PC to Console Gamer?

[D3v0ur3r]

Hello all.

A couple questions that have been occupying space in my mind. Firstly, I am curious if anyone else is starting to move away from PC gaming to more console gaming?

I seem to be but part of that is due to finding myself in a situation currently where upgrading my PC (which is in need of) is an impossibility. Its just cheaper for me to buy 360 games (for the most in visuals) since we have one. The problem is I am a huge FPS fan & I really suck at using a controller for FPS games. I know there is a learning curve just as there was years ago to play with Keys & Mouse but even still I know the keys & mouse are superior so it makes the will to adjust little. So here is what I am looking at. UT3 for the PS3 is supposed to allow K/M play which I am hoping it wouldn't be the only console game to finally support K/M play on "next gen" consoles. So buying a PS3 is still cheaper then upgrading my comp & honestly if I could get K/M play on the console I might just switch permanently for the foreseeable future.

Does anyone think that after UT3 for the PS3 is out & God willing a couple more FPS game for the PS3. That MS will finally add support for K/M in the 360?

Edit: Found a petition for the KB/M on the 360 if anyone cares. http://www.petitiononline.com/x360kbm/petition.html

Edit: 23-Oct. This is a direct quote from Mark Rein.

Folks,

I checked with Steve Polge and he said that YES we are supporting keyboard and mouse in Unreal Tournament 3 on PS3. He is confident we are doing it in a way that will be balanced without feeling "gimped" for either side. We'll also allow people to choose whether or not they want to allow mixed controller vs. keyboard/mouse games or not.

I think you guys are going to love UT3!

More details to come later.

http://utforums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=574996
Notice the part about "We'll also allow people to choose whether or not they want to allow mixed controller vs. keyboard/mouse games or not.". I said this in this very thread that is all every console FPS game needs to have & problem solved.

 

[Anvil]

I have over the past year. I use to be strictly a PC gamer but after having a number of issues with games crashing not being able to play them due to various bugs I decided I was not going suffer like this any longer.

Now I own all three next gen consoles and have discovered that I love gaming from the comfort of my couch.

 

[sevanig]

you can get kb&m add-ons for both 360 and ps3 made by 3rd parties if the game doesn't support it...

 

[D3v0ur3r]

I've tried the 1st add-on for the 360 & its a joke. I tried it a few times & now its an $80.00 paper weight. The problem with it is the deadzone of the controller is still in the mouse, so its pretty much useless imo.


Edit: I have the XFPS 360 & its useless. However I do not have the XFPS Pro so I do not know if its any better. Here is a video but I am reluctant to buy it after getting burned for the 1st one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7RpBhW6i7w

 

[Scott_Arm]

I bought a Wii and it's the first time since the SNES that I've used a console as my primary gaming platform. I had a Gamecube just to play Zelda and RE4, but I still did the vast majority of my gaming on the PC. My PC is garbage for games now, and I just can't justify the money I'd have to spend to get it into shape. Maybe in another six months, I'll take that leap, but without acceptable mid-range graphics cards, I can't do anything.

 

[woundingchaney]

I went from console to PC. In fact I value my pc considerably more than either one or both of my consoles.

 

[Npl]

I went from PC to Console the time when "PC" still stood for "Personal Computer" and not "IBM-Compatible".
Of course there are some good PC-Games that I played and play.. most of the time sperated by a few years of void.
Nowadays its Supreme Commander I play alot, upgraded to Dualcore because of that damn game

 

[NRP]

I'm in the same boat. I find myself playing more 360 games because overall the visuals are more on par with PC games than the last generation consoles were. And upgrading the PC every 6 months or so is a pain.

Regarding M/K, MS PR has said in the past that support for that is up to the dev. Maybe there's more to it though. I think it would be hard to balance a console game with controllers and m/k.

The thing with console games is that everyone has a controller and is therefore more or less on equal footing. Once you get the hang of it, a controller really isn't so bad, even in FPS games.

 

[D3v0ur3r]

Couldn't you just make an option to allow or exclude either when running a game server on the console? Say if you were a controller player just check the option to force controllers only or exclude mouse? Assuming the mouse is an allowed option within the console & not one of these "add-on" controller work arounds.

Epic seem to think they are going to be able to make UT3 for the PS3 so that neither the mouse or the controller seem more out balanced then the other & without "gimping" either.

 

[BoardBonobo]

I use both. PC for the multiplatform games like Bioshock simply because the PC can chuck around a higher resolution and better AA etc.

The consoles I use simply for console specific titles like GeoW, Heavenly Sword etc

 

[Acert93]

I am mainly PC, although not much these days... although TF2 and CoD4 could be changing that.

I would love to migrate to a console, but the lack of KB/MS support is annoying. The XFPS Pro looks to work in Halo 3 (linkage)

The new Pro has X/Y adjustments for sensativity, but the real question left is the dead zone: how is it? The videos look like it is workable. One Amazon reviewer said:

Now that I got one my overall impression has been positive. I experience very little lag. As far as the 'dead spot' I'm able to get very close to my target then use the STRAFE keys to line up the shot. It's true you can't do micro movement targeting, but for me it's worth the trade off compared to targeting with a controller.

Gamersreport:

The main reason that XCM produced the Pro version of the XFPS was because there were some issues created due to the wide range of mice available today. There was no way to adjust the sensitivity of the device in the original design. That is all taken care of with the XFPS Pro. Now, as you can see by the images, the device has both X and Y sensitivity adjust dials built right in. Now, any mouse that you use with the XFPS Pro can be tuned to perfection for use with any game. You can even adjust it on the fly during play.

Team Xtender Review

The original XFPS was black and the PRO version is white. This makes the XFPS' easy to identify which one is which. But the color change wasnt the main reason. The reason for the change was some compatibility issues with some mouses that were available. Not everyone has the same mouse and all mouses are manufactured differently. There was no way to adjust the sensitivity on the original XFPS. So some gamers complained that it was either too sensitive or not sensitive at all.

With that said, XCM has added a X and Y sensitivity dials to help adjust the sensitivity. All buttons and switches are the same, just that the dials are located on the top of the XFPS PRO. The X dial is on the left and the Y is on the right. With this, you can now use any mouse and be able to configure to perfection to use with any FPS game you play. You can also make adjustments even during game play.

Some user reviewers are not flattering though. One Amazon reviewer hated the deadzone issues:

2nd is that the deadzone still exists. The only difference in between the original "xfps 360" and the "xfps 360 pro" is the color, and the x,y sensitivity adjustments. The deadzone is the same, and really upsets me. Incase u don't know what i mean by "deadzone".... when i try to sharpshoot a small target, the little minute adjustments of the mouse are not recognized. I have to move the mouse at least 3 millimeters for the xfps to register it, and by that time the crosshair moves at near full speed.

Anyhow, I typically sway between PC and Consoles, when the consoles are fairly new with a lot of games (holiday 2/3) I tend to jump on after a price drop, and in year 5ish I tend to go back to PC... although the price of PC gaming and game selection has made me question this approach.

 

[Arwin]

I've always been quite active on all platforms, sometimes the PC has the more interesting stuff, sometimes the consoles. Lately though it's been more and more consoles, and in the last 5 years only Warcraft 3 and a few hardcore racing sims have lured me away from the consoles. Consoles just seem to give you a lot more value for your money, and a hugely important part of the attraction of consoles is quite simply ease of use, and unified hardware. I hate having to fuss around getting/keeping a PC system stable, installing a game and getting all the right drivers, messing about with setting proper detail levels to get the right balance between detail and speed, and worrying about other players having an advantage because their screen can hold 4 times the play-area ... (etc. etc. etc.)

Now that the consoles are getting decent online services and high enough resolutions for an even larger variety of games, they are becoming what I've always hoped they would and I'm very happy.

 

[RobertR1]

I went from PC gaming to consoles (360 mainly) and now going to split my time between consoles and high end PC gaming since I just put together my new box.

Crysis, Gears PC and FarCry 2 are too good graphically to pass up.

I was just outright terrible with FPS controls on a console when I started up with Gears but as with a KB/Mouse you do it enough and the little muscles in your hand develop the memory, thus giving you the reaction time and precision. I don't mind at all now. Go through the learning curve. Dont' just get hung up on a kb/mouse.

A little PC vs console

The thing I like about the 360 is the seamless integration of everything. From your friends list to gaming to downloading demos/movies/TV shows, buying classic games off Marketplace and steaming stuff to your 360 from your home network, it all simply works and works without .ini tweaks, driver updates, hardware upgrades and other PC maintainence tasks.

Having said that, if you want the best of the best, a high end PC still destorys this gen of consoles. The headaches are worth it when it all comes together

 

[digitalwanderer]

No.

 

[Rodéric]

Long time PC gamer, also been Console gamer (Dreamcast, NGC, GBA, DS, PS2) but I'm just not used to play on a Console...
In the end I prefer to play on my PC, which is truly a media center. (always playing music, always online, using it to watch videos/DVD...)

 

[D3v0ur3r]

I would most likely remain a PC gamer but I just can't justify the upgrade cost it would take right now.

Current rig: Opteron @ 2.16 GHz, 2 gigs of PC 4000, 7900GT, & a LCD with max resolution of 1280x1024. So I am looking at a minimum of 3 things along with pretty much needing a new HD. As well as all the building, & tweaking it would take. Along with my boys both need video cards for there own computers. Guess I am getting older & want less hassle.

So again, the PS3 is looking pretty good & then moving the 360 to one of the boys rooms (the one with the 32" TV) & saving the upgrade for another year.

 

[BoardBonobo]

So again, the PS3 is looking pretty good & then moving the 360 to one of the boys rooms (the one with the 32" TV) & saving the upgrade for another year.

I've noticed that as a trend amongst my friends (devout\hardcore PC gamers for the most part). We all went out and bought 360's when they launched because the PS3 was delayed, but now the PS3 is readily available we're migrating the 360's to the spare bedroom and concentrating on the PS3 - It was WarHawk that did it for me!

Current PC rig: Core Duo Quad (watercooled 3.6GHz). Dual G80, 4GB ram and 1.5TB HD's. 22" Samsung 3ms response panel)

 

[cthellis42]

As a PC gamer, I can't recommend it. Anything I've tried so far, and everything else I've investigated through reports and reviews just isn't up to offering the full experience yet, and since the 360 still officially does NOT support keyboards and mice, games have a tendency to be hard-coded with gamepad-contoured features (like restricted turning speed and auto-aiming) to prevent those kinds of "unauthorized hardware cheats" and keep the online servers on a level playing field. Honestly, if you're any sorts of a serious FPS gamer, I think you'll just find yourself headbutting something hard and unyielding.

You could always get really into Team Fortress 2. I mean, unless your computer is AGES old, you'll be able to make it look good and play excellently on almost any rig. (And looking at your stats, you should be able to play it just fine.)


I wouldn't hold your breath to see the policy change regarding the 360 and kb/m, but at least it's looking somewhat more favorable. As more MMO's target consoles as well, and as more and stronger "Games for Windows" titles experiment with conjoined servers, there's a larger chance they'll soften the restrictions. But you're still unlikely to find it getting to acceptable levels (from a PC perspective) for years to come.

The PS3, at least, has open support, but not a lot of developers going out of their way to support it, tie in servers, account for the options... Plus, it certainly lacks the online gamer numbers of the PC or 360.
In a way, going this route depends more on whether you're looking for "good controls for the game in general," or more "good control support in an online environment."

 

[silhouette]

I switched to gaming on 360 two years ago from exclusive-PC gaming. I cannot go back anymore; sitting on a couch while playing a game is a lot comfortable than playing one in front of a PC sitting upright on a chair. On the top of that, if you have a big screen HDTV + a good 5.1 setup, it is almost watching a very good movie with the difference that you are interacting with it all the time (if the game is designed very well). Gears of War or Bioshock are good examples I can think of.

Btw, insist on using the controller. Learning curve is not that steep and once you master it, it is not difficult to play any FPS as the developers are already learned how to give the best experience with it (yes, you have some little auto-aim helps, but that's still ok).

 

[cthellis42]

I switched to gaming on 360 two years ago from exclusive-PC gaming. I cannot go back anymore; sitting on a couch while playing a game is a lot comfortable than playing one in front of a PC sitting upright on a chair. On the top of that, if you have a big screen HDTV + a good 5.1 setup, it is almost watching a very good movie with the difference that you are interacting with it all the time (if the game is designed very well). Gears of War or Bioshock are good examples I can think of.

You could always get a comfortable sofa chair for your PC. It's not like I don't lean back and chill out if I want for regular console gaming, but if I'm playing an RTS or FPS, it's also my pose and proximity to he screen that lets me be very exacting, and notice all the action. Not to mention that my way-cheaper 24" monitor is also takes up way more of my visual frame than a 1080p HDTV would have to be way larger (an WAYYYY more expensive) to get anywhere close.

5.1 audio just matters where you set up your speakers. Admittedly most people don't have their PC's in a place where they can use it, but if it matters to you you can always move it around.

Matters of preference, of course, but it's not like you're stuck in "classic positions" whether you're talking about your PC setup or your TV/media center.