I did it. I’ve dedicated the cardinal sin amongst PC gaming fanatics.
I’ve ditched my comparatively highly effective gaming PC in alternate for the breezy console life — and likewise threw in a brand new MacBook Professional whereas I used to be at it.
I understand how it sounds, however give me an opportunity to elucidate. My causes received’t work for everybody, however I’m already loving my life away from my gaming PC, even when it received’t final endlessly.
My journey into PC gaming
I began my PC gaming journey in 2016 with the acquisition of an Alienware 15 R3 after 26 years as a strictly console gamer. Though it was an enormous and heavy (regardless of being slimmed down from the earlier model), I loved with the ability to lastly get superior body charges and graphics in comparison with the Xbox One or PS4. Nonetheless, the attract of desktop gaming and the flexibility to swap out elements as an alternative of being caught on regardless of the laptop computer was configured for was an excessive amount of to withstand. I wanted to construct my very own laptop, and that was the place my journey actually started.
My first construct was modest, but decently highly effective for 1080p gaming: An AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 16GB RAM, and an RTX 2060 all in an NZXT H500 case. After a detour into the small kind issue world, I steadily upgraded my rig to an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and 32GB of RAM, and was one of many fortunate ones to attain an RTX 3070 on launch day.
My upgraded PC allowed me to do every little thing from file and edit my very own YouTube movies to delve into older PC video games I’d missed out on like Borderlands 2, Jade Empire, Half-Life, CS:GO, and Vanquish. I even fortunately left my controller behind on Name of Obligation classes to totally embrace mouse and keyboard.
So why on the planet would I quit my gaming and productiveness powerhouse go to the “darkish aspect” that’s Apple and consoles? In a phrase: Simplicity.
The comfort of console gaming
After I first acquired into PC gaming, I actually loved with the ability to get greater body charges at greater resolutions and constancy than the consoles. Nonetheless, after buying each the PS5 and Xbox Sequence X, I’ve been in a position to admire the newer options that I can’t get on PC. For instance, high quality of life options like Instantaneous Resume on the Xbox Sequence X make playthroughs of longer video games extra palatable since my gaming time could be very restricted. The Xbox Sequence X even has AMD’s FidelityFX Tremendous Decision upscaling tech thrown in for good measure.
As a substitute of fiddling round with quite a few settings to attempt to get the proper body charge, I can simply select “Efficiency Mode” on my console. As a substitute of coping with unpolished PC ports, graphics card driver issues, and random points with video games that need to account for any variety of PC configurations, I can play a recreation that was particularly made for the console itself.
As a result of I owned each a gaming PC and an Xbox Sequence X, I might do direct comparability of Xbox Recreation Cross titles since they have been native to each platforms. I distinctly keep in mind enjoying Guardians of the Galaxy on the PC solely to have it crash and corrupt my save file. I skilled no such points on the Xbox. I understand that’s anecdotal. Many individuals have loved that recreation on PC, however this one bugged me specifically — and it’s an instance of the form of factor that simply occurs generally on the PC.
Don’t get me began on all the sport launchers required for PC gaming.
It goes past simply the everyday complaints about PC gaming. My household and I prefer to play video games collectively. Just lately, my daughter and I completed up It Takes Two, a cute but surprisingly mature tackle divorce and the impact it has on kids. You’ll be able to technically play on-line with one other particular person, however I can’t try this with my daughter as she doesn’t have a gaming PC. Enjoying on the sofa collectively allowed us to bond collectively and yell at one another after we’re making an attempt to get previous ranges that require cooperation.
The PS5’s DualSense controller has been a literal recreation changer in some circumstances. Many video games I’ve performed reminiscent of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Aside reap the benefits of the triggers to finely tune capturing or fastidiously modulate some recreation mechanic that requires precision. Many of the video games on PC don’t have that degree of integration with the DualSense controller ,with the potential exception of PC ports of PlayStation-exclusive video games like God of Battle or Horizon Zero Daybreak.
Don’t get me began on all the sport launchers required for PC gaming. Certain, one thing like GOG Galaxy is a good stopgap, however even that isn’t an ideal resolution since you nonetheless have to put in the separate launchers. The extra I performed on the Xbox Sequence X and PS5, the extra I noticed how a lot I missed the plug-and-play simplicity of console gaming.
The facility of the MacBook Professional
At this level, you might be asking your self why didn’t I simply purchase a gaming laptop computer. There are definitely loads of wonderful gaming laptops on the market, however for my functions, the present crop of MacBooks with Apple Silicon made much more sense. Once more, it comes all the way down to simplicity and comfort.
In my earlier setup, I cut up my time between my gaming desktop and the iPad Air. I used my desktop for heavy-duty and labor-intensive duties like gaming, video modifying, and writing (as a result of typing utilizing a mechanical keyboard is extra snug than the Magic Keyboard for iPad). My iPad Air was used for every little thing else like searching the web and studying. This setup labored, however since my gaming desktop was within the basement, I all the time needed to go down there to do any actual work.
The MacBook Professional fixes that downside.
My MacBook Professional of selection was the 16-inch model with the M1 Professional. It’s large enough that I received’t essentially want an exterior monitor, however nonetheless compact sufficient to hold round. The M1 Professional has been greater than sufficient for critical audio/video modifying and has flown by some other productiveness job I’ve thrown at it. Apple lastly added again the entire proper ports (together with a useful HDMI port) and because of the wonderful keyboard, writing by no means seems like a chore.
Better of all, I can take it anyplace I need and nonetheless get the identical energy, even unplugged. I couldn’t try this on both my gaming desktop and even my iPad Air. In a world the place distant work is extra prevalaent than ever, I admire the flexibility to take my work wherever I need.
The MacBook Professional additionally gives the ecosystem advantages of sticking with Apple merchandise.
Having the MacBook Professional additionally gives the ecosystem advantages of sticking with Apple merchandise. Together with the iPad Air, I even have an iPhone 12 Professional, AirPods, Apple TV, and an Apple Watch Sequence 7. My household additionally makes use of Apple merchandise. This makes it a lot simpler to sync every little thing collectively, with the apparent exception of my Home windows 11 gaming desktop. Switching to a MacBook Professional permits me to reap the benefits of the ecosystem advantages whereas having one thing transportable that I might use all through the home and on the go.
Sadly, between work, household, and different outdoors obligations, I simply don’t have the time (or cash) to keep up a gaming PC. Having a strong laptop computer that performs nicely with the Apple ecosystem, together with the tangible upgrades of the PS5 and Xbox Sequence X, makes my life each easier and extra handy.
Not accomplished with PC constructing
Lest I sound like an Apple industrial, my PC constructing days aren’t utterly accomplished. I nonetheless get the itch to construct and nonetheless gaze longingly at CPUs, graphics playing cards and circumstances whereas I’m at Micro Heart.
In actual fact, since graphics card costs appear to be lastly taking place, I’ll seemingly construct one other laptop this yr for my daughter as both a birthday or Christmas present. Will I ever return to PC gaming? By no means say by no means. However for now, the mix of a MacBook Professional and an Xbox makes my setup way more adaptable — and for now, I’m not trying again.
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