5 ms·

I believe consoles are indeed cheaper because 1. they can be sold at a loss (whether or not they actually are now, they have been historically) as the manufactu

I believe consoles are indeed cheaper because 1. they can be sold at a loss (whether or not they actually are now, they have been historically) as the manufacturers make that back on games 2. they bulk order components and package/market them as a single piece. I much prefer gaming on consoles because I can't be bothered with all the mental overhead that comes with PC gaming. Like most of us I don't have much time. I turn the console on and I'm instantly playing a version optimised for this hardware. More than happy, even eager, to pay for a version that doesn't have me forever tweaking graphical settings or have me thinking about what the latest advancements in RAM or whatever is. I'm actually looking forward to Steam Deck as ideally it'll give a much closer to console experience for some PC games I've missed out on. Edit: I was reminded by another comment that the couch experience of desktop gaming isn't for me either. If I can't operate the whole thing from a gamepad I'm not interested, and last time I gave this a go with a little Lenovo I used for emulation, this still wasn't possible.

Fire-Dragon-DoL 5y ago
I'm pretty sure you can tell steam to boot at startup and boot in bigpicture mode. That works for couch gaming. As for graphic settings is as easy as "do not di anything" (stuff is autoconfigured nowdays), or "set it to ultra then lower by one until it stops being bad for you", in case your pc is outdated. With a console you don't have that option, you would need to buy a new one, so that's not comparable.
- vsl 5y ago
  For some value of “works”. Mostly theoretical. Been there, done that for a few years, bought PS4 out of sheer frustration. It’s a death by thousand cuts: problems in some games, occasional popups from whatever that can’t be dismissed without a mouse, Windows updates etc. had to have a keyboard and mouse nearby. Every time I started the machine after not playing for a few days, I ended up dealing with such things for the 30 minutes I had for gaming…
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
tpxl 5y ago
Looks like what you're describing is at least partially implemented in Steam Big Picture mode. > Big Picture is a mode of Steam designed for use with your TV and game controller, so you can enjoy your Steam games from the comfort of your couch. With the press of a button, Steam displays a full-screen user interface which has been completely redesigned for readability and interaction on TV. It can also be used on your usual computer display. It wont solve the hardware/ram/compatibility problems, but in my experience there are not many of those on the latest Ubuntu. If it works, it works well, and if it doesn't it doesn't at all. And mostly it does.
- lewispollard 5y ago
  Yup, you can also set up Steam to launch Big Picture mode at Windows boot, if you wanted to use the computer exclusively for gaming, and in addition, it's currently the best way to use a game controller on Windows, since when running in Big Picture it takes over all game controllers with its own input wrapper, which makes nearly any game controller work in a unified way with completely configurable controls. This is quite a big problem on Windows where a lot of controllers won't work without fiddly and often suspicious 3rd party driver packages and programs. Additionally, Big Picture mode lets you remap controller buttons to basically anything you like (other buttons, keyboard keys, entire sequences of actions, mode shifting, overlay menus, different actions depending on if you press/double press/hold, etc). And, you can browse controller configurations that other people have made, too. Often there are lots of solutions for games that don't officially support controllers, and even in those that do, often there are improved mappings with added features like gyro aiming, or using a combination of gamepad and mouse input (all on the controller of course) to improve in game aiming.
  - SirHound 5y ago
    Surely you still have to enter your Windows password with a keyboard?
    - lewispollard 5y ago
      Big Picture includes an on-screen keyboard overlay that you can toggle with a shortcut (by default it's the controller "home" button and "select", iirc). The first time you try to unlock the PC this way, Steam will prompt for elevated permissions to be able to do so. You can of course also set up the user to be automatically logged in. In my experience it's best to have Steam launch via the Task Scheduler with elevated permissions so that you can approve UAC requests, etc. However, yes it's worth having a keyboard connected (even if it's just one of those tiny wireless touchpad+keyboard combos) in case things go wrong.
gigatexal 5y ago
Can you use a keyboard and a mouse with a console yet?
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  Yes, not every game will let you use one without an adapter to mimic being a controller but some do. For example Fortnite on Switch will let you use a mouse and keyboard.
- eqtn 5y ago
  There are several games that support keyboard and mouse on Xbox
  - gxnxcxcx 5y ago
    Here's the most complete list I found while researching the subject a few months ago: https://xboxkbm.herokuapp.com/ https://xboxkbm.herokuapp.com/
- Nursie 5y ago
  For text entry, sure. For all games, not really - some game manufacturers would like competition to stay 'fair' and stick to controllers.
raxxorrax 5y ago
> with all the mental overhead that comes with PC gaming On a modern system you buy in the next electronic store that is ready to use the mental load is the same as using any Sony OS. The advantage I see in consoles is that they are more multiplayer friendly. It is mostly more comfortable to share a large couch, but PC maintenance is as easy as it is on console. You cannot play instantly. I use a console 3 times a month when friends come around to play. I often have to wait for a fairly long update of OS and games. Can happen on PC too, but with modern boot times, there really isn't much difference anymore aside from input/output.
- SirHound 5y ago
  Between background updates and instant resumes this just isn't true. Unless you're saying I can press a power button on the PC and I'm instantly exactly where I left off on the last game I played?
  - obedm 5y ago
    This is one of the best selling points to me. Most console games are designed to be played like this. I can just leave the game and come back tomorrow. For PC games I have to open it, make sure it's saved, close it. And so on. Sitting in the couch and being in the game in 15 secs Max is amazing
- maccard 5y ago
  > On a modern system you buy in the next electronic store that is ready to use the mental load is the same as using any Sony OS. It's really really not. Ever had the scenario where anticheat for a game has failed to install because of a pending windows update? > I use a console 3 times a month when friends come around to play. I often have to wait for a fairly long update of OS and games. Both xbox and playstation have supported background updates for the last couple of years, both for the OS and for games.
formerly_proven 5y ago
Another pretty big advantage of a console platform which isn't jailbroken (yet?) is far less cheating. Sure, you still got all your in-game exploits (some games don't have many, other games are riddled with game-breaking exploits), but you have to invest in a hardware cheat to get an aimbot or whatever on a console (one might argue that, depending on the game, you already get an aimbot out of the box anyway). Cheating in online PC games has become such a large problem that I'm wondering how much more the market will take.
- Wowfunhappy 5y ago
  Honestly, I've always considered this to be the one really strong argument in favor of locked-down hardware. It's something I struggle with a bit, because locked-down hardware is evil in every other respect. But it's clearly advantageous for online gaming.
  - effingwewt 5y ago
    Many moons ago I quit gaming on PC and sold my gaming rig, and went back to consoles. I remember the day. I was playing Battlefield 3 I believe. I kept getting sniped across the map with headshots. Went to search and typed in 'BF3 cheats' and the very first hit was a youtube video with a working aimbot link in the description. That being said, every time my PS4 would update and the only patch notes were 'security updates', the only thing that actually changed were their ads on the home screen. Then they began removing functionality. Then the weekly OS updates, with notes never saying more than 'security' Nowhere to go that hasn't been shit upon by either the player base, or the evil manufacturers. I used to love online gaming, have made some lifelong friends from it. But I'm over it and these days I look for single pmayer games with enough content to be worth the purchase without ebdless DLC.
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 5y ago
  Not just cheating, but it prevents players from having an advantage from having a better/more expensive setup - I personally love having standardized hardware in competitive online gaming.
epinephrinios 5y ago
Sony's exclusive games are the best IMO. You can't play those on PC (unless they do a PC-port many years later).
- wizardofdos 5y ago
  You can actually, with Playstation Now or whatever Sony's streaming service is called.
  - datenarsch 5y ago
    That service does not get said exclusives until many years later, if ever.
    - epinephrinios 5y ago
      And I usually want to play them on the release date!

Fire-Dragon-DoL 5y ago

I'm pretty sure you can tell steam to boot at startup and boot in bigpicture mode. That works for couch gaming. As for graphic settings is as easy as "do not di anything" (stuff is autoconfigured nowdays), or "set it to ultra then lower by one until it stops being bad for you", in case your pc is outdated. With a console you don't have that option, you would need to buy a new one, so that's not comparable.

vsl 5y ago
For some value of “works”. Mostly theoretical. Been there, done that for a few years, bought PS4 out of sheer frustration. It’s a death by thousand cuts: problems in some games, occasional popups from whatever that can’t be dismissed without a mouse, Windows updates etc. had to have a keyboard and mouse nearby. Every time I started the machine after not playing for a few days, I ended up dealing with such things for the 30 minutes I had for gaming…

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

tpxl 5y ago

Looks like what you're describing is at least partially implemented in Steam Big Picture mode. > Big Picture is a mode of Steam designed for use with your TV and game controller, so you can enjoy your Steam games from the comfort of your couch. With the press of a button, Steam displays a full-screen user interface which has been completely redesigned for readability and interaction on TV. It can also be used on your usual computer display. It wont solve the hardware/ram/compatibility problems, but in my experience there are not many of those on the latest Ubuntu. If it works, it works well, and if it doesn't it doesn't at all. And mostly it does.

lewispollard 5y ago
Yup, you can also set up Steam to launch Big Picture mode at Windows boot, if you wanted to use the computer exclusively for gaming, and in addition, it's currently the best way to use a game controller on Windows, since when running in Big Picture it takes over all game controllers with its own input wrapper, which makes nearly any game controller work in a unified way with completely configurable controls. This is quite a big problem on Windows where a lot of controllers won't work without fiddly and often suspicious 3rd party driver packages and programs. Additionally, Big Picture mode lets you remap controller buttons to basically anything you like (other buttons, keyboard keys, entire sequences of actions, mode shifting, overlay menus, different actions depending on if you press/double press/hold, etc). And, you can browse controller configurations that other people have made, too. Often there are lots of solutions for games that don't officially support controllers, and even in those that do, often there are improved mappings with added features like gyro aiming, or using a combination of gamepad and mouse input (all on the controller of course) to improve in game aiming.
- SirHound 5y ago
  Surely you still have to enter your Windows password with a keyboard?
  - lewispollard 5y ago
    Big Picture includes an on-screen keyboard overlay that you can toggle with a shortcut (by default it's the controller "home" button and "select", iirc). The first time you try to unlock the PC this way, Steam will prompt for elevated permissions to be able to do so. You can of course also set up the user to be automatically logged in. In my experience it's best to have Steam launch via the Task Scheduler with elevated permissions so that you can approve UAC requests, etc. However, yes it's worth having a keyboard connected (even if it's just one of those tiny wireless touchpad+keyboard combos) in case things go wrong.

gigatexal 5y ago

Can you use a keyboard and a mouse with a console yet?

salamandersauce 5y ago
Yes, not every game will let you use one without an adapter to mimic being a controller but some do. For example Fortnite on Switch will let you use a mouse and keyboard.
eqtn 5y ago
There are several games that support keyboard and mouse on Xbox
- gxnxcxcx 5y ago
  Here's the most complete list I found while researching the subject a few months ago: https://xboxkbm.herokuapp.com/ https://xboxkbm.herokuapp.com/
Nursie 5y ago
For text entry, sure. For all games, not really - some game manufacturers would like competition to stay 'fair' and stick to controllers.

raxxorrax 5y ago

> with all the mental overhead that comes with PC gaming On a modern system you buy in the next electronic store that is ready to use the mental load is the same as using any Sony OS. The advantage I see in consoles is that they are more multiplayer friendly. It is mostly more comfortable to share a large couch, but PC maintenance is as easy as it is on console. You cannot play instantly. I use a console 3 times a month when friends come around to play. I often have to wait for a fairly long update of OS and games. Can happen on PC too, but with modern boot times, there really isn't much difference anymore aside from input/output.

SirHound 5y ago
Between background updates and instant resumes this just isn't true. Unless you're saying I can press a power button on the PC and I'm instantly exactly where I left off on the last game I played?
- obedm 5y ago
  This is one of the best selling points to me. Most console games are designed to be played like this. I can just leave the game and come back tomorrow. For PC games I have to open it, make sure it's saved, close it. And so on. Sitting in the couch and being in the game in 15 secs Max is amazing
maccard 5y ago
> On a modern system you buy in the next electronic store that is ready to use the mental load is the same as using any Sony OS. It's really really not. Ever had the scenario where anticheat for a game has failed to install because of a pending windows update? > I use a console 3 times a month when friends come around to play. I often have to wait for a fairly long update of OS and games. Both xbox and playstation have supported background updates for the last couple of years, both for the OS and for games.

formerly_proven 5y ago

Another pretty big advantage of a console platform which isn't jailbroken (yet?) is far less cheating. Sure, you still got all your in-game exploits (some games don't have many, other games are riddled with game-breaking exploits), but you have to invest in a hardware cheat to get an aimbot or whatever on a console (one might argue that, depending on the game, you already get an aimbot out of the box anyway). Cheating in online PC games has become such a large problem that I'm wondering how much more the market will take.

Wowfunhappy 5y ago
Honestly, I've always considered this to be the one really strong argument in favor of locked-down hardware. It's something I struggle with a bit, because locked-down hardware is evil in every other respect. But it's clearly advantageous for online gaming.
- effingwewt 5y ago
  Many moons ago I quit gaming on PC and sold my gaming rig, and went back to consoles. I remember the day. I was playing Battlefield 3 I believe. I kept getting sniped across the map with headshots. Went to search and typed in 'BF3 cheats' and the very first hit was a youtube video with a working aimbot link in the description. That being said, every time my PS4 would update and the only patch notes were 'security updates', the only thing that actually changed were their ads on the home screen. Then they began removing functionality. Then the weekly OS updates, with notes never saying more than 'security' Nowhere to go that hasn't been shit upon by either the player base, or the evil manufacturers. I used to love online gaming, have made some lifelong friends from it. But I'm over it and these days I look for single pmayer games with enough content to be worth the purchase without ebdless DLC.
rrrrrrrrrrrryan 5y ago
Not just cheating, but it prevents players from having an advantage from having a better/more expensive setup - I personally love having standardized hardware in competitive online gaming.

epinephrinios 5y ago

Sony's exclusive games are the best IMO. You can't play those on PC (unless they do a PC-port many years later).

wizardofdos 5y ago
You can actually, with Playstation Now or whatever Sony's streaming service is called.
- datenarsch 5y ago
  That service does not get said exclusives until many years later, if ever.
  - epinephrinios 5y ago
    And I usually want to play them on the release date!