The 5 most frustrating problems of PC gaming.
I am a big fan of PC gaming, but that doesn't mean there aren't things that bother me. Game developers, take note.
Starting to play from a young age, at 4 years old on a Super Nintendo, did not stop the majority of my life from being spent as a PC gamer. Although I have nothing against consoles, which I still own, no comparison holds up against a gaming desktop. The versatility, upgrade potential, and compatibility with a wide variety of games are some of the reasons I prefer to play on PC. However, PC gaming is not perfect, even in 2024. Despite the growing number of players on this platform, issues persist in game releases. Many of these inconveniences stem from graphical fragmentation in video games, which contrasts with the smoother experience that consoles generally provide, where adjustments are rarely needed.
One of the most frustrating problems we face is how AAA titles handle resolution and scaling. Unlike consoles, PC games do not always automatically detect a monitor's native resolution. For example, if you are using a 1440p or 4K monitor, you might find games that launch in 1080p, forcing you to navigate the settings to fix it. Players with ultrawide monitors face additional difficulties, as many titles are not optimized for those resolutions.
The conflict worsens if you decide to reduce the resolution in Windows. Imagine you have a 4K monitor, but you scale it down to 1080p to run a resource-intensive game. Some games do not respond well to this change and become unplayable, with everything cropped on the screen. This has been observed in multiple games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, which is surprising in the current day. It would be ideal for every title to automatically adjust the resolution based on Windows settings.
Another problematic aspect arises at the first launch of a game. Often, games incorrectly assume the correct resolution, possibly based on the graphics card. For example, despite having an RTX 4080, which is capable of running games in 4K, my monitor is 1440p, which can cause the game to set the default resolution to 4K. This results in only part of the screen being displayed, making navigation in the menus difficult.
The variety of nomenclature associated with scaling also adds confusion. In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, it refers to this feature as "Resolution Scaling," while other games use terms like "Resampling Quality" in World of Warcraft or "Scaling Method" in Horizon Zero Dawn. This inconsistency forces users to research and experiment to determine which scaling option is most effective.
On the other hand, the complexity of graphical settings in many games can be overwhelming. Titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III offer a plethora of settings that can confuse players. Often, it is unclear what the difference is between parameters like Mirror Quality and Reflection Quality, affecting overall performance without providing players with clear guidance.
Moreover, many graphical settings do not provide a preview showing how they will affect gameplay and graphics. While some games offer images or live previews when adjusting settings, most expect users to experiment and discover the differences on their own.
Finally, it is frustrating that some settings require restarting the game to apply. This becomes a hindrance, as many games do not specify which options require a restart, leading to confusion and frustrating players in their experience.
Despite these issues, I will continue to prefer PC gaming for all its advantages. However, it cannot be denied that the console experience is much simpler, with direct downloads and more accessible experiences. Nevertheless, the flexibility and performance I get from a PC are fundamental to my choice, although I wish the aforementioned frustrations could be resolved for a smoother gaming experience.
