PS4 vs Xbox One vs PC: PAX East 2014 takes a stand

PS4 vs Xbox One vs PC: PAX East 2014
Powdered Toast Man knows what's up

It's been six months since Sony and Microsoft started their latest global battle for living room gaming domination. The Sony PS4 and Xbox One have been neck and neck in some ways, while the race has definitely been more one sided in others.

But there's no way we can forget the sneaking, silent 10-ton gorilla in the room: the PC. It's been there since the beginning: transforming, experimenting and pioneering behind the scenes. The PC has been honed to an impossible edge since we started gaming on it 30-plus years ago.

On the other hand, consoles have transformed and evolved, succeeded and failed in the biggest – and arguably most bombastic – displays. One look at any E3 press conference will say as much.

But the Penny Arcade Expo is a different animal entirely. It attracts a certain kind of gamer, a more refined or devoted one, perhaps. (You see where we're going with this, right?)

Regardless, PAX East 2014 was our first chance to ask fans at such scale which is best since the launch of these sleek, miniature monoliths of gaming. (Plus, it was a lot of fun.) PC Gamer Editor-in-Chief Evan Lahti and I attempt the answer the "why" behind the overwhelming response you'll see below:

Joe Osborne

Joe Osborne is the Senior Technology Editor at Insider Inc. His role is to leads the technology coverage team for the Business Insider Shopping team, facilitating expert reviews, comprehensive buying guides, snap deals news and more. Previously, Joe was TechRadar's US computing editor, leading reviews of everything from gaming PCs to internal components and accessories. In his spare time, Joe is a renowned Dungeons and Dragons dungeon master – and arguably the nicest man in tech.

Latest in Consoles & PC
Image of Naoe in AC Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows is hands-down one of the most beautiful PC ports I've ever seen
Image of AC Shadows cover art & Steam Deck
It's not perfect, but Assassin's Creed Shadows' performance is impressive - it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally
Steam Deck OLED in limited edition white color
With a single update SteamOS could turbocharge handheld PCs – here's how
Samus Aran leaping through space
Metroid Prime 4 tipped to be at the heart of April's Nintendo Switch 2 deep-dive
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 expected to have AI upscaling and I can't wait to finally play Tears of the Kingdom with upgraded graphics
Asus ROG Ally using Steam
I think Asus could be the perfect partner for an Xbox handheld – but I have questions
Latest in News
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
Samsung's rumored smart specs may be launching before the end of 2025
Apple iPhone 16 Review
The latest iPhone 18 leak hints at a major chipset upgrade for all four models
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #1155)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #386)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #652)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #1154)