What is the use case for owning a console or air fryer?

Psiloc it's massively simplified compared to how it used to be, though. Most of the time you're fine with the drivers that Windows picks up automatically. Install a storefront like Steam or EGS and away you go. Any fucker can buy an off the shelf Alienware machine or whatever and be up and gaming with minimal faff involved.
Of course gaming on Windows will never be as slick as a console experience, but you still barely need to know a thing about computers compared to the XP and older days.

Chances are they'll just plug the HDMI cable into the integrated GPU port mind you, but there's just no saving some people.

I think the thing that's still true is that 95% of the time you're fine but there is still the odd outlier and that can still be quite intimidating. This is why I like the Steam Deck system in theory because there's that element of fixed hardware and testing happening, even if patches can make things tricky.

And as for the division of work and play, that's another point for the Deck in my book: I don't want to see Windows when I'm not working which is one of the reasons I have a Macbook. If I didn't have an nVidia graphics card in my main PC I'd probably be running Linux on that already, too.

I always use the blocked no@thank.you address when setting up windows 11. It'll tell you to piss off an give you the local account option instead.

Hate that they took that away in the first place.

I remember upgrading from an Amiga to a PC, and spending ages in DOS with Autoexec.bat and config.sys trying to get Sam and Max to work properly. Great days!

Says someone who's never had to try and set up the bloody Nintendo family controls and accounts

Ugh. A common bit of troubleshooting at work requires me to know the user's username. The number of people who think their username is literally "Joe Bloggs" or "joe.bloggs@hotmail.com" because of this shit...

I have a PS5, Series X, 360, Switch, WiiU and PC connected to the TV. Admittedly the PC is relatively low spec and used mainly as a Plex server and emulation machine, but my boy does like to play some of my Steam library as well. I also have multiple Sony and Nintendo handhelds, and a Steam Deck.

Guess which one sometimes has "issues" that need resolving? Guess which ones never the kids or partner never ask me to help because something isn't right?

Honestly though what a daft question to have in 2024. For the OP, sounds like consoles aren't the right option (other than playing games legally), and I can see the appeal of PC gaming. But if you can't see why consoles are the right choice for a large swathe of gamers then I'm not sure what responses are going to change your mind.

I have an Xbox one, a Sonos one. Both work on console and with phone and tv fine. Doesn’t work with the pc. Had to get a dongle one.
It cut out loads even when next to the pc and straight up went crazy in helldivers but looking at Reddit that was a pretty common issue people seemed to be having with Bluetooth headsets.

Bluetooth on Windows is pretty shitty. I use Bluetooth headphones for work when I'm in the office and always have issues with it randomly not working. Does sound like Helldivers has some specific issues as well.

Obviously, all this isn't inherent to the PC platform, it is just developers not testing properly. For lots of developers it is going to come to money and it not being worth investing in the PC platform. For Windows it is inexcusable, as those issues have been around for years.

It’s a fine topic in general, sure, it’s more the weird scoffing from some folks as if it’s an objective answered question that’s making me roll my eyes.

Meh here I was thinking it’s gone alright so far

Yeah, consoles don’t usually offer BT because BT audio is absolutely terrible for latency, and also has a shitload of licensing costs to git gud codecs. Easier to cut off that compatibility nightmare at the source rather than fudge it in and put up with the complaints.

Cos consoles fucking suck Arf! Arf!

Jokes aside, I've gone full circle from spending loads on pcs when younger then abandoning them for consoles for a few years but have since drifted back to pcs and I'll never go back. It's not some elitest PCMR thing, I still play on my PS4 or my son's series s now and again but it's because this is where my library is. Hundreds of games, lots of progress and I don't want to start another off on another platform/ecosystem.

As many others have stated, tinkering is largely a thing of legend. I rarely upgrade drivers consciously (windows handles that crap) with the exception of the GPU.

Launch pc, install new game set to high/ultra preset and play. Maybe turn off vsync if it's on. It's essentially a more powerful console with more flexibility to how I want to play.

Now, I have recently had an issue with Deathloop which kinda shits on my point but I think 1 game in hundreds is acceptable. Fixed it now though.

Pcs are expensive and the initial outlay is steep especially if you have none of the other bits you can trust buy a nice tower with innards, but you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, maybe a desk. If you already have one its easier to keep upgrading

Tinkering on PC is still present in some instances. HDR on PC continues to be a total crapshoot, as is any kind of modern 3D audio support (or even legacy 3D, really). And not that consoles do ultra wide, but that’s always annoying when a game has some weird implementation that a) doesn’t work or allow FOV tweaking and b) decides it’s not going to work with any GPU or display scaling so you have to set the desktop resolution manually every time you want to play it. Gotten better in recent years, but those are still my bugbears.