PCs optimized for gaming have become decidedly more popular in recent years. Indeed, this is one reason we ran the piece ‘Buying Your First Gaming Monitor?’ earlier this year. As PC gaming gains steam, more and more people are looking for systems, monitors, and accessories that will make their games run as impressively as possible.
While it’s becoming more widely accepted that PC gaming can be as good or better than console alternatives however, a lot of people who are new to the idea might not fully understand it. It’s easy enough to understand that a fully optimized PC has the power and capability to make a game look and feel incredible. But the fundamental question remains: With so much of modern gaming revolving around major consoles, what do you actually need a gaming PC for?
Different people might answer this question in different ways according to preference. But a few types of games come to mind as main reasons why investing in a gaming PC is worthwhile.
Console Titles
Arguably the main reason to consider a gaming PC is that at this point it will support most major console games as well. For reference, Kotaku recently took a look at some of the best games of 2021 so far. And many, including Hitman 3, Deathloop, and Death’s Door, are available both on consoles and PC. Several more, meanwhile, were exclusive to PC. The bottom line is the selection of available PC games is enormous, and these days it tends to include the best titles from the console realm. These titles are often at their best on optimized gaming PCs.
Online Poker
Online poker has seen an uptick in popularity in the last year or two. And in that time people have come to recognize that there are a lot of great ways to play. There are the long-standing real-money sites like GGPoker, PokerStars, and the like, for those who like the “real thing.” However, there are more “play-money” sites than most people realize as well. Poker.org lists Americas Cardroom, Global Poker, Zynga, and even PokerStars Home Games all as platforms that allow casual games with friends. And even beyond these options, there are plenty of accessible apps and Steam downloads facilitating casino poker games. The bottom line is this is a pretty expansive corner of the PC gaming world, and it’s another one in which an optimized system will do you well. Reliably smooth gameplay is always a plus in multiplayer situations, and a great gaming PC provides just that for any and all kinds of poker games.
Online Casinos
The online casino world beyond poker is a hodgepodge of different games — some more sophisticated than others. At the best online casinos though, players will enjoy slot machines with detailed animations, table games with live dealer feeds, and in some cases virtual imitations of game shows. These games are all significantly more demanding of a system than the simpler online casino games of old, and can thus benefit more from a capable PC. A system capable of handling more complex action and detailed graphics will inevitably do a better job handling fast-paced slot reps packed with animations, or games in which a human dealer is running the show in real time.
eSports Games
Finally, there are also eSports considerations. Competitive gaming is becoming a lot more popular, at both professional and amateur levels. And the games at hand tend to represent a mixture of console titles and those primarily known for PC play. Pcmag.com lists Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Apex Legends, Dragon Ball Fighter Z, Fortnite, League Of Legends, and a few other games among the top eSports titles of 2021. Virtually anyone who’s played these games on a PC will confirm that the experiences are much better on a high-end, optimized system. So, essentially, those who have interest in competitive gaming would do well to look into PCs.
If you’re interested in any of these categories, PC gaming might just be for you. Once you start to set up your system to get the most out of your activity, you may wonder why you didn’t make the change sooner.