The newest Xbox and Playstation consoles are going to be released later in 2020, and console fanboys are already arguing about which is going to be better. But PC gamers know better – PC will always be the superior gaming platform for numerous game genres.
In this article, we’ll take a look at several game genres that are simply better on PC.
Real-time strategy games
RTS games are perfect on the PC because it would be nearly impossible to play on a console. RTS games like Starcraft, Age of Empires, and Stellaris have you micromanaging many different things like units, buildings, and resources, with keyboard hotkeys to quickly open all of the necessary menus you need to quickly access during intense gameplay.
RTS games do exist for other platforms, like various Starcraft-clones on mobile devices, but the gameplay mechanics are quite stripped down from their PC counterparts, to be more accessible and casual for mobile gamers.
As an example, in a normal Starcraft game, you need to quickly set a few units to begin gathering resources, while placing down core buildings, keeping an eye on your map explorers and keeping them out of danger, and quickly growing your zergling rush army.
It sounds like a lot to multitask, and for most efficient gameplay, you need to be doing all of these things simultaneously, which is why pro players have dozens of hotkeys mapped to certain game actions.
With only a few buttons on your average console gamepad, it’d just be a nightmare trying to play an RTS on anything but PC.
First-person shooter games
If you want the ultimate first-person shooter experience, you need to play on PC. The aiming accuracy of a mouse is unrivaled when compared to a console gamepad, so much that console FPS games need to include “aim assist” to help players stay on target while shooting.
While legions of console fanboys argue over whether Call of Duty is better on Xbox or Playstation, true FPS gamers know that PC is home of the first-person shooter, and tournaments for console shooters aren’t taken as seriously as the CS:GO eSports scene found only on PC.
That’s not to say FPS games are horrible on consoles, because Call of Duty can be fun with a gamepad. They’re just so much better on PC, and there’s also mod communities to consider.
While console gamers are generally stuck with the maps and guns designed by the game developers, the PC versions of the games have large PC game mod communities that create custom maps, guns, and other gameplay mods that PC users can easily download and play in private servers.
Online casino games
While you can play casino game simulators on consoles, consoles like Xbox and Playstation don’t allow real-money betting. There are some mobile casino apps out there, typically app versions of more popular casino websites, but nothing beats sitting down to a game of Texas Hold’em or playing virtual slot machines on your computer in a live online casino like Casumo.
Simulation and building games
Similar to RTS games, there are just too many menus and resources to micromanage in simulation and building games to be comfortably played on anything but PC. Games like Rollercoaster Tycoon and Cities: Skylines have you scrolling through lots of building types to place down, as well as managing financial aspects. It’d just be horrible on a gamepad.
There are also simulation builders that can have more advanced interfaces than would be comfortable using on anything but a PC. A very popular sandbox game called Roblox lets users design entire worlds and share them with the community, using advanced 3D-level editor software. Roblox has even become a virtual 3D platform for artists hosting music concerts.
While you could probably explore people’s worlds on a console version of Roblox, the design aspect of Roblox is what makes it appealing, and it certainly wouldn’t be easy on the console.
MMORPGs
Due to hardware and gamepad limitations of consoles, developers who have made MMORPGs for consoles in the past found themselves severely limited in terms of game world design and combat mechanics.