The consoles of today aren't really powerful enough for advanced graphics in 1080p. Instead they are rendered in 720p and stretched to 1080p, while a mid-range PC of today is powerful enough to render the game in 1080p.

The PC also have the advantages of longer viewing distance, larger textures and generally more detail that often make a game look better than the console version even if they run at the same resolution.

That said, excluding mods,I think the biggest advantage of running a TES game on the PC isn't because of the graphics, but because the PC version is installed on the hard drive and more of the game assets are cached into RAM, which will cut down the loading times. They aren't really that bad on the 360 or anything, but every second counts

There are some games I very much prefer to play on the consoles, but I doubt the main TES series will ever be one of them. http://www.elderscrolls.com/redguard/ should have been released on the console, though. It would be cool if we saw a spiced up version of Redguard on PSN/XBLA.

another point for mods: community patches/fixes and optimizers long before and after official patches.

Eh?

I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

I think the important point was that the 360 GPU is based upon a particular PC card - the ATI x1900 - which was a high end card, but being 6 years old simply cannot compare to today's relative powerhouses.

Overall it's mainly for the Mods. Which can really add alot of re-playability to the game. Just join tesnexus takes about 20 seconds and you get access to all the downloads.
Also Morrowind wasnt great for modding, as you say there were always conflicts. Oblivion was alot better when it came to mods. Which I hope means Skyrim will be even better.

Type of Mods:

New area's
New NPC's
New races
New hair, beards, eyes etc
Quests
Fixes
Companions
Houses
New Textures
Animations
Complete overhauls

the list goes on. You can create a whole new game.

Get it for both

I have a half decent Desktop E8500 @ 3.4 Gighz, 4 Gig of Ram, GTX285, but I also have a PS3 with a upgraded 320GB HD, 7.1 Surround sound on my Home Theatre and a 52 Inch Sony Bravia Full HD TV! It really does depend on how you like to game, bear in mind that laptops are always going to be weaker than their desktop counterparts simply because they have to cram so much into such a small space. To give you an example the latest Alienware Gaming laptop the G15 scores 15600 3dMark06 points, my 3 year old desktop scores 16500! It will run Skyrim fine just don't expect it to be able to run Skyrim in Full HD, but it should run it as well as your Console.

If you have a big TV I would definately get it for the Console first then wait for the great PC modding community to start making some great mods, then when the GOTY edition comes out get it for the Laptop too This is what I am planning to do at any rate, on the plus side with the console all you have to do turn it on and it works... I had all manner of problems getting Oblivion then FO3 to work on my desktop even after a Re-format and weeks of loading and unloading drivers I ended up giving up and buying it for the PS3 never had any issues since..

Solution:

1. Get for PC
2. hook PC up to TV
3. play with controller
4. ??????
5. Profit!

I don't mind experimenting with mods, but the the most part, I enjoy playing the game in it's vanilla format long before I would consider adding any mods. It just doesn't feel right to me playing the game with something that's not normally there. Call me crazy, but it's just not how I like my games. It breaks the immersion for me because all I can think about is the fact that my outfit is a mod, or my hair is a mod, or my house is a mod. It's like a pet peeve of mine. I don't mind it in MMO's like WOW, but with a single player game it just takes me out of it. Of course, that's also the reason I don't really play many games on the PC. I can't stand the quick and sharp movement speeds of the mouse. Combined that with no pressure sensitive controls and the uncomfortable position of sitting up in front of a monitor and I can almost never be immersed in the game world. I'm sure those aren't issues for many people, but they are for me. It's entirely personal and I could absolutely understand why someone would feel differently then me.

Since you have both, I'd say get it on PC.
It's true that some mods do conflict but with added utilities also free and easy to run even for a beginer ( at least they were for my stupid brain. )
It's not that easy to break the game with load orders and bugs as it may have been when you last ran them.

I don't own a console... computer and the need for other stuff beyond gaming came first.
So I can't add much, except to say that a PC just does more for TeS gaming.
If you're happy with just the game and are not keen or nervous about modding however just stick to the console.

And do you think that all console games run at 1080p (1920x1080)? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAH

http://www.playstatic.com/news/1023



Apart that what you said is quite redundant, you're wrong anyway. Put Quake 2 at 1920x1080 and the game detail will still be crap (for today's standarts). Hi-quality textures/meshes/shaders/etc is what gives a game more detail, whereas resolution allow to show better graphics for that level of detail, in any case.

Higher view distance on the PC too. And much quicker loading times. I heard even on the Xbox 360 the loading times for Morrowind are awful.

PC version is superior due to all the reasons mentioned by other posters. Mods and better graphics mainly. The only downside might be more frequent crashing, but that's anyone's guess at the moment.

However a laptop is - in my opinion - not a very good gaming station. It usually plays pretty [censored]. On top of that, the performance is way below the average desktop PC, even if you have good specs. This is partially because of cooling issues of your GPU. On top of that the GPUs used in laptops are usually nowhere near as powerful as those you can get for desktop PCs in the same budget range.

However, with your setup you can probably run Skyrim at medium settings (just an estimate as we can't tell right now what the recommended/required specs are) and hook it up to your TV, providing a great gaming experience. If anything, it would still look better than the console version and on top of that you'll be able to use mods. A gamepad (if you prefer this over keyboard/mouse) for your laptop is not that expensive and will make it feel just like you're playing a console but with all the benefits of having the PC version.

So I'd buy it for the PC if I were you and hook up your laptop to your TV screen for the best experience. Of course, in my opinion, the very best experience is on a high-end desktop PC with all graphics at max and a huge monitor. I'm already saving money for a new rig at the moment.

Played Morrowind on Xbox, stole my life, but always thought it was a PC game squeezed onto a console. Because of the interface.
Got Oblvion on PC because of the great free mods that allow you to tweak the game (no more Daedric-wearing bandits), but couldn't shake the feeling it was a console game ported to PC - again, because of the interface.

Although people like DARN do a fantastic job in making the interface for PC users less of a pain, (and put Bethesda to shame in the process), Skyrim's UI is going to be so console-centric, I fear no amount of text-resizing is going to fix it :cryvaultboy:

Insipred by Itunes? Stay away from that Dagoth Brandy Todd!, it's rotting your noggin....

Well
Mods expands game much better then DLC
Better tweaks for game
Better UI
Better graphic and support of new graphical features thats game didn't have at release
Support with community patches after developer no more support game with official patches
Digital Distribution like Steam allow play everywhere without need of fragile disc
Notebooks allow play everywhere and not to be chained to couch or other place like console player
Community forums and sites are better then Live or PSN

Consoles have only two advantages
They have better optimization at release
They mostly receive first release of game

Piracy not argument since there is no platform thats has no of piracy and game can be purchased or pirated for PC aswell as for console

I can definitely see where you're coming from, mods that don't integrate properly into the gameworld can be real immerson killers. I often find it hard to rationalise having a totally unique outfit, which is why many of my characters have either a strong magical background or a crafting one. Many other mods, however, do integrate perfectly, and after a while you simply stop noticing them. (For example, I'm still surprised if I don't see readable text on morrowind's signs, or when somebody picks a plant in obivion and the mesh stays the same. The fact that it's modded doesn't take away from the immersion, the fact that it's *different* does - and that goes away as soon as you're used to it)

For example, when I see a desert eagle in fallout 3 I think "Huh, that reminds me I am playing a modded game", and yet finding a wattz 1000 laser pistol doesn't. They're both mod-added, they're both highly lore-friendly, but the deagle was added in more recently and I'm still not quite used to it. It doesn't take long to get past that, and the game is much better for it.

As for the other points, you can plug a controller into your PC, and plug your PC into your TV, so it's a non-issue.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

There are so many mods that make the game more believable, more immersive, that add so many new gameplay possibilities and things to do (all that fit in seamlessly with the vanilla game). There are game quality-matching new items/weapons/armors, HUD improvements, mods that make the graphics (IMO) twice what they could ever be without them. Basically, mods rock!

Anything that can be done on the consoles can be done better on the PC, PERIOD

Want to sit on a couch and use a xbox360/PS3 controller to play and have the game hooked up to your HDTV? PC can do that.

Want thousands upon thousands of community made mods and content that enriches the game and gets rid of every single one of it's weaknesses? PC can do that.

Want to get the game for cheaper when you first buy it? PC can do that.

Want FAR superior visuals years ahead of the consoles because of anti aliasing/ansiotropic filtering, enhanced textures, community made graphical updates? PC can do that.

Want far better frame rate than either of the consoles can provide(they are maxed at 30 Frames Per Second where as computers have no set limit)? PC can do that.

Want a cheap gaming PC that can run the game at console levels but also have all the bonuses of the PC like mods and such? PC can do that (You can easily put together computers that will play multi platform games at better quality than the consoles while still costing around the same amount, you just have to know where to shop)

Want lightning fast load times compared to the consoles 1-5 minutes load times in certain areas (Going off Oblivion)? PC can do that.

PC gaming is better in every single way, hands down, no competition

What is the graphics card on this laptop?

hard to provide any helpful feedback without knowing this

No loading screen has ever taken me on PS3 more than 20 seconds, so I don't really understand where that number is taken from. My PS3 games are also very cheap, the difference between PS3 games and PC games is 1 euro, not even worth mentioning because it is so small. Besides, if you want a really epic good PC you'll have to, in the end, pay much more for it because a really good PC is njo cheap thing.

I meant 360 load times, the PS3 version of Oblivon is far superior to the 360 because it has far better load times and slightly improved graphics.

I owned a 360 version of Oblivion and the load times were absolutely horrendous, atrocious, disgusting! It's one of the many reasons I gave up on consoles and went back to PC gaming like I did before the 360.

Also I don't understand where you are getting this 1 euro thing, I buy PC most games on Steam for $60 where as the same titles cost $120 here in Australia for 360/PS3. PC games are known for being much cheaper, even if you buy the physical copies.

I can't find a good example right now on Steam prices compared to physical 360/PS3 prices of games but here have look at this

Physical PS3 Version of Crysis 2 - $108 - http://www.ebgames.com.au/ps3-152475-Crysis-2-Limited-Edition-PlayStation-3

Physical 360 Version of Crysis 2 - $108 - http://www.ebgames.com.au/xbox360-152476-Crysis-2-Limited-Edition-Xbox-360

Physical PC Version of Crysis 2 - $88 - http://www.ebgames.com.au/pc-152477-Crysis-2-Limited-Edition-PC

You are paying $20 just for the Microsoft/Sony brand name. It's pathetic.

EDIT: Just found Crysis 2 on steam as well, it costs $69.99 - http://store.steampowered.com/app/99830/


See what I mean? The prices for console games are outrageous.

A really good PC is really expensive, but you don't need a really good PC to play video games, at least not anymore. Low-Midrange will play just about everything on either max or very high settings. And low-midrange PCs come at low-midrange prices. You'd be hard pressed to find one cheaper than a console, but the price difference is barely worth thinking about when you're talking about when you consider the advantages.

You don't even need a mid range PC these days to play games at console level graphics and frame rate.

Many console users seem to use that card and seem to forget that while they may have been true 3+ years ago, it is now a completely false statement.

The consoles are 5 years old, 5 years is a very, very long time. Computers have come so incredibly far since then that buying a computer with similar hardware to consoles costs just about the same that consoles do, though sometimes it is a little bit more.

I remember seeing a post on the GameFAQs hardware boards a few months ago where a guy built a PC that could play games at console standards and it only cost him around $450 US, you also have to remember that with that PC he can surf the web, install mods for games and do all sorts of neat things that consoles can't even dream of doing.

The consoles are so incredibly outdated at the moment that I'm really surprised and a bit annoyed Microsoft/Sony haven't announced the next gen consoles, they are holding gaming back as a whole by not doing so.

Jude11, I can tell you that my experience with Fallout New Vegas may help you. I have a PS3 and got FNV for that at release. I had been thinking about learning to mod for a long time and decided right after FNV release that it was time to learn. It ended up being pretty easy and people were very helpful when I posted and asked for help. Very soon, I was able to get the mod that I really wanted and it made my game so much better. By switching to PC, I was also able to get a BugFix that made my game more playable. I'm still waiting for a PS3 patch for broken companion Boone and hope that it'll be in the next FNV patch. Besides the mod for Unlimited Companions (which is the one I just had to have), my game could be fixed by a simple mod for Boone that someone in the modding community created. That is what makes switching to PC so desirable. I have a gamepad hooked up to a PC that's using my TV for a display and it's great. I've gotten Fraps for screenshot captures and videos and it just makes for a fuller experience with a game. I'm so looking forward to doing all of this with Skyrim. I know it's going to be a new engine but I'm not going to fool myself by thinking it'll be problem-free. When a problem does happen though, I know someone will come up with a fix faster than the corporation will, unfortunately. That's just the reality and since I love these open world games more than any other, this is how I'm handling it. Good luck with what you decide!

Oh, and I keep it simple. I don't need a ton of mods...just 3 or 4 make a huge difference.

This is not true. Again each computer is different. Some people have no problems playing a game on the PC while others do. For me, putting disk in the 360 or PS3, install, and then play is great for me. For PC, put disk in tray, or downlod from internet, install, and then having to tweak and fiddle with the computer to get the game to work, is not better in every single way.

So yes there is competition. All you are doing is flamming when it was already said where the console can be better for some people like me. Yes the PC is so much better in ALMOST every way, but there a good reason to use the console over the PC. NO worring about compatibily issues. Put in and play. For that, for alot of people that is better than no matter how much the PC can offer.

For some reason, I thing for the OP, he should get it on the 360. If his laptop doesn't run Skyrim, (small chance of it happening) and if he can't get the best graphics that he thinks he should be getting the he will get upset at trying to tweak the laptop. Sometimes the frustrations and aggrivation is just not worth it. Is the OP willing to go through this? I know for me, speaking of experiance, it was a pain trying to get Morrowind and Oblivion to run on PC. It is so nice just to put disk in and play, no worries about incompatibility issues.

Also you have to find what your graphics card is before you even consider getting it for PC. If you have a built in graphics card that is not ATI or Nvidia, and something like Intel then don't even bother since they are not really made for gaming. I am not sure how you can check to see what graphics card you have. Most laptops have a sticker on them to say what they have on it. What does your sticker say?

Only thing I can think of is go to start, right click on Computer or My Comptuer. Right click on Properties. Click on Device Manager on the left, (That is if you have Windows 7, which you should be if it is brand new.) If it ask you to verify, click on "yes" and then choose Display adapters. Click on the small triangle or double click on Display adapters. There underneath it it will say what your graphic adapter is.

You should have a good graphic adapter, but then again, why take a chance just because you didn't check.

Well 1 euro isn't really true now that I look at the real price difference, but it's not 20$ either.

Black ops PS3: 42,44 €
Black ops PC: 36,44 €

New PC games however tend to cost 39,44 ad new PS3 games 43,44.

But you say PC is far superior, when it costs 450$ to get a good as PC as consoles. if you want a better PC you'll have to spend more money on it than on a console, especially if you want to have Skyrim run with extra epic graphics like something never seen before. In my opinion, mods are not that important, if you get bored with a game and need mods to make it re-playable, it's a bit artifical in my opinion. But I do see why some like mods.