Are you interested in making the switch to PC gaming? Rest assured – it’s not even close to as daunting as it seems. Sure, things are a little different – but once you get the hang of it, it’s no different than an Xbox or PlayStation.

Most gaming on PC happens in an app called ‘Steam’, which is basically like our Xbox, you basically click into that and launch games.

And in terms of building the PC or buying one – don’t worry about that either. People have a misconception that PC gaming is expensive, it is most often way cheaper than console! Also, it is super easy to build a computer, it’s very difficult to mess up, especially these days. People joke and say its like legos, it very much is- you basically just plug things into each other. But, if you’re not worried about spending some extra cash on a pre-built, I also have you covered in that guide on the best places to buy a good value pre-built and not get scammed.

• Here’s my YouTube video going over this whole guide too if you prefer watching, I have some extra commentary in there too and it might make more sense in the video as you get a fuller picture but whatever you prefer works:

• Quick Reference Guide:
  • Best Graphics Card To Buy Based on Budget Range
  • Best CPU To Buy Based on Budget Range
  • Best RAM To Buy Based on Budget Range

Table of Contents

Step 1 – So, You Want a PC? Here’s Why You Won’t Regret Switching

You might have clicked this still on edge or just interested in switching for the first time. Here are some reasons you won’t regret switching.

• As of 2026 PC gaming makes up the majority of gamers, at nearly 60% compared to 40% on consoles.
• PC gaming does not have a yearly membership fee. Especially with Xbox/PS costing nearly $150 to pay online, that’s a ton of money you save by playing on PC as its free!
• You don’t lose access to old games.
• Tons of emulation options for games on old systems you might’ve played decades ago.
• The graphics and gameplay is far superior and better on PC. On PC we have ray tracing, ultra graphics, higher framerates, longer draw distances, more population, et cetera because the PC has much stronger components and hardware to run these games.
• PCs last longer
  • When the new PS6 comes out, you’re kind of screwed. On PC, it’s not like that, you just keep playing and upgrade your PC as you feel its needed.
• We have way more games on PC, and much cooler games too!
  • Things like Microsoft Flight Simulator, LSPDFR, League of Legends, CS:GO, et cetera!
• Modding on PC is amazing. There are mods that basically recreate whole games, there are mods like LSPDFR that are famous all over YouTube and turn games you already own into new exciting adventures. Or, just mods for quality of life mods like the better inventory mod for Skyrim.

It’s also very rare to ever hear someone go, “Yeah I went back to console after getting on PC”, it’s just great.

Even if you’re someone that doesn’t want to sit at a desk and game, you can just build a console-like PC like I did. My PC just looks like a little console and it’s hooked up to my TV. With Steam (the PC gaming app) you can set it up so it boots into their “big picture mode” which is basically like the Xbox/PS interface. So you can be on your couch or in bed, turn on your PC from there and boot into a game without your keyboard or mouse. I love it, after work I head in and just boot up my TV and play on a big screen at 4K!

#2 – Okay, How Do I Start? – Spoiler: It’s Easy. Figure Out What Kind of PC Gamer You Are.

Getting into PC gaming is easy, you just need to answer a quick question:

What do you exactly want your PC to do? It’s the best part of PC gaming, you aren’t just fit into the mold of whatever Xbox/Playstation wants. PC is freeing.

Answer these questions for me:

What games do you play?

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• Esports games?
  • Fortnite
  • Valorant
  • Counter-Strike
  • League of Legends
  • Minecraft
  • Roblox

-> You don’t need to spend much money on a gaming PC at all if that’s all you want to play. And I get it, 90% of my gaming is League of Legends, Minecraft, and Counter-Strike – So, no judgement here!

• Modern AAA Games?
  • Call of Duty
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Battlefield
  • GTA VI (when it comes out…or GTA V)
  • Those big single player games (Witcher, GoW, etc)

-> You’ll want a stronger graphics card for sure to get the amazing PC experience. You know, Ray Tracing, ultra/max graphics, high framerate, more dense worlds.

• Simulation / VR?
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • BeamNG Drive (realistic car racing simulator)
  • Virtual Reality Games
  • Other racing/driving games

-> These games require stronger processors and graphics cards. But the experience is amazing.

What Gaming Resolution Do You Want?

Most people have no idea what this means – but it’s the most important thing in gaming!

Your TV or monitor comes in different ‘resolutions’ – the higher resolution the higher quality. You’ve probably seen things like “4K TVs”, et cetera.

Most gaming monitors come at 1080p or 1440p, and most TVs come at 4K. Let me explain the difference:

• 1080p: The cheapest and easiest to run on a computer. Still ‘High Definition’
• 1440p: The “sweet spot” for most gamers, much higher quality but harder to run. Most PC hardware can run this pretty decently.
• 4K (2160p): Looks fantastic, incredible detail, especially on large TVs or monitors – but this requires significantly more graphics card power and can make you spend more money.

So the higher resolution you go, you will probably have to spend more money to keep that performance.

But the reason I say this – most of you already have monitors or TVs, and you may just want to use that to save money.

So go and check them, usually it’s on the back or on the settings of the TV/monitor and see what resolution it is. If you have a 1080p monitor and you were planning to keep it and use that, you can probably spend a lot less money on a computer build and still get exceptional performance.

On the contrary, if you want to use that 4K TV, you might want to spend a little more money!

-> As an aside, if you are a budget gamer but only have a 4K TV – PC has the same technology as Playstation/Xbox where it can upscale it to work on 4K. But the technology is far superior on PC due to the dedicated AI cores on our graphics cards!

What Frame Rate Do You Want?

Framerate (FPS = Frames per second) is simply “How fast” a game runs. Move movies run at 20-30 FPS for reference, most gamers want 60 FPS as a target and that works for most games.

Some people want a much smoother/faster experience and want 100 FPS, or 200 FPS. Some monitors and TV may not even support this however, so check your hardware!

But, for most story or singleplayer games 30-60FPS is perfectly fine. But, for multiplayer games like Fortnite, that higher FPS really matters in competitive environments and helps make the game feel more reponsive.

You might be asking- what’s the point of this?

If you want higher FPS, you may have to spend more money on your PC build. Keep this in mind!

Personally, I have no problem playing 30-60FPS as I grew up on Xbox 360/PS3 where most games only ran at 30FPS!

As I mentioned above, with the graphics cards and the new AI core technology, you can use the built in card upscaler to get more FPS if your card isn’t providing enough using their AI technology. It’s not perfect, and can sometimes be buggy – but if you’re on a tight budget, it’s a good option.

#3 – Understanding PC Parts Without The Confusion

You’re probably already kind of confused on what a processor or graphics card is. No worries, this stuff is too easy to understand I’ll give you the quick run down in a second.

Remember, you can always refer to my “safe build for everybody” if you’re not worried about customizing your PC.

It’s good to know some of this stuff if you’re looking to do some more advanced gaming like simulation stuff or you’re looking to get the best possible gaming experience. This section is most important for those wanting to customize their PC and make it their own. For example, I like all my PCs to be black and red – some want their PCs to be watercooled – or some want quiet computers you can’t even hear when gaming.

My goal here is to give you a quick run down of what everything means.

What’s a “CPU” or “Processor”?

The “CPU” or “Processor” is 1/2 of the most important parts of a PC. Your phone has a processor and that determines its speed.

Think of the CPU/Processor like the brain of your computer. If the brain is super slow