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For most games, the PC version is the definitive way to play. Even PC ports with horrible optimization and missing content can be fixed with post-launch updates or fan-made patches. However, there are a few rare cases of PC games that feel most at home on consoles.
It’s not just for specific genres or bad ports; some of the best console versions include MMOs, city-builders, shooters, and a few of the most influential PC games of all time. Even if you are a diehard PC gamer, these titles are worth experiencing on consoles.
10
Diablo III
Ever since Blizzard’s Diablo series began in 1996, it has been the face of PC action RPGs, with countless games attempting to mimic its addictive loop of dungeon-crawling, loot-gathering, and real-time hack and slashing. However, while the first two games felt tailor-made for PC, Diablo III was a controversially console-centric departure from the series’ established formula.
Unlike the slow-paced action of the earlier entries, Diablo III delivers a faster, flashier, and more frantic experience that lets you effortlessly mow down hordes of foes with a vast array of destructive powers. While the series’ focus on character-building and equipment drops was still present in Diablo III, its greater emphasis on action over strategy made it one of the most divisive releases in the series’ history.
Diablo III is still a fantastic game, but your mileage with it may vary depending on whether you played the PC or console version. On PC, the game requires a constant connection to its online servers and is only compatible with a mouse and keyboard. In contrast, the console ports don’t have the same online-only requirement and are fully playable with controllers.
For some, being able to use a mouse and keyboard is a much greater priority than playing offline, especially for a series like Diablo. However, Diablo III‘s console-catering design also extends to its controls. The game’s fast-paced action feels great with a controller, especially with the numerous action shortcuts and the ability to quickly dodge using the right thumbstick. The more complicated keyboard controls can become a hassle during Diablo III‘s most intense battles, and dodging can feel finicky without a controller. Plus, being kicked back to the main menu after suddenly losing connection to the servers will be a far greater source of frustration than any of the game’s toughest bosses.
Diablo 3
- Released
-
September 3, 2013
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
-
Blizzard
9
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
Before Ghost Recon became another vehicle for Ubisoft’s overused open-world formula, the series delivered some of the best tactical shooters of all time, and many players would consider Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter and Advanced Warfighter 2 to be the best of the series—though that depends on how they played it. The PC and console versions of the GRAW duology feature radically different experiences, and which one you prefer depends on what you expect out of a Ghost Recon game.
On PC, GRAW is very similar to previous entries in the series, featuring a strictly first-person camera, wide-open maps, and a generally slower pace. On their own, GRAW and its sequel are perfectly fine games for anyone looking for a more challenging Ghost Recon experience, but they aren’t much of an improvement over the older entries. In contrast, there’s a reason GRAW‘s console ports are still talked about today.
The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of GRAW and GRAW 2 allow you to switch between first-person and third-person aiming, as well as introducing a cover system that changes how you and your squad mates approach every encounter. Although the levels are somewhat linear and the action is faster-paced, the console versions still retain the strategy and tension that Ghost Recon is known for. Most encounters allow you to decide whether you’ll approach your enemies with stealth or guns blazing, as well as giving you multiple routes to navigate through each level. GRAW is also one of the few examples of a console version with better graphics than its PC counterpart, with realistic lighting effects and detailed textures that were fairly impressive for their time.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
- Released
-
March 9, 2006
- ESRB
-
T // Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Paris
- Publisher(s)
-
Ubisoft
- Engine
-
yeti, unreal engine 2
8
Borderlands 3
Personally, I love Borderlands 3, and would easily consider it to be my favorite game from the series. At the same time, I also hate Borderlands 3—at least, whenever it’s trying to be funny. After my first time completing the main story and its DLC, I’ve sunk hundreds more hours and multiple playthroughs into Borderlands 3 without audio so that I don’t have to spend another second listening to the awful dialogue.
Although PC players have found ways to mod out the game’s long-winded monologs and consistently terrible jokes, the best way to tune out the worst parts of Borderlands 3 is by playing it as a cozy podcast game. Mute the game, put on a YouTube video or podcast, and enjoy one of the best looter-shooters ever made without any of its obnoxious humor.
Whether you should enjoy the game on consoles or PC depends on your preferences. Borderlands 3 isn’t the type of shooter that demands extreme precision or places you in any serious PVP modes. While the last-gen console versions suffer from frequent frame drops, the current-gen ports fix that with a consistent 60 FPS performance. As someone who typically prefers relaxing on a couch over playing at a desk, I’ve stuck with the console version of Borderlands 3. However, if you prefer playing with a mouse and keyboard, you can get the same experience on PCs—though expect to see performance drops if you decide to try split-screen multiplayer on the PC version.
Borderlands 3
- Released
-
September 13, 2019
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
-
Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
-
2K Games
7
Tropico 6
City-building sims don’t usually thrive on consoles. Most games in the genre feature complex menus, elaborate modding tools, and a heavy reliance on mouse controls. Even for the latest city-builders, the console ports have to make numerous sacrifices to bring the PC experience to controllers. However, the Tropico series has always been a notable exception.
Instead of developing a sprawling cityscape, Tropico 6 tasks you with leading a small island nation to prosperity by building it into a tropical paradise or a military supplier. Instead of zoning districts and directly balancing the economy, you’ll decide where to place each individual building, which citizens will be hired for specific jobs, and what the hiring requirements should be. You can legalize or outlaw specific acts or industries, decide to increase taxes or invest in free healthcare programs, and freely customize the appearance of your avatar and their presidential palace. What it lacks in scale, Tropico 6 makes up for that by giving you complete control over your nation’s appearance and people.
Tropico 6 is a deceptively simple city-builder, and that’s largely due to its depth lying in its elements of political strategizing and micromanagement. As the leader of your nation, you have the ability to sign new edicts to shape the laws of the island, as well being able to imprison or assassinate anyone on the island. Of course, there are consequences for going mad with power. Your actions will affect your reputation with the island’s different political factions, international allies, and the ordinary citizenry. Angering any one of these parties can lead to riots or attempted coups. Despite delving into heavier subject matter than you would find in the average city-builder, Tropico 6 presents all this with a lighthearted tone and a brilliantly dark sense of humor.
While PC players might still find Tropico‘s simpler city-building to be too basic to scratch the same itch as Cities: Skylines and SimCity, Tropico 6 is perfect on consoles. The game’s straightforward controls and emphasis on lawmaking over city planning make it much easier to play with a controller than anything else in the genre.
Tropico 6
- Released
-
March 29, 2019
- ESRB
-
Teen // Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Limbic Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
-
Kalypso Media
6
Cave Story+
The original Cave Story made waves as one of the first games to spark the indie resurgence of the early 2000s and has inspired countless modern Metroidvanias. Since then, it’s seen numerous re-releases that have added more content and made numerous improvements. For a while, the best version of the game was Cave Story+, a formerly PC-exclusive that added new modes, an extra level, updated visuals, and a remastered soundtrack. However, that changed in 2017 when Cave Story+ was ported to the Nintendo Switch.
The Switch version features everything from the PC release, plus a new co-op multiplayer mode, another remixed soundtrack, and even more visual improvements. Although it’s fundamentally the same game in every other aspect, the PC versions of Cave Story+ never received these updates, making the Switch port the unexpectedly definitive version of the game.
Cave Story
- Released
-
December 20, 2004
- ESRB
-
e
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer
5
Neon White
Neon White is part puzzle-platformer, part visual novel, part dating sim, part card-game, and part first-person shooter. Despite its bizarre mish-mash of genres, the game somehow manages to blend them into an addictive speedrunning experience.
Every level of Neon White has you shooting down enemies and platforming through minimalist environments to reach the goal as quickly as possible. Throughout each stage, you collect cards representing different weapons, which can be used to fire a limited number of rounds or discarded to activate weapon-specific abilities such as double-jumping or launching explosive fireballs. At the end of each stage, you’ll receive a ranking based on your clear time, but you’ll want to replay each stage to reach higher rankings and earn better rewards.
As you would expect from a speed-running-focused FPS, Neon White demands precision, as wasting even a second can prevent you from earning a higher rank at the end of a level. With that said, you might be wondering why I’m recommending the console version over the PC release. The answer depends on your experience with PC shooters. If you’re well-accustomed to mouse and keyboard controls and want the toughest challenge possible, you should play Neon White on PC.
For everyone else, the console versions are the way to go. Each of the game’s console versions adjusts the completion time requirements for level rewards and includes the option to toggle aim assist, meaning you won’t be at a disadvantage when using a controller. On Switch and PS5, you also have the option of playing with gyro controls, allowing you to enjoy the console experience without sacrificing precision.
Neon White
- Released
-
June 16, 2022
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
-
Angel Matrix
- Publisher(s)
-
Annapurna Interactive
4
Hades
There are hundreds—if not thousands—of new roguelikes being released every year, so it should say a lot about Hades that it’s widely considered one of the best games in the genre. Hades follows Zagreus—the son of the eponymous god of the underworld—as he tries (and mostly fails) to climb out of the depths of Tartarus and reach Mt. Olympus.
Along with its fast-paced and challenging hack-and-slash combat, Hades also features a memorable cast of well-written characters taken from the pages of Greek mythology, an amazing soundtrack, and plenty of variety to make each run feel different from the last. Compared to other roguelikes like The Binding of Isaac and Darkest Dungeon, Hades isn’t too complicated or punishing, making it an excellent entry point for anyone who wants to jump into the genre.
While there aren’t any major differences between the console and PC versions, Hades is one of those games that feels perfect when played in handheld mode on a Nintendo Switch. Runs don’t take long to complete, and the game’s controls are simple enough to feel great with any control method. For any Switch owners looking for a game that can be enjoyed in quick play sessions, Hades is the perfect pick.
3
Undertale
Undertale made a splash when it launched back in 2015, and its popularity has only grown bigger thanks to the ongoing, multipart release of Deltarune. However, if you’re planning to return to the original game, the best way to experience it is on consoles.
The console ports of Undertale include everything found in the PC release, plus a few minor improvements and additions. Across all consoles, you can now customize the screen borders with unlockable backgrounds earned throughout the game, as well as enjoy the game’s bullet-hell section with slightly improved controls. Each port also received system-exclusive additions that aren’t present in the other console versions.
The PlayStation 4/Vita port added a new location where players can donate gold to upgrade a “dog shrine” and earn achievements. On the Xbox versions, this shrine is replaced with a casino that includes a new slot machine minigame. However, the best version is easily the Nintendo Switch port, which includes an exclusive boss fight with a unique mechanic that takes advantage of the Switch’s Joy-Con controls.
Undertale
- Released
-
September 15, 2015
- ESRB
-
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
-
Toby Fox
- Publisher(s)
-
Toby Fox, 8-4
2
Final Fantasy XIV
I’m fully aware that this will likely be the most controversial entry on this list. Like many other MMOs, Final Fantasy XIV was designed to be played with a mouse and keyboard. Every aspect of gameplay requires you to have immediate access to dozens of unique abilities, recovery items, menus, and chat functions simultaneously. That’s easy when you’re using a keyboard where everything has its own keybinding, but controllers obviously don’t have the same advantage.
Despite the obvious limitations, Final Fantasy XIV features the best controller support I’ve ever seen in a PC-based MMO, allowing you to easily swap between ability shortcuts by using the trigger buttons and alternate between multiple customizable submenus with the right bumper. You can even quickly type out messages by using a text-pad controller attachment or connecting a keyboard to your console.
Final Fantasy XIV also highlights just how comfortable MMOs can be on consoles. When you’re not running through dungeons or taking part in the raids, you can relax with a wide variety of calmer activies. Whether you’re checking off the lists of side quests, grinding job levels, crafting materials and armor, gambling at the Golden Saucer, or simply taking in the sights of Eorzea, XIV is a wonderfully comfy game, regardless of whether you prefer playing solo or joining a party of friends. Considering you’ll likely end up spending thousands of hours between all these activities, it’s the perfect game to play while you’re relaxing on a couch in front of a big screen. Plus, if you’re playing on a PS5 or Xbox Series X, the load times will be practically nonexistent.
1
Any Split-Screen Game
Although split-screen gaming is more accessible on PC thanks to its inclusion in newer releases and third-party multiplayer streaming tools like Parsec, I still prefer playing these games on consoles. On PC, many older games lack the split-screen support of their console counterparts, and the ones that do can be a pain to set up. It’s not uncommon to have your split-screen plans be put on hold by random technical problems, either due to controllers randomly disconnecting, not being recognized by specific games, or finding that the split-screen function is bugged due to a half-baked implementation.
On consoles, split-screen is as easy as turning on your remotes and starting up the game. No third-party tools, extra cables, or fan-made patches required. Unfortunately, split-screen is becoming less common in modern games across all platforms, but the ones that have kept the feature alive should be played on consoles for this reason alone.
Even as someone who prefers playing on a console, most games are better on PC. However, that doesn’t mean you should always brush off the console versions, since you never know when they’ll surprise you with the definitive versions of your favorite games.
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