>Hardware technician, doesn't know how to make a decent lasting rig for 500$'s. [quote] I'm getting a next gen console because I don't want to spend a ton of money for a powerful gaming rig. [/quote] This is bullshit and you know it. It's only a hassle because you don't know how to build it. It's about as easy as putting Legos together. And you waste far more on yearly subs and the actual 60$ games themselves than you ever will for PC. Not to mention constant PC deals and cheap games. AND the fact that it's gonna run far smoother. So not only are you gonna pay for sub-par games on an inferior system. BUT you are actually saying that you prefer an inferior update on a sub-par product. Just be honest. You're getting it for the exclusives AND the friends you have on those consoles. That's all you butthurt roody poos have to say.

I know how to build a gaming rig for $500, but not one that will last a decade. The consoles don't need to be upgraded or replaced to keep playing new games. I can get a rig now for $500, but then I have to replace the GPU, then a better processor, then a faster drive. Now there's an new OS. That $500 has grown quite a bit, hasn't it? I'm not looking at the now, I'm looking for the best investment over time. Yearly subscription are cheaper than replacing parts as they become outdated, especially since I just get a year of LIVE as a gift for either Christmas or my Birthday almost every year. PC deals and cheap games exist, but I buy games new. New games aren't really that much cheaper on PC, if they're cheaper at all, and I already get the cheap older games off of steam to run on my laptop. [quote]So not only are you gonna pay for sub-par games on an inferior system. BUT you are actually saying that you prefer an inferior update on a sub-par product.[/quote] I don't know what sub-par games you are referring to, but I've spent hundreds and hundreds of hours enjoying myself tremendously on console. As for being a sub-par product, that's a matter of perspective. It's like the difference between a really shiny car that has to have really expensive maintenance done regularly, and a less shiny car that doesn't have to be worked on at all until your replace it. If both cars cost about the same amount, which would you buy? I'd get the one that will last longer, even if it isn't quite as nice. Exclusives are a genuine reason to buy a particular console. There is not a single PC-only game that I want that won't run on my laptop. Just be honest, you game on PC because you're willing to spend more money for game to look a bit better. When people say they are getting the new consoles for graphics, that is relative to the current consoles, not to PC. PC will always look better, but it will always cost more, and will always last for a shorter time.

Why do you need to replace the GPU and CPU?

Because they're going to be outdated at some point in the next 9 or 10 years, and won't run the newest games.

Not if they are going to be on par or better than the next gen consoles. And ten years is a long time we're talking about.

Even if the parts are better than the next gen consoles, consoles will be able to do more with them, and still be able to put out good looking stuff for a lot longer than a PC would. This is because console games are built for a very specific piece of hardware, rather than a huge selection of hardware. This means that old hardware can be used to it's max, something that PC games can't really do. That's why current gen console games look so much better than they would running on a PC with equivalent specs. The current consoles are 7 or 8 years old, and they want the next gen to last for a decade.

[quote]Even if the parts are better than the next gen consoles, consoles will be able to do more with them, and still be able to put out good looking stuff for a lot longer than a PC would.[/quote] How would they do more? If the hardware is equivalent then they will have the same limitations. Also you can overclock PC components for better performance. [quote]...console games are built for a very specific piece of hardware, rather than a huge selection of hardware.[/quote] This is the exact reason why consoles are holding back the potential for games for PC. The hardware limits of the consoles. [quote]This means that old hardware can be used to it's max, something that PC games can't really do. That's why current gen console games look so much better than they would running on a PC with equivalent specs.[/quote] Popular PC games are mostly designed for the console, and the reason they look better on PC is because the hardware used is usually more powerful. Any PC with equivalent specs would run on par with consoles.

[quote]How would they do more? If the hardware is equivalent then they will have the same limitations. Also you can overclock PC components for better performance.[/quote]It would do more because the game is being specifically designed to get the best possible performance from a very specific part. PC devs can't do that, because there are so many parts available for PC. They have to optimize it to run on as many different hardware configurations as possible, rather than to run very well on a single hardware set. [quote]Any PC with equivalent specs would run on par with consoles[/quote] No, they wouldn't, unless they are running the exact same specs and running the console's OS. If you have a 7 year old PC lying around (that cost $400-500 when it was new) that hasn't been upgraded, go ahead and try running Metro Last Light or BF3 on low to medium settings.

The specific parts the devs optimise for are called the 'Recommended System Requirements'. Assuming the OS is compatible, what effect could it possibly have on the game?

There's a difference between recommended system requirements and the heavy optimization that console games go through. The optimization that console games go through get every inch of power out of the hardware. Recommended specs are not optimized nearly that much. If a console has a new gpu, cpu, RAM, or any other part (except maybe for the hard drive), the game will probably not run at all. It's designed specifically to use the exact hardware. I don't know of a better way to describe it, but it is definitely different from recommended specs. When devs spend 8 years developing for the same exact hardware, they learn every little trick to get the most possible power out of it. Not all games are ported to other OS's, so you would need the console's OS to run a lot of the games for the sake of the example.