Should I play on PC or PS3Follow

Ok I’m going to display my ignorance on PC gaming. I have always used consoles. Considering that when this game comes out it will be most of my gaming experience for the next 5 years or however long it lasts I want an optimal setup to play it on. I will most likely be viewing the game on a 52” 1080p HDTV, I really would like to stick with a TV not a monitor.

I’m assuming that the PS3 will fully capable of handling this game no problem and probably output a 720p resolution just fine. I guess my question comes down to how much of an improvement in graphics, load times, frame rate etc can I expect to see from a top of the line gaming PC purchased rite before the launch of the game. Would I be able to display 1080p to my TV and would this be any better than an up scaled 720p signal from the Ps3 if the game was coded for a max resolution of 720p. Or do PC versions work like that at all. Bottom line will the PC version on the highest quality setting provide a significantly better gaming experience than the PS3 on the same 1080p display.

I’m asking this question here and not a PC gaming forum because I want to know what the specific answer is for FFXIV in peoples opinion and there might be others on this forum that might like to know aswell.

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 12:42pm by ffximanaburn

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 12:44pm by ffximanaburn

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 12:45pm by ffximanaburn

For a start, SE mentioned FF13 would run at 720p, which I'd assume means likewise for FF14.

There are a number of options for getting your PC output to your TV, so the resolution won't be a problem, you're fully capable of getting the best output with that TV regardless of which system you chose.

The graphics will only go as high as SE permits, but generally speaking, PC games have more options, and external apps such as Nvidia's forceware will allow things like further detail in distant objects. This would be the only advantage I can tell you right now, since the game hasn't even been released yet.


But one thing I beg of you, please don't buy a crappy alienware or something like that. Make sure you read up on what you are getting for your money, because cool cases and flashy LEDs DON'T mean a top of the end gaming PC.

If I go with a PC, before I spend that much money I will definitely get on this forum and/or others and have you computer wizards tell me if the PC I’m looking at getting is good or not. I’m aware that in the PC world some times there is a lot of marketing and not much horse power on some of the units that are being sold. I just don’t know what to look for my self but will seek a lot of outside advice when it comes time to pull the trigger.

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 1:06pm by ffximanaburn

a PS3 is cheaper than a good gaming computer.

also, i think there is a few threads about the PS3 vs PC debate. you might try those for even more info.

I'm going to take a different stance, and say you should probably stick with the PS3 if you already own one.

If you are not familiar with PC gaming, you will probably find it akward. You would likely be more comfortable with the PS3. If we were to judge by FFXI, FFXIV will probably be designed with the PS3 controler in mind.

I personally do a lot of PC Gaming, and I myself would likely have purchased FFXIV for the PS3, if it was not for the fact that me and my partner play together, and thus, it's easier using two computers than it is using two TVs and two PS3s.

Furthermore, if they continue to disallow Windowed play on the PC, then you can have your computer free to access while you play on the PS3, an option that you would not have on the PC.

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 1:47pm by Karelyn

or you could use a keyboard with your PS3. i have a wireless one for mine.

I don't know what the PC version's system specs will be or what kind of PC you'll be able to get when it comes out, but I wouldn't buy one just for this game.

Why not start with the PS3 version and upgrade later if you feel the need? Remember that a couple years after the game is out you'll be able to get a much more powerful PC (that will definitely run the game at any settings you want) for much cheaper, and the game itself will probably be $20-30 with one or more expansion packs.

Not in FFXI. Square locked computers out so you could not Alt+Tab out.

A few people made a hack that override it, called Windower. However, Square felt that it was a bannable offense to do so.

I know this will sound like blasphemy to "true" MMO gamers, but the the main reason I want to play FFXIV is because it can be played on a console. It was the same with FFXI and EQOA.

My plan is to buy both, and start off on the PS3 version, and use the PC version for when I want to watch a Blu-Ray movie, play a different PS3 game, etc...

Then eventually when/if FFXIV's equivalent to Windower comes out (assuming the game needs it), then I'll probably switch to PC, assuming my specs are high enough of course.

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 3:43pm by KodoReturns

Generally, when games are released for both the PC and console it is better to get the pc version. PCs offer far greater flexibility and control. Fighting games are an exception to the pc-console rule while RTS, FPS, and MMORPGs tend to be the posterchildren.

Honestly PS3 is pretty upgradeable as far as downloads from the internet. I would not be surprised if someone comes up with the programs/cheats that people use on PC now for PS3. I for one started on PS2 and now play on Xbox and have never seen a need for the programs that are used by most PC players and are actually against SE's ToS, but oh well.

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 5:40pm by Artol

Edited, Jun 10th 2009 5:40pm by Artol

Really, PS3 cpu is really something, a program for encoding video was released, and PS3 owned the best Intel cpu out there compressing a 1080p video, guess the cpu power for the game will be slighty more important than the graphic

Oh maybe one thing that might be a deciding factor, if they don't gives huge flexibility over the UI, you might not be able to reach a suitible resolution for a 10-foot experience on PC. (This basically means, everything is clear and easy to read, 10 feet away from the TV)

A good PC will be able to do true 1080p. And FFXI lets you set the overlay resolution independent of the 3D resolution, so assuming FFXIV is the same I imagine you'd be able to come up with a readable combination no matter what.

Framerate could be a different story. As far as I know, FFXI's framerate on PC was never any better than on PS2 because the game wasn't optimized well for PC. Square tends to be sloppy about its PC ports.

But who knows, with the two versions being developed simultaneously this time, maybe this will be the first game to break the trend.

Here's something to consider. It may not be an issue at all with PS3. With FFXI on PC I often would crank up the graphics quality of the game beyond the the defaults allowed in the config program. Even if graphic quality isn't an issue on PS3 there may be simple things like bloom/HDR intensity or even levels of anti-aliasing you cannot access on the console.

I'll probably buy a PS3 before XIV comes out for a few other must haves... but I'll definitely be playing FFXIV on the PC and occasionally running the visuals on my large TV if I feel like it.

If you're not comfortable as PC gamer, just stick to your console roots, but as a person that likes equally both and as an ex-console exclusive gamer, I use PC when I can for the pure flexibility of it all.

A good gaming rig probably is a bit of an investment, but not as bad as you might think. I always custom build my computer and keeping it up to date isn't that costly really. You just have to be a smart consumer and think ahead while also not being boneheaded enough to bu the most expensive e-peen video card on the market.

If you're a person that uses computers for anything else at all then the investment in a good gaming rig is beneficial in many more areas. Running things like Photoshop and any video editing software will benefit greatly from the amount of RAM and video power you have in that PC.

I'd almost consider playing it on a console, but in the even SE pulls another "ZOMG WINDOWAR IS HAX!!" level stunt I'll stay away. And call me a cheat if you like, but there will doubtless be very simple 3rd party tools available that will add functions that should've been available from the start (like making room to switch gear in a game that revolves around gear swaps without having to hit 4 separate macros).

Don't be daunted by the computer stuff. If you're a quick learner you'll be able to pick up the necessary knowledge even to build your own relatively quickly. Pure assembly isn't much harder than playing with tinker toys or lincoln logs with the mild added risk of static zapping something (which you should be able to avoid provided you're not working while skating around a shag carpet in wool socks with a cat strapped to your back).

Just because I'm bored, I'll give you a primer on what you need to look at if you're starting from scratch (even though it's pointless because you probably won't do it for over a year).

First off, there's a sweet spot on buying computer parts You could plot the prices on a graph and it would make a very gradually sloping line or curve followed by a sharp jolt. You wanna aim at the spot before the jolt. That's where you're getting the most for your money without paying the e-penis tax of having the fastest thing out. This is especially true with video cards. Generally the thing close to fastest (and fast enough to run all most all current games in the 40-60 FPS range) is half the price of the fastest. Seriously... you could buy an awesome vid card for 400 bucks and then for a smidge of an ounce more power pay 800 bucks... that's ludicrous.

CPU and Motherboard - I'd highly suggest you buy them together to save yourself the headache of making sure the chipsets work. Additionally, the combos are cheaper most of the time. It's pretty easy to find out what range CPU you want. CPUs aren't as hard to shop for as video card. Know roughly what's going on with them (number of cores or anything new coming up). Generally you don't need to know that much, find the sweet spot in pricing. You MoBo should have whatever features you need and is arguably more important than the details of your CPU. You'll look for things like:
-number of USB slots (does it have connections on it for front mounted USB as well)
-PCI Express slot (gold standard for cards now, could change but unlikely)
-SLI compatible
-enough PCI slots to accommodate normal PCI devices you may use (Sound cards, wireless modem)
-RAM capacity and configuration (dual-channel)

SLI (nVidias name for running two video cards though ATI has a different term) isn't a huge deal yet and you can get into trouble with it. Depending on the set up you need two matching cards... that's not cheap. Some SLI setups will gimp one of the cards as one of the PCI express slots doesn't have the same pipeline as the other. I honestly am not too concerned about this being a huge issue before FFXIV comes out so for the most part disregard it, but be aware of it. Keep in mind potential trends and if you are going to be able to upgrade.

Currently you should be able to get something decent in the $90-120 range.

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RAM - Nothing too complicated. You could get into the hardcore detail stuff, but you don't really need to know that much. If your MoBo is set up for dual channel ram make sure you're buying in pairs. Be aware of how much RAM costs by its size. There's a sweet spot here too. You could buy several small sticks of RAM, 1 giant strip of RAM, or a few medium. Go Goldilocks here. The bigger the single stick, the higher the cost. The more small ones you have to buy the more it will cost to hit the equivalent of a few mediums (not to mention it's unlikely you'll have 12 RAM slots free on your MoBo).

RAM is great because it upgrades really well and if you upgrade MoBos you may be able to stick some old RAM on it while buying new RAM and really save yourself some money. You'll get cumulative power... wouldn't it be great if you could plug your PS2 into your PS3 and get more power out of it?

You'll almost always buy RAM in pairs and right now I'd say aim for 2 Gig sticks (4 total). You can easily double that order to a total of 8. You should be able to get 4 gigs of RAM in the 100 dollar range. Always look for deals.

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Video Card - This is the beast. Shopping for a video card is moderately research intensive. For the most part, ignore the brands. Even if the box says it's made for nVidia only take that with a grain of salt. You'll want to look at benchmarks and honestly you should usually be doing this for games you are or will be playing. Problem is, with an MMO, especially one not released, this can be difficult. Look for similar games or games that you know are graphically intensive (Crysis would be the one these days).

Keep in mind that just because a card benches well on one game doesn't mean it will bench as well on another game. Two cards can both be the best card for two different games and by a large margin. Hopefully by the time you're looking to purchase the new benchmarking program by SE will be out and people will be posting what cards are doing really well at the game. Generally the newest cards aren't always the best and numbers are extremely misleading. The 500 Mb card might actually out perform the 640 Mb card. There are a lot of details that pure numbers on a box or series number won't tell you. The later cards in a particular series often run better than the newest cards in a new series (very true with nVidia). If you're buying the newer cards you're paying for e-penis and lower performance more often than not.

Check reviews on cards that are altered. Third party companies will take the major company's cards and tweak them including sometimes pre-overclocking them for you. These cards are often very good for gaming and come with good software bundles.

Keep in mind that over time, with a monster rig FFXIV may not be the only game you play. Having a great rig might make you want to play other PC exclusives that are system intensive so don't discount how other games bench other than FFXIV.

You'll generally go into this particular shopping bit with a price range in mind (I'd currently suggest 200-300, but I almost always fall into the 250 range). While doing a lot of research and reading about lots of benches on lots of different sites (diversify sources hardcore) you'll probably start to make out a mid-range card that seems to stand out by very positive reviews. At that point look for more details about it and if it has different makes (particularly those by 3rd parties). You can find tons of detailed user reviews all over the internet. Look for a card that has very few flaws and that is universally loved... believe me... they are always out there when you need them.

I also look for certain features. You'll definitely want some type of capability to run it to your TV which is pretty standard in cards these days. If you think you may want dual-monitors keep that in mind as well (I couldn't live without them).

I personally never go into the 300+ range and I can run almost everything astonishingly well. Don't feel like you have to pay top dollar. My last card was just over 200 bucks.

Though you're obviously swayed, cards usually have an interface that allows you to change the general graphical settings of your game's output independent from the game. You can turn on v-sync or any level of anti-aliasing and force it to work even if the game itself doesn't have that option (like I used to do with FFXI).

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Case and PSU - A case will cost as much as you want it to. You can get a decent case for 20-40 bucks and can spend hundreds if you so desire. I've had a very expensive case and it was magnificent and worth it for an enthusiast, but ultimately unnecessary unless you just go tinkering in your case often.

You'll want a case that's easy to work in if you're building it yourself (optimally one with a removable MoBo tray). You'll want it to have room for fans and good placement for HDs.

Your PSU (Power Supply Unit) should be sturdy enough to run all of what you need and will often need to have specific plugs for special video cards (though most v-cards come with an adapter) and your MoBo (also less of an issue that it once was). Most decent PSUs will come with the appropriate plugs. You just need to make sure it has enough power and gaming video cards can suck some juice. Honestly, you can sweet spot this as well. By doing so you'll probably find an ample PSU that will leave plenty of room for upgrades.

You can often find PSU/Case combos. If you find a good one, that's great.

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Other - There's other stuff, but it's hardly worth mentioning. Stuff like DVD-RWs are 20 bucks these days. You may need to add some fans, especially if you want to try to overlock your system (I don't suggest it if you're new and you're only eeking out a tiny bit more performance at a potential risk if you don't have the proper temperature management) or if you have a pre-OC'd card from a third-party (not nearly as dangerous as OCing yourself as they are usually just tuning the card up a tad and very reasonably within limits).

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Big thing to think about when buying are these two rules.

Rule 1: Look for the sweet spot in pricing; don't pay for e-penis
Rule 2: Leave room for upgrades; easier to add one component than replace them all



Despite the long rambling that probably won't be that useful, I've only scratched the surface and though some of it may sound foreign now, you'll pick up on it quickly enough. There's also a good chance I fudged a few numbers here and there because technology moves fast. Every time I have to upgrade I've gotta check stuff out. So keep in mind that whenever you start figuring it out, people who know roughly what they are doing are figuring it out as they go too. As soon as you really know something it will become obsolete.

Good luck.

Thank you for the helpful post, it definitely cleared a few things up for me. Great overview for me to start with. After your insights regarding the video card I may wait 2-3 months after launch to start playing on PC to get an optimal video card for the game, never would have thought of that.



I'm sure the PS3 will do a great job with the game and it sounds like it may be the best choice for the first 2-3 months or so till people discover what PC set up works best for the game. This thread is more about what will give me the absolute best setup and best experience playing the game not whats economical or simple.

Keep in mind you can always play it on the PS3 until a time when a rig that can push its limits is more feasible to your pocketbook. At that point you can probably pick up a cheap copy of it for PC. Besides, if you're gonna drop a few hundred on a PC you can go ahead and get a second copy of the game for it.

The other issue with the PS3 is hard drive capacity. I don't know how much space FF14 will take, but wow takes 14 gigs on my computer (which reminds me....I need to uninstall it still....quit last month). I imagine FF14 might take up more over time. If you just have an 80gig HD, then you are likely looking at FF14 taking up fully 1/4 of that HD. Probably not a big issue, unless you have a lot of downloadable games and movies on there. I apologize if this isn't really an issue, I don't own a PS3 so I don't know what solutions are available for memory problems.

As for the upsides of the PS3, it's very simple. With a PC, nearly every driver update will cause problems for a week or two. At launch, there will likely be setups that run really horribly and it'll take weeks, or even months, to iron out all the bugs (this goes double if you have an NVidia graphics card)! PS3s shouldn't have half the problems. After all, there is only one hardware setup, only one set of drivers to program for, and only 1 OS setup to deal with. In general, that's the advantage of console gaming in general. Less customization (as has been mentioned by others), but more stability (assuming the game gets updated properly, which is an easy assumption for an MMO like FF14).

I'd go with PC myself. If it's anything like 11 or most MMO's there will be a lot of potential commands to choose from. The controls for 11 were setup for a controller (and I hope this one is too, honestly), limiting the number of buttons they could add and more importantly letting you go -completely- without a mouse. Very nice

In the end though, the extra accessibility of a keyboard is invaluable. Faster switching when you need to type, and far quicker access to commands. Maybe the ps3 keyboard(if they use one) will be able to do the same, but a pc still has easy alt-tab to lookup info (which you'll need a lot of if xi was an indicator) or just stay in touch with ppl who aren't in ffxiv while playing. PC all the way

I think for me it will come down to which system the game is being designed for. FFXI was made for the PS2, and as such always felt more natural played on that system.

I only mentioned SecuRom for the simple reason that the OP might want to purchase games beside MMO's, which the PC has plenty of games that utilizes the crap system.

The major benefit of a console is costs. It's much cheaper to go with the console. Salute!

Edited, Jun 14th 2009 9:01pm by TheJollyjokers

I already have a PS3. Was just going to get a gaming PC for true 1080p + better preformance in crowded areas. Im for sure going to play on a 1080p HDTV although every once in awile on a monitor. Plus 3rd party apps might be nice if they are legal. From what I here there are even ways to enhance the graphics past the games capabilities. Dont want the cheapest set up or the simplest, I want the best performing best graphical experience available.

I'm sure there will be a windower for it, even if it's not needed one bit. People use windower for the 3rd party advantages (which are sometimes blatant cheats), as you allude to, changing to PC to use those 3rd party tools.

Personally I hope they ban the sh*t out of people who do it out of the gate, in an attempt to scare away cheaters, but that's highly unlikely.

As do I. Of course I am assuming that SE has learned how to properly design a PC client. If SE had made FFXI to run in a window from the beginning Windower would never have been created. At the very least we wouldn't have had the warfare between the pro and anti windower factions.

The good news is that the PC and the PS3 aren't so different in capabilities that we'll have another platform war as there was between the PC and Ps2