Are you interested in picking up PC gaming or about to embark on your first time gaming on a PC? Do you want to learn all that you can before you go down this road? There are a few noticeable differences between console gaming and PC gaming.
Learning how to start PC gaming can be very advantageous. You’ll start to understand where to buy the games, why people swear by it, and what the advantages are of doing it.
See below for an in-depth guide on everything that you should know before you invest time and money into PC gaming for the very first time.
What You Need to Get Started
PC gaming can be done with just a laptop, but your experience might be sabotaged because of it. To ensure your computer can keep up with PC gaming, you need the right tools for the job.
Make sure to invest in the items listed below to make sure that you meet the standards of ideal home gaming setups.
Monitor
All you console gamers have been brainwashed into believing that you need as big a screen as possible to enjoy the gaming experience. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
PC gaming will open you up to an entirely new world. You’ll have no problem enjoying the optics as long as you find a monitor between 23 and 25-inch panels.
Just to clarify a common misconception, the monitor’s panel is measured from one corner to the corner that’s catty-corner from it. So, for example, you would measure it from top left to bottom right, or from top right to bottom left to get the panel length.
Game-Ready Hardware
Unlike consoles where the game-ready hardware speed is already installed, you’ll find that your PC needs a bit of a pick-me-up. Different PC games demand different levels of power from your PC.
Fortunately, you can invest in packs from your local electronics store to adjust the speed of your computer/laptop.
If that isn’t an option for your budget, then you can always alter the graphic settings on your computer to appease the slower speed of your PC. That way, you experience less lag as you play.
The Benefits of PC Gaming
Everyone has at least one friend that swears by PC gaming above all other methods of video games. While they might dabble in other consoles, they spend a majority of their time on the computer to get their fix.
As it turns out, they’re on to something! See below for just a few of the benefits you might not be aware of if you’ve never placed PC gaming before.
1. Variety of Games
Say no more, right? Those of you that have committed your lives to either side of the neverending Xbox or Playstation debate know it all too well. Some games can only be purchased on one system.
Fortunately, PC gaming eradicates that issue. In fact, the argument can be made that PC gaming offers you the widest variety of game types over any console. Many people refer to Steam as their go-to source for addicting and enlightening new games.
Even your favorite console games eventually make their way to the PC screen. For example, the earth-shattering Horizon Zero Dawn was released on PC in August of 2020, more than three years after it was released on PS4.
2. Your Choice of Playing Style
One of the biggest complaints of console users is how they’re stuck playing games with the controller that comes stationary with the console. There’s very little room for variation on that front.
With PC gaming, you get to play however you’d like. Whether you’re a keyboard purist or someone that wants to invest in a controller to advance your gameplay, you have the freedom to do as you wish.
Most PC gamers like to mix it up depending on the game. You may find that one style of gaming isn’t as enjoyable when you’re playing a different video game.
3. A World Beyond Compare
While console games have gotten better about it lately, no other form of gaming allows you to escape into a whole new world the way that PC gaming does.
PC games are some of the most innovative and interactive games in the world, encouraging people from all over the Earth to play and grow their skills together without having to pay for multiplayer games (as you would on a console).
Look no further than iconic PC games such as World of Warcraft or League of Legends for an example of the imagination at your disposal.
Places to Buy PC Games
All that’s left is to understand where you go about purchasing the PC games that you want to play. Here are a few of the most popular ones.
- Steam— the most popular PC games online store in the world. It releases hundreds of new games each year for you to have access to.
- EA: Origin— for those of you interested in sports games for your PC experience, EA: Origin is where you’ll find it. You can also download the sims and other iconic old-timey computer games.
- Good Old Games— allows you to revisit all the classic computer games (such as Backyard Sports for a low price. Sometimes it’s nice to take a walk down memory lane!
How to Start PC Gaming: Learn Your Craft
One thing you’ll learn right away as you study how to start PC gaming is that everyone has different interests. PC gaming means something different to everyone.
Take the time to find the PC games you’re interested in. Do you like revisiting the old PC games more than anything else? Are you interested in a WoW-type game? Only you know the answer.
Be sure to browse our website for more articles on PC gaming, as well as many other helpful topics that you will enjoy.