Will I continue console gaming?

Different people have different preferences when it comes to games. Some people prefer playing on computers. Others prefer game consoles. With the exception of games that clearly work better with mouse and keyboard, such as business sims, I have usually sided with the console experience.

There have been several reasons that I preferred game consoles. Among them has been the strong selection of games that are unavailable on computers and my preference for controller input. In recent years, these advantages have essentially been eliminated.

There is still one advantage that consoles hold over computers. Since the bulk of revenue for hardware manufacturers comes from software licensing, costs come down. It is cheaper to buy a game console than a computer with comparable specifications. The flip side of this is that computer software is typically cheaper.

The advantages I have seen in consoles has certainly declined over the years. Not only that, but gaming in general is becoming less impressive. Ever since Sony entered the industry, technical accomplishments have been valued more than game play and entertainment value. Most so-called AAA titles are not worth playing. Additionally, I don't have nearly as much time as I used to for gaming. Buying a console that I'm getting less enjoyment out of is more difficult to justify.

In recent years, I have found more and more of my time shifting from consoles to computers. This has me wondering if consoles are even still worth it. In all fairness, part of the shift is simply due to the convenience. I always have my computer on, and I spend most of my time in the same room.

In short, I don't know if I will continue to buy consoles. It will primarily depend on whether or not there are enough intriguing games that I can't run on an affordable computer. Ideally, I would like to spend my console expenses towards upgrading my PC experience. With how good some of the sales are on Steam and GOG, I might be able to recover quite a bit by buying PC versions of games rather than the more expensive console versions.