I’ve downloaded a played FM6: Apex on my PC. There are some issues but it is a beta and I got it for free. It is ‘nearly’ identical to the Xbox version which I’ve played a lot. This has got me thinking. If Horizon 3 comes out for both the PC and the Xbox One, which one will I buy?
I think I’d buy the Xbox One edition. Here is why.
I know it will work. The only hardware requirement is an Xbox One. That is simple. If I were to buy the PC version I’d have to worry about hardware compatibility. To me this is the biggest selling point.
Another reason is the screen size. My Xbox One is connected to a 52" HDTV. I enjoy playing the game sitting in the living room, in a comfortable chair with a wide screen TV and a nice sound system. It makes the experience more enjoyable. I could connect my computer TV and sound system but I use the computer for things other than gaming. This includes work. I don’t like using my TV as a computer monitor when doing work.
There are a couple of reasons I’d consider a PC version but I don’t think they would to Horizon 3 or any other Forza Motorsport game. The main reason is community mods. Look at a game like Skyrim. There a lot of community mods out there and some of them are very good and improve game play. Since I bought the PC version of Skyrim, I stopped playing the Xbox 360 version. I can’t think of any mods that would really work in the FM series that wouldn’t have a detrimental impact on game play. You couldn’t add tracks or cars because of licensing issues. You couldn’t mod cars because of licensing issues and fairness of game play.
For your TV problem, your computer can be hooked up to the TV. If you don’t want to move your PC around, you can buy an nVidia shield that has in home streaming for your PC games.
As for mods, any multiplayer functions will have to be disabled when mods are installed. Rivals scores will not be valid if completed with a modded vehicle. Here on the PC, we have dedicated servers run by the community and the developer. Some servers will be modded to take advantage of modded cars.
I use my main screen on my PC as a 43 inch 1080P HDTV and play with my wireless 360 controller so not really sure why you think PC’s are limited to tiny screens?
I’ll be buying Horizon 3 for Xbox One. The MS Store has so many issues it’s just not worth it. I normally buy plenty of games on PC, and have my Xbox for exclusives. But any game that’s windows Store only is instantly struck off my list. So i’ll be buying the Console versions of Forza for the forseeable future if they stop ruining the games and put stuff in without taking massive chunks of the game out.
I’ll wait to decide once Apex is out of beta and is considered “finished” That will be an indicator of whether or not Turn 10 actually addresses any issues. While Horizons is under a different developer the main engine is shared and so key issues will follow.
Optimization, hardware support, key features and the AI run away will all need to be addressed to ever consider the PC version of any Forza title.
I have connected by PC to my TV before. It works fine. The games look and sound great. The problem is when I do work. I find it much more comfortable to sit at a desk where I can have the papers I need. I also find it easier to read the screen at my desk. Using the mouse and keyboard are also easier at my desk. I may check into the NVidia shield.
FM6 Apex is the first game I’ve bought for the PC through the MS store. All the other ones have been through Steam.
I understand mods can’t be used in multiplayer mode. That makes sense. It also makes sense that fastest lap times and such cannot be posted if any mods are enabled. A lot of game makers don’t support or allow mods. I find that a pity in some ways but I can understand it in some ways. They don’t want the game changed beyond what they have in mind. Also, mods may reduce the possibility of the maker creating add ons. The maker may want to use add ons to make money. However, Skyrim with just a few mods goes from a great game to an outstanding game and it had manufacturer add ons.
I have my PC and desk in my living room, and just used a longish HDMI cable to connect it to the TV. The TV simply mirrors the primary monitor, and I use a third one as a true second screen. The only “hassle” I have with that setup is that if I want to use the TV’s audio rather then the headphones or speakers I have hooked up to the PC, I have to change the audio output device in the audio control panel.
That plus a cheapish bluetooth keyboard trackpad combo makes for great couch PC use while also retaining all of the proper office PC functionality…
I guess it depends on the PC but Apex running max at anything above 1080p is a nice improvement over the console version.
As mentioned above just plug the TV into your PC if the bigger screen is important but compared to a decent monitor it won’t look as crisp.
I know when I went back to Forza 6 on X1 it didn’t look or feel anywhere near so left me wanting more Apex.
I hope they do like they did with Quantum Break and give you a copy for your PC if you buy one for the Xbox. I thought that was a cool of Microsoft and would love to see something like that with the new Forza.