I'm not going to be PC (sorry) and cater for any sensitive souls out there: the PC is the most powerful gaming system on the planet - I'm not sure any reasonable gamer can argue with that. However, raw power aside why else would I recommend you take the plunge and get yourself a gaming rig? Given my site is all about championing the PC as a games platform people may ask the question 'but why PC?' So let's look at my reasons to be a PC gamer.
Games Games Games
They say a system is only as good as the games available on it and this is one area the PC is leaps and bounds ahead of any other platform. The library of games open to PC gamers is intimidating - not only do you have tens of thousands of titles to enjoy but many are free to play. In addition, games can now become available for long periods of alpha and beta testing.
So if you are the kind of player who likes to support the games you are passionate about, early access is sometimes an excellent way to have a say in its development and platforms like Steam make this process child's play. There are sometimes benefits offered by developers as well as the satisfaction of knowing a little bit of you went into the game's final version. This is just one of many ways the PC gaming community feels more cohesive: because gamers are willing to spend large amounts of time (and money) to get a new project on its feet.
Of course, one of the best things about PC gaming is that whenever you upgrade your rig all your games come with you and additionally get a brand new lease of life. I remember when I got my new 980 GTX - my entire library could be played on maximum settings at blistering frame rates: it's like getting a new games collection in addition to the upgrade. With many titles now starting to support 4K resolutions, there is always room to grow. It may sound like something and nothing but when you have played GTA 5 in 4K resolution and at a stable 60 frames per second it's like a dream come true. High frame rates also change the way you play games, you can react faster and the whole experience just feels far more fluid.
Modding
So you've played your favourite game to death and done all there is to do, time to move on? Not necessarily. The modding scene on PC is unique and needs it's own article to cover properly. Essentially any game you play on PC can be modded either with official tools from the developers or good mod teams can make their own. Games can be made anew, have pretty much unlimited content created (usually for free) and in some cases game mods have themselves gone on to become fully fledged games in their own right. Skyrim is an excellent example of what modding can do for a game.
I know from experience that when you first hear about modding games it sounds a little messy but even this part of the PC gaming scene is now becoming very user-friendly with sites like Nexus and the Steam Workshop in place downloading a mod is as simple as choosing the one you want and pressing install. Honestly if I can manage it anyone can.
Price
Hang on you say, Genophix this is one for the consoles... It is true that to build a decent gaming rig you will initially spend significantly more money than your average console: especially when you are starting from scratch with monitors and peripherals. However if you look at the long game you start to see your investment paying off.
The majority of games on PC cost substantially less than console, this is something that some of the bigger publishers like EA and Ubisoft are trying to change, unfortunately. However a few times a year Steam and other digital game retailers have sales and it's here where you can pick up hundreds of games for the same price as a few console titles. All of them gems you've missed over the years drop down to a few pounds/dollars/euros and it is here that the investment you made pays off big time.
I usually channel my money into the raw power of my rig and avoid expensive extras but if you do have the money PC gaming really does have lots of places to spend your hard earned cash. Like any hobby, there are always those who want to push their passion as far as they can go and live on the bleeding edge of technology. Like people who mod their cars or build their own drones from scratch - PC gaming is a haven for extravagant enthusiasm with almost unlimited potential to be individual. You can learn about overclocking: basically tweaking every last drop of power from your hardware or even craft your own case like the ones shown on my front page. You can also get a litany of peripherals that warm the heart - from a specialised gaming mouse to a top of the range driving cockpit. When Elite Dangerous landed I treated myself to a X52 Pro stick and throttle - kit like this makes the games you love feel incredible to play and send immersion through the roof.
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Steam powered
The living room has always been the domain of the console but with home streaming becoming as easy as pie this is changing. Even before 'living room PC's' were common I had a few friends who had small media PCs in the lounge for music, films and the odd game. I recently got myself a Steam Link and so can now stream straight from my PC in the basement. There are lots of streaming options but I honestly can't recommend the Link enough, it's easy to use, works beautifully and with Big Picture mode you conveniently have access to your entire Steam library. Additionally, the rise of E-sports is also largely found in the PC ecosystem, when playing on a competitive stage with millions of dollars up for grabs PC is again the only choice.
Love them or hate them Valve (and Steam) have done more for PC gaming that any other company I can think off: I honestly can't imagine PC gaming without it. Of course, Steam wasn't always there but before we lacked something solid and reliable that worked with the platforms strengths. Consoles are still stuck in the physical media age and while I'm sure the next generation will ditch discs all together we are still looking at potentially eight more years. With massive storage capacity and fast Solid State Drives (SSD) the PC is next generation now.
The games industry is changing fast because it is tethered to the heartbeat of technology: when something new comes along, like say Virtual Reality, it is PC where emerging technology can really find it's feet. This doesn't just apply to hardware either, the PC is a hotbed for independent game development and crowd funded games. Projects like Star Citizen for example simply could not exist on anything other than PC and for this reason alone it is so important we look after PC gaming and makes sure companies like Microsoft don't box it off as their own.
Summary
Given my clear passion for PC gaming, I feel it necessary to also stress that I don't dislike consoles, I have a PS4 and use it a lot. I also grew up playing games on various systems and I know that graphics are not the only aspect that makes a good game. Consoles are an important piece of the industry because for many gamers they represent an affordable entree point to gaming: however many console developers would have the world believe console is the only option available. It's my goal here at Rigged to show gamers out there that PC is also an incredible platform for gaming and in my opinion the very best there is.
The more money something is worth the more large company's like Microsoft and Sony will seek to protect it: PC gaming threatens that status Quo like nothing else. In recent months, Microsoft has made it clear they want to cosy up with PC gaming (again) but have already shown how they would start: on their terms and by forcing gamers to use their latest OS and locking software down with their Universal Windows Platform (UWP). So leading on from this I will be publishing a second article called 'who left the brakes on': looking at the relationship between consoles/PC and how the competition is not always a fair one.
Thanks for reading this article, I hope you found it interesting. If you don't already please follow me @riggedforepic, find me on YouTube under the same name and of course if you have any feedback or enquiries you can always email me at riggedforepic@gmail.com