4 causes this PC has me shutting down my Xbox Collection X without end

For so long as I can keep in mind, I’ve all the time been a console and handheld gamer.

I’ve dabbled in PC gaming, particularly once I was youthful, and have fond recollections of taking part in basic 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 a number of PC technique video games over time, together with SimCity 2000, Age of Empires II, and naturally, the all-time basic, RollerCoaster Tycoon.

However normally, PC gaming has all the time 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 sophisticated. 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 fascinated with doing. As a aspect word, a number of this has labored its means into the console gaming world over the previous few years. Once I play video games, I need to activate my console and instantly get into the expertise to take advantage of the gaming time I’ve accessible. Fixed troubleshooting simply is not it for me.

Then I acquired my palms on a completely insanely highly effective gaming PC. To be clear, this rig is nicely past something I might think about shopping for myself (its Asus ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 prices nicely over $4,000), however it’s supplied me a style of the PC gaming good life, and I am unsure if I can return to console gaming at this level. The previous couple of weeks have satisfied me it’d 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 may possibly 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 worth, one of the notable roadblocks I’ve encountered with PC gaming is that I’ve all the time 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 dad and mom’ Pentium III within the early 2000s? I am unsure. Nonetheless, fortunately, that is not the case based mostly on my expertise over the previous few weeks. The truth is, I might describe my time with Asus’ ROG G700 as being very console-like for probably the most half.

Preserving Home windows 11 up to date is as straightforward as navigating to Settings > Replace & Safety, and at last, 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 actually like, can be found in Asus’ Armoury Crate app and accessible with only a few 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 centered on compatibility with new titles are launched (the Doom: The Darkish Ages driver replace was accessible virtually 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 must be utilizing a mix of Steam and Discord, however I’ve spent the previous roughly 20 years taking part in multiplayer video games on Xbox Dwell. The whole lot from its Celebration 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 Sport Bar have made my transition to the world of PC gaming acquainted and clean. I can nonetheless invite the identical contacts on my Mates listing to a Celebration and simply mute my mic by citing the Sport 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 acquired the grasp of it. I’d think about transferring to Discord in some unspecified time in the future, however for now, the Xbox app and Sport Bar work nicely for my on-line gaming wants. I additionally nonetheless use Steam sometimes for some single-player titles.

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Cross-play video games are a lot extra widespread now

Enjoying Halo Infinite on a high-end PC has been an absolute blast

Halo Studios

As of late, I largely play single-player video games, however I proceed to be one of many final individuals on the market who’s nonetheless taking part in Halo Infinite (I lately managed to hit Onyx, the very 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 might 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 offered 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 transferring ahead. It simply appears to be like too good to surrender. Wanting past Halo Infinite, I have been occupied with giving Splitgate 2 a strive, which fortunately, is cross-play with PC and console too. If I ever dive again into Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6, it will 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 Sport Cross additions, like Avowed and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.

With 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 sometimes booted it up on my Xbox Collection X, too. Because of the Xbox Sport Cross app, I can proceed the identical save file on PC, full with 4K/120fps and the visible settings set to the very 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 business

Welcome again to the period of “Blast Processing”

Sandfall Interactive

I’ve all the time cared about visible constancy to some extent. I used to be an early 4K/HDR TV adopter again in 2017, and once I acquired actually into Halo Infinite, I picked up a 4K 120Hz/144hz-compatible monitor. That stated, I’ve by no means actually cared that a lot. So long as a sport appears to be like first rate 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 things to the max and sport away. So many titles look unbelievable working at 144Hz, whether or not it is Loss of life Stranding: Director’s Minimize, 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 troublesome to return to my Xbox Collection X. Significantly, I did not know that fashionable video video games might 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 am unable to assist however want I might boot it up on the ROG G700 as a result of I do know it could simply hit 4K/80-90fps with the graphics settings turned to excessive. Hopefully, in some unspecified time in the future, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II involves Xbox Sport Cross in order that my save file (I’ve roughly 45 hours within the sport) is transferable to the PC model (after all, I might purchase the Steam model of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, however then I might 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 Swap 2 arriving at my door, so I am not giving up solely on console gaming. There’ll all the time be unique titles on Sony’s, Microsoft’s, and Nintendo’s gaming machines that draw me again into their closed-garden ecosystems.

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

This system was offered to Pocket-lint by Asus.

4:08

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