A lot has been said about the PC vs. console debate, and frankly, most of it is irrelevant. No single gaming platform is perfect; it all depends on what works for you. With PC gaming handhelds entering the fray, the PC vs. “everything else” debate has gathered renewed interest. While I believe in different strokes for different folks, the record needs to be set straight, as far as the objective benefits of PC gaming are concerned. In a few key areas, consoles and, especially, handhelds can’t hope to compete with gaming PCs. Let’s refresh what some people seem to have forgotten.
A PC can be a console, but not vice versa
You aren’t locked into a particular way of gaming
Unlike a console, which is primarily built for gaming, and a handheld, which is nothing but PC gaming on the go, a gaming PC enjoys a lot more flexibility. If you’re bored with gaming at your desk, you can simply connect your PC to your TV — just like a console. Sure, your TV might only have a 60Hz screen, but that’s also what most console games still run at. And if you don’t want to bother moving your heavy PC to your TV room, just fire up Steam Link, and stream your favorite games on your TV, enjoying the couch gaming experience consoles are known for.
Simply connecting your PC to the TV isn’t where it ends — you can literally turn your PC into a console by setting Windows to auto-login, and installing a launcher like Playnite. Almost every controller will work with your PC-turned-console setup, so you don’t need your keyboard and mouse either. And using the Big Picture mode on Steam will allow you to navigate your library just like you would on a console.
Now, a console or handheld can’t be made to work like a PC, no matter how hard you try. A console just isn’t made for that, and a handheld, despite the portability benefits, can mimic only a fraction of your PC’s experience. A gaming PC isn’t just your gaming rig; it can also be your work machine, streaming device, retro gaming hub, productivity rig, and pretty much anything else you want it to be. The higher cost of entry of a gaming PC starts to look more than justified, once you consider its versatility.
Absolute power, total control
Any WWE fans?
The next unassailable advantage of a gaming PC has to do with the degree of control you have. Unlike a console or handheld, where you’re forced to buy whatever the manufacturer deems fit, building a PC offers you complete freedom. You can choose to spend $2000–$3000 on a high-end build, or craft a $500–$700 budget rig — you have a choice. You can prioritize GPU horsepower, CPU grunt, storage speed, or esthetics, based on your needs and preferences.
You can also upgrade every single component of your PC, which is impossible to do on a console or handheld. You’re stuck with the hardware configuration you bought, for better or worse. You need to buy a new console only once every seven years, but the flip side is that you can’t accelerate that timeline, even if you’re ready to spend on an upgrade. Whether you’re dissatisfied with the game library, level of performance, or missing features, you just have to accept your fate.
Handhelds have access to mostly the same library as gaming PCs, but upgradability is absent there as well. PC gaming, on the other hand, bows to no one, well, except the whims of Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and a fee others. The market is still free from concentrated control, giving users the power to buy what they want, upgrade what they want, and even use their old hardware for DIY projects.
Buying and playing games is simply better on PCs
Even console exclusives aren’t exclusive anymore
The whole experience surrounding buying and playing games, whether online or offline, is superior on PC. You aren’t locked to a single storefront to buy games from (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Microsoft Store), and the deals and sales on PC are always better than what you’ll find on consoles. Handhelds running Windows and SteamOS can also manage this feat, so this downside isn’t as applicable to handhelds. Once you’ve bought a game, you don’t need to pay a separate fee to play it online, as it still happens on consoles.
Then there’s the whole other world of mods and older titles, which adds a new dimension to PC gaming. Using mods to give rise to novel experiences and, sometimes, whole new games, doesn’t exist on consoles. It’s possible on handhelds like Steam Deck and ROG Ally X, but it’s slightly more cumbersome. On your gaming PC, you can access almost any classic game via backwards compatibility or easy emulation, meaning games don’t really die on the PC.
As for console exclusives, almost every single one of them now lands on PC within a matter of months. Some titles like GTA VI will still enjoy a period of console exclusivity, but by and large, exclusives aren’t the selling point for consoles they used to be.
Uncapped performance
Not called PCMR for nothing
Graphical fidelity and framerates are areas where gaming PCs are still untouchable. Even after the launch of the PS5 Pro, a ton of games are locked to 30 or 60 FPS on the PS5 and Xbox consoles. Even on handhelds that have 90Hz or 120Hz displays, demanding titles seldom touch these framerates. Gaming PCs, even the budget ones, have advanced to a point where 60FPS+ gaming is the baseline. Using the latest in upscaling and frame generation, high-refresh-rate gaming isn’t the luxury it feels like on consoles and handhelds.
You have far more control over in-game settings to customize your gaming experience. Prioritizing performance or visuals is possible on consoles via “Performance” and “Quality” modes, but the PC takes it to a granular level. With a decent mid-range PC, you never need to worry about a subpar 30 FPS experience. And for the enthusiasts who can afford them, high-end components like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5080 offer the best possible gaming experience you can find today.
Unparalleled immersion
PC starts with P, and so does peak
A gaming PC can’t beat a handheld when it comes to portability and convenience, but PC gaming beats everything else in immersion. The tiny screen on a handheld can never replicate the peak gaming experience offered by large, cutting-edge monitors. Even if your PS5 or Xbox Series X is connected to a giant TV or OLED monitor, it doesn’t have the horsepower to offer the performance that’s fundamental to gaming immersion.
Everything from the controls and performance customization to PC-exclusive games like GTFO, Escape the Backrooms, Escape from Tarkov, and more makes the PC the definitive platform for gaming. A handheld or console is all good for casual couch gaming, but serious action happens on a PC. I’d love to play A Short Hike or Silent Hill 2 on a console, but enjoying Cyberpunk 2077 or COD: Warzone is always a PC thing for me.
Gaming PCs are built to survive everything
Gaming PCs have been pronounced dead more times than I can count, but the platform will survive any new device that pops up in the future. Consoles have their place, and handhelds offer a level of convenience that PCs can’t, but gaming PCs have a bunch of objective advantages that you can’t take away from. Many gamers probably own one of each of these machines, but they’d probably rank their PC gaming experience at the top.
