There are many reasons why people decide to game on PC over console releases. For some, it’s a matter of getting the absolute best performance out of every title. For others, it’s a matter of convenience, being able to game where they can work and do other things. And for some, gaming is as much a social experience as an entertaining one, and they need a system capable of handling both gaming and social apps at once one piece filler list.
Whatever your motivations for getting into PC gaming, here are 7 PC gaming tips that no beginner should ignore!
1. Know Thy Specs
First and foremost in every ‘PC Gaming for Beginners’ guide is this adage: Know thy specs. Every game that you purchase for your PC will have different specifications required to run it at max performance. Sources may disagree on the exact specs you need for a gaming rig, but the general consensus is that you need 8GB of RAM at minimum to get decent performance out of most recent AAA titles.
Of course, what specs you’ll require depends on what type of games you run. If most of the games you play are older games or smaller indie titles, you can get by with lower specs.
2. Keep Everything Clean
When we say to keep everything clean, we mean both your programs and your actual gaming rig. Electronics attract dust like nobody’s business, and that dust can ruin your carefully constructed gaming PC. Not to mention the sticky keys and buttons that can come from dust, skin cells, and food particles getting trapped on your mouse and keyboard.
As far as keeping your programs clean goes, make sure you’re regularly running antivirus and antimalware scans. Also, keep your PC updated. If you don’t, your expensive gaming rig could turn into a paperweight after the wrong virus gets to it.
3. Hop Aboard the Steam Engine
Steam is one of the most popular gaming platforms, with good reason. It has a variety of PC games for beginners and veterans, catering to all skill levels. You can find indie and AAA studio titles alongside one another, and make friends who can play games with you and send you games as well.
Steam has regular community support, and you can easily find solutions to any problems you encounter. You can find out how to fix Steam not opening and more by searching online.
4. Get Social With It
As we mentioned above, gaming can be as much a social experience as an entertaining one. Adding friends on Steam is just the beginning. You should also download Discord, where you can find a wide variety of servers for both gaming and non-gaming purposes. It’s easy to find PC gaming tips for every game out there on the right server.
Discord was designed for use with gaming, so you don’t have to click off of your game or deal with massive amounts of lag if you want to use it for headset chat.
If you play MMORPGs, you’re in luck, as most of those games have engines built-in for social interaction. This makes them perfect for groups to roleplay or people to socialize and have fun even over a long distance.
5. Invest for the Long Haul
While it’s understandable to want to build your gaming PC for as cheap as possible, we urge you to reconsider that course of action. After all, when graphics cards can easily cost you $600 apiece, you won’t save much in the long run by opting for a cheap rig up-front. Invest in a better computer gaming setup in the beginning, and you’ll enjoy having peak performance for far longer.
6. Watch Your Peripherals
Look, your bog-standard mouse and keyboard released with most PCs are not going to cut it here, especially if you play anything requiring precise video game skills. You need a mouse and keyboard optimized for gamers to allow for pixel-perfect response times to rapidly evolving situations.
If WASDA, the standard movement set for keyboards, isn’t your thing, you can always purchase a gaming controller peripheral. There are controllers designed for use with PCs for gaming, but your standard PS4, Xbox, or even Switch controller will do the trick, depending on the game in question.
You should also invest in a good gaming headset so your friends won’t have to contend with a crunchy, muffled mic when you play games with them. Nothing wrecks a well-coordinated MMO party’s teamwork like someone whose commands can’t be understood.
7. Solid Internet Is a Must
Even if you don’t play something that requires always-online gameplay, your gaming rig is going to need a rock-solid internet connection. This often means investing in a high-quality Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi is okay when you’re working on schoolwork, but you need a stable, consistent connection to play games, and that requires a wired connection.
Many AAA titles are massive files of twenty or more gigabytes of data. If you try to download even one of those titles over Wi-Fi, you’ll be locked out of the game for hours on end. Even on a wired connection, the larger downloads and installations can take an hour or so to finish.
Additionally, if you play something with an online or competitive component, if your connection lags or times out, it could cost you precious seconds to react to something happening on-screen. That second or two of lag in an MMO could be the difference between being out of an enemy’s range and a total party wipe.
Searching for More PC Gaming Tips?
Many of these PC gaming tips relate to your setup. You need great specifications, the right peripherals, solid internet, and a good social base for your gaming life. However, when it comes to playing the games themselves, there’s no substitute for good, old-fashioned trial and error-based experience.
If you’re looking for more pro gaming tips for PC or console, or need some help to set up the perfect computer for any task, check out the Tech section of our blog today for more articles like this one!
