I play loads of video games – it’s part of my job, of course, as well as my main hobby – and for the most part I game on consoles. But there are two genres where the PC rules supreme even for a PlayStation gamer like myself: real-time strategy (RTS) and (some) sims.
I vividly remember making this direct comparison with Frostpunk on PS5 versus on a gaming PC, and it reminded me once again that playing such a game on a console is just too much of a stretch to be an efficient, responsive, and satisfying experience.
To get the caveat out early, that's not to say that plenty of titles haven't been translated effectively, intuitively, and beautifully to console and controller – because they have. But there’s something about strategies and sims on PC that just can’t be beaten.
My PlayStation use has been governed somewhat by accessibility reasons, as symmetrical controllers are the best for me, but I’ve always found the experience on Sony's consoles throughout the years to be, well, the best. As a result, I’ve always looked to that platform for all games where I can.
But there’s something about controlling empires, moving vast forces around maps and putting together tactical moves and strategies that works best on PC and that just can’t be recreated elsewhere. Here's why that's the case for me.
It’s all in the tools
Let’s get the obvious factor out of the way first, shall we?
Using a mouse to scan across vast battlefields, sweep quickly from unit to unit, give out complex instructions or actions, and organize galactic or multi-region resources cannot be beaten by even the best controllers.
The same goes for using a keyboard in tandem: dishing out a series of tasks to particular squads, numbering units for issuing quick commands, choosing upgrades, and organizing production or the passing of time (or anything else) by adeptly and efficiently moving one's hand across a few keys is only ever a joy on a gaming PC or laptop.
Even keeping it very simple on mouse and keyboard – which I have to do – is much more helpful, naturally, and intuitive than trying to recapture the same on console or using a great gamepad. Joysticks will only scan you across maps so fast, and mapping actions to shoulder or face buttons is nowhere near as intuitive.
Despite modern controls for mouse and keyboard on PC being more complex (or at least, potentially more complex) than ever, I can absolutely still find a convenient way to manage Frostpunk 2 settlements, Total War maps, and Dawn of War battlefields easily enough.
It’s a huge reason why strategy games and sim games are more at home on the platform than ever – although it's far from the only one.
Crossing empires and maps – quickly
Performance comes into it too, of course. No one wants to experience technical wobbles such as stutters or screen tears while zooming all over a map, and the power available in a PC or laptop over a traditional console often ensures my frame rates stay steady, and my pictures clean.
This is a must-have when you’re into graphical fidelity, as I am – particularly given how many moving parts, actions, and units there are in play at any given time in combat encounters in Dawn of War 3, for example.
Knowing that my mouse will follow instantly after I’ve looked at something on a map, and that the screen won’t falter when doing so either, is a key to my enjoyment. I persistently remember this all the way back to the likes of Red Alert 2 and Generals.
Comparatively, sadly, using my DualSense’s joysticks just doesn’t come close to the quick flick of a game mouse and wheel combo.
What's more, the speed, accuracy, and overall efficiency that gaming with a mouse and keyboard on PC enables can even improve your success rate. Do things more quickly and you'll experience fewer missed interactions, engagements, or clicks.
Throw in the ability to be ultra precise with a gaming mouse in one smooth motion, and you'll be managing units, hitting the right upgrades, and making the right sequence of actions in-game far more successfully than on a console.
Being up close and personal
With maps and battlefields more detailed than ever in modern strategy games, and with menus, workflows, and processes in sim games more expansive too, I find it essential to be right on top of it all by sitting close to the action on PC.
Such vast and detailed battle maps like those in Dawn of War 3 are not made for big-screen gaming with a controller while planted on a sofa; these are meant to be absorbed up close, so you can both appreciate all the finer details and also keep on top of sprawling units and the chaos of warfare.
Seriously, the ability to navigate quickly across an entire battlefield while I can see all of it – across even the biggest of gaming monitors, powered by a gaming PC that can facilitate graphical excellence – is unparalleled.
Plus, there’s a real practical side to this too, when it comes to text and games that require a lot of chat, spreadsheet tactics and management, and, well, reading – such as Football Manager, my sim game of choice.
There’s simply no way I fancy squinting at a message from my club owner while squinting at a big TV. Meanwhile, perusing all the tactical qualities of my entire team, player by player, is only going to be digestible when playing on PC.
Making maps shine
Graphical fidelity is vital for keeping track of everything that's going on, then, but there's also a more aesthetic element to it. This is less of a factor in sims such as Football Manager, of course, but some strategy games offer a lot to look at – and I want to see it all.
For instance, I love nothing more than zooming in on vegetation and landscape elements or the faces of each of my units to soak up every detail, or examining the ‘paint job’ done by Relic Entertainment on each Space Marine unit or ork base building in Dawn of War III. And hey, if you do want your spreadsheets and tactics screens to look as crisp, sharp, and vibrant as possible on Football Manager or F1 Manager, then this will apply to those kinds of games too.
Again, it’s not like modern consoles struggle in this regard – they can offer 120fps action, excellent upscaling, and robust ray-tracing at times – but if you want to see every ray of sunshine and water droplet, every dust particle and puff of steam from an industrial machine, or the reflections on armor, then playing a strategy on PC will be the way forward.
I’ve tried strategy and sim games on console, I really have, and particularly so since the likes of Anno 1800 and Crusader Kings 3 arrived on PS5. But all told, you just can’t beat the experience of playing these kinds of games on a gaming PC powered by top specs, being right on top of the action so you can take in every detail, and using a mouse and keyboard for the fastest and most accurate control.
Trust me – once you've tried it, you won't go back.
