PC 

If we can class it as a console it is the ultimate system, as far as graphics, sound and gaming variety is concerned. The progression of graphics going up at a considerable rate it will be a matter of time before present consoles will be surpassed. Also with various parts of a PC available separately you can customise and update your PC to your own needs and not be restricted to that of a console, until the next generation.

Some of the old classics like Championship Manager are still around but now the PC is the ultimate games machine to play online. With the introduction of Broadband connections you can really get addicted. These games on release retail for under £30, cheaper than most games for consoles. With the progression of first-person shooters such as Quake, Unreal Tournament, Medal of Honor, Call of Duty and more recently, Half-Life 2 they are destroying the competition apart.

At the time of writing America's Army was released using the impressive Unreal 2003 engine and you know what! – It’s a totally free game available to download. Also with the inclusion of games like Battlefield 1942 there is an abundance around. Using a handheld controller instead of a mouse is less accurate and cumbersome to use. First-person shooters require precision that's why the combination of mouse and keyboard makes for THE ULTIMATE first person shooter experience ...well until VR takes off again.

On the other hand, with the standard consoles like the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube and now the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii, it is far better if you have friends over to your house - Football simulations and driving games are far better played on a console.

VERDICT

Graphics Sound Games Extra features Cost PC graphics cards have always been ahead of consoles and the gap is ever increasing, until the next generation comes along. You don’t even need a state of the art GeForce 4 card to beat the PS2, Xbox or GameCube and in a couple of years a similar comparison can be made with the next generation. Now that the development of HDTV has been made there is no longer a significant problem with TV resolution, except for its cost!

Buy at GAME Links to Console Shops