This generation of consoles are just embarrassingly bad.

Every frigging game is broken, requires patches to work out of the gate and struggles to get 1080/30. Meanwhile on Digital Foundry a Core i3 PC with a 750ti that you can build for the price of these consoles, out performs them. On top of that they put in a slow arse 2.5 HDD and everything takes all year to load, I swear they have problems streaming content in, they cannot even do two things at once without bogging down because of that crap HDD.

How the hell did we get to this point where the consoles launched way behind the PC and are so dated that we're already thinking about new ones?

It's not just the hardware either, the UIs are so bad on both consoles, the download speeds are so slow, I can get 35MBps on Steam and download 50GB games so fast. With the PS4 and Xbox One if you buy anything digitally, you know you're not playing it until the next day, that's if the download hasn't stopped for whatever reason when the console is in rest mode.

Then you have the price of the digital games, I got Fallout 4 for £30 on PC, on the PS4 it's £50 and that is a generous price, usually you can go on there and the prices are £60 odd and £20 more than retail. On top of that retail prices drop very fast, digital prices stay the same all year, then they give you a sale where they're still more expensive than retail and act like it's a good deal. Meanwhile over on Steam there are sales galore and I'm buying everything for a fraction of the price of the consoles. People say PC gaming is so expensive... my PC cost me £500 to make in 2012 and it's still maxing everything out at 1080p 60 and beating the consoles by miles. I haven't had to pay a subscription to play online, games are cheap, I've probably saved more money than my PC cost on games and no sub alone...

I just think these consoles are dated in more ways than just the hardware and games are increasingly more and more broken. On top of that we're still not given the freedom we should expect like what we get on the PC or even phones and tablets. Why don't we have apps yet? Why can't we choose third party software that does a better job than the crap Microsoft and Sony give us? Why can't I do simple things like use an SD card to save games in real time on the PS4? Why can't I change FoV or remap the controls to what I want exactly?

People were worried about Nintendo, I think they'll outlive both Sony and Microsoft int he console space. I look at the PS4 and the Xbox One and I'm done with them already, they're so dated I'm just using my PC 100%. That never used to be the case, in the old days consoles would be 2/3 years ahead, they launched 2/3 years behind this time and it shows.

Great revolutions this generation produced:

• Make microtransactions standard
• Something else?

You're basing this on Fallout 4, which is a terrible example. Halo 5 has been a dream in terms of performance and general launch stability. So was the launch of Forza 6. Almost all of the big PS4 games have had strong launches too.

The PS4 and Xbox One are selling very well. The PC is irrelevant to most gamers out there. Only people on System Wars and other gaming boards really care about the PC in terms of gaming. Most of the market doesn't even consider a PC.

The consoles are not made for you because you're a PC gamer. The consoles are made for people who don't game that much and don't care about technical aspects. The consoles are made for people who just want to play the games they see on TV. Completely different market. In that respect the PS4 and Xbox One are doing great.

We got to this point when larger amounts of gamers were willing to spend much more money on keeping their computers more current than ever before. Chasing PCs only leads to issues for console developers. They don't want to launch a console a $600 at a loss just so they can beat some mid-range PCs that cost $1000 to build and then be out of date in 3-4 years. That's just not a winning strategy for any console manufacturer.

PC gamers are now more abundant than ever and most are willing to pay far more on hardware over the years to keep current. It's not unreasonable for PC gamers to drop $200+ every 2 years on hardware upgrades. That's acceptable by PC gamer's standards and now there are more PC gamers than ever. Consoles just can't keep up with that. It's pointless for them to even try.

PC Gaming was awesome back in late 90s and early 2000s but Consoles were very strong competition as well. Now it seems like Consoles aren't even trying anymore.

Your comparing two different platforms. Yes, the PC is better, but the only reason consoles are behind because it's closed hardware and hardware is excelling at a fast rate. (Well before, now it's kind of slowing down) Also, a PS4 costs $450 CAD and with that money, it's hard to have hardware up to GTX 980 ti/titan level. You claim you have a 500 euro rig (i"m guessing) from 2012 that can run 1080p @ 60 FPS. What settings and what specs? You can't change settings on console because it's a CONSOLE!!! If consoles were like PC's then it's not a console. Consoles are made to be optimized and to have the best performance for your money. Yes I agree the UI doesn't look satisfying but games are broken on PC too. Not all games are broken, and games on PC require patches too. I don't know where you got Fallout 4 for cheap, in Canada it's $79.99 CAD for both PC and Console. Steam sales mostly happen with older games and if newer then probably %5-10 off? Also, if you don't like the install speeds, replace the HDD with an SSD, yes you can do that. Or buy the game as a disc and it will install to the console automatically. PS4/XONE aren't outdated much. Sure, they're 2 years old but it still looks good compared to PC (unless you use 4k). A Core i3 and GTX 750 TI is a good pair but it won't be better than the PS4/XONE, it's more like on the same level and there's no point of getting a gaming PC for console price IMHO.

This gen is a curse on gaming. I hate everything about it. Look at fallout 4 for christ sake. Looks like a game from five years ago.

@Cloud_imperium: Because there is no point. More people than ever before are willing to throw a lot of money every couple of years at their PC to stay current. Consoles can't be made to compete against that.

Also, before the whole "but an i3 and 750 can beat a console" argument surfaces, remember that at the time the consoles launched you couldn't make a PC for as cheap as a console and that because the consoles exist, developers build their games around lower specs. Without the consoles, PC hardware wouldn't last as long as it does today.

$400 console, that was two years ago, the specs was as good as can be while being consumer friendly.. And two years later people are still comparing current gen consoels to $1,000 Titan X?

Well, it has been pretty good to me.

It'll take a console like what the xbox one was initially going to be before I say consoles aren't better than PC as a gaming platform.

Perfect point.

The thing is even console gamers deserve better and ironed-out games , after all they pay 60bucks and devs are responsible for technical issues.... It's kinda console gamers' faults as well, Bethesda screws up yet they say it's "nostalgic" to have bugs/glitches/fps drops in Bethesda games... smh

So it is the consoles themselves that is to blame for broken/buggy games? i thought it was the developers fault, thx man for clearing this up i been all wrong this time....

They haven't been under any circumstance for a long ass time now.

This argument, yet again, presented on System Wars. How many times has this been discussed now? At least 3 times a week?

Yes, the consoles are garbage. Take away the exclusives and they have nothing to offer. Even the exclusives have been pretty bad compared to previous gens. PC gaming is so much better.

@Wasdie: Drive Club would like a word with you (it was supposed to be a big deal)...

Also, OP is right Download and install speeds are garbage and PC downloads are cheaper. Personally, I'm buying much more software on PC than on console.

The exclusives this cycle have been meh to non existent. It's like Sony and M$ gave up 1st party other than re-releases of old games.

I've felt this way for a very very long time, once the big expense of building a pc is out of the way, it's pure savings. I kept my crossfire 6950's for 5 years before upgrading, that whole time I was saving a tonne of money by not paying for Xbox Live, paying full price on games (even before F4 released you could get it with 27% off GmG). I still own consoles because this industry is my passion and I like gaming on those as well, but I wont fake myself into believing the consoles can touch pc gaming and all that pc's offer.

They still are. Even the Xbox one, which i'll probably never own.

While consoles aren't plug and play anymore (except Wii U) they're the closest thing to it. I don't have to workaround issues (which sometimes aren't even possible or solutions are imperfect), I can own physical games and exclusives interest me. PC's big budget exclusives simply aren't on the level of its console competition. PC is where i'd do most of my indie gaming if I get more into that, though I don't support steam.

I actually have a gaming capable PC, I just don't use it all that much.

You forgot to mention 60fps :-P

When it comes to PC gaming, why stop at 60fps when you can get 144fps? 60 fps is just the minimum. :)

LOL ! 5 years later ...Bassman be like " i can's stand 60fps, goddamn it ppl have low standards, 144fps is the only way to go " :D

Hehe :) 60fps is good and doesn't bother me at all. I do prefer as high as possible, but 60fps is a good standard for sure. 30fps on the other hand, you guys know how I feel about 30fps. lol

Safe bet.

I agree. Also with everything being multiplat with the PC and these consoles feeling like watered down PCs, it just feels like an end of an era of true consoles. I never wanted my console to be a PC and the whole point of them was they had a load of games the PC didn't.

I can't ever see myself buying a non Nintendo console again. For all Nintendo's faults, they have proper consoles that still have their identity.

The PS3 and PS4 are NOTHING like the PS1 and PS2. And what can you even say about the Xbox One.

Been having a blast since I got my PS4.

Some ppl just can't have fun.

lol, "this gen of consoles" I don't see PC doing anything either!!!!!!

The only reason why PC looks good this gen is because it is getting more console ports than ever before. That said, consoles are getting more PC ports than ever before (especially PS4) but at a fraction of the price of a gaming PC so honestly it evens out.

Consoles are just as good or bad as PC depending on how you look at it. You can criticize this console generation for not having many great exclusives so far...but that same logic and argument applies to PC...

Consoles were never 2/3 years ahead. Anyway, it makes more sense to compare consoles to their predecessors rather than to gaming PCs. The UI might seem bad on the PS4, for example, but it is miles ahead of the PS3 in terms of speed and responsiveness. Likewise, the average game resolution has increased from 640p/720p to 1080p with a few 900p games.

Buying multiplats on PC is smart and it is nothing new. When Gears came out on PC in 2007, Cliff talked about how it would be an opportunity to play at higher frame rates and resolutions. In the end, it doesn't really matter whether consoles are a year behind or a year ahead, because for the vast majority of a generation PCs will always be way ahead of consoles. It doesn't matter that the 360 was better than most PCs in 2005, because every one of those multiplats released then look better on PC now anyway.

All that matters is exclusives. Not just literal exclusives, but basically any game that can't be played on PC. THIS is where current consoles are lacking, not resolution or FPS.

That isn't Microsoft/Sony's fault. Blame Bathesda.

No problem here.

I got 1 TB SSD in my PS4.

Also my download never stops while in rest mode.

Yep, that's what it's come to man. I've been primarily a console gamer all of my life, but it's just not worth it anymore. Most games are multiplats now and PC is the far away winner when it comes to those. Then you have the fact that PC just dog piles all three consoles combined with exclusives. Even arguments I used to cling to in favor of consoles, like "plug n play", "muh convenience!" don't hold water anymore. Consoles have become even more of a hassle which is something I never thought I'd be saying.

I don't really need to rattle off the long list of ways in which PC is an outright superior gaming platform, we've all heard it all before and know it to be true.

The best thing you can do at this point is choose a console with some exclusives you like and hope it pans out as a decent secondary platform. For me, that's been the WiiU. Hoping the PS4 can eventually play that role as well.

As other dude said a few posts above, it's the end of an era unfortunately. I don't expect consoles to ever go back to their glory days. They'll continue to sell like crazy due to familiarity and a cheap entry price, but they'll never return to being unique boxes with dozens of quality exclusives and an identity worth investing in.

That's just nonsense and you know it man. Holding on to tradition, wanting a cheaper price of entry, preferring a handful of exclusives, I can understand that stuff. It's all good. If gaming on a console is your preference, who the hell am I to tell you otherwise?

But to entertain the idea that these consoles even begin to approach what PC offers as a gaming platform? That's just straight up bullshit. Those glory days are long behind us.

@emgesp:

Exactly. Fallout 4 looks like shit regardless of platform. What has it been since FEAR and Half-Life 2, over a decade? Over a decade we have had decent facial modeling and Bethesda game characters still look like plastic action figure with only lip and eye rigging when speaking (hell, you could do a better job rigging facial expression using Garry's Mod) They have barely improved since Oblivion.

5 fucking years ago is being extremely generous IMO. The only one that looked half-way decent has been Skyrim and the facial animations still look like something from last century.

lol, I had a PS4 game completely crashing my console and forcing a restart the other day. Didn't even know that they had an error-reporting function built in.

@ConanTheStoner: You are right on most games are available on PC anyways, good example is the recent MGS:V, sometimes I too feel there's no reason to get a console. But then there are few exclusives that I just can't resist such as FF-X HD remaster.

Yep, that's what gets me too man. Wii U and PS4 both had exclusives I wanted, so I had to get them. I can't go missing out on my staple Nintendo games, or stuff like Bloodborne, so I'm compelled to buy these boxes.

I just wish the number of worthwhile exclusives on these boxes was greater. A lot of that can be attributed to Japan largely falling off the map in console game development, but no matter the reason, it's still a bummer either way.

@ConanTheStoner: Nah, I gave reasons and can give more. Matter of fact, we had this discussion at some point. As for amount of quality exclusives, I definitely expect dozens by the end of the generation. It's slow going right now though.

But likewise, if what PC offers is much more appealing to you, cool. I get PC's appeal.

And i'm certainly not cheerleading what the consoles are either, they've all lost their way in some capacity.

consoles of today are way closer to pc gaming than before...some of you don't have very good memories

PC games were miles better technically than nes games in the 80s. Some people just like to sit on the couch and pop a game into a console that they dont have to upgrade every 2 years. FPS is meaningless to the average joe if the game looks good and plays fine

Got fallout 4 on PS4

The one mission that requires you to head to a factory.. holy moly.. framerates were fluctuating between 15-20 fps INDOOR.

terrible

Eh, i've seen worse gens.

...which?

The PS1/N64 gen.

Using OP logic, so just look up what PC had in the 90s.

PS1/N64 was a great gen, I don't recall major performance issues.

I call bullshit.

Depends on how you look performance issues.

Bad games are still bad, like Blade or Superman 64 / Nostalgia is keeping me from naming other games/.

But OPs gripe is how consoles are shit compared to PC.

Just look up all versions of Quake 2.

people are actually comparing it to a two-year old CPU + GPU combo that is beating the consoles...

an i3 + GTX 750 Ti is better than console...

lmao nice hyperbole tc, this gen of consoles so far is doing waaaaayy better in terms of sales and games.

MS/Sony better learn and never release a console under $499 (with no bs included like Kinect). A $500 console with 1 controller should offer enough performance for at least 2 years.

in terms of exclusives?

About the only positive there is physical games, given that a simple google search is the most you need to do when you're struggling with launching a game. Plus you get a platform that runs games at a framerate that is actually playable, a variety of graphics options to customize to your needs, larger variety of games, larger variety of games that have actual depth to them, entire genres that don't really find their way to consoles with any real regularity, online that doesn't blow, and yeah the only space in gaming that's really been creative for the past 3 or 4 years now: the indie scene is primarily better enjoyed on the PC. Ditto with the kickstarter/middle tier stuff since PC actually has a middle tier market.

Teh consoles need to get big budget exclusives that aren't mediocre as hell. Nintendo and their poverty offering included.