FPS - PC vs. Console

[TellerMorrow34]

I've seen a few people mention that they hate FPS games on console and only play them on PC so I'm wondering, as a complete unknown to playing FPS on PC's, what the big differences are in playing them on a PC as opposed to on a console.

What makes it a better experience? What are your biggest reasons for liking the PC version better?

I'm just looking for some knowledge on this to see if there is any reason I might want to try playing them on PCs.

Like for one can you get a regular type of controller for the PC for FPS? I know they make them for PCs but don't know if they're useable for FPS games.


Any and all good information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[YosemiteSam]

What I like better.

• The mouse allows you to turn quicker and be more precise. Especially when doing a 180 to kill someone coming up behind you. In Quake, I could hear someone fire some weapon behind me and could do a jumping 180 and rail the guy between the eyes before I hit the highest point in my jump. Using a controller, is like turning a tank turret. You have to wait for the stupid thing to get around.
• The PC game plays at a MUCH faster pace.
• Most PC versions of games have more depth to them than the console counterparts.
• More buttons means more complexity, but it also means less menus.
• More buttons means you don't have to cycle threw some items to use them. You can just hit a button that jumps right to that item.
• PC gives you more options for sound and video allowing you to set your video and audio setting at what best suits you. Better PC? Max out graphics. Your PC isn't quite as new as you would like. Lower the settings so you still get good performance.

There are several more and I'm sure others will chime in.

As for the console controller, yes their are. I have one that I always used for Madden football on PC. Though I would never use it for a FPS. It would put me at an extreme disadvantage. (the whole slow turnning turret scenario I listed above)

 

[Rackat]

What I like better.

• The mouse allows you to turn quicker and be more precise. Especially when doing a 180 to kill someone coming up behind you. In Quake, I could hear someone fire some weapon behind me and could do a jumping 180 and rail the guy between the eyes before I hit the highest point in my jump. Using a controller, is like turning a tank turret. You have to wait for the stupid thing to get around.
• The PC game plays at a MUCH faster pace.
• Most PC versions of games have more depth to them than the console counterparts.
• More buttons means more complexity, but it also means less menus.
• More buttons means you don't have to cycle threw some items to use them. You can just hit a button that jumps right to that item.
• PC gives you more options for sound and video allowing you to set your video and audio setting at what best suits you. Better PC? Max out graphics. Your PC isn't quite as new as you would like. Lower the settings so you still get good performance.

There are several more and I'm sure others will chime in.

As for the console controller, yes their are. I have one that I always used for Madden football on PC. Though I would never use it for a FPS. It would put me at an extreme disadvantage. (the whole slow turnning turret scenario I listed above)

Agreed. Another good thing about pc versions is that you can get in to the config and adjust it to your liking. For instance, with some games you can "bind" a weapon to a certain mouse button, or "bind" your Zoom function to the mousewheel. For Quake 3 I had a gaming mouse and I would bind my Rail Gun, Rocket Launcher and Gauntlet for easy access without having to scroll. But by far, as Sam stated, it is just much quicker and less cumbersome than the console controllers.

 

[YosemiteSam]

For Quake 3 I had a gaming mouse and I would bind my Rail Gun, Rocket Launcher and Gauntlet for easy access without having to scroll. But by far, as Sam stated, it is just much quicker and less cumbersome than the console controllers.

Yep. In Battlefield 3, say you are playing support. You can cycle to the med-pack and then click the mouse button to throw it then cycle back to your gun. OR! You can tap the "3" button, it will just toss it out and automatically switch right back to your gun!

Roll mouse wheel, click, roll back. Or tap "3". That is an easy choice!

 

[StevenOtero]

Yep. In Battlefield 3, say you are playing support. You can cycle to the med-pack and then click the mouse button to throw it then cycle back to your gun. OR! You can tap the "3" button, it will just toss it out and automatically switch right back to your gun!

Roll mouse wheel, click, roll back. Or tap "3". That is an easy choice!

You mean assault, right? Or does PC version support class have med-pack?

I'm so used to Bad Company 2's medic class having the LMG's, so I know what you meant lol..

 

[YosemiteSam]

You mean assault, right? Or does PC version support class have med-pack?

I'm so used to Bad Company 2's medic class having the LMG's, so I know what you meant lol..

Yeah, assault. It was support in BFBC2 I believe. Not sure why they switched that around.


Assault in BFBC2 dropped ammo and support medpacks. It's crazy that they flipped them around.

 

[StevenOtero]

Yeah, assault. It was support in BFBC2 I believe. Not sure why they switched that around.


Assault in BFBC2 dropped ammo and support medpacks. It's crazy that they flipped them around.

I don't mind it

 

[tupperware]

PC games usually have a pretty good modding community.

 

[YosemiteSam]

PC games usually have a pretty good modding community.

Modding is what beget your favorite game. TeamFortress 2. The original Team Fortress was a mod based on Quake.

I never load Steam much lately since I've been playing BF3 so much. I will have to do that so we can play some TF2. Not to mention I haven't been playing Skyrim either.

 

[Kangaroo]

What I like better.

• The mouse allows you to turn quicker and be more precise. Especially when doing a 180 to kill someone coming up behind you. In Quake, I could hear someone fire some weapon behind me and could do a jumping 180 and rail the guy between the eyes before I hit the highest point in my jump. Using a controller, is like turning a tank turret. You have to wait for the stupid thing to get around.
• The PC game plays at a MUCH faster pace.
• Most PC versions of games have more depth to them than the console counterparts.
• More buttons means more complexity, but it also means less menus.
• More buttons means you don't have to cycle threw some items to use them. You can just hit a button that jumps right to that item.
• PC gives you more options for sound and video allowing you to set your video and audio setting at what best suits you. Better PC? Max out graphics. Your PC isn't quite as new as you would like. Lower the settings so you still get good performance.

There are several more and I'm sure others will chime in.

As for the console controller, yes their are. I have one that I always used for Madden football on PC. Though I would never use it for a FPS. It would put me at an extreme disadvantage. (the whole slow turnning turret scenario I listed above)

This is why you will never see a FPS mix PC with console players. Microsoft did a study where they took the top FPS players from the console and put them up against some average players on the PC side and they played each other with out each other knowing. It was not even a contest the console players where destroyed over and over again. the matches where not even competitive.

 

[Staggerlee]

This is why you will never see a FPS mix PC with console players. Microsoft did a study where they took the top FPS players from the console and put them up against some average players on the PC side and they played each other with out each other knowing. It was not even a contest the console players where destroyed over and over again. the matches where not even competitive.

I can attest to that as well. I used to play the original Call of Duty and Call of Duty United Offensive online and did so for over a year. A couple of years back playstation made the original COD available for download in the store so I downloaded it and started playing multiplayer online again.

Man was it slower, I had to turn the sensitivity all the way up to get the same response and then it was awkward to play with it up that high because you have an analog stick and not a mouse. I just reset it and got used to playing it on the ps3.

The thing is that the other players are limited in their turning speed like you so you really aren't at a disadvantage. All that said I enjoy FPS on either pc or console it just depends what I am accustomed to at the time.

 

[couchscout]

This is why you will never see a FPS mix PC with console players. Microsoft did a study where they took the top FPS players from the console and put them up against some average players on the PC side and they played each other with out each other knowing. It was not even a contest the console players where destroyed over and over again. the matches where not even competitive.

I saw another study where they actually took the 50 top ranked XBOX players for an FPS game, and 50 of the most middle of the road PC players for the same game. Matched them up against each other, each on their own machines, and the PC guys again absolutely wiped out the XBOX guys. They were doing studies that showed the PC guys were getting there target reticule to the target and entire half second before the XBOX guys. Pretty cool study, and absolutely killed any argument the console guys had about it being easier/better to play on a console.

 

[tupperware]

Modding is what beget your favorite game. TeamFortress 2. The original Team Fortress was a mod based on Quake.

I never load Steam much lately since I've been playing BF3 so much. I will have to do that so we can play some TF2. Not to mention I haven't been playing Skyrim either.

Precisely. I played Quake 1 in to the ground until the community for it pretty much died and then jumped in to TF2 shortly after. I never really got in to Q2 and Q3.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Precisely. I played Quake 1 in to the ground until the community for it pretty much died and then jumped in to TF2 shortly after. I never really got in to Q2 and Q3.

It's a shame. Q2 and Q3 were awesome!

I used to play OpenArena occasionally too. Though the whole strafe jumping **** was stupid and they (open arena guys) refused to "correct" it saying it was "now" part of the game.

It wasn't only unrealistic, it was lame as hell.

 

[tupperware]

It's a shame. Q2 and Q3 were awesome!

I used to play OpenArena occasionally too. Though the whole strafe jumping **** was stupid and they (open arena guys) refused to "correct" it saying it was "now" part of the game.

It wasn't only unrealistic, it was lame as hell.

You should check out QuakeLive. I used to love bunny hopping in Q1.

 

[YosemiteSam]

QuakeLive if I remember correctly is the web version of Quake right? I've played it before. I still preferred Open Arena to it.

 

[Concord]

A console can't touch a PC when it comes to FPS...period.

If you ever play a FPS on a PC...you will never want to play one on a console.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Thanks for all the great information here folks. I'm getting a new computer this year and I believe my dad actually has one or two of the older Call of Duty games for the PC at his house that he's never used. I might pick them up from him after I get my computer and give them a whirl to see how I like it.

I'll admit I'm quite intimidated by the idea of using the mouse to play a FPS. I'm not really sure how that works or how hard it is to get used to it.

It sounds like the movements are all much, much, much faster on PC which is also a bit intimidating because I don't turn the sensitivy up on the console usually. In fact Black Ops was the only one I've ever turned it up on and I only got it up to a 5 ( i had to do it 1 at a time to get used to each increase) before MW3 game out and I've been reluctant to change it on my MW3 thus far.


As far as servers and such is there something you have to sign up for, like XBox live, in order to play them online or do you simply load the game and go? Thanks once again for all the help.

 

[YosemiteSam]

BraveHeartFan,

There is definitely a learning / getting used to curve involved, but I promise you. Once you've made the transition, you won't ever want to go back. FPS on PC are 1000x better than the console.

If I played every game that wasn't a FPS on console, would still own a PC just for FPS. Though that isn't necessary as there are several games on PC that just aren't on consoles or lack the depth they have on PC.

As of this Christmas we now own an XBOX, XBOX360, and the PS3.

The only games I play on the console right now are Tiger Woods golf, Madden football, and Mortal Kombat.

My son has all the CoD games from CoD4 on and just got BF3 for the XBOX360.

He got into CoD from playing CoD4 on my PC. The only reason he plays those games on the console at all is because that is where all his friends from school play them. Other than the FPS games, the only other game he plays on the console is Madden. After that, they are all PC games.

 

[StevenOtero]

I saw another study where they actually took the 50 top ranked XBOX players for an FPS game, and 50 of the most middle of the road PC players for the same game. Matched them up against each other, each on their own machines, and the PC guys again absolutely wiped out the XBOX guys. They were doing studies that showed the PC guys were getting there target reticule to the target and entire half second before the XBOX guys. Pretty cool study, and absolutely killed any argument the console guys had about it being easier/better to play on a console.

Yep, honestly it takes more skill to play on console. If you can master a controller you're pretty good, just about anybody can point and click.