The eternal debate about PC vs Console can definitely be argued regarding flight sim games.
Which is better? Which one should you spend your money on?
We are HiTech Creations, the makers of Aces High flight simulator, and since we’ve been doing this for twenty-four years, we thought we would toss our hat into the ring and give our opinion. Mind you, our game is a PC game, but we will try to be impartial as we look at the strengths, and weaknesses, of both modes of gaming.
What is PC gaming?
The basic answer to this question is this: PC gaming is playing games on your personal computer. There is nothing unique about PC gaming; it’s been around almost as long as PCs have been on the scene. However, the degree to which you can play a game efficiently on a PC depends upon the computer you own and how much hardware is installed in that PC.
What is Console gaming?
From Wikipedia we borrow this definition of console gaming: :"A video game console is a specialized computer system designed for interactive video gameplay and display. A video game console functions like a PC and is built with the same essential components, including a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU) and random-access memory (RAM). To offset costs, most video game console manufacturers use older CPU versions."
Pros and Cons
The pros and cons of PC vs console have been debated since the mid-90’s, and likely will be debated long after we have moved on to another level of existence.
Generally speaking, the console is easier to operate, most likely less expensive ($400-$700 for a console), and offers exclusive membership options for many of the more popular games. However, they have lower graphics quality, fewer upgrade options, and the most expensive games.
PC games have better graphics, more online support, more input and screen options, and less expensive games. However, they also require more technical skills and much more expensive hardware (you can easily spend $2000 for a very good gaming PC)
Which leads us right back to the original question, namely which is better? And you most likely will not like our answer: it is personal preference and up to each player to decide. We will say this so that it does not appear like we are ducking the question: if money is an issue, the gaming consoles are probably the route you will want to take. If money is no issue, and outstanding graphics are your thing, then nothing beats the best gaming computers on the market.
A final word about Aces High.
Yes, Aces High is an online PC flight sim game, designed back in 1999, first introduced in 2000, so our opinion could be discounted, but we truly tried, in this article, to give an unbiased opinion. Most gamers will tell you that, if money is not an issue, there really is no comparison, that the PC route is much better. However, the console games offer great gaming as well, for a fraction of the cost, and we can certainly understand why gamers would opt for that choice.
Strap on your helmet and fly the skies with Aces High, our combat simulator with an attitude. We invite you to try our free two-week download of Aces High. For two full weeks you will have full access to our game, our forums, our instruction videos, and our articles. If, at the end of those two weeks, you decide our combat flight simulator is not what you are looking for, then no harm, no foul, and we will wish you the best in gaming.
