Hardcore PC gamer buys console

[TheGuruStud]

Cmon, everyone knows you play CDs on a PS1 if you're using analog outs.

 

[Drone]

Never played Uncharted but man this looks so cool:

If I had a PS4 I'd be getting this game for sure

 

[Guitar]

Uncharted is a game that Playstation has that PC can't touch...it truly is amazing. The Last of Us is very similar (in terms of how good, better depending on your tastes probably). The story and graphics are top notch, and it is fun as hell. One of my favorite series for sure.

 

[Ithanul]

Uncharted is a game that Playstation has that PC can't touch...it truly is amazing. The Last of Us is very similar (in terms of how good, better depending on your tastes probably). The story and graphics are top notch, and it is fun as hell. One of my favorite series for sure.

Agree, I already played Uncharted 1 through 3. Currently playing through the Last of Us. Naughty Dog knows how to make some sweet games.

 

[Drone]

Resident Evil 4,5,6 confirmed for PS4 & XOne

It seems Capcom's gonna milk Resi 4 as long as possible lol

 

[Moofachuka]

PC FTW! I'll wait til PS3/PS4 emulators come out for me to catch up on their best exclusive games.... (but that may take a decade...)

 

[GhostRyder]

And that hardcore PC gamer is me. So, the obvious question is why would I do it when I have a high spec gaming PC? (see specs)

Answer: Pester Power!

One of my friends is also a hardcore gamer who likes to play online with his friends, some of which I know. However, he's got a PlayStation 4 and of course so do they. He's really wanted me to join them too and has been bugging me to get a PS4 for a good 6 months now. Unfortunately it's a cool £300 or so with the game (Rainbow Six Siege) so I was somewhat reluctant to spend that money to say the least, even though I did want to join them, but the other day I caved in and pulled the trigger after some of his mates joined in the pestering, lol and it arrived last Friday (5th) from Amazon. See, Pester Power works for big kids as well as little kids, lol. After I got it, I realized that I'm gonna have to shell out for a PlayStation Plus subscription too to play R6 online. Nice. BTW, I spent a little extra and got the official Sony vertical stand like you see in the picture below, which was well worth it.

Ah well, at least I've already got the headset and just need to get a cheap adapter to make it work with the PS4, which arrives tomorrow.

So, I've been playing around with the PS4, created a PSN account, setting it up, getting used to it and playing R6 in single player mode for some practice (more on that later).

What do I think of it? Well, my Glacier White PS4 (it's actually a light grey) feels like a media centre PC operating in a walled garden which can only be operated with the controller. Besides the stiff prices in the PlayStation store, it feels quite nice to use and it's the later 1200 series chassis too, so it runs nice and quietly, if rather warm while gaming. The controller feels really nice in the hands, too. It's surprising what the IGP in the PS4 can do, credit to AMD. These things have come a long way.

Note that I got the 500GB model over the 1TB model as I wanted the white colour and I don't plan on having loads of games on the PS4 anyway, just the ones I play with my friends. Anyway, I can uninstall the old games I no longer need or just upgrade the HDD to a 2TB one some time later, like my friend has just done.

R6 is interesting. First time I've played it, can see why it's so rated and look forward to playing with my mates online. I don't like the non-regenerating health system though and having to restart a failed mission ("situation" in R6 terms) from the beginning.

The console limitations are quite apparent of course with the lack of framerate (seems to be just 30fps in R6) no graphics adjustments and a monitor refresh of only 60Hz with no option to change it. Still, it plays ok and there was none of the usual setup and troubleshooting faffing that one goes through with a PC game when first started, which is really convenient and quite a plus for a console. Just one inevitable 3GB update first when I inserted the disc and that was it, good to go.

The one thing that bugs me and it's a biggie, is the mouse look with a controller. The view pans round at a fixed speed rather than move proportionally like with a mouse. I can't even find a way to adjust the sensitivity in the game.

This is a serious limitation, screwing up my ability to play a shooter properly since I can't aim accurately and I'm an old hand at these types of games, especially the fast and twitchy Unreal Tournament series. I therefore spend the whole time just fighting to control the aim with this thing instead of just playing the game and keep dying too easily instead of nailing that baddie, even on the easy setting.

It's something I've noticed before which has always put me off a console or using a controller with the PC. The joystick movement control on the other hand is much better than the 4 directions of the WASD keys one uses with a PC, giving fine-grained control over movement due to the smooth, continuous, 360 change of direction it allows. Still, I seem to have managed to work around the mouse look limitation somewhat in R6 in the couple of hours I've been playing it, but I still don't like it. I just hope that with enough practice that I can play it reasonably well and not get too frustrated.

Now, I'm a PC enthusiast, so of course I got curious and want to compare the console version of R6 with the PC version. I had a look on Steam and saw that they've got yet another sale on where the Gold Edition is currently only £36.84 instead of the usual £54.99 until the 12th. Couple of minutes later I'd bought it and it's just finished downloading, all 17GB of it. Gonna give it a go and let you know how it compares. I'm gonna love that mouse look with my PC...

One thing that's not clear to me yet is whether PC players can play online with console players in this game and if they can, I'm gonna sell the PS4 disc, but keep the console for future games.

I have most of the time been a hybrid when it comes to PC's and consoles. I own both this generation mostly because of exclusives (If every game came on one system/PC I would probably own that but unfortunately that's not the case) and the fact I like controllers at times and some of the ease that comes with a console (Not so much for me, but because of others its going to mean we have more of a chance playing together).

I guess at the end of the day, I prefer my PC but I do love playing the exclusives on console as well.

 

[qubit]

I have most of the time been a hybrid when it comes to PC's and consoles. I own both this generation mostly because of exclusives (If every game came on one system/PC I would probably own that but unfortunately that's not the case) and the fact I like controllers at times and some of the ease that comes with a console (Not so much for me, but because of others its going to mean we have more of a chance playing together).

I guess at the end of the day, I prefer my PC but I do love playing the exclusives on console as well.

I have to admit, being badgered into trying out controllers, I'm now convinced that they have their place and can actually be better than a keyboard and mouse in the right type of game. For example, I've found the players in football games to be much more controllable with the controller joystick than a keyboard and mouse. GTA V and a controller had better control of the car's steering, too. Nothing touches PC style for shooters though, due to that critical difference in the way that the mouse look works.

 

[AlienIsGOD]

I use controllers in bf 4, I can't fly ANYTHING with a keyboard lol. But having a 360 Microsoft controller makes key mapping a breeze. I swore off any other controllers as they take too much tinkering... I'm looking at you Logitech

 

[qubit]

I have an important and unfortunate update.
My PS4 and Rainbow Six Siege got stolen when my place was burgled a little while back by some low life scumbags. Therefore, I can't tell you any more about my experiences with it as I don't have it anymore. While the insurance is fine and is paying out, I need to spend money now on security improvements to my place, which aren't cheap, so it's gonna take a while before I have another one.

Luckily, none of my PCs were touched, so I've got all my hardware and crucially, my priceless data. I'm not gonna leave this to chance though and am currently encrypting my drives with BitLocker as we speak (including the Windows OS drive) and everything will have a password as well, of course. Short answer is if they steal it they gotta format it and install Windows on it clean before they can use it and crucially won't have access to my data. However, it does mean that I'd still lose it too, so I've taken steps to remedy that.

My internet access continues to be hamstrung by only having an ADSL connection available, thanks BT. While it works well enough for general usage, including big downloads of several gigs (18Mb/s download) the upload is a pathetic 1Mb/s. This means that I can't use cloud storage to store an offsite copy of my data too easily. I sorta could if I kept my email in the cloud, but I prefer to keep it with me and the Outlook .pst file is currently 1.8GB in size so I can't upload it to cloud storage in any practical manner.

I've therefore taken the rather expensive and inconvenient nuclear option of buying a Samsung 850 Evo 1TB SSD to copy all of my data onto. It's encrypted with BitLocker of course and I'll take it with me whenever I leave the place. I will still use my old PC working as a NAS, for backups as well. The chances of me losing my data with this arrangement are very slim indeed.

The Samsung SSD was £251 (already dropped by £12 since, lol) and the USB 3.0 enclosure was £14. I really didn't want to spend this money now, but it's the only way I can see to guarantee the safety of my data quickly before my physical security is improved, which is gonna take a while. And it's never perfect anyway.

Soon after the burglary, I did what I should have done a long time ago with my Android phone and that is to encrypt it. Entering a password or swiping in every time (my preferred method) is inconvenient, but again will keep my data safe.

Note that my 1TB+ of Steam games are not backed up, since I can always download them again with my unlimited download tariff and the length of time it takes doesn't really matter.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Feels, man, but I can't help laugh at the irony. Karma is a bitch, isn't it?


SSD? HDD tech is proven to be able to retain data for decades. SSDs, I'm not so sure.

Note that my 1TB+ of Steam games are not backed up, since I can always download them again with my unlimited download tariff and the length of time it takes doesn't really matter.

Score 1 for the PC gaming master race.

 

[qubit]

SSD? HDD tech is proven to be able to retain data for decades. SSDs, I'm not so sure.

Sure, but there's two reasons here why my SSD is perfect for my needs:

1 A 2.5 inch HDD isn't gonna stand up to the rigours of my pocket for very long, especially the bumps. These tend to also happen when plugging and unplugging it. An SSD just doesn't care.

2 I don't need that kind of lifetime. I've already got my trusty NAS in case it breaks and will likely start using the cloud* too for backups if I get that pst file off there and start using IMAP for email. Yahoo with IMAP lol...

*With almost 600GB of data to sync for the first time you're probably wondering how I'm gonna do it. Simple: gonna take the drive to my mate's house where he's got FTTP and something like a 20-30Mb/s upload speed.

Oh yeah and the irony is painful alright, lol. Looks like I wasn't meant to have that peasant console. btw the next one I get is gonna be the black one with 1TB HDD.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Peasants stealing baubles from other peasants while their masters lord over them. Peasants don't even know the value of their master's possessions.

...so many parallels to be made here...


Croshaw said that statement as a joke (he really hates The Witcher, I'd argue, because he didn't wait for the Enhanced Edition) but it's literal meaning is far more wise and true than he gives it credit for.

 

[Ithanul]

My internet access continues to be hamstrung by only having an ADSL connection available, thanks BT. While it works well enough for general usage, including big downloads of several gigs (18Mb/s download) the upload is a pathetic 1Mb/s. This means that I can't use cloud storage to store an offsite copy of my data too easily. I sorta could if I kept my email in the cloud, but I prefer to keep it with me and the Outlook .pst file is currently 1.8GB in size so I can't upload it to cloud storage in any practical manner.

I've therefore taken the rather expensive and inconvenient nuclear option of buying a Samsung 850 Evo 1TB SSD to copy all of my data onto. It's encrypted with BitLocker of course and I'll take it with me whenever I leave the place. I will still use my old PC working as a NAS, for backups as well. The chances of me losing my data with this arrangement are very slim indeed.

The Samsung SSD was £251 (already dropped by £12 since, lol) and the USB 3.0 enclosure was £14. I really didn't want to spend this money now, but it's the only way I can see to guarantee the safety of my data quickly before my physical security is improved, which is gonna take a while. And it's never perfect anyway.

Soon after the burglary, I did what I should have done a long time ago with my Android phone and that is to encrypt it. Entering a password or swiping in every time (my preferred method) is inconvenient, but again will keep my data safe.

Note that my 1TB+ of Steam games are not backed up, since I can always download them again with my unlimited download tariff and the length of time it takes doesn't really matter.

Ouch, know those pains with internet speeds. At least you don't have a data cap though.
I have satellite so I get the lovely long pings and 20GB cap. Wish there was DSL out here for at least then I could go without a data cap and cheaper cost.

Major reason currently I have a huge dislike to online always required connection games....700+ms ping can screw that up big time. Plus, no streaming for me. Otherwise, the only other option is dail-up.

 

[Kanan]

Sure, but there's two reasons here why my SSD is perfect for my needs:

1 A 2.5 inch HDD isn't gonna stand up to the rigours of my pocket for very long, especially the bumps. These tend to also happen when plugging and unplugging it. An SSD just doesn't care.

2 I don't need that kind of lifetime. I've already got my trusty NAS in case it breaks and will likely start using the cloud* too for backups if I get that pst file off there and start using IMAP for email. Yahoo with IMAP lol...

*With almost 600GB of data to sync for the first time you're probably wondering how I'm gonna do it. Simple: gonna take the drive to my mate's house where he's got FTTP and something like a 20-30Mb/s upload speed.

Oh yeah and the irony is painful alright, lol. Looks like I wasn't meant to have that peasant console. btw the next one I get is gonna be the black one with 1TB HDD.

Well at least you got rid of the ugly grey PS4. Fucking thieves. And now, bow down to the great NH-D14 and your fat SLI cards, because they made your PC waaaay too heavy to be stolen. PC Master Race wins again!

 

[Dethroy]

Wow, impressed the thief modded your PS4 to a Playstation Portable in such a short time

To be serious, sorry for your loss @qubit .
But on the positive side of things spending money on safety measures is never a bad decision. And it doesn't become quickly dated quite unlike hardware.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

@qubit

low life pricks.



Hopefully the Police dont catch them and give it back to you.

 

[...PACMAN...]

Sorry to hear about the theft @qubit , I had a whole PC stolen a few years ago and was left with nothing.

I've also hit hard times recently and had to sell my semi decent PC 4690K@4.5 plus GTX 970 for an ancient Q6600 with HD7850 combo. (Only 20 quid)

I aim to get a PS4 though to tide me over, it has a lot of titles I'm interested in but in the meantime I'll be planning and building a nice PC so that once we are back on our feet a bit I can attack my Steam collection once more

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Outwit burglars by camoflaging your kit.

 

[Dethroy]

Outwit burglars by camoflaging your kit.

how the green light shines through the window!
How did you camoflage the wires? I guess the average burglar is not intelligent enough to follow cables to its source ...

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

how the green light shines through the window!
How did you camoflage the wires? I guess the average burglar is not intelligent enough to follow cables to its source ...

Wires?....what wires?

You have to press the doorbell to turn it on.....that in itself would be a challenge to most burglars.....using a door bell i mean.

Obviously i wouldnt bother doing this to a console.....


I am lucky to live in an area with no property crime.......................theres nothing worth pinching. !!!!