why's it called 'PC Master race'?

[rockstarjazz]

i may be late to the party but i hear this phrase abit in gaming circles

[damcrac5]

There are several, but it mainly deals with how certain PC gamers view the power(lack thereof) of earlier console generations.  Prior to the PS5/XBOX Series, gaming at 4k/60fps wasn't achieveable on the older systems.  PC's, with enough money dropped into the graphics cards and processors could not only play at 4K-60, but would often run easier games at resolution/fps numbers such as 1440p/164fps or 1080p/240fps.  That would be probably the biggest, but others include a ton more games available, almost 100% backwards compatibility with older games and the use of a mouse and keyboard vice solely relying on a controller.

[Folkenio]

From my perspective, due to the way PC always has been the de facto point of comparison in terms of graphics, optimization and modding when it comes to games and similar matters. Consoles are constantly being ripped by the PC community due to being already obsolete in hardware, and requiring the purchase of a new device in order to have an improved experience, while on PC, you just upgrade your components.

 

It's mostly thrown around nowadays to refer to the most die-hard members of the bunch. In the end, we are all gaming anyways.

[DrBloodmoney]

Because some people think that having spent £1000 on a graphics card is a substitute for a personality.

[PIECREAM-4-U]

It's mainly a joke but up until very recently console offered nothing over PC other than the fact it was simpler to use, the  barrier of entry was easier and exclusive games.

 

With the advent of the new gen the gap has closed in terms of performance  (mainly due to stagnation in graphical progression). Howevsr PC is still the best platform if you want the cheapest games, most choice in games (even more so now that Sony has started releasing some of its exclusives on PC) and just options in general. (120hz-300hz, controller choices, mods, unrestricted platforms, older game support etc)

Edited July 22, 2021 by Dan-lives-here

[EverythingOnFire]

3 hours ago, damcrac5 said:

That would be probably the biggest, but others include a ton more games available, almost 100% backwards compatibility with older games and the use of a mouse and keyboard vice solely relying on a controller.

 

As a PC gamer that plays almost everything with an Xbox gamepad, I can confirm that a lot of PC elitists pretty much react like this:

 

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by EverythingOnFire

[Conor]

The phrase in full was "Glorious PC Gaming Master Race" and was coined by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw in his Zero Punctuation episode about The Witcher. He actually meant it as a dig, directly referencing the Nazis but of course since people erroneously take Yahtzee seriously from time to time it caught on as some sort of call to arms by PC elitists, though it is used in mockery of them as well.

[Helyx]

"PC Master Race" roughly translates to "small dick energy".

Sent from my IBM PCjr

[ShadeSplit]

Apparently it's cool to liken yourself to Nazis.

[Joe Dubz]

4 minutes ago, Helyx said:

"PC Master Race" roughly translates to "small dick energy".

Sent from my IBM PCjr

This has to be the most eloquent way I have heard it put to date ?

[Dreakon13]

I mean, the phrase in itself is mostly a goof... but you don't have to look far to find a PC gamer that has a list of reasons why PC is better than console ready at a moments notice and 100 YouTube videos corroborating that point.  It wouldn't shock me if some people who otherwise might prefer console, stick with PC due to the misguided notion of superiority that rings through some circles.

 

And the fact that a lot of said points aren't directly debatable like raw power of high end PC components, Steam sales, versatility of the platform with mods and accessories, etc (though I can argue that some of these are indirectly detrimental to the experience)... makes more pungent the smell of their own farts they love so much.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Dreakon13

[Wavergray]

Started as a joke about PC gaming elitism. Was then used by said PC gaming elitists unironically. Was then used to make fun of said elitists even more. Is now used in popular gaming culture both ironically and unironically with most people not realizing what the phrase even originally meant.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Wavergray

[RedDevil757]

It's what they call themselves lol When they aren't complaining about the Epic Games store

[TheAbyssWalker61]

2000$ PC gaming but they beg console games because they don't have EXCLUSIVES lol, PC gaming it's the most tóxic community ever

[Helyx]

20 minutes ago, Wavergray said:

 most people not realizing what the phrase even originally meant

 

Kind of like the phrase "Project Platinum".

[the_real_culture]

18 minutes ago, TheAbyssWalker61 said:

2000$ PC gaming but they beg console games because they don't have EXCLUSIVES lol, PC gaming it's the most tóxic community ever

 

Master Beggar Race?!  ?

[Dr_Mayus]

you can see the original here

[MandA60VISE]

18 minutes ago, Dr_Mayus said:

you can see the original here

It was some video from last year I believe but Yahtzee has even said he also hates the PC master race because of their cockiness.

[EverythingOnFire]

24 minutes ago, MandA60VISE said:

It was some video from last year I believe but Yahtzee has even said he also hates the PC master race because of their cockiness.

 

I'd wager he's beyond any kind of hate at this point. I bet he's just numb to it all. I heard him say not too long ago that he could no longer suffer fools, and my first thought was, "boy, did you get into the wrong industry."

[ExHaseo]

It started as a joke, then people who didn't know it was a joke tried to co-opt it. Then it became a joke making fun of those people. It's still just a joke. Anyone taking it seriously doesn't understand that people are actually making fun of them.

[The Arizona Ranger]

It is pretty much a joke about how some PC gamers considered themselves superior to "dirty console peasants" because they would spend ridiculous amounts of cash building a over-the-top gaming PC and then flex that superiority over those who didn't game on PC. It led to a decent amount of memes and jokes over the years (see example below):

 

 

...and it also led to a video that poked all sorts of fun at those idiotic PC "Master Race" elitists who think having the best of the best PC and the ability to upgrade stuff (graphics cards, RAM, etc) whenever they want makes them gods among gamers. (WARNING: The video below can be considered to be semi-NSFW, so please do not watch this in a public place or at work).

Spoiler

 

 

[Splathew]

It makes them feel better about living in their parents basement.

[dJordman]

Well, PC gaming has it's perks, sure.
But you'll be hard pressed to find a 500 euro PC that can do what the PS5 does.

And as far as cheaper games are concerned: there's plenty of sales on PSN. And then there's the second hand market for physical games.
As a sometime PC gamer with a pretty good gaming PC: what are discs again?

I'm not knocking any side. Some people love their PC's like I love my PS4 and PS5. Let 'm. It's all about having fun. 
 

Edited July 22, 2021 by dJordman

[El Duderino]

Well, as someone who has just departed consoles after 30 years to switch to PC, the sheer amount of exclusive titles were one of the key reasons. There are entire genres that simply don't exist on consoles due to the limitations of the imput devices. VR is another factor. Compared to Half-Life Alyx, everything on consoles so far looks and feels like a tech demo. A clumsy first attempt.

 

The technical supremacy is probably the thing that first comes to mind. And it's true. Playing "The Witcher 3" in 100+ fps simply isn't possible on consoles. And once you got used to these kind of frame rates, everything below 60 becomes unbearable. Oh, and you don't need a fucking subscription to play online (certain MMOs excluded). PS Plus and XBL Gold add up very quickly.

 

But the most important factor for me was the freedom to mod your games with no limits. You can do whatever you want. Nobody will keep you from turning Skyrim into a patched game. On consoles, you're left with what was officially put out.

 

Just to give you a very small glimpse:

 

Spoiler

 

Oh, and games are cheaper, too.

 

For me, there is no turning back.

Edited July 22, 2021 by R4M Razr

[AJ_Radio]

27 minutes ago, R4M Razr said:

Well, as someone who has just departed consoles after 30 years to switch to PC, the sheer amount of exclusive titles were one of the key reasons. There are entire genres that simply don't exist on consoles due to the limitations of the imput devices. VR is another factor. Compared to Half-Life Alyx, everything on consoles so far looks and feels like a tech demo. A clumsy first attempt.

 

The technical supremacy is probably the thing that first comes to mind. And it's true. Playing "The Witcher 3" in 100+ fps simply isn't possible on consoles. And once you got used to these kind of frame rates, everything below 60 becomes unbearable. Oh, and you don't need a fucking subscription to play online (certain MMOs excluded). PS Plus and XBL Gold add up very quickly.

 

But the most important factor for me was the freedom to mod your games with no limits. You can do whatever you want. Nobody will keep you from turning Skyrim into a patched game. On consoles, you're left with what was officially put out.

 

Just to give you a very small glimpse:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Oh, and games are cheaper, too.

 

For me, there is no turning back.

Perfect example of a PC Elitist right here. 
 

Just leave these forums dude. From the posts I’ve read you’ve stated several times you quit trophy hunting. You find that anything that is current gen Sony or Nintendo is basically vastly inferior to the oh so mighty, oh so glorious PC that has had 30 years of supreme superiority. May we drink to another 30 years of superiority. 
 

There are plenty of forums out there that cater exclusively to PC users. Who all claim we’re just wasting our time on consoles. Yadda Yadda Yadda. 
 

Do you honestly think playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 100 FPS, a game from 2015, makes it all so grand and impressive? Nobody gives a crap. 4K and 60 FPS is good enough. I don’t care if you play it on PC or console or whatever. I wouldn’t mind playing it again because it is a fantastic game. But I couldn’t care less about 100 FPS. That is complete overkill. It’s like overclocking your PC.
 

There are plenty of great franchises and games on the PC. Sid Meier’s Civilization. DOTA 2. Some of the MMOs. I could go on and on. 
 

The one thing I agree with most anybody is the fact that PS5 consoles are still hard to get your hands on. Some retailers and sellers are still charging a fortune for it. Perhaps that is why some people are moving to PC. But even so, there is a worldwide chip shortage that will likely persist for another year at least. A sad situation, but there’s nothing we can do about it. 
 

I happen to play on a PC. I’ve worked on PCs in the past, and they can be a costly endeavor. The good thing is they are beneficial in the long term. I’m happy that I’ve had a Steam account for a long time and I can pick up so many games at dirt prices. But this post just isn’t the way to go about it. 
 

I’ve played both a lot of PC and console in the nearly 30 years I’ve been gaming. But it absolutely grinds my gears when a post like the one above me praises the PC so much that they have to claim technical superiority over everything else. Thus we get those never ending debates between PC vs Console. PC vs Macintosh. PC vs Linux. PC vs Tablet. 
 

Every single one of these debates has been beaten to death. We get it. You have more technology at your disposal with your current setup. I don’t care. 
 

This post clearly demonstrates the ‘PC Master Race’.