Do you use your principal computer for game playing?

kelper · Oct 15, 2023

I'm puzzled why so many adults seem to use their computers for playing games.

Bree · Oct 15, 2023

kelper said:
I'm puzzled why so many adults seem to use their computers for playing games.

I used to be a late night gamer in my 20's/30's (that was in the era of 'DOOM'). I just mess around with Insider builds now I'm retired :wink:

My son-in-law is a late-night gamer too but not on any of his PC's - he has an X-Box and a large screen TV for that.

PS: love that last poll option. :loveit:

badrobot · Oct 15, 2023

kelper said:
I'm puzzled why so many adults seem to use their computers for playing games.

If the main PC is built from scratch, most of the time it is built for gaming.
My main PC is built for gaming but I rarely play games these days.
But I do have another PC with 3 Win 11 OSes on it, 1 for daily use, one for messing around with and one for banking and other online transactions.

Edwin · Oct 15, 2023

The last game I can faintly remember playing is Pong..., that was about 100 years ago!

Wisewiz · Oct 15, 2023

A LOT of the active members here are retired seniors. Many of those, including me, find that the time goes by much too quickly to spend it computer-game playing.
That's not to say, of course, they they don't play with their computers. Trying out new and interesting software, tweaking settings, reconfiguring things, updating everything that merits it, ... lots of computing stuff. I spent a happy couple of hours this morning trying new desktops, creating some new icons, changing the Start menu a touch, and editing some new system sounds. Good times. No scores.

kelper · Oct 15, 2023

Bree said:
I used to be a late night gamer in my 20's/30's (that was in the era of 'DOOM'). I just mess around with Insider builds now I'm retired

My son-in-law is a late-night gamer too but not on any of his PC's - he has an X-Box and a large screen TV for that.

PS: love that last poll option.

I should have added an option, " I mainly use my computer for watching porn", but only tossers would have answered honestly!

kelper · Oct 15, 2023

Wisewiz said:
A LOT of the active members here are retired seniors. Many of those, including me, find that the time goes by much too quickly to spend it computer-game playing.
That's not to say, of course, they they don't play with their computers. Trying out new and interesting software, tweaking settings, reconfiguring things, updating everything that merits it, ... lots of computing stuff. I spent a happy couple of hours this morning trying new desktops, creating some new icons, changing the Start menu a touch, and editing some new system sounds. Good times. No scores.

What is a retired senior? I'm 67-and-a-half and can't retire from being a senior! A bit of a tautology methinks!

Wisewiz · Oct 15, 2023

Wellsir, I retired from an academic career after twenty-five years of teaching, at age 50. That was a good while before I became a senior. When I became a senior, I had been retired for quite some time, but now I was a retired senior. Methinks perchance thou needest another cuppa good coffee.

Ghot · Oct 15, 2023

I have 3-4 "old" games installed.
I play them occasionally. Nothing too serious, though.

And they are on my main desktop.

TraderGary · Oct 15, 2023

kelper said:
I'm puzzled why so many adults seem to use their computers for playing games.

I'm just not a game player. I would rather spend my time working with my trading and learning more about Windows and Windows programming.

I like to run the Kindle App open to one of my computer books on my second computer sitting beside my main computer where I'm running Visual Studio. I'm part way through Mark Price's "C# 11 and .NET 7". For me that's a much more rewarding use of my time.

I love reading and working with computer books. I'm also working my way through the two-volume set of "Windows Internals" - Mark Russinovich. There's a lot more to the Windows OS than many realize.

hsehestedt · Oct 15, 2023

I do very little gaming. But the rare game or two that I play I do play on my primary desktop mainly because that is where the big monitor is located and a good comfortable seating position for the length of time needed to play a game.

Senecio · Oct 15, 2023

The last proper game I played was Skyrim. I have absolutely no problem with game playing, and both of my 40+ year old children play regularly, but I have just stopped. Back in the day, I welcomed each iteration of graphics technology, and bought a game to see how the graphics had become more realistic. Back then, there was a clear drive by game producers to drive computing technology, so I welcomed that. To be honest, I was more interested in how it looked, than following the gameplay. These days, I am still interested in computer graphics and the artificial intelligence which can be used to enhance them, but mainly in assembling my own video content. So no more gameplay for me.

MisterEd · Oct 15, 2023

kelper said:
I'm puzzled why so many adults seem to use their computers for playing games.

I don't understand your premise. Playing a game on a computer occasionally and every day are not the same. I play games on both my main laptop and desktop but only occasionally. Most of the time I use these computers for other things. I have been retired for over 10 years. I spend much of my free time using my computers.

Like others when I buy/build a computer I take into account whether I want to play games on it. Naturally a computer to play games might be much more expensive than one for general use. After all it our choice how we spend our money and how we use the computers. People have all sorts of hobbies. For many their computers are their hobby.

Wisewiz · Oct 15, 2023

MisterEd said:
For many their computers are their hobby.

I'm not at all ashamed to say that both my feet are planted solidly in that camp. I have other hobbbies, like reading and cooking, but much of my hobby-time is spent working with my computers and those of my friends, most of whom are not technically inclined. The more I learn about my own machines and their operating systems, the better equipped I am to help others.

pparks1 · Oct 15, 2023

kelper said:
I'm puzzled why so many adults seem to use their computers for playing games.

Well, I built my own computer to do it all. Had I not wanted to play games on it, i could have avoided the video card, which was the most expensive part. And without the video card, I wouldn't have had a need for a bigger power supply and could have reduced my costs there.

I also run a lot of virtual machines and lab stuff, so I went with an AMD 12 core proccessor for those items.

I game mostly during the winter months as it gets dark outside before I am even home from work, and it's cold and snowy where I am...so I don't spend much time outdoors.

I like to use my PC for first person shooter style games. I'm better (accuracy wise) with a mouse and keyboard, and I have a 3080 and a 165hz monitor, so I get buttery smooth framerates

kelper · Oct 15, 2023

If a grown man wishes to play games on his computer it's no concern of mine, it just puzzles me. No criticism is intended.

Berton · Oct 15, 2023

The only games I play are Solitaire and a couple versions of MahJong. Got first computer in '92, retired in late '94 [2 months before turning 55] and week later offered part-time job in computer store, month later started building computers, been doing it ever since.

neves · Oct 15, 2023

Wisewiz said:
A LOT of the active members here are retired seniors. Many of those, including me, find that the time goes by much too quickly to spend it computer-game playing.
That's not to say, of course, they they don't play with their computers. Trying out new and interesting software, tweaking settings, reconfiguring things, updating everything that merits it, ... lots of computing stuff. I spent a happy couple of hours this morning trying new desktops, creating some new icons, changing the Start menu a touch, and editing some new system sounds. Good times. No scores.

I see - that explains it. Cause in all honesty - i was truly baffled by OP's question. To me, this question sounded like asking: if anyone uses their smartphones for anything other than phone calls. It's a really bizarre question for 2023 (or even early 2000). If this was late 70s early 80s - then yes, back then his question probably made sense. Even then - some enjoyed a bit of gaming on a Commodore 64 - but using those huge and unreliable Floppy disks was kinda annoying compared to using an Atari console (+ games cartridges) or an actual arcade.

Point being: Video Cards and their evolution, but also PC Mice and Keyboards - really made gaming a comfortable choice on a PC - compared to a console. Well, that's particularly true for Strategy/RTS games and First Person Shooters - for all the games where a mouse + keyboard offers far better control and accuracy. As for Video Cards and also upgradable storage units - PC Gaming - became a gaming standard of its own (where PC games simply looked better - depending on the user's budget OFC). It's how PC gaming became a thing - for all the kids born in the 80s (maybe even late 70s - tho their number was smaller). And this trend kept expanding with every new generation - to the point where it surpassed console gaming (by a large margin). Even if we take smartphones gaming into account - PC gaming still comes on top:

PC Gaming Statistics

Out of 3.03 billion gamers worldwide, an estimated 1.83 billion are PC gamers.
Most PC gamers come from Asia (687.6 million), but North America has the highest share compared to all gamers in the region (77.8%).
Gamers of all types and ages are the least keen on playing offline PC games.
Despite the PC gaming industry earning “only” $38.2 billion in 2022, much less than the console and mobile gaming market, up to 63% of developers still develop games for PC.
Up to 31% of PC gamers in the US are between 30 to 39 years old compared to younger PlayStation gamers from the 25-to-35 age group and Xbox users with an average of 33 years.

PC Gaming Statistics: How Many PC Gamers are There? (2025)

Find the most interesting facts about PC gaming, its users, the industry's market share, and competition from consoles and mobile.

headphonesaddict.com

JAM83 · Oct 15, 2023

I built my computer for gaming, but I do not use it for that purpose. I just like a fast computer. In fact, I'm not a gamer at all. I do not have an xBox, Playstation, Wii, or anything like that. I can't spend that much money for something that I will just use a few times.

I have 2 desktop computers and a laptop. I have multiple screens on both desktops. The Main Computer, I use to help my brother broadcast iRacing three nights a week, and my other desktop is my weather computer. I use to track Severe Weather. It has all of my weather radar software and such. My laptop is rarely opened.

antspants · Oct 15, 2023

Hahaha awesome poll questions

Do you use your principal computer for game playing?

Do you use your principal computer for game playing?

I use it mostly for games

Games are secondary to other uses

I have a tower or desktop computer

I have a laptop designed for game playing

I use laptop(s) and tower/desktops for games

I gave up playing games on my computers long ago

I hate polls

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