The gaming community is very diverse and every player has their own preferences on how they want to play their games. Whether it be that they prefer to use a controller rather than a keyboard, or maybe they’d rather play on an Xbox One over a PS4 (or vice versa). But it isn’t uncommon for someone’s preferences to change, or perhaps they simply want to explore different styles of gaming.

If you are interested in making the switch from console gaming (Xbox One or PS4) to PC gaming, here are ten tips that might make the adjustment a bit easier.

1. Research Hardware and Costs

This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but a good amount of people don’t know much about their gaming rigs. For example, when you tell someone you are going to be purchasing a gaming PC they might ask what the “Specs” are, referring to the specifications (the hardware and software). Some specifications could be, your GPU (Graphics Card), CPU (Computer Processor) or your Hard Drive/SSD (Solid State Drive, Storage). The reason it is good to research these before purchasing your PC is because you will have a decent idea of how much the entire rig is worth, and get the best bang for your buck. Remember, gaming PCs can be pretty expensive as you look into better specs. A good idea when trying to stay within a budget is to figure out what games you are interested in playing. Then once you have decided, look at the minimum and recommended system requirements to run these games, this will determine what you’ll need to look for in your purchase and give you a good idea of how much you will need to spend.

2. Try it out before you commit to the switch

Fairly often a new popular game will come out and people will flock to YouTube and Twitch to watch game play of the new title. A good example of this is Epic Games’: Fortnite. If you check out YouTube or Twitch you will notice that the majority of content creators in the “Pro scene” are PC players, however this doesn’t mean that you need to play PC to be good at the game. There are plenty of Console gamers out that are just as good and better than PC players. But ultimately if you are serious about giving it a chance, see if one of your friends that may already play on PC is willing to let you try it out. Remember that when you are just starting on a skill intensive game that you aren’t going to magically play better because you are on a PC. It is going to take some time to get used to the layout of the keys on the keyboard and improve your mouse-click accuracy. After this, you should be able to make a decision relatively easier.

3. Just play with a controller

There can be a lot of hype behind the visual power of a PC rather than a Console. You might hear all the time about how Consoles Games are locked at 60 FPS (Frames per seconds) while a gaming PC can get 100 FPS or higher. To some people this is important, and to pro players this is very important, it can often give you an edge over people who don’t have such a good setup, however skill is still needed. Here’s the thing, Just because you want that visual enhancement doesn’t mean that you have to leave behind the comfort of playing with your controller. It is fairly simple and cheap to acquire either a wired controller to plug into the computer or an adapter to pick up a wireless connection from one. There are some Pro players out there that play on PC and compete with people using keyboards daily when they are still using a controller. (If you are interested in some of these people, send me an email and I can direct you to some of their YouTube content or Live streams).

4. (For keyboard) Practice typing games for accuracy improvement

I know, not everyone wants to sit in front of their computer and just type randomly generated sentence/paragraphs for hours with what seems to be no reward for doing so. But, it doesn’t need to be this irritating. In gaming key press accuracy is huge, if you somehow manage to miss-click a button this could be detrimental to your game play. If you are serious about improving to reduce these moments then a typing test/game might be a good option for you. I remember watching someone on twitch who could type over 120 WPM (Words per Minute) with minimal errors and this blew my mind. I just wanted to improve my typing speed but this also improved my game play. A commonly used website for this is TypeRacer. It is a typing game where you face off against a number of other players in a race to see who can type the listed phrase or paragraph the fastest. After you complete the “race” it reports to you your accuracy and overall speed. This gives you a bar to surpass and a constantly changing goal to beat. If you try this and it turns out not to be your bread and butter then the only other option to improve is to just play the games.

5. Watch good players on a broadcasting platform

You might be thinking, “Well I already watch lots of content creators…” but do you examine how exactly they are playing or simply watching for the entertainment?

When I want to improve in a game I go and find a streamer who is well-known for  their skill in-game. I go to their channel and watch their game play, keeping an eye out for any tricks that they may use to get an advantage over their opponent. This part can be good for both PC players and Console gamers, you might learn something that not many people know about.  Another thing you might be able to pick up from the content creator is their style of playing. For example, there are a few streamers on Twitch that I have watched play Fortnite that keep their keyboard at an angle rather than straight because it makes it easier to reach certain keys. Maybe you can even try out their key bindings or mouse sensitivities.

An added bonus to watching these players is that you can ask them questions, especially live broadcasters. If you are curious about something, you can just ask in the chat and get a response. The response might even come from another viewer which can give you multiple perspectives to choose from.

However, at the end of the day it is your experience and your choice. Choose something that you are comfortable with and stick with it. You can even try to make slight adjustments to improve game play as you advance.

Well, there you have it. My top 5 tips to help make the switch from Console gaming to PC gaming a bit easier.

Thanks for reading,

If you found this article to be helpful in any way feel free to leave a comment and let me know. Also if you have any further questions you can leave them in the comments as well or email me. (Click the Contact button at the top of the page to get my email.)