Why I Sold My PlayStation 4 And Bought A Gaming PC

When the announcement was made earlier this year that the next-gen consoles were finally heading to market, I was stoked. You see, I’ve always been a console gamer at heart. Sure, I played PC games growing up, but ever since my grandparents gave me a N64 for my eighth birthday way back when, I’ve preferred the convenience of firing up a console and vegging on the sofa as opposed to getting my game on in front of a computer. So it was without reservation that I signed-up for my system preorder on Amazon back in June.

Although I own an Xbox 360, I jumped ship and signed up for a PlayStation 4 after Microsoft self-imploded at E3 this year. Quite frankly, the company’s outrageous decision to ban used games really made me angry. Even though Microsoft has since reversed their asinine stance, the damage was done. With an almost perverse pleasure, I was excited to have made the switch to PlayStation where at least it appeared Sony cared about gamers more than profits.

Gaming Dilema

A few weeks after placing my pre-order for the PlayStation 4, I started having doubts; not about the Xbox One, mind you, but whether or not I should give up console gaming altogether. If I could switch from Xbox to PlayStation (something that seemed impossible prior to E3), why couldn’t I go one step further and switch from console to PC gaming? After all, I’d always been interested in learning how to mod Skyrim, and the PlayStation game I was looking forward to the most was Elder Scrolls Online. Despite the fact that ESO will play on consoles (and maybe even on a PlayStation Vita) MMORPGs are just more naturally suited to a PC environment. If I was ever going to make the leap into PC gaming, now was the time to do so.

Why I Sold My PlayStation 4

For months I agonized over the decision. I asked friends’ opinions, and I did research on the internet. I tossed and turned. I hemmed and hawed. Finally, I decided that it was time to join the ranks of PC gamers. Here was my thinking leading up to my decision:

Pros of PC Gaming

1. Ability to mod games like Skyrim and Fallout
2. Generally lower cost for games on Steam
3. Ability to upgrade PC components without having to wait for release of new game consoles
4. No more monthly subscription fees for Xbox Live (and now PlayStation Network)
5. Ability to use PC for more than just games (Photoshop, MS Office, etc.)

Cons of PC Gaming

1. Greater upfront cost for gaming rig
2. Not as convenient as console gaming when chilling on sofa

For me, the pros of PC gaming outweighed the cons. I was OK with having to shell out more money for a gaming PC if it resulted in a better gaming experience. I also learned that I could hook up a gaming rig to my 55 inch Samsung via an HDMI cable to play on the big screen. With the addition of a wireless receiver, I could even use my wireless Xbox controller as I lounged on the couch to play Skyrim. Looking at things in this light, the cons of PC gaming really didn’t seem to have much merit.

Conclusion

As promised, Amazon delivered my PlayStation 4 on Friday’s release date. Within two hours I sold it on eBay. I thought I’d have some regrets, but I honestly didn’t. I’m eager to start PC gaming, and even purchased a new rig from Digital Storm that blows away the next-gen consoles. I sold my Playstation 4 and bought a gaming PC, and man it feels good.