Personal Computer

An example of a typical gaming PC.

Old beige computers and CRT monitors are still popular among retro gamers.

A personal computer, referred to as a PC, is a multi-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be used by end users, rather than computer experts.

Why Most of Them Rock

1. You can customize your PC to your liking, and upgrade it with newer and more powerful hardware, giving it flexibility. Many PC-compatible systems are made for it, most notably Windows and Linux.
   • Many gaming computers have more hard drive space than consoles, allowing you to install more games.
2. The PC is a device for general use as well, unlike consoles. There is more software available to download than on consoles.
3. Speaking of the internet, PCs are very useful devices for web browsers. You can also access web browser games like Slither.io without any problem.
4. Some mid-range PCs are stronger than current-gen consoles.
5. With good hardware, games can also reach higher frame rates than older consoles as they use outdated processors for their release time.
   • Gaming at full HD, 4K, and even 8K or above, if the hardware allows it.
   • If your PC is fast enough, it can run games up to 240 frames per second or above.
6. Big game library, especially on Windows.
   • With online platforms like Steam, GOG.com, Epic Games Store, etc, PC gaming is usually much cheaper as PC exclusives are typically 20 dollars or less.
7. It has the best backward compatibility through the use of virtual machines and emulators.
   • For example, 32-bit Windows can natively run 16-bit games, while 64-bit Windows can run 32-bit apps.
8. The PC is the easiest platform to develop for.
9. With GPD Win, the Steam Deck, or other similar devices, you can play newly-released games on the fly (especially games that aren't ported to Nintendo Switch) just like the Switch itself.
10. One of the highlights of the PC is that many games can be modded, which usually isn't possible or is much more limited on consoles.
11. Through select cloud-streaming services, Remote Play on select consoles, or emulation, you can play console games on PC, albeit not natively, and can be laggy.
12. Unlike modern consoles, playing online is completely free, and it always will be for all time.
13. With WINE/Proton gaining traction, now you don't have to have Microsoft Windows installed on your computer, as you can now play Windows games on various Linux distros, such as Ubuntu, PopOS, Debian, etc.

Bad Qualities

1. The prices of a gaming PC can vary, with good ones being ridiculously expensive.
   • Gaming laptops are even more expensive considering that they get outdated quickly and some components (mainly GPU) can't be upgraded like gaming PCs.
2. While it's easy to make games for the PC, supporting it is more complicated (similar to Android) due to their unique setups and varied specs.
3. Some PC ports are mediocre or bad, such as Saints Row 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Bully, Batman: Arkham Knight, Resident Evil 4, and Final Fantasy XIII-2.
4. Modern support for older games is rare. Fortunately, fans are creating patches or source ports for modern operating systems, and GOG.com sells the patched versions.
5. Some consoles are extremely hard to emulate correctly without bugs and glitches, more so for modern consoles with coding that has yet to be properly understood, though emulators are constantly improving.
6. Not all PC games support macOS or Linux, though this can be fixed with WINE/Proton, which fixes most of the compatibility problems.
   • 32-bit apps will not work on macOS 10.15 or later, while PowerPC apps (except Universal apps) are not supported on Intel processors and Mac OS X 10.7 or later.

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