4 causes this PC has me shutting down my Xbox Collection X eternally

For so long as I can bear in mind, I’ve at all times been a console and handheld gamer.

I’ve dabbled in PC gaming, particularly once I was youthful, and have fond reminiscences of enjoying traditional point-and-click journey video games like The Secret of Monkey Island and Sam & Max Hit the Road, far earlier than I used to be sufficiently old to grasp them. I’ve additionally performed loads of PC technique video games over time, together with SimCity 2000, Age of Empires II, and naturally, the all-time traditional, RollerCoaster Tycoon.

However typically, PC gaming has at all times felt prefer it was out of my attain as a result of I used to be beneath the impression that it is simply too time-consuming and complex. Driver updates? Fixed patches? Discord? Tweaking settings to get that perfect frame rate to graphics ratio? These are issues I’ve by no means been serious about doing. As a aspect notice, loads of this has labored its means into the console gaming world over the previous few years. Once I play video games, I wish to activate my console and instantly get into the expertise to benefit from the gaming time I’ve accessible. Fixed troubleshooting simply is not it for me.

Then I received my arms on a completely insanely highly effective gaming PC. To be clear, this rig is properly past something I would contemplate shopping for myself (its Asus ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 prices properly over $4,000), however it’s supplied me a style of the PC gaming good life, and I am undecided if I can return to console gaming at this level. The previous few weeks have satisfied me it would lastly be time to construct my very own gaming PC, one thing I have been saying I’ll do for years at this level.

Model

Asus

CPU

Intel Core Extremely 7 265F

Graphics

ROG Astral Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090

Reminiscence

64GB (4 x 16GB DDR5 U-DIMM)

The ROG G700 is an absolute pre-built PC gaming beast, full with an Intel Core Extremely 7 265F and a ROG Astral Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU. This PC is so highly effective, it might deal with just about any sport you throw at it, whatever the settings. 

The times of difficult Home windows and driver updates aren’t actually a factor anymore

Sustaining a wholesome replace schedule is less complicated than I anticipated

Pocket-lint / Nvidia

Past value, one of the crucial notable roadblocks I’ve encountered with PC gaming is that I’ve at all times assumed it is too difficult. Maybe I used to be deterred by the three.5-inch boot disk period of the early 90s or Grand Theft Auto III working at 15fps on my mother and father’ Pentium III within the early 2000s? I am undecided. Nonetheless, fortunately, that is not the case primarily based on my expertise over the previous couple of weeks. Actually, I would describe my time with Asus’ ROG G700 as being very console-like for essentially the most half.

Maintaining Home windows 11 up to date is as straightforward as navigating to Settings > Replace & Safety, and eventually, Home windows Replace, and I discover I solely must double-check for updates each few days. Driver updates for the ROG G700’s motherboard and considerably obnoxious RGB lights that I’ve surprisingly grown to essentially like, can be found in Asus’ Armoury Crate app and accessible with just some clicks of the mouse. Even Nvidia’s Management Panel app for updating the highly effective ROG Astral Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is simple, and I have been pleasantly stunned by how shortly updates targeted on compatibility with new titles are launched (the Doom: The Darkish Ages driver replace was accessible nearly as quickly as the sport launched).

The general expertise truly is not that totally different from putting in an Xbox Collection X dashboard replace or downloading updates for particular video games.

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The Home windows Xbox app helped me easily transition to PC gaming

It is easy and acquainted

Xbox / Pocket-lint

Then there’s the Xbox app, which I’ve primarily used to obtain and handle my library of video games since I am an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber. I do know hardcore PC players will scoff at this and inform me I ought to be utilizing a mixture of Steam and Discord, however I’ve spent the previous roughly 20 years enjoying multiplayer video games on Xbox Dwell. Every part from its Social gathering system to messaging and even altering microphone settings, is all second nature to me at this level. I am a creature of behavior and I like to stay with what I do know.

Fortunately, the Windows Xbox app and the accompanying Recreation Bar have made my transition to the world of PC gaming acquainted and easy. I can nonetheless invite the identical contacts on my Buddies checklist to a Social gathering and simply mute my mic by citing the Recreation Bar with Home windows Key and G (the Xbox button on my controller does this too). It was a bit complicated at first, however I shortly received the hold of it. I’d contemplate shifting to Discord sooner or later, however for now, the Xbox app and Recreation Bar work properly for my on-line gaming wants. I additionally nonetheless use Steam often for some single-player titles.

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Cross-play video games are a lot extra widespread now

Taking part in Halo Infinite on a high-end PC has been an absolute blast

Halo Studios

Lately, I principally play single-player video games, however I proceed to be one of many final individuals on the market who’s nonetheless enjoying Halo Infinite (I not too long ago managed to hit Onyx, the best aggressive rank within the sport, and have an ungodly quantity of in-game time). Once I downloaded the PC model of Halo Infinite, it was initially only for testing functions. I figured I may jack up all of the visible settings to 4K/144Hz (getting 144Hz to show on my monitor over HDMI 2.1 was a journey) and bask within the constancy supplied by the mighty RTX 5090.

That is precisely what I did, however after just a few matches, I made a decision that this was how I wanted to play the sport shifting ahead. It simply seems to be too good to surrender. Wanting past Halo Infinite, I have been interested by giving Splitgate 2 a attempt, which fortunately, is cross-play with PC and console too. If I ever dive again into Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6, it’s going to be nice to have the ability to proceed my progress on the single-player and multiplayer aspect. The identical goes for different latest Xbox and PC Recreation Move additions, like Avowed and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

Having the ability to decide up the place I left off with sure titles has additionally been nice. I began Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on the ROG Ally X however often booted it up on my Xbox Collection X, too. Due to the Xbox Recreation Move app, I can proceed the identical save file on PC, full with 4K/120fps and the visible settings set to the best doable, which makes the sport look completely beautiful.

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The graphics make me really feel like I am in a 90s Sega industrial

Welcome again to the period of “Blast Processing”

Sandfall Interactive

I’ve at all times cared about visible constancy to some extent. I used to be an early 4K/HDR TV adopter again in 2017, and once I received actually into Halo Infinite, I picked up a 4K 120Hz/144hz-compatible monitor. That mentioned, I’ve by no means actually cared that a lot. So long as a sport seems to be respectable and runs easily, I am good. Now that I’ve entered the world of high-end PC gaming, although, that is began to alter.

As a result of this highly effective pre-built PC options each Intel’s Core Extremely 7 265F and Asus’ ROG Astral Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, I do not really want to even take into consideration the graphics-to-performance ratio steadiness. I simply flip all the pieces to the max and sport away. So many titles look unimaginable working at 144Hz, whether or not it is Demise Stranding: Director’s Lower, Avowed, or perhaps a sport from my Steam library like Elden Ring or Baldur’s Gate III. It is solely been just a few weeks, however I already discover it tough to return to my Xbox Collection X. Significantly, I did not know that trendy video video games may look this good.

For instance, just a few months in the past, I picked up Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for the Collection X. It is an amazing sport that appears fairly good on Microsoft’s console, notably in Efficiency Mode at 2160p/60fps, however I can not assist however want I may boot it up on the ROG G700 as a result of I do know it will simply hit 4K/80-90fps with the graphics settings turned to excessive. Hopefully, sooner or later, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II involves Xbox Recreation Move in order that my save file (I’ve roughly 45 hours within the sport) is transferable to the PC model (after all, I may purchase the Steam model of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, however then I would personal two copies of the sport and nonetheless would not have entry to my save file).

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Will I return to the land of consoles? Most likely someday

I am placing the ending touches on this story whereas I eagerly await the Change 2 arriving at my door, so I am not giving up fully on console gaming. There’ll at all times be unique titles on Sony’s, Microsoft’s, and Nintendo’s gaming machines that draw me again into their closed-garden ecosystems.

That mentioned, I do know that once I become bored with Mario Kart World in just a few weeks, I am going to nearly definitely be doing nearly all of my future gaming on the ROG G700 or a future gaming PC I plan to construct myself.

This system was supplied to Pocket-lint by Asus.

4:08

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