Looking for Some Non Opinionated Guidance

[Capi0223]

Hey everyone,

Well so here's my situation. I currently have a custom PC, 3.1 Ghz Athlon ii x3 445 with 4GB RAM, and a ATI Radeon 4670 (512mb) and I also have a PS3.

I usually just buy games on PS3, but little by little I notice that I don't play as much on there. Then Skyrim came out. I got it for PS3 first for Christmas, but with the issues I was having with it (stutter, frame rate issues etc), I decided to trade it in for the PC version, which basically had me fall in love with Skyrim and with PC gaming as well. I see myself scrolling through Steam thinking, " Man, why do I even have a PS3?"

Last game I bought that was PS3 Exclusive was Uncharted 3 on Black Friday, and well, it's still in its package by my desk. So I was thinking, maybe I should sell my PS3, sell all my games, controllers etc. and just add another HD to my computer, upgrade my RAM and video card and just play on PC exclusively?

Any opinions on this? I mean, I guess I can slowly transition, I just don't make a bunch of money right now (mainly b/c my room mate moved out and I'm covering all the bills at the moment).

TLDR: Should I sell my PS3 and all my PS3 games, accessories and upgrade my PC for PC exclusive gaming.

Thanks for any replies, and please be gentle lol.

 

[Doomy]

I have a PS3 cos I got fed up of upgrading my PC every 3 months. It wasn't necessarily the cash it was costing, it was more that I found I had to be a hardware expert to know what was value, what was compatible with what, and what things were coming next so I could plan the upgrades. Just too much grief.

I am an IT manager

 

[Capi0223]

Well, I don't understand, why would you need to upgrade every 3 months? Did you have to upgrade that much to run on Ultra High Settings or something? Most games I can play right now on low-medium (like Skyrim for instance) and my video card is kind of old I'm told.

But that would make sense.

 

[Windress]

Hi Capi! (Nice Deadpool Avatar, btw!)

This is really going to come down to your core preferences in two things:

1. The types of games you enjoy spending time on
2. The manner in which you prefer to game

Obviously most of the people who respond to your thread are going to display a bias either for PS3 or PC gaming. I've gone down this exact path as well, as I currently own both a gaming desktop and a PS3. I come from a background of solid PC Gaming, but have found I prefer the experience of console gaming in certain situations.

So let's consider:

What Types of Games Do You Enjoy?
It seems fairly apparent that you're a fan of RPGs like Skyrim, and when looking for comparable games, the PC is no slouch. You've got Guild Wars, Age of Conan, Lineage, WoW, Everquest, etcetcetc. Generally, PCs have the strength when wanting to play a Free-Roam MMO as well. And, like you said, you have the option to upgrade and enhance your system at any time.

But what other games do you prefer? FPS? Hack-and-Slash? Strategy? SIMS? There are certain games that will only ever be available on a single platform, whether its PS3 or something else. If you've got a game in mind you know you can't live without (say, Red Dead Redemption? Or Final Fantasy?), you might want to consider where it is available before making a single decision.


What Manner of Gaming Best Suits You?
This comes down to your personal preferences for Keymappings/Controller Presets/etc. Some people just game better on a PC (For FPS Games, I am one of them. Give me a Mouse over a Controller anyday!). Some excel with a controller in their hands! And some do well with both, but may have strengths and weaknesses based on the nature of the game. This is a hard question to determine an answer to because you'll have to consider what kinds of games you'll mostly be playing for the foreseeable future, and how you prefer to play those future games.

Now the PC has an advantage in this catagory as well, because it offers both a keyboard/mouse set up as well as the option for a plug/pairable controller. Essentially you could play either way on games that support both modes. However, you may have to deal with other factors that lessen the experience, like frame refresh rates and video/graphic card compatibility.



So, I think what I am trying to say is that no one can really make this decision for you. You'll have to do some soul searching on what is best for you as a gamer, and make a judgement call based on that. I can tell you that PS3s tend to hold their value when resold via Ebay (though not when resold to a retail store like Gamestop), and that depending on the edition of the PS3, you might even find its in high demand.

Personally, I game both on PC and on PS3 and I intend to keep it that way. I do not love one more than the other, but I can acknowledge the dominating benefits of either in certain situations. I hope my points have helped you determine your next move, and that you don't make a decision you might end regretting further down the road!

 

[VictoireXII]

I don't see the need to upgrade every 3 months. My computer is 2 years old now, bought it in 2009, just changed the graphics card is all, playing skyrim in max settings with all them high res mods just fine...

Windress- China wants their wall back.

 

[Capi0223]

Wow, amazing post!

Ok let's start:

I'm a kind of everything gamer, though I play less FPS games than others. I enjoy RPGs, Action RPGs, Puzzle, Action, Fighting, etc. but also play games like DOTA, League of Legends, Trine, Diablo 2/3, Torchlight etc.

So say just looking on Steam really quick, I'd get Saints Row, NBA2k12 (have on PS3), MW3 (have it on PS3), The Witcher 2, GTA... My PS3 library consists of GT5 (barely played), bayonetta (barely played), GoW 3 (barely played), NBA2k12 (play everyday), Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (I like this one alot too), MW3 (just started playing), Red Dead Redemption (haven't finished), Uncharted 2 (done), Uncharted 3 (new in plastic haven't started), Batman Arkham City (loved this game!). This kind of gives a better view of my "type".

As far as preference, really doesn't matter. I played WoW for like 6 years so I'm fairly comfortable with mouse and keyboard- I grew up using controllers (Nintendo, N64, PS1, PS2, Xbox, PS3) and I'm pretty sure I can pick up a X360 controller to plug in to the PC for games such as Just Cause 2 (have on steam lol).

I just got freaked out by the fact that we are going to be getting another generation of console games soon. And after have purchased so many different systems over the years, I can't see myself spending another $500+ for the newest console. I figured, get out now (while I can make some money on the current gen) and upgrade my 2 year old computer. I wanted to upgrade my video card, RAM and add another HDD for games only and that will run about $400. Selling my PS3, extra controller, Multi Media Controller, Bluetooth Headset and 10-12 games, I can cover that (or most of it anyway).

I don't play online much on either system b/c well, I'm newer to Steam and have like no friends on there lol, but also on PS3 I don't play many of the games they are playing that are multiplayer. Only 2 people I play online with its to play NBA2k12, and they are family that I can go see with a 10 minute drive lol.

 

[Finalchrono]

Any opinions on this? I mean, I guess I can slowly transition, I just don't make a bunch of money right now (mainly b/c my room mate moved out and I'm covering all the bills at the moment).

Non-opinionated, fact driven guidance eh? You want to build a top of the line gaming PC that will last 5 years? That will cost you $900. Then you just have to buy the games, which are a little cheaper on the PC and they usually have some pretty good sales on steam every now and then. You say you want a warranty with that custom PC? Well newegg offers warranties on their hardware.

If you do decide to go PC only, you will miss those exclusive console games and you also lose the couch co-op shooter. You do gain online play in larger game sizes though. You also get customization on a PC. If you happen to run into an MMO, well then you may not give a damn about much else. (*Cough*SW:TOR*Cough*).

Anyway, why don't you give it a trial run for a while? Maybe play some slightly older yet still fun games for a while on the PC and see if it's something that floats your boat.