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Timing is everything, right? While we’ve been running TechRadar’s PC Gaming Week 2020, which has been celebrating the best gaming platform on Earth, both Nvidia and Intel have made big product launches that will have huge ramifications for the future of PC gaming, proving further our point that the PC is the best place to play.
All of this, as Microsoft struggles with an unfortunate Xbox Series X launch lineup, now that Halo Infinite has been delayed and, along with Sony, is refusing to let us know how much the next-gen consoles will be and the frankly anti-consumer celebration of Nintendo. by Mario (limited-run digital games to increase demand? Wow, thanks Ninty), means no question for gamers. Forget the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch – buy or upgrade your gaming PC.
First of all, those pitches. Nvidia Revealed Its Powerful New Graphics Cards; the RTX 3070, RTX 3080, and the insanely wacky RTX 3090, which looks like it could finally pave the way for 8K gaming.
These three new GPUs will likely easily outperform anything the Xbox Series X and PS5 are capable of, and will continue to be innovative for years to come. While the RTX 3090 and RTX 3080 are expensive cards, they are investments. And, Nvidia pleasantly surprised us with pretty decent prices for their GPUs (well, the RTX 3090 is still obscenely expensive, but the others are pretty reasonable).
In fact, as my esteemed colleague Bill Thomas wrote, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 seems like a better buy than the PS5 or Xbox Series X. At $ 499 (£ 469, around AU $ 680), you’ll likely have the same price as next-gen consoles, if not a little cheaper. If you already have a semi-decent gaming PC, then the initial outlay won’t be too bad, and you can save money in the long run with PC gaming.
You see, one of the biggest arguments in favor of buying game consoles over PCs or laptops is that the initial entry price is lower for consoles. And while that may be true, the fact that Sony and Microsoft are in a game of chicken when it comes to seeing who will announce the price of their next-gen consoles first, means that these new machines are likely to be expensive.
And even if they do Launch for less than even a budget gaming PC, which is still likely, in the long run, that the gaming PC or laptop will save you money. For starters, PC games are usually a bit cheaper than console games, even when they are new. With rumors that next-gen console games are getting a price hike, the difference could be even bigger, and after five years of shopping, you’ve likely got that money back, and some more.
Also, if you go completely digital, you will be caught shopping in Microsoft or Sony stores and have to bear their prices. On PC, you have many options, from Steam and the Epic Games Store, to GoG.com and the Humble Store. Fierce competition between them helps keep prices low, and each is known for offering deep discounts and sales throughout the year.
The fact that you don’t have to pay for online multiplayer with a PC (except for paying for the internet connection) also keeps the cost of PC games low.
The other big launch was Intel’s 11th generation Tiger Lake processors for laptops. What we are especially excited about are the company’s advancements with integrated graphics. Intel claims that you will be able to play games like Battlefield V on a thin and light laptop without the need for a dedicated graphics card. If that statement is remotely accurate, people who want to play games on a laptop will be in for a real treat.
No need to buy a new machine
For many people, you won’t need to buy a new machine either. The scalability of PC games means that even modest gaming machines can run games at an acceptable frame rate, as long as you tweak a few settings. And, with a few choice upgrades, you could get a gaming machine which means you don’t have to buy a completely new (expensive) setup.
But what about people without a gaming machine? Well, thanks to cloud gaming services like Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now, you don’t need to have a gaming machine to play PC games.
For the past week, I’ve been using Nvidia GeForce Now on a Chromebook (the Pixelbook Go, to be precise, a laptop that I keep boring people by talking about how much I love it).
Usually even the best Chromebooks couldn’t run pretty much anything but the most basic Android game, but with Nvidia GeForce Now and a Founders subscription, I was able to play Wolfenstein: Youngblood. with ray tracing effects and Planet Coaster, two games that generally require much more robust hardware.
Planet Coaster, in particular, worked very well on the Chromebook, as it’s a simulation game, and as long as I make sure I’m in a good spot in my house for Wi-Fi, the results were fantastic.
If you want to give it a spin, we have a tutorial on how to use Nvidia GeForce Now on a Chromebook.
Games games games
The other reason to play on PC is the wide variety of games available on it. Microsoft’s puzzling decision to release all the games it makes for Xbox on PC means there is no reason to buy an Xbox anymore.
And, while you may miss out on Sony exclusives if you buy a PC instead of a PS5, there have been rumors that the company is considering porting more games to PC, as it did with Horizon Zero Dawn. If the likes of God of War, Uncharted, and Spider-Man also make their way to PC, that further solidifies the PC as he best gaming platform. Why buy something else?
Okay, you won’t get Nintendo exclusives either, but looking at the miserable Switch lineup of games, it seems that buying a Nintendo console no longer guarantees that you’ll get good Nintendo exclusives anyway.
And, by announcing a barebones release of Super Mario All-Stars 2, with hardly any improvements, missing out on one of the best games ever made (Super Mario Galaxy 2), all for the full price. and By limiting the launch to increase excitement, Nintendo continues its disappointing anti-consumer streak.
Also, the open nature of the PC means that anyone can create and launch a game on the platform quite easily. Looking at our list of the best PC games from Black, Asian American, Indian and South African creators, you can see that some of the most exciting and innovative games come from various minorities who might not have been able to launch their games otherwise.
I haven’t even mentioned the fact that you can play PC games in all kinds of resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K, or 8K), refresh rates (144Hz is the new fad, and we’re seeing monitors go up to an epic 360Hz level. these days) and aspect ratios (sure 16: 9 is penalty fee but you need to play at 21: 9 ultra-wide for real immersion).
But I think the case for PC games is clear. This is by far the most diverse, accessible, fun and exciting gaming platform in the world. Why wait for next-gen consoles, when the future of gaming is here?
TechRadar PC Gaming Week 2020 celebrates the world’s most powerful gaming platform with essential articles, interviews and buying guides that showcase how diverse, imaginative and extraordinary PC games and gamers can be. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2020 page to see all of our coverage in one place.
