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It’s a battle that has been waged since the dawn of time…well…since the late 1980s; which is better for gaming, the PC or the games console? We aren’t including smartphone gaming, as for hardcore gamers, they don’t really count (although please feel free to disagree).

Advocates for each platform will proclaim the advantages of their particular system, and you might have an opinion of your own on the matter. But who is the overall winner then? Do PC’s rank as the better machines, or have consoles earned their place as the overall king of the hill?

Let’s take a closer look at two aspects of each.

Graphical capability

When it comes to graphical capability, PC’s hold the trump card. They have long since triumphed over their console brethren for performance, and console manufacturers have struggled to keep up with the resolution and overall power that a high-end PC has. Still, notice we said ‘high-end.’ While a fully upgraded desktop computer or gaming laptop will play the latest and greatest games in glorious HD and 4K resolution, they do cost a fortune to buy. And if you’re stuck with an entry-level PC, you will struggle to play the latest games on the market, even with your graphic settings turned down.

Today’s consoles, primarily the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, are highly capable machines. While they still don’t match the power of high-end gaming PC’s, they can still display 4K resolutions with the latest in HDR colour technology. Buyers can be confident that their machines will play the latest games, unlike PC owners, who (especially if they aren’t technically minded) may be unsure as to which titles will play on their system, especially if they haven’t equipped the latest graphics cards, etc.

The winner? As a rule, it’s the PC, although as we have seen, it’s not straightforward.

Future proofing

It’s here where the PC generally comes out on top. With the aid of Inside Tech PC Builder services and that provided by other such computer firms, you can custom build your PC to keep up with the latest games and technologies that become available. In theory, then, you need only buy one machine, and add to it when necessary. Still, to fully equip your PC, you are looking at an expense, above and beyond what you paid for your computer in the first place. You might have to pay thousands of pounds to stay ahead when buying the latest graphics cards, fanciest processors, etc. so while you can future-proof your machine, it won’t be cheap.

Gaming consoles are not future proof. At the time of writing, there is talk of the PlayStation 5 and the next Xbox, so to stay ahead, you will have to update your console when the next model comes around. And you will have to do this again and again, as the console wars continue over the next few years. Still, this might be cheaper than upgrading a PC every few years, as while consoles are not as future-proof and are expensive, the expense might still cause less damage to your pocket, especially if you buy something through the second-hand market.

The winner? PC gaming comes out on top, but only if you can afford it.

And the winner is…?

Sorry to cop out on the subject, but at the time of writing, there is still no clear winner between PC and gaming consoles. In general, they will both play many of the same games. They are both great platforms for multiplayer gaming. And they are both multi-purposed, with such things as media and music streaming as standard. In the end, it might simply come down to personal choice. Perhaps there is no winner, as whichever way you look at it, you still get the opportunity to play some fantastic games (and watch Netflix).

Let us know what you think, and if you can present an argument for your preferred gaming platform, feel free to sway us to the side you’re playing on!