如果你想玩最新最好的 3A 视频游戏，你必须决定你在 PC 与主机(console)辩论中的立场。PC 和游戏机每天都变得越来越相似。那么在决定如何使用游戏预算时，真正重要的区别是什么？
我们将讨论 PC 与游戏机的十个最重要的差异，以便您轻松选择适合您的差异。
对于不精通技术的(Tech-Savvy)游戏玩家(Gamers)来说，游戏机更容易(Easier)
控制台被设计为一种消费电子产品，例如烤面包机或DVD播放器。
您在控制台上启动游戏并开始玩游戏。您无需了解控制台内部的技术，以及游戏在技术层面上的运作方式。只是(Just)玩和享受你的游戏。
控制台硬件更便宜
如果您必须购买与最新的Playstation 5 和 Xbox Series X(Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X)游戏机具有相当规格的计算机，那么您最终会在 PC 方面获得更高的账单。主机游戏的初始成本远低于 PC。如果您将自己限制在将机器本身带入您家的价格标签上，那么游戏机显然是赢家。
当然，实际上事情比这更复杂。如需更完整的讨论，请查看游戏 PC 真的比控制台更贵吗？(Is A Gaming PC Really More Expensive Than A Console?)
控制台功能有限
控制台是视频游戏机。现代控制台可以玩游戏、浏览互联网、运行Netflix等应用程序以及播放DVD或蓝光(BluRay)光盘。在 PC 上，您可以自由安装您喜欢的任何应用程序、Office套件、仿真软件或视频编辑工具等等。
考虑到许多人需要一台 PC 用于其他目的，例如工作。将您的游戏和非游戏活动整合到一个设备中可能更有意义。
主机游戏可能更贵
虽然对于某些跨平台游戏而言并非总是如此，但主机游戏的价格往往更高，尤其是随着时间的推移，因为平台许可费用和缺乏数字店面竞争。数字(Digital)PC 游戏由多家竞争公司出售。与游戏机相比，降价(Price)和销售往往更深入、更频繁。
控制台可靠且重量超过其重量(Punch Above Their Weight)
控制台比 PC 简单得多，因为它们具有固定的操作系统和硬件平台。控制台制造商完全控制，用户无法进行系统级更改，这意味着控制台不会随机出错. PC 可能会突然因驱动程序更新(driver update)、Windows 更新(Windows Update)或病毒等而瘫痪。
PC 具有更好的向后兼容性(Better Backwards Compatibility)
控制台各代之间的向后兼容性是一件容易发生的事情。
例如：
- PS5兼容PS4游戏，但不兼容 PS3、PS2 或 PS1 游戏(not PS3, PS2 or PS1 games)。
- 在Xbox上，与原始Xbox的兼容性一直存在，但并非每款游戏都兼容。
- 在 PC 上，您可以玩任何您喜欢的游戏，直到最初的游戏。让旧标题运行可能需要一些工作，但几乎总有办法做到这一点。PC 可以模拟(emulate)来自游戏机的游戏，因此它确实在单台机器上提供了最广泛的游戏选择。
PC硬件(Hardware)和游戏设置(Game Settings Are)更灵活
控制台设计人员会仔细选择将哪些硬件放入他们的机器中，但他们的优先级可能与您不同。例如，如果您更喜欢高帧率而不是 4K 视觉效果，则可以为您的 PC 配置更好的CPU和更适中的GPU。
游戏内设置也是如此。在控制台上，您无法控制游戏如何使用可用的硬件预算。在 PC 上，您可以更改游戏的设置以匹配您想要从中获得的内容。
个人电脑缺乏实体游戏
虽然游戏机正在慢慢走向全数字化的未来，但现在您仍然可以购买磁盘游戏。完成后，您可以转售它们。您还可以购买二手游戏机，如果您能买到便宜货，价格会非常便宜。大多数 PC 不再有磁盘驱动器。而且，即使您在磁盘上购买了 PC 游戏，它也可能是带有永久绑定到在线服务的代码的一次性副本。
PC 游戏的隐藏成本更少
由于 PC 是一个开放平台，因此您无需像在线游戏那样为基本服务付费。在控制台上，订阅服务不再是可选的。您需要它们来进行多人游戏、云存档以及获得最佳游戏折扣。
虽然控制台订阅服务通常是值得的，这要归功于这些交易和随附的免费游戏，但不幸的是，您无法选择削减这一特定成本。
PC 有更好的外设选项
控制台制造商可以正确控制谁可以为他们的系统制造游戏手柄和其他外围设备。在 PC 上，您可以选择种类繁多的产品。键盘、鼠标、游戏手柄、操纵杆和赛车轮(racing wheels)来自许多不同的公司，价格和质量水平各不相同。这使您可以轻松地在您满意的预算水平上准确地构建您想要的那种设置。
PC 与控制台：您应该(Which Should)购买(Buy)哪个？
如您所知，在 PC 与游戏机方面，没有明确的赢家(no clear-cut winner)。重要的是：
- 你有多在乎选择，
- 获得最前沿的游戏体验，
- 以及您是否能够容忍 PC 游戏的更多技术方面。
话虽如此，如今 PC 游戏要容易得多，并且大多数新游戏会自动为您的硬件配置自己。选择最终是你的，但现在你有一个方便的优点和缺点列表来帮助你根据你的需要做出最好的决定。
PC vs Console Gaming: The Pros and Cons
If you want to play the latest and greatest triplе-A videо games, you have to dеcide where you stand in the PC vs. console debate. PCs and consoles are becoming more and more alike every day. So what are the actual differences that matter when deciding how to use your gaming budget?
We’re going to touch on ten of the most important differences when it comes to PCs vs. consoles, making it easy to choose which one is right for you.
Consoles Are Easier for Gamers Who Aren’t Tech-Savvy
A console is designed to be a piece of consumer electronics, like a toaster or a DVD player.
You launch a game on your console and you start playing the game. You don’t need to know anything about the technology inside the console, how the game works on a technical level. Just play and enjoy your game.
Console Hardware Is Less Expensive
If you had to buy a computer with comparable specifications to the latest Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles, you’d end up with a bill that’s much higher on the PC side of things. The initial cost for console gaming is much lower than a PC. If you limit yourself to only the price tag of getting the machine itself into your home, consoles are the clear winner.
Of course, in reality things are more complicated than that. For a more complete discussion check out Is A Gaming PC Really More Expensive Than A Console?
Consoles Have Limited Functions
Consoles are video game machines. A modern console can play games, browse the internet, run apps such as Netflix and play DVD or BluRay discs. On a PC, you are free to install whatever applications you like, an Office suite, emulation software, or video editing tools, to name a few.
Consider that many people need a PC for other purposes such as work. It might make more sense to consolidate your gaming and non-gaming activities into a single device.
Console Games Can Be More Expensive
While this isn’t always true for some cross-platform games, console games tend to have higher prices, especially over time because of platform license fees and a lack of digital storefront competition. Digital PC games are sold by multiple competing companies. Price drops and sales tend to be deeper and more frequent than with consoles.
Consoles Are Reliable and Punch Above Their Weight
Consoles are much less complicated than PCs because they have a fixed operating system and hardware platform.The console maker is in full control and users are locked out of system-level changes, thus implying that things don’t just randomly go wrong with a console. A PC might be suddenly crippled by a driver update, Windows Update or a virus, among other things.
PCs Have Better Backwards Compatibility
Backwards compatibility between console generations is a hit-and-miss affair.
For example:
- PS5 is compatible with PS4 games, but not PS3, PS2 or PS1 games.
- On Xbox, there’s compatibility all the way back to the original Xbox, but not for every single game.
- On PCs, you can play any game you like all the way back to the very first games. It may take some work to get old titles running, but there’s almost always a way to do it. PCs can emulate games from consoles, so it really does offer the widest selection of titles on a single machine.
PC Hardware and Game Settings Are More Flexible
Console designers carefully choose what hardware goes into their machines, but they might have different priorities than you do. If you prefer high-frame rates over 4K visuals, you might configure your PC with a better CPU and a more modest GPU, for example.
The same goes for in-game settings. On a console you don’t have control over how a game spends the hardware budget available. On a PC, you can change the settings of a game to match what you want to get out of it.
PCs Lack Physical Games
While consoles are slowly heading for an all-digital future, right now you can still buy games on disk. When you’re done, you can resell them. You can also buy used console games, which can be very cheap if you get a good deal. Most PCs don’t have disk drives anymore. And even if you bought a PC game on disk, it’s likely a single-use copy with a code that gets permanently tied to an online service.
PC Gaming Has Fewer Hidden Costs
Since PCs are an open platform, you won’t have to pay for basic services like you do with online gaming. On a console, subscription services aren’t really optional anymore. You need them for multiplayer, cloud saves, and to access the best game discounts.
While console subscription services are usually worth it thanks to those deals and the included free games, it’s still unfortunate that you don’t get the choice to cut this particular cost.
PCs Have Better Peripheral Options
Console makers have right controls over who gets to make gamepads and other peripherals for their systems. On a PC, you have an incredible range of products to choose from. Keyboards, mice, gamepads, joysticks, and racing wheels come from many different companies at various prices and quality levels. This makes it easy to build exactly the sort of setup you want at a budget level you’re comfortable with.
PC vs. Console: Which Should You Buy?
As you can tell, when it comes to PCs vs. consoles there’s no clear-cut winner. What matters is:
- how much you care about choice,
- getting the cutting edge gaming experience,
- and whether you have tolerance for the more technical aspects of PC gaming.
That being said, PC gaming is a lot easier these days and most new games automatically configure themselves for your hardware. The choice is ultimately yours, but now you have a handy list of strengths and weaknesses to help you make the best decision for your needs.
