port on the GPU.

Most monitors these days offer higher refresh rates than most TV's which makes motion look smoother, have better response times (less blurring in fast movement), and look sharper in general. But outside of competitive FPS games there's no practical advantage apart from looking nicer close up. There are some pretty good, but expensive, gaming TV screens these day though as well.

Wow! Thank you very much for this ton of great information! You have no idea how much this helps me.

 

[Domenico]

You should be aware that PCs are more fiddly than consoles. When playing on consoles the developer will have figured out the right graphics options to make the game look good for the hardware, but for PCs you'll probably run into the problem that the automatic graphics settings are either too low or too high for your set-up at some point.

This is a concern for me. Consoles have spoiled me in that I don't need to fiddle with anything. If I want to get the most out of my system and gaming experience, I must learn how settings work.

 

[Domenico]

My problem with sitting close to a monitor is that my up close vision sucks. I wear progressive lens glasses for reading. If I'm holding a book, phone, or whatever under my nose, it's fine. But if a monitor is at a normal height, I have to tilt my head back too far for the progressives to work well, so it ends up looking blurry to me. Sitting the distance from a TV is perfect for me. And if I use a laptop, the screen is usually low enough, or at a good angle that my progressives work well. But I have a couple of work computers I have to sit at sometimes, and I struggle. I definitely wouldn't want to game like that.

I am also near-sighted. Mine is so bad that every time I visit a new optometrist they audibly confirm how bad my vision is with no less than a gasp. Still, I am able to see on a monitor rather well. Perhaps while I still can I will try using a monitor.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I can really recommend those type. I made the mistake of paying an optician too much. Also my mind gets tired gaming now before my eyes do. It's hard to quantify but they seem to add depth to the gaming images(slight 3D effect).

I bought a pair of progressive glasses at the eye doctor, and they cost me close to $700. This last time, I got my prescription, and ordered a pair of progressives from Zenni Optical, and it cost me like $80, and they work better than any pair I've ever had.

 

[Brian Boru]

I got an eye exam and 2 pairs of glasses for $70 a few years ago. One pair for 18"—for TV monitors—and one long-distance.

I had expensive progressives before that, never got used to them—never again.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

I got an eye exam and 2 pairs of glasses for $70 a few years ago. One pair for 18"—for TV monitors—and one long-distance.

I had expensive progressives before that, never got used to them—never again.

I've always had a hard time getting used to progressives, but then when I bought them through Zenni, they worked perfectly. I don't understand it, but it's like everyone else was making them wrong, and Zenni made them right. And for like 10% of the cost. Pretty crazy. They definitely have won me over as a customer. The only problem is that I have a giant head, and they don't have a lot of frame options that are big enough. I did find one set of frames that I liked that worked.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

This is a concern for me. Consoles have spoiled me in that I don't need to fiddle with anything. If I want to get the most out of my system and gaming experience, I must learn how settings work.

I know this wasnt aimed at me, but a coupel more things.

Games have pre/sets so you dont have to go very deep if you dont want, usually you can just select Ultra, High, Medium and low or similar and it will adjust everything for you. Often games will autodetect the best settings and you dont have to do anything if youre happy with how it runs.

If you want to get more involved then some sites offer per game guides for which settings affect the frame rate most and so on, so you can tweak if you like.

Having a PC is more complicated though for sure. It needs maintenance, drivers need updating and it will need cleaning out sometimes. Occasionally you'll have to do a bit of troubleshooting because something weird will happen, but most often the answer is only a Google away.

If you want to play a lot of different games though, it can work out cheaper than consoles and you can get even really old ones to run usually with minimum effort.

 

[ipman]

I've always had a hard time getting used to progressives, but then when I bought them through Zenni, they worked perfectly. I don't understand it, but it's like everyone else was making them wrong, and Zenni made them right. And for like 10% of the cost. Pretty crazy. They definitely have won me over as a customer. The only problem is that I have a giant head, and they don't have a lot of frame options that are big enough. I did find one set of frames that I liked that worked.

Thanks for the Zenni Optical tip. I think I paid over £200 for these, but they do really enhance my gaming experience. I'm known for having a big head, but 'giant head' conjures an image. Giant Brain.

 

[Domenico]

Hi, everything above.

It must seem quite a leap after 36 years. Going for a mid to high end PC sounds like a good idea and you could always take the easy route and get a custom build to start with. You might be best to decide on your available budget and work within that.

It's so easy, they offer a basic set up(pc case and components) and you can just choose your own components.
It's not for purists but as a way in and as you learn more, in time you'll get really knowledgeable and confident until you feel you can build your own. There are some good reputable companies out there(I'd use Scan here in UK) and they offer good advice and after service.

So if you pick gaming components; a good PSU(high Watts and gold standard), that will last. Then the best MB, CPU, RAM 16Gb or above and liquid cooler will last, + a large SSD(games are often over a 100GB so they quickly fill up), sound card(maybe) with that set up it's only really the GPU that you will have to upgrade occasionally. Gaming PC's are repairable and endlessly upgradeable.

Getting the right number of fans/filters and right air flow is also important.

The custom builds can be a good way to start as it's all put together, working and tested when you start. It's then very easy to swap out say the GPU(usually a few screws, power leads and cables).

I think modern builds are way in advance of where games are at, so in a way you're already future proofed.

I can't even remember when I had this PC built, maybe thirteen years ago. It is outdated but plays most AAA games easily. I have a smaller SSD for W10 and a hard drive with my games on(good old 2TB Seagate). My original GPU developed a problem, but some companies offer a free exchange upgrade for a small fee. This GPU is about ten years old and handles most games easily.

I did post a clip in Pop Culture & Entertainment/ YT channels and random interests/#22 PC Centric, where the guy does a build and talks about components.

It's a whole exercise in itself, researching components, compatability, prices, etc, but ultimately satisfying as you end up with a custom build suited to you, pretty unique to you. I think if you get it right then you may only have to upgrade the GPU about every ten years, if that soon.

You've come to the right place anyway, as you can see there's a wealth of knowledge here (and we all started like you). Good Luck.

Thank you for all the information! A wealth of knowledge indeed! I have learned a great deal from comments and articles on this website. I still have a lot more research, but I agree, I am in the right place.

 

[Domenico]

Welcome to the forum

Can you confirm you're in USA, and do you have any preferred tech retailers to buy from?

You've gotten great advice and feedback above, so not much to add re your main Qs except maybe the last one.

TV as Monitor

Old eyes here too—I greet dirt with 'Hey kid'—and I've been using dual TVs as my screens for over a decade, currently got a pair of 42" at arm's length on my desk. My SO has a combo, TV and monitor, but the TV is her main screen. I would find it a serious visual climbdown if I had to go back to say a 22" monitor.

These are bog standard $200+ TVs at 60hz, roughly 6-7 years old, and I'm currently enjoying Far Cry 6 on the good one—the bad one has hundreds of lines on it, so is definitely the second choice with one leg in the iGrave. My graphics card is Nvidia 1060 (with 6MB VRAM), and it's at the limit of its ability with FC6.

Price

If you don't use the PC for anything else, that makes it less value. I've always used a PC for work, hence I never bought a console as it never made financial sense.

If you buy a lot of games, you’ll recover the difference quickly via the major savings on game purchases as long as you can wait for titles to go on sale.

Additional factors

Since this is your first step towards PC, some things you may know, or not.

You get access to tens of thousands of games—most of which are obviously exclusive to PC—at rock-bottom prices as long as you wait for your titles to go on sale. Have a quick look at Steam & GOG at the weekend—and of course EpicGames give away a free commercial game or two every week, as if there weren’t already thousands of free PC games.

Apart from choice & price, the biggest reason for me to prefer PC is the mods. Most big games have great modding communities and they produce some top-quality stuff. Mods can allow you to customize the game to your preferences, or fix bad design by the developers, or make a game almost totally different to the original.

Consoles have been becoming more like PCs for a few generations now, and that’ll continue, so the gap between consoles and PCs is becoming less with each generation. I expect the difference will disappear next decade, if not in the later 20s.

You can still play games from decades ago on modern PCs, as the guys over in the Retro forum will attest.

Thank you very much for your advice. You, and everyone else, have been extremely helpful.

I am in the US. I don't have a particular retailer. Perhaps not for PC, anyways. Now for PlayStation, I use both GameStop and Best Buy.

The advice has been incredible. Honestly, based on experiences on other forums, I expected a lot of short, snarky responses to my questions. I am very happy to have found a forum that has knowledgeable and patient members.

LOL at your meet and greet with dirt! That sounds about right.

The internal debate between a monitor and TV is intense. Lots to consider.

I don't plan on using the PC for work, and even if I did, that would never happen with any game loaded onto it haha. I like to wait until the holidays to buy games when they are fairly discounted. I think I bought 9 or 10 games this past holiday. That's about the usual each holiday.

The massive game collection and mods are what sparked my interest in PC gaming. I do love PlayStation, but the versatility and power of a PC is just to great to ignore.

 

[Domenico]

I know this wasnt aimed at me, but a coupel more things.

Games have pre/sets so you dont have to go very deep if you dont want, usually you can just select Ultra, High, Medium and low or similar and it will adjust everything for you. Often games will autodetect the best settings and you dont have to do anything if youre happy with how it runs.

If you want to get more involved then some sites offer per game guides for which settings affect the frame rate most and so on, so you can tweak if you like.

Having a PC is more complicated though for sure. It needs maintenance, drivers need updating and it will need cleaning out sometimes. Occasionally you'll have to do a bit of troubleshooting because something weird will happen, but most often the answer is only a Google away.

If you want to play a lot of different games though, it can work out cheaper than consoles and you can get even really old ones to run usually with minimum effort.

You know I just watched a couple of videos today that covered settings. Indeed, I can take a high level approach and toggle amongst ultra, high, etc., or I can really get into the weeds if I want to. I think after I get the first PC built, the cost of hardware will be less than buying a new PlayStation and its peripherals every generation.

 

[ipman]

The advice has been incredible. Honestly, based on experiences on other forums, I expected a lot of short, snarky responses to my questions. I am very happy to have found a forum that has knowledgeable and patient members.

The internal debate between a monitor and TV is intense. Lots to consider.

I don't plan on using the PC for work, and even if I did, that would never happen with any game loaded onto it haha. I like to wait until the holidays to buy games when they are fairly discounted. I think I bought 9 or 10 games this past holiday. That's about the usual each holiday.

The massive game collection and mods are what sparked my interest in PC gaming. I do love PlayStation, but the versatility and power of a PC is just to great to ignore.

Someone asked the forum recently 'what is this?' and your first sentences sums it up in part.

I don't think there's a need to think in terms of limits. Have TV and monitor, console(old) and PC.

I've never used a console, but I do have a Steam controller that works with my PC. I use a Razer gamepad generally, but also can use the KB buttons as well. KB and M is just so versatile.

Steam Sales are a bit of a tradition and you can pick up AAA games for minimal amounts. Modding is good fun as well and means you can customise the game for yourself(as I'm sure you know).

Welcome to the Club, and let us know how you get on

 

[Domenico]

Someone asked the forum recently 'what is this?' and your first sentences sums it up in part.

I don't think there's a need to think in terms of limits. Have TV and monitor, console(old) and PC.

I've never used a console, but I do have a Steam controller that works with my PC. I use a Razer gamepad generally, but also can use the KB buttons as well. KB and M is just so versatile.

Steam Sales are a bit of a tradition and you can pick up AAA games for minimal amounts. Modding is good fun as well and means you can customise the game for yourself(as I'm sure you know).

Welcome to the Club, and let us know how you get on

I’m planning on using my PS5 Dualsense controller. I will try using a keyboard and mouse, of course; however, I know I will need to ease into using them.
Steam seems to be a popular place to buy games. I will be checking it out soon to see what it’s like.
Modding looks like a lot of fun. Might be some time before I learn how all that works.
Thank you for the welcome and I will post what I end up doing including the parts list.

 

[DXCHASE]

I’m planning on using my PS5 Dualsense controller. I will try using a keyboard and mouse, of course; however, I know I will need to ease into using them.
Steam seems to be a popular place to buy games. I will be checking it out soon to see what it’s like.
Modding looks like a lot of fun. Might be some time before I learn how all that works.
Thank you for the welcome and I will post what I end up doing including the parts list.

Steam is by far and wide the biggest and best place to buy and store your games, so you will be using it loI.

I totally get this about using a controller, and had to do the same thing, so its totally normal to start off using a controller exclusively then easing into keyboard/mouse. You should play some games that make it easier to use a kb/mouse over a controller. Lots of RPG games play better with a kb/m and even some FPS games (counter strike, valorant) benefit the player greatly with kb/m.

I also use my PS5's dualsense. You are going to need a program called DS4Windows to run it properly, but be warned, PC's and controllers can be finicky over a BT connection. No problems if its wired, but i like to use mine when im playing from my couch, so its always wireless for me. There are also programs on steam (Controller Companion) that make the controller act like a mouse and keyboard.

and yes, welcome always looking for fresh opinions and questions!