Hi , i wanted to know what would be best for a casual gamer to buy from a cheap preowned ps3 from eb games to a new ps4 or xbone? i dont know much about the systems or what would be best but really want to not spend to much on it. Was looking at ebay and they had lots of cheap ps3 for sale but was cautious as would be hard to return if it faulty. Also is there a certain model that is better to buy? Still considering buying new system but would really like to save some money if i can.Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Which Gaming System Should I Buy?
Lfreewilly on 28/05/2015 - 16:22
Comments
None in my area to collect seems like they sold very quickly
wait till xmas
can get 3 games with it for same price
nvidia shield
I havent heard of this but will google
I've seen steam consoles too. you want to look at the console version of the sheild.
What are your thoughts on PC? A little bit extra upfront but Steam Summer Sales are almost here and prices for quality games will be dirt cheap. What games would you want to play in general?
I would really like to get into pc gaming but i dont have a clue what i should buy re pc. i really like games like gta and cod halo and role player games
We on OzBargain can certainly help you!
Unfortunately, Halo is more of an Xbox love affair (only a few of them have been released on Windows), so if that game is very important to you then you should get an Xbox One.
If you don't mind that, we got everything else. Plenty of PC only RPGs too, Dota 2 comes to mind but there are plenty of others. We got plenty of mods for GTA, Skyrim, Cities Skylines, Minecraft and anything else you can imagine. PCs are also productivity machines too, if you need to get some work done.
If you went for a PC, would you be looking to build or buy? If you choose to build, you can save quite a bit of money and it is very easy to put together, much like lego. Then we can give you some suggestions to see if it's in your price range.
Skyrim and GTAIV + GTAV. Half Life series. Unreal Tournament series. Minecraft. oooh baby.
because of the modding community you will have endless hours of fun with these games. On console you can't really mod so you will have to rely on developers making DLC's (that you pay for),
but on a PC there are hundreds of moddable games and more mods than you can count per game, so there is a lot of 'free content' for a PC gamer.
$600 is a good starting point for a PC. For casual titles and titles that are not demanding with graphics the $599 ALienware Alpha machine is actually pretty decent value… but that's only if you can only spend $600 and no more. While it's a 'PC' it is not upgradable like a regular machine, and you're forever stuck with the same graphics chip.
If you can spend a bit more I'd suggest a whitebox (custom build).
i would like to build my own and definately save money and now i am really considering a pc. WHat would be a price for a decent setup if i went that way ?
@freewilly: Here's a basic build I just put together solely from MSY parts (locations everywhere). Not the most powerful and AMD is a bit cheaper but still it is quite good to decently play games. Hopefully some other users can input their suggestions.
You could probably knock a few bucks off by using staticice.com.au to find the cheapest retailer, not necessarily MSY.
Windows OEM versions are usually required to be bought with a motherboard, but the one I included in the list is RETAIL version - no other purchase necessary.
Does not include DVD drive. They are going out of fashion very quick but it is $18 from MSY if you want one. You can install windows from a USB stick instead.
Not including Keyboard/Mouse/Monitor.
You could either game with your TV or buy a monitor. You could game with a keyboard/mouse (suggest Mechanical keyboard) or you can use a gamepad.
Grand Total: $836.00
Processor: AMD FX-8320 3.5Ghz 8-Core
CPUA38FX8320 $199.00Motherboard: ASRock 980DE3-U3S3
MBAAR980DE3U3S3 $69.00Memory: Patriot Signature 8GB Single DDR3-1600 - PSD38G16002H
RAMPTD3SL08G02 $71.00Graphics Card: Gigabyte R927OC-2GD 2GB R9-270 PCI-E VGA Card
VGAPAGBR927OC $199.00Operating System: 32/64Bit Microsoft Retail Windows 8.1 (WN7-00580)
SWMSRSW81PRO $125.00Storage: Transcend SSD370 TS128GSSD370 128GB SATA3 SSD Solid State Drive
HDDTSSSD3700128 $79.00Power Supply: Coolermaster OEM S Series RS550-ASABS1 550Watt 80Plus Silver
PSUCMSRS550AS $59.00Case: DeepCool DP-MATX-SMTRLED Smarter LED USB3.0 Mini Tower…
CASEDCDPMATXSM $35.00You can pick up an official version of Windows 7, 8 or Office for $25 over at http://www.reddit.com/r/microsoftsoftwareswap/ - you just pay them via paypal for an e-mailed copy of the license key/serial on the same day.
Have been doing it for years and years there with the reddit regulars & never once had an issue with any license key anyone there sold.
@infinite: I know that these license keys will 100% work on a technical level and not be flagged for piracy, but the truth is that it's not according to the Terms and Conditions of the License so not strictly "legal" if you care about that and I don't want it coming back to me by suggesting that. I wish there was a cheaper way honestly and I grabbed some $15 upgrade keys when I had the chance.
This is OzBargain though - not Harvey Norman. Why pay $125 when you can get the identical product for $25 elsewhere ?
@infinite: Because there is saving money and then there is theft. It is ethically no different to downloading a cracked copy of Windows 8 from a torrent site
Except of course for the fact that it's not theft, nor anything close to it, or even like it at all.
There's legit deals posted here every day showing exactly how to get around artificial region pricing, region blocks, the Australia tax, parallel importing, etc….. What I posted is no different. It's the sale of a completely legitimate version of the software, with valid license keys and will work the exact same as any version of the same product you pay $100+ more for in any retail outlet.
@infinite: It's not a region issue. The money doesn't funnel back to Microsoft. These are people copying the keys off the side of computers in retail and large companies, using Developer license keys and Home Use keys included as part of a large corporate deployment, and who knows where. Definitely against the terms of the license.
@The Land of Smeg: Thanks for this. I've really been wondering about a Xbox One PS4 or a PC, and cost is one of the biggest factors. (I have a Wii U and love it, but it's not got other games I want to play like Shadow of Mordor. Neither XOne or PS4 have exclusives I care about, so they're pretty even for me.)
Here's my thinking: The current consoles will last 8 years or so, based on the 360 and PS3, and will handle everything released during that time period. By buying one at the right time (which hasn't happened yet for this generation), you can get one for $300 or so. (Xbox One and PS4 generally don't have good local multiplayer, so it's not worth getting extra controllers.) So that ends up at $40 or so per year for hardware.
If I were to change to PC, that rig you suggested is probably about what I would go for, plus $100 for a 2TB HDD on top of the SSD, and $100 for a nice keyboard and mouse combo. And it would handle everything released until now, and maybe for a couple of years. Then if I want to keep gaming at 1080p, I'd have to turn more and more effects off to keep the frame rate up in newer games, which would frustrate me, I'm sure. I'd need to upgrade it eventually, probably after 4 years, I'd wager. So that's $230 per year for hardware.
Now, PC games are obviously cheaper, but even on console I generally use Ozbargain and other sites to find my newish games for $40ish, and indies for $10. I think I play about 5 AAA games per year and a 10 indies, more or less. I'd probably save $20 per AAA game in the PC sales, and maybe $5 per indie. So $150 per year cheaper for the software this way.
So console annual costs: $40 for hardware, $200 AAA games, $100 indies = $340 (more money goes to developers?)
And PC annual costs: $260 for hardware, $100 AAA games, $50 indies = $410 (more money goes to hardware makers?)Pretty close costwise, in the end, but not quite close enough. I wouldn't really use the PC for much else because my work requires me to have a laptop (probably get a Surface Pro 4 when they are released).
Other things to consider:
- If my wife is watching TV, I could fire up the Xbox One and play via another Windows 10 device (like off-TV play on the Wii U) once that is released.
- The PC would probably have trouble fitting in my TV board and may be rather loud with the fans. An Xbox One is also currently too big, but they'll probably release a slim version soon. PS4 is nice size.
- My laptops now don't output surround sound when playing videos through VLC or SMPlayer for some reason. My consoles do without issue. I like 5.1 surround for games and films.
- I think if I'm playing a PC game, I'd be trying to play everything on highest and then spend a lot more time looking up how to tweak things and overclock than playing games. It pays to make it simple.
- I haven't built a desktop since 2005. It could be fun. It could be costly if I screw it up, or pay someone for assembly.Any thoughts on these calculations would be appreciated! Both from Master Race and otherwise.
- The current consoles will last 8 years or so, based on the 360 and PS3, and will handle everything released during that time period.
They may or may not last that long, who knows. The current "Next Gen" consoles were already out-dated by older mid-range PC's before they even got released. The gap between the minimal cost and exceeding performance of PC's compared to consoles in the next few years alone will leave consoles completely in the dust, performance-wise.
Also, most big name games if even released on consoles, have pretty shocking performance issues & gimped graphics & gameplay. Virtually no Xone or PS4 games play anything better than 20-30fps at 900p. Those that do get upscaled to 1080p have huge performance and graphics hit's as a result.
.- Then if I want to keep gaming at 1080p, I'd have to turn more and more effects off to keep the frame rate up in newer games, which would frustrate me, I'm sure.
With the video card that Smeg recommended to you, you'd never have to upgrade it for 1080p gaming again - or the RAM for that matter. You should be able to handle pretty much anything at full ULTRA setting just fine, forever. PC Gaming has already long left 1080p gaming standards behind and current mid-high end gaming is already concentrated on 4K resolution and performance, as well as dual & triple-monitor sized resolutions & support. Cards supporting that performance and end of gaming are the next generation of cards that will soon become the cheap next upgrade in the next few years, if an upgrade for this is something you wish to pursue. Either way, high-end actual next-gen gaming of that caliber is not even imaginable, let alone a possible option for the consoles.
- plus $100 for a 2TB HDD on top of the SSD
You can pick up a 2TB HDD for like $50 or $60 on sale fairly easily. Here's just one example from this week: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/195461
.- and $100 for a nice keyboard and mouse combo.
You can pick up a perfectly decent keyboard / mouse combo for under $50. You can likely score a free spare keyboard off any friend who's already got a keyboard, or from work even. They are much of a muchness, really.
.- Now, PC games are obviously cheaper, but even on console I generally use Ozbargain and other sites to find my newish games for $40ish, and indies for $10.
No need to wait at all on PC. New games and indie games are all already at that price or even better. The reality is for consoles though that your still at best going to be paying $65 for anything even a couple of years old, unless it's in a bargain bin by chance somewhere, because the game was released as a broken beta (like EA UFC for example). Steam Games sales and other key site will score you great new-ish games for like $10 or $15 a go, though. Then you also have the massive after-release support on PC's you don't get on consoles, not to mention the double-to-more life span that community support and modding add's to the PC versions of games. The extra value and better pricing in comparison to console gaming is ridiculous.
.- The PC would probably have trouble fitting in my TV board and may be rather loud with the fans.
The days of loud PC's are long gone. The case and pec's that SMEG recommended will easily be quieter than a console when operating.
.- My laptops now don't output surround sound when playing videos through VLC or SMPlayer for some reason. My consoles do without issue. I like 5.1 surround for games and films.
The completely free and massively community-supported XBMC/Kodi or even Windows Media Centre MCE programs all handle that & more just flawlessly. You just stream all your viewing from the PC this way, too.
- I think if I'm playing a PC game, I'd be trying to play everything on highest and then spend a lot more time looking up how to tweak things and overclock than playing games. It pays to make it simple.
Not sure I understand? The PC version is vastly superior right off the bat. With PC gaming, games will pre-set their settings automatically to what ever your system can easily handle. You just take 30 seconds in the menu settings to tweak a couple of graphics option if that's what you want, alternatively. There's nothing more to it than that, unless your out looking for custom graphic mods. But none of that is needed to already as the standard default be a vastly better looking and running game than the same version on a console to start with. The only difference in comparison with a console is that everything is locked to "low".
- I haven't built a desktop since 2005. It could be fun. It could be costly if I screw it up, or pay someone for assembly.
Assembly is anything from free to $50, depending on how many of the components you are purchasing from one place. It's free if you do it yourself & there are heaps of easy beginners guides on Youtube or over at Reddit if you need them. Anyone here could probably help out, too, if needed. Most people just pay the $50 service charge though, because on top of building the system for you, they'll install the OS as well.
@infinite: Thanks for all that. I appreciate it. I think that I need to clarify some points as a few of your refutations are a little off and don't address what I intended.
Let's return to the first point: I wouldn't call the current consoles outdated yet, because games continue to come out on those platforms with the same features and more or less the same graphics as the PC versions. e.g. When Assassin's Creed IV came out in 2013, it still looked and played well on 360 and PS3, though it looked better on One, PS4 and PC. 2014's Shadow of Mordor, however, really was crippled on the older consoles, missing the nemesis system, etc. So only then would I say it was at the end of its life. A One or PS4 will still give years of new games to come.
You're totally wrong about $65 for big games a couple of years old. Where did you get that? e.g. Six-month old Shadow of Mordor is already $48 on PS4: http://www.comparegames.com.au/PS4/MiddleEarth-Shadow-Of-Mor…. The cheapest it is now on PC is $37. So some savings, but not so much. And indie games are generally $10 or less when I get them on the sales on consoles, about $5 on PC. So I'd say you're twisting your facts here. (Also, not generally into modding games so would probably not get much extra out of that.)
So, I'm not quite sure about your claim that that card will handle everything on ultra at 1080p forever. Have a look here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-r9-270-review-ben…. With settings on high with low anti-aliasing (so below ultra), Company of Heroes 2 from 2013 is already down to 34fps min, 53fps average. Which is not bad, and is better than the consoles right now, but as new games come out with better graphical features, I don't think that this card will continue to run everything on ultra at 1080p if it can't even do that on 2013 games. And this benchmark test said "We chose to run [Battlefield 4] at its 'high' preset, as the 'ultra' one with 4x AA is too demanding for these cards." http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2013/11/13/amd-rad…
Other than that, I appreciate all you said, and I'm glad that this rig SMEG recommended would handle be sufficiently quiet, handle surround over HDMI audio, etc. I trust that the bias you showed in the price comparison and performance does not also apply to what you said about the other things there. I still have a couple of other concerns. e.g. It would still likely be more costly for hardware, less for software. That case wouldn't fit in my TV board so I'd need to move things around. I couldn't play on the main TV if the wife is watching something.
I'm still going through my backlog for a bit on Wii U and older PC games that do run on my laptop, so I can think about it later. But good food for thought. Thanks for the info.
Edit: clarity
@whgb:
As a person who mainly games on PC, but also owns a Wii U, 360 and is about to buy a PS3 for some exclusives I missed, there are just a few things I'd like to comment on.The current consoles are outdated already, they were outdated before they were even released.
For the first time, they are selling them at a profit (http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/29/the-deanbeat-the-xbox-one-…).
And that's a bad thing for gamers (not so much Microsoft and Sony), the reason the PS3 and 360 were around for so long was because there were actually fairly powerful when they were first released, AND, Microsoft and Sony wanted to recoup costs from selling them at a loss when they first came out.
Another thing about the last gen of consoles as opposed to this current one, is the type of architecture they use/d. Last gen, each console used their own type of architecture, which is why we saw an 'increase' in the graphical quality of games as time went on. This is because devs learnt how to actually write proper code for these unique architectures (It's also the reason we don't have emulators for the last generation of consoles and games aren't backwards compatible [the original PS3's actually came with a PS2 inside them, and 360's had a software emulator]).
This current generation of consoles use the exact same architecture as modern computers. They are in-fact, just computers with slightly lower level access to the hardware (less hoops for the data to jump through [although pcs are supposedly getting similar access with DX12 coming out soon]), but that hardware is rather underwhelming.
In short, current generation of consoles arent going to last anywhere near as long as last gen, and if they do, the capabilities of PCs are growing everyday and with VR just around the corner, current gen isn't looking too good.As for Shadow of Mordor; 3 days ago it was $23, 18 days ago it was $14 and 29 days ago it was $13 (lowest price). See - http://isthereanydeal.com/#/page:game/price?plain=middleeart… .
I never understood how people try to argue that you 'need' to upgrade in order to keep up. Its not like your GPU suddenly becomes less powerful as it gets older. If it was more powerful then a console when you bought it, it will still be more powerful in however many years time when they release the next generation of consoles. Throughout that entire period of time, the games you play will look better and run better than if you bought a console. So what if you have to bump the settings down on a newer game, the consoles had to bump more down. Because no matter what, yours is more powerful, period.
And if you want to, you can upgrade if something new comes out you want to take advantage of. For me its VR, I'll be getting a new GPU when VR comes out. I don't have to, but I have the option to. You are stuck with the same hardware for the life of the console, so if some new technology is released, you just have to hope they release a new console that utilises it.And if the TV was occupied, you wouldn't be able to play a console either (except the Wii U), would you?
Also, free online with PC, its a 'hidden' cost a lot of people overlook when getting into consoles.
Yeah at this stage I'm not sure if the user "whgb" just doesn't quite understand, or is actually trying not to? He keeps making comments about "comment bias", but the the first results in the the most basic google search for Shadow of Mordor 3 results in keys for $16.50 and $13.50 - the third result came back with a site listing of 20 different other sites that you could buy the steam key for, for under $20 (AU).
He also doesn't seem to be able to grasp that something vastly superior to another product now, will still be that way in 6 or 7 years time. Nothing will bridge the gap at all between the consoles & PC. It doesn't matter what games get made from here on out - they will all equally be vastly better on a PC, than on a console. You will never need to upgrade anything on a PC for this to be true still, either.
To anyone reading this, The Land of Smegs build isnt that great (no offence man, its mostly quite good).
Get an Intel Cpu. Why not AMD? This is why: http://i.imgur.com/OUraP8G.jpg
For the gfx card, a 750 ti is $30 cheaper and performs a bit better.
So for a great $578 build (plus OS and peripherals): http://i.imgur.com/kaiV4iL.png (511+67 for a 1tb hdd, i forgot to include that).
Unless budget is very tight, i'd probably bump the cpu to a $149 i3-4160 for much better performance in most games (much better than the $200 AMD FX-8320)Also for anyone with an edu email address you can get windows 8.1 for free. And if you are an engineering or comp sci student you can get 8.1 Pro for free.
I'd recommend reddit.com/r/buildapc if you need advice (or reply to this comment)
I think that @infinite exaggerated about being able to handle any game at 1080p "forever" but for the most part infinite and @JackDownAHill are right.
At the end of the day PS4 & XB1 have mediocre performance to begin with when they were new and there is just so much optimisation that can be done to limited hardware. Optimisation can get some gains but it is not magic, they have to make sacrifices to make it "playable".
It's like buying cheap electronics. A manufacturer designs a product, they get it working how they like, and then they keep picking parts off and keep trying cheaper/inferior/lesser spec parts until it still "works", but the end result isn't very high quality. The standard for "playable" is only a measly 20-30 FPS. You don't realise how painful that is until you experience 60fps or more, it is like going from a 800x600 CRT to a 1080p LED LCD. Your eyes will hate straining on that CRT again.
You say that the Graphics card will have to slowly settle for less and less graphical quality settings over the years, this is true. But with the console you settle for less and less from the get go.
PC games are always cheaper. It's like Netflix - They have to be competitive against piracy as well. GTA V PC could be pre-ordered for as little as $30 by bypassing region locks. GTA V still can't even be bought on Console for that price, last time I checked. It's just the Steam Sales that make it ABSURDLY cheap, where you would buy games that you wouldn't previously consider, but buy it because of the PRICE is right (Like OzBargain)
Also I don't think that expecting 8 years from the lifecycle of XB1/PS4 is realistic. PS3/360 were out for far too long and stagnated, much like we stagnated with Windows XP. They obviously had been working on XB1/PS4 for a while and they just had to get it launched and out the door before it became too outdated and all that design would have to start again. If they released them 2 years earlier that would not have been too bad of machines. There is just no way they will be current in 8 years, Sony and Microsoft are already experimenting with VR and in 1-2 years they will release a greater graphical power for their Consoles to be able take advantage of that. There is just no technical way that their current generation of consoles can handle VR with existing hardware, and that's a business they DON'T want to be left behind in, because it's a game changer.
edit: I'm also happy with @cheesecactus's advice to pay a little bit extra to get a much better Intel/Nvidia build. Reddit buildapc are extremely good also. Finally PCs are much easier to build these days, 10 years ago there were a few fiddly bits to get it going properly but it's a fairly smooth process now. The chances of stuffing up are low
@The Land of Smeg: JackDownAHill, that's a good perspective on how the older consoles looked better over time and this one will likely not. About the TV occupied, being able to play with another Windows 10 device is mentioned about the web, such as here: http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/30/8524123/microsoft-xbox-one…
Infinite, I did a search for "Shadow of Mordor 3" like you said and that didn't come up. JackDownAHill showed isthereanydeal, which I hadn't seen. (I have used cheapshark and comparegames.) So it's good to see that I was wrong about the price of some of the PC games, but still you were wrong about the price of console games, and the performance. I didn't mean any offense, but I saw what you were saying was not matching up with the other info out there.
Cheesecactus, thanks for your input. i3 is enough? I would expect an i5 to be necessary, but maybe it doesn't make a difference if the graphics are not onboard.
The Land of Smeg, good stuff. I'm as interested in VR as I am in 3D, to say, not very. I wonder if the slim versions they release will have siginificant improvements in speed like you say. That would piss off a lot of their existing customers.
Anyway, I'm weighing in favour of PC more now than I was this time yesterday, thanks guys. More to consider.
Steam has local streaming right now http://store.steampowered.com/streaming/
Not great for games like Dark Souls etc, but for more casual ones it works great. Works on anything that can install Steam.@The Land of Smeg: I don't think a 128GB SSD is enough. Go for 500GB at least. Some games are 50GB+ some are 60GB+. You'd be able to put one or two of these on tops.
Many people with PS4 and X1 are complaining about their 500GB internal HDDs being filled up already.
@lostn: You can add a whole bunch of things to make it better, that's the beauty, and you can also upgrade later, but for trying to keep costs down 128 or 256 is a good compromise.
@The Land of Smeg: I was wondering, is there a time of year that is better to buy these components? Or as they're all separate, perhaps not?
Doesn't matter what time of the year you buy PC components. The only things that will affect price is the value of the Australian dollar, the availability of the part & how far into release the current generation of the component is.
Also, when buying motherboards and video cards, sometimes entire bundles of games or a brand new AAA release can be included with the component for free, so it may well be worth paying an extra $20 or $30 for it. Because if you were already going to buy the game that comes with it, it will effectively just be a free upgrade to your PC.
Just wanted to say hello to colleagues from the PC master race, Land of Smeg and Scrimshaw. :)
Anyway, just to share, I'm a dyed-in-the wool PC user but lately have come deeper and deeper under the spell of couch gaming via a PS4. I am ashamed to say it, but I find myself spending the majority of my admittedly limited 'game' time on the console!
No problem mate, life has it's challenges.
I actually game from my couch/TV, which I'm on right now!
Personal preferences all the way.
Hopefully one day you come back to PC brother :-)
Grab a second hand xbone of gumtree - for around 4-500 you should get one with halo mcc and gtav and more …Those 2 alone will keep u going for weeks
Once you play The Last Of Us you will never look back. PS4 all the way.
It's on PS3 too, but yes, great game.
Grab a ps4
if you never had a ps3 before grab one second hand if possible with a bundle of games, much cheaper than buy a ps4 and other games.
Personally, I would hold off a few weeks if you're not sure.
E3 will be on between the 16 and 18th June, where Sony and Microsoft will lay the direction and popular titles for the next 12 months.
The Xbox One in particular is expected to have some major changes this year (DirectX 12, Windows 10 upgrade, Controller upgrades, etc). I'm not sure about the PS4 rumours, but I expect there will be similar announcements.Do you want Bloodborne or Infamous?
Get a PS4
Do you want to play Sunset Overdrive?
Get an Xbone
Do you want to play one of the cross-platform games?
It doesn't matter which, and be warned, most of them are actually pretty bad.For the fact that we're 2 years in, these consoles are abysmal for exclusives and quality titles, and what games they do have exclusivity for are bombing through the floor. Otherwise you can pick up a PS3 and access the hundreds of amazing quality exclusives, for a cheaper experience and free online. Otherwise you'll use the PS4 three times; there is very little in terms of multiplayer casual gaming there as the next gen console games tend not to believe in 'split screen' or couch gaming. And, if you want to play online, you have to pay a yearly fee. In fact, there's very little in terms of games at all.
Honestly, for a casual gamer, I'd just say get a Wii-U. Not only do you have access to the awesomely expansive catalog of Wii-U games (comparitively to the barren desert of PS4 and Xbone!) like Super Smash Brothers, Mariokart and Donkey Kong, you can also play every single Wii game ever made. Two consoles of exclusives for the price of one! You know. Because backwards compatibility. If they made the PS4 and Xbone backwards compatible, maybe we would be getting more than rehash remakes of good games from last generation.
I must say I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a Wii U for the exact same reason. Come on EOFYS!
Personally I hate mine.
Go your wish on the last part.
Partially. And even that partially is partially, lol. Xbone is the only one of the two, and it's only getting some of the games. So some backwards compatibility, lol. Better than none.
Casual? Then consider PC imo. At least the system would be useful for other things as well. Great games and much much cheaper i.e. Steam Sale seasons and reputable game key sites indeed make happy bargains! ;)
What this guy said. In fact, I'm going to back up what he said with two of my recent purchases:
The Witcher 2:
Bought it on 360 early this year for $32 pre owned.
Bought it on PC last week for $3The Witcher 3:
Cheapest I've seen the console version retail is $69
Bought it on PC last week (release week) for $50
If you're set on getting a console. Grab a PS3.
Plenty of great games from the previous gen if you've never played them. Online multiplayer is free too.
Recommend the following if you can find them for cheap:
Uncharted series
The Last of Us
Dragon Age: Origins
Borderlands 2
Bioshock series
GTA V
Mass Effect Series
Fallout 3/New Vegas
The Elder Scrolls: SkyrimFYI, if you end up getting a PC for gaming, all of these can be played on PC (except Uncharted and Last of Us).
I agree. Originally I was a PC only gamer, but have swirched over to the ps3 and it's really awesome. Hundreds of great games available without the issues that PC gaming can toss at you sometimes.
Do not play games, your life will much better!
Do not tell people how to live their lives or spend their time, your life will much better!
I'll offer some opinions, positive and negative respectively, I have about buying systems:
Getting a console from last-gen:
+They are cheap & you have years of games to choose from.
-Some multiplayer games are dead or their servers have been disconnected.Buying current-gen console (PS4, Xbox One, Wii U):
+Increased performance over last-gen.
-Not as many games are available. I fear an influx of remakes are going to be coming out for the Sony and MS consoles.Buying a PC:
Where to start…
Cheaper games through Steam and other online stores. When Steam has their sales you can easily pick up 1/2 a dozen good games for ~$50.
Even a moderately powerful PC's performance is greater than current-gen or last-gen systems.
Upgrading is relatively easy and the prices of new gfx cards are always coming down when new models are released
Mods! You can mod the crap out of so many games breathing new life into them.
Preferred input: Do you like a Keyboard and mouse for gaming? Use them. Do you prefer a controller? Use any one you want.
Emulators: You can play pretty much any old school games on your computer through emulators. NES, SNES, Wii, PSX, Sega systems, etc. Some work better than others, but it is still a pretty cool thing to be able to do.
A PC is obviously more versatile. You could use it as a media server with something like Plex.
Other things that I could ramble about but I have limited time.
Cost: Building a PC can be a somewhat costly endeavour if you don't plan out and understand what you want and need. Depending on what parts you already have (KB/Mouse, Monitor etc.) it can get a bit expensive quickly.
You might become an obnoxious idiot who has the uncontrollable urge to derail topics about gaming on Non-PC platforms. (E.G. "Hey, how is everyone liking Uncharted 4 on PS4?" "LolZ! My 5 year oil gaming PC is filled with rat shit and sitting in a puddle of cat piss and can totez smoke any PS4 and ghey crap like Uncharted 4. PEECEE Mahsta Race!" This doesn't happen to everyone, but it is pretty annoying.
Lastly, you could consider handhelds. The 3DS is a pretty great handheld. If you are casual, then it might be better for you than buying a console or PC. Don't bother with tablet or mobile gaming. Besides a few games which are OK to play on a touchscreen, the whole thing is stupid.
Sorry for the long post, but there is a lot to consider before buying something.
I see one of the PC fanatics got offended and downvoted me. No biggie.
Have you considered getting a handheld like a 3DS or a PS Vita? I find handhelds more enjoyable than actual consoles. They're portable so you can game on the go, and they have heaps of games for casual gamers. If you like stuff like platformers, it's probably better to invest in a handheld. Also, handhelds are a lot cheaper than getting a console. I personally think consoles like the PS4 or XBone are for more hardcore gamers who enjoy more graphic intensive games.
I agree. I love my New XL and Vita, both are great.
FYI Sony has officially labelled the VITA as a "legacy" device outside of Japan.
RIP Vita. Such a shame :-(
It was a mistake! They didn't mean it! …. Right….?
@Encipher:
Hmmmm…digging a bit deeper it appears that Sony was referring to the old model VITA but their message still doesn't make sense.Regardless when you step back and look at the library and the future release list its not a pretty picture.
I have a PS3, Xbox360 and a PS4. The playstations are the way to go. PS3/4 has "The Last Of US" (TLOU) which is an absolutely amazing game. I played it on PS3 and then again on PS4 and each time even though I knew what was going to happen it still pulls you in and you don't want it to stop.
PS3 also has the UNCHARTED series which are also just iconic and epic adventures. A PS3 is worth getting just for the 3 uncharteds and TLOU alone. The downside is that most of the PS3 games are 720p max resolution. They still look great but when you see the PS4 1080p goodness games look REALLY small on the PS3. PS4 will exclusively get UNCHARTED 4 and that is one of the reasons I got the PS4. For right now on PS4 you have Witcher 3, Shadow of Mordor, Ass Creed Flag & Unity, GTA5, Dying Light etc all to keep you going.That being said, the graphics that a gaming PC can pump out are noticeably better than the current consoles. For example Dying Light on PS4 looks pretty good but on PC it looks AMAZEBALLS when all graphics are turned up to maximum. It's like chalk and cheese. The catalog of games available on PC tower above that available for consoles and the prices for games (as mentioned previously) can become just a few dollars during the sales each year.
SO TL:DR
Console = good if you want to just "pick up - put down" play every now and again. PS4/Xbone have decent specs and good graphics and several of the games you want to play. Great choice if money is an issue and you jut want to "Play stuff"
PC = Every thing about the gaming experience is better but the cost to play is higher. More involvement from you is required to keep the drivers current etc. Also does more than just "plays games".
I have PS4, XB1, WiiU and a beast PC. The xbox 1 is my least favorite console in terms of games, but it also happens to have my favorite controller by far out of the consoles sigh.
PS4 and Wii U are both great, PC is always good.
ps4.
I'd go with option B
I own all game systems since MD. X360 for the cheapest games, PS3 is still best. Xb1 and ps4 games are expensive and only a few good titles.
Really depends on what you are after in terms of liked games (halo = xbone etc.). Personally, the last time I bought a console was when the xbox360 had cash back promo from microsoft and the following week was the last time I played it. I know this might be not what you are after but think about getting a PC as you can use it for other things as well as gaming.
PS3 has more games, but PS4 has more potential. Future games won't release on PS3. But PS3 has a huge back catalogue. Your call.
Really depends on what kind of games you like. The new consoles don't have a whole lot at the moment.
Prebuilt PC for Steam big picture, couple of xbox360 controllers = win
You can't go wrong with a PC with how cheap some Steam games are going for.
Next bet would be either PS4 or Wii U. Purchase PSN Plus and get 6 free games (although some depend as they're for PS3 and Vita too) a month for $70 a year.
Get the Wii U for the exclusives and local co-op fun.
If you want to be cheap, PS3 definately is better because of couple of reasons:-
1) Large library
2) Online play is free
3) Still have decent titles released for it but its getting less. The old titles are heaps better however
4) No need to muck around with PC Software/Hardware install. PC Hardware costs $ and you can never catch up. PC is mainly online multiplayer not so much for parties. Things like Steam, unless you got fast broadband don't even bother downloads take too long. Unless you really want DoTA, RTS games then maybe…I used to be a gamer back in end of 90s and early 2000s until 2006. PC used to cost much more, but there were better titles than Consoles. There was a stage when Consoles had to port games from PC. Now its the other way around.
Upgrades are more frequent nowadays, you got the latest this month next month already outdated. Its a money pit not worth it.
Time is worth more money these days, just switch on and play. No need to check your PC specs to see if you can run this and that on highest settings
Join the PC Master Race and you get the bonus of looking down on the console peasants!!
OK I am kidding. All gamers unite! But seriously consider a PC for better upgrade path at least.
I have a triple monitor setup 2x23"s + main screen 27" asus rog swift 144hz g-sync, gtx770, quad core, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM blah blah blah… I spend pretty much 99% of my gaming time on the PS4. The couch is more comfy and the TV is way bigger, plus surround sound. It feels more social, on the couch than looked away in the back room.
I'll happily take that Gaming PC setup off your hands if you're not using it!
I still use it for spreadsheeting and googling!
It's my first complete build in about 7 years of incremental upgrades, trying to future proof as much as possible. I'll get back into PC gaming once Destiny wears off.
It's hilarious how the PC and WiiU users neg everyone else's preferences.
That's because everyone elses preference is wrong. If people tell me they are enjoying their PS4, it means they've only had it for a week. There are infinite examples of people who say "Yeah, I have a PS4/Xbone, but I don't use it anymore" even on OzBargain alone. I used both my Wii-U and PC yesterday, and plan to today. Splatoon and Witcher 3, baby! Which, made me laugh, even the spectacular and glowing reviews for Witcher 3 on PS4 mentioned it has a few technical difficulties and optimization issues, compared to PC (Even PC version's a bit buggy. Geralt's arms and hands were seperate entities yesterday, but at least it made me laugh)
OK so let's look at the numbers. A bazillion people buy PS4's and a dozen or so say they dont use it. A handful of hardcore's Nintenterds buy WiiU (myself included) and even less praise it. The Nintenterds shout louder though because the PS4 owners just get on with playing it.
@Where's_That_Cake: Let's look at even more numbers. And by that I mean Metacritic. Oh look, all PS4 exclusives except for Bloodborne and Infamous are bombing, and all Nintendo exclusives get enormous scores. That's weird, isn't it. The best scores on PS4, apart from those games mentioned, are either remakes or indie games ported from PC. All of the Wii-U's high rankers are original titles, some even original IPs.
But you know, Metacritic isn't a trustworthy source, because it only forms an aggregate score of all reviewers, rather than just trusting IGN's bribed score at face value. Obviously.
@FrankMcFuzz: So now let's look again and put Bloodborne and Infamous back in but take away anything with Mario in it. See how that works?
Also unlike the dying WiiU the PS4 has a plethora of third party games that are great. Whereas pretty much nobody wants to touch the WiiU unless it's a kickstarter (and then 6 months after game is released you'll hear that the WiiU version is canceled)
@Where's_That_Cake: I do see how that works.
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
Bayonetta 2
Splatoon
Zelda Hyrule Warriors
Wonderful 101
Pikmin 3
(People like ZombiU but they're wrong)
And I'll put Sonic Boom in this list just so we have something to compare The Order 1886 to.None of those have Mario in it, and they're all console exclusive. So yeah. Bam.
If you keep a PC on hand as well , you'll be able to play all the third party games (and make a healthy saving, too!) and you won't miss out on the dozens of Wii-U exclusives; only the two PS4 games. I know which camp makes more sense to me.
@Where's_That_Cake: Games for children can still be fun for adults. Donkey Kong especially has a rather unforgiving difficulty curve. (The wii Donkey kong was harder though, especially the hard mode you unlock for getting all the Kong letters. In Trop freeze you can just use Dixie, which is pretty cheap). But why would you stop yourself from playing fun, challenging games just because your height doesn't match the core audience's?
On the other end of the scale, CoD is aimed at adults and is only played by 10 year olds and people with that mental capacity. There are many 'adult' games that are easy, and offer no challenge whatsoever, and I can begin rattling off, but then I may never stop.
"Oh no, this game has colour, it must be shit and for babies, I better go play my grey modern shooters!"
Children didn't write those metacritic reviews, by the way…. well, maybe one or two did.
@FrankMcFuzz: WiiU has CoD doesn't it? Will it have Fallout 4 though? Look, I agree PC is great but if it's a choice of WiiU or PS4? PS4 all the way.
@Where's_That_Cake: Wii-U has some CoD games and Assassin's Creed, but they're multiplatform and nobody would get a Wii-U to get those games. If it doesn't have FallOut 4, I consider that a selling point of the console; Bethesda are vile.
If you want to play the game of exclusives, and you pick a PS4, you're playing the game wrong. Which is ironic, because you won't be playing any games on PS4 (Because there are none!)
@FrankMcFuzz: you seem to be the only person who wants to play the exclusive game. Of course Nintendo has exclusives, they have no support from anywhere else because nobody else is buying their screwed up attempt at a modern console.
Best thing they could do is quite making hardware and just be a third party like Sega. They're dinosaurs who are just holding back the marketplace. Imagine how much happier you'd be I'd you could play Super Princess Peach 5 on your PC?
@Where's_That_Cake: Holding back the market by making really great games that nobody are playing due to a close-minded approach to gaming? Because it's not FIFA or CoD, it doesn't sell. Which the next generation consoles understand far too well, that's why we're only getting remakes and game-a-years.
I'm a massive PS3 fan, and PS2 even moreso. But I love these consoles because of what they did for videogames, and what videogames MEANT to these consoles. They meant quality exclusives, new IP's out the wazoo, innovative ideas and absolutely indistinguishably amazing videogames like the Uncharted series and Ratchet and Clank. Yet the PS4 has hit a rut. It has no features to distinguish itself from Xbone save for one or two numbers on paper that make no performance difference, hardly any feature difference (Share button on the controller is okay, but why must we share our content?). The online ecosystem is exactly the same except for the free indie games, and every game coming out seems to be shared between either Xbone or Steam. I just don't understand why I would buy a WHOLE console for videogames I can already buy on other platforms I already own; and I can't justify $600 for Bloodborne and Infamous.
@FrankMcFuzz: Personally I don't play FIFA or COD. That's the great thing about have massive this party support though isn't it, you have so much choice. I play PES and skip the shooters altogether. If not wanting games like Fallout 4, Project Cars and The Witcher 3 is your thing then by all means, buy a WiiU. Its got nothing any good to play at all so you'll have a blast.
See what you're doing is comparing 2 gaming systems to the PS4. You're combining WiiU ($380 of rubbish) + PC ($400 PC = rubbish) with a $400 PS4.
Nobody is telling you to buy a PS4 BTW, you made your choice now you're stuck defending it. The OP asked about PS3/PS4/Xbone.
@Where's_That_Cake: No, that's okay. I can already play all those 3rd party games on my gaming PC, which I can get for cheap through steam sales and 3rd party vendors! Looks like I'm just missing out on Bloodborne.
"Nothing any good to play". That's a really good lie you just made up. OH NO, LOOK AT ALL THESE 80+ SCORES FROM METACRITIC, BAYONETTA 2, SUPER SMASH BROTHERS, SPLATOON, I'M DROWNING IN QUALITY TITLES, SAAAAAVE ME! Aaaargh, Super Smash Brothers was the best game of last year as decided by almost everybody, TOO BAD THERE'S NOTHING ANY GOOD TO PLAY THOUGH!
http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/the-order-1886 I think this metacritic page is my favourite thing on the internet. Remember how this game was going to destroy the industry with its innovative features and next-generation quality? Quality PS4 exclusiiiiiives!
OP should just get a PS3. Sure it's not really going to get many more titles, but at least the titles are already there, don't have in-app transactions, don't need to pay for online, don't fetishize graphics, and can be obtained for cheap. Or he can get a PS4, because they're likely to remake the good PS3 games anyway, because new games are hard.
@FrankMcFuzz: still not sure why you're comparing 2 systems to one PS4? Show me a $400 PC that will play TW3 as well as a PS4 does?
Why should someone have to have a second system to make up for the WiiU's many shortcomings?Buy a WiiU (and a $2000 rig to play real games)
@Where's_That_Cake: Because then they can play all the amazing exclusives that are on the Wii-U. If all you want is access just to the PS4's library, get a PC. You'll miss out on Bloodborne, sure, and it is definitely a bit more expensive.
But it's a PC, you can use it for heaps of things. Plus, the games and peripherals are almost always cheaper, and there are thousands more titles due to backwards compatibility and steam exclusivity. I am just pointing out that if you buy a Wii-U and a PC, you can play almost every exclusive game on the market. If you buy just a PS4, you're missing out on so, so much.
@FrankMcFuzz: This guy is a casual user, can't see him wanting to spend on a gaming rig + another console. PC gaming is too restrictive for many. I don't want to lump a rig into my lounge. My lounge is nice, who wants a dust gathering lump like that? I do play Steam but until they do something different it'll never make it into my main gaming device.
@Where's_That_Cake: That probably makes sense. But just for cheapness sake (free online, cheaper peripherals and pre-owned games) I'd recommend a PS3 for this guy. There we go, we arrived at a compromise, lol.
@FrankMcFuzz: I'd just like to point out to anyone reading this that I have enjoyed taking liberties with the plight of the WiiU and Nintendo in the marketplace. I tend to do this when I run I to Master McFuzz on these forums as he tends to do the same with PS4.
Not as though anyone else seems to be reading this any longer as we seem to have stopped being negged today.
That Swift monitor alone is >$1K and a 1TB SSD is anywhere between $5-700, I doubt the OP is going to shell-out that kind of cash being a casual.
… So, has the OP decided?
Did we get any closure on this topic from OP?
My point was, I have a 'gaming PC' but prefer to use PS4 so it depends.
Getting the right platform depends on what you like:
- the game (FPS, RTS, 3rd Person, RPG, Puzzle, Sport etc)
- peripheral input (controller vs mouse/keyboard)
- physical environment (desk/chair vs tv/lounge)
- housemates/family (using a single tv, other people to be mindful of)Once all the requirements naturally fall into place, that's what will work for you.
Did we get any closure on this topic from OP?
Not as far as I can tell. People shouldn't waste other peoples' time by asking them about what to buy and then never update the topic to let everyone know what they've decided on.
PCs are good for other kind of games that you cannot get on a console (Dota 2, Counter, Starcraft etc). Also most "shoot them up" are terrible to play on a console (after you play a "shoot them up" on a PC). I bought a console but I seldom use it, I cannot get used to the controls as they feel silly after a keyboard.
Saying that for a casual gamer just buy a console. You can play it from the couch on the TV instead of from a desk on a monitor.
I used to find it tricky using the controller for FPS games after years of pc gaming but after a while I got used to it and now I would say I am at about 80-90% of where I was on PC depending on the game.
My 2 cents - get a console. PS4. Great exclusives.
Name more than 2 of these "great exclusives". Bloodborne and Infamus. There you go, I've started you off, now you only need to name one.
I think they have different servers for consoles and PCs at least for shoot them ups because of the difference.
Playing other games (like racing ones) is easy enough on the console so that should be no difference.
I would vote for PS4 too just because I am pissed with xbox that asked me for money (gold membership) to access the internet…. they changed their ways meanwhile but still.
dick smith ebay has ps4 for $399