Bored with games on my PC, time for a console?

Bankie said:
No.

Unless you have a friend group to play multiplayer with there are only a handful of console exclusives and an even smaller number of exclusives that are good. All of the Xbox exclusives are on PC. Many of the PS exclusives are on PC. Nintendo hasn't made a good game since A Link to the Past but their games can easily be played on PC.
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Only good exclusive on PS5 in my opinion is Gran Turismo 7, and it's cross gen. There have been no other good exclusives this generation on Sony's console.
 
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What about installing SteamOS on a machine? Sorta half-way between a pc a console experience. Not sure if there is any technical benefit to it over windows, but might be a fun experience or change of environment at the very least. You could probably set up emulation of old console on it too: RetroArch, anyone here do that through SteamOS?
 
xnaughtyowlx said:
RetroArch, anyone here do that through SteamOS?
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My brother did it on his Steam Deck using EmuDeck or whatever the program is called. I'd have to ask him for more details. For me on regular Linux on my desktop PCs and laptop I just use the Steam version of RetroArch. All settings and save data are synced to Steam Cloud, so that's helpful when I jump around devices. I only use RetroArch for a few emulators, others I run standalone (usually via AppImage on Linux).
 
Zorachus said:
Big PC gamer, been building my own custom gaming rigs since the i486 days and 8MB RAM in the early 90s. I do a new system build maybe every 4 to 5 years or so.

My current rig is ok, just a 9800X3D, RTX-5080 FE, 64GB DDR-5 RAM, and an OLED 1440p curved monitor. I built this a bit over a year ago, in Spring 2025.

I'm a lifelong World of Warcraft player as well as Diablo player and then I like shooters like Doom and Battlefield and stuff like that.

In the past year or so I've played all of these games and several others similar to them at the highest graphic settings and gameplay is smooth as butter and look amazing. But to be honest I'm just so bored and burnt out on all these games. Have no interest in playing any of these anymore right now. I've like hit a wall or something the past 6 months, just zero interest now in them. Even the new WoW expansion I got sick of it after about 2 months. And some add-ons and expansions to other games and big patches that I play, just haven't scratched the itch like they used to.

So... Maybe it's time for me to buy a console? I've owned several consoles starting with the ColecoVision and then the first Atari, and the NES and Nintendo 64. Most recent console I owned was the original Xbox, just to play Halo on it and I returned it a week later because playing a first person shooter with a controller just seemed wrong. Those type of games are meant for keyboard and mouse and I'll die on that hill.

So it's been 25 plus years since I've owned a console.

But... I do like games that are meant for a controller/ gamepad like Super Mario Brothers or some of these other cool PS5 games like those Japanese Ghosts Of games look absolutely stunning and really interesting with open world gameplay.

Would a PS5 Pro scratch my itch on trying something new and experiencing different types of games that I'm used to? Ratchet and Clank those games look silly fun. Ghost of You also look crazy good.
Another option is to change things up outside of traditional PC and console gaming, especially if you've been feeling burned out for months. Sometimes trying a different kind of entertainment can help reset that feeling instead of immediately investing in more hardware. I've also come across holy spin as another option for switching up your downtime. Either way, I'd probably try a few new experiences before committing to another expensive setup.
Opinions please.
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Honestly, I think switching to a console could be exactly what you need if you're burned out on your usual PC games. Sometimes it's not about better graphics or more powerful hardware, but experiencing a different style of gameplay. The PS5 has some great controller focused games, especially Ghost of Tsushima, Astro Bot, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. I'd probably start with a few exclusive titles before spending extra on the Pro, just to see whether you enjoy the console experience again. You can always upgrade later if you feel the improved performance and visuals are worth it. After so many years playing on a high end PC, having something different to explore might be refreshing.
 
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gioniio84 said:
The PS5 has some great controller focused games, especially Ghost of Tsushima, Astro Bot, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
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Two of those games are available on PC. And if you use the DualSense controller you get access to the same features, like the Adaptive Triggers and haptic feedback.

Astro Bot I do wish was on PC. I'll probably eventually get the game on sale and then borrow my friend's PS5 to play it. Then again PS5 emulations is moving quicker than I thought, and and the game is already supposedly running at near constant 60 fps.
 
Sycraft said:
As others have said, if you wanna couch game, wireless controller. If the PC isn't near the TV, fiber optic HDMI cable. That gets you a couch gaming experience better than any console, and is less expensive since you already own the nice computer. Not only can you couch game modern games, but also you can fire up emulators and do classic ones.

That said, not sure that is your issue. First thing is stop playing WoW. Blizzard turned that thing in to a job years ago. If MMOs are your jam there's others to look at. However the real answer may be to look at other kinds of games. Outside of WoW, what do you like? What sorts of games do you enjoy, or did you enjoy? There's lots of fun options.

The only reason to get a console is if there's exclusives that really are of interest to you. If there are specific games, and I'd make it at least two, that you really want that are only on a console then get one. Like my GF has a Switch 2 because she loves Nintendo games. She enjoyed the hell out of the new Metroid Prime and spend hundreds of hours building contraptions to abuse Koroks in TOTK. So if a PS5 has some titles the PC doesn't that you are saying "Man I really want that," then cool, get one. But if the allure is just couch gaming, get a good wireless controller, I like the Gamesir G7 Pro, and a video cable to get the PC to the TV and do that.

If the issue is just the game you are playing or types of games you are playing, then switch that up. It is ok for tastes to change. I used to love Civilization but I just find these days I don't want to spend the time on it anymore. Likewise WoW was totally my jam when it came out and I play it all the time through the first couple expansions but I dropped it with Cata and haven't gone back. Your tastes can change and that's fine. Likewise you can get the itch to play classic stuff. I've been playing a ton of Neverwinter Nights EE and playing a bunch of modules I never did back in the day. It does feel a little silly to have a top of the line system running such an old game but it makes me happy :)

So first thing is to identify what kind of games you want to try. I'm sure people here can give plenty of recommendations.
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Big screen TV hooked to a PC and a game controller is the way to go over buying a console. Can vouch for fiber HDMI - it works great and easily supports 4K 120hz at runs of 50’ or more. Just don’t cheap out on the cable. You want something that it is pure fiber and active (powered) at both ends. They typically run $100+. Here’s what I went with: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPWRQVHZ
Was $30 off on sale, so you may want to wait for the Black Friday sales next month…
 
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I'm another couch gamer who has been 95% on as PC for nearly 20 years. Wireless keyboards and mice have gotten good enough that they're only barely noticeable vs. wired. At least if you get the gaming ones.
Tray tables are great for a multi-surface workspace. I work from home on my "gaming" PC, too. Just about everything from 2007 onward supports gamepads natively. I have a PS5 and a Switch 2 and the two of them mostly collect dust these days. If they're lucky, I mind find one exclusive per year that I can't get on my PC. IMO the only real downsides of a PC as a console replacement = you have to have some base level technical knowledge (which anyone here should have) and the up-front cost needed to best a PS5 Pro. PC gaming is legitimately expensive AF right now if you're starting from scratch. Beyond that, it's never been easier. I struggled to make it work back in the early 00's. I only had space for one gaming setup, so I had to make it work for everything. Now? HDMI and good wireless accessories do most of the heavy lifting.
 
Domingo said:
I'm another couch gamer who has been 95% on as PC for nearly 20 years. Wireless keyboards and mice have gotten good enough that they're only barely noticeable vs. wired. At least if you get the gaming ones.
Tray tables are great for a multi-surface workspace. I work from home on my "gaming" PC, too. Just about everything from 2007 onward supports gamepads natively. I have a PS5 and a Switch 2 and the two of them mostly collect dust these days. If they're lucky, I mind find one exclusive per year that I can't get on my PC. IMO the only real downsides of a PC as a console replacement = you have to have some base level technical knowledge (which anyone here should have) and the up-front cost needed to best a PS5 Pro. PC gaming is legitimately expensive AF right now if you're starting from scratch. Beyond that, it's never been easier. I struggled to make it work back in the early 00's. I only had space for one gaming setup, so I had to make it work for everything. Now? HDMI and good wireless accessories do most of the heavy lifting.
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Ya, if you are just now starting off and don’t already have a decent gaming PC, building one from scratch or upgrading now has gotten ridiculously expensive… so much so that consoles seem like the only affordable option now… and even they have gone up. RAM, SSD and GPU prices have all basically tripled in price over the last couple of years, making even a decent entry level gaming PC run $2000+ instead of $750. And things aren’t looking like they’ll be getting better any time soon. :-(
 
@ original post.

If your bored with games. possibly bored with games in the way of pixels and light patterns on your eyes...

Consider in person board / card games.

I can recommend
Fischer Random ( Chess variant with 960 different starting positions)
Dominion ( deck building, but you don't have to spend nearly as much money as Pokémon or MtG)
Terraforming Mars ( plus at least one expansion, I play Prelude + Colonies )
Gaia Project ( Don't own but a lot of reply value)
Scythe ( Don't own but a lot of reply value)
Pandemic (Don't have but a ton of replay value; just rename the colored cubes like twitter/x, tik tok, instagram/meta etc and youll have a lot of meme's and inuendo. CO-OP)
Atlantis Rising (Don't have but a ton of replay value; CO -OP, I like to be like, OHH LOOK star gate Atlantis!!)


if you search for your local board game store odds are they have a game night with people MORE than willing to teach and have the above.

Outside of that I am sure all the other poster's have NAILED your particular flavor of light patterns..
 
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