According to IGN Entertainment, a San Francisco-based game company, Sony and Microsoft will release the next generation of consoles this year. Sony said that the PS4 Neo will feature 4K graphic capabilities, which will allow for higher quality graphics with smoother frame rates. Microsoft has indicated that its new Project Scorpio will have 4K graphics as well, along with virtual reality compatibility.

Despite the new video game console capabilities, Domingo David, computer science teacher and sponsor of Competitive Gaming Club, said, “At this point in time, I prefer PC. I think as far as usability-wise I can use it for more than just gaming.”

The PC is a powerful tool and the variety it brings is an appealing feature and, according to David, console isn’t going to appeal to the same niche as PC.

Lucy Wright, member of Competitive Gaming Club and senior, said, “It’s easier to do multiplayer on PC, and especially in our generation, there’s a bunch more competitions going on on PC.”

For example, “League of Legends (LoL),” a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), has become very popular in the competitive field. According to LoL eSports, the 2015 World Championship had teams competing for a prize pool of $2 million.

Today, taking cost into consideration is important for gamers, especially for junior Ethan Counen.

“To me, consoles are for gaming. PC gaming costs too much and is almost the same experience,” he said.

According to David, a PC gamer could theoretically update a PC every year, which is more cost intensive than a console, which typically lasts four to five years.

However, Wright said, “(PC gaming) is actually a lot cheaper if you think about it, unless you go full on and build your own desktop.”

One of the major attractions for PC gaming is Steam, an entertainment platform that allows for the purchase and installation of games from a user’s PC. It is especially characterized by its sales that can mark games down 90 percent.

While PC has its obvious advantages, that isn’t to say consoles don’t have theirs.

Counen said, “The pros of console (gaming) is that it’s accessible. When I’m on my Xbox, I have TV, gaming and music right in front of me. I can switch between all of them in a moment’s notice.”

According to Counen, when he is on a PC, he feels like he should be working and writing an essay, not necessarily playing games. Consoles, on the other hand, are made specifically for gaming.

But according to Wright, the only problem with consoles is they are static and don’t offer much customization.

Wright said, “(With PCs) There are so many different graphics cards and ram cards; it’s so much fun to just go into it.”

Additionally, she said the multitude of companies that create such products adds a sense of uniqueness to PC. Choosing a PC over a console for gaming has turned into a personal preference.

According to David, it’s easy to find specific games on all the systems. However, Wright said PC has a bigger catalog of games overall. Wright also said she believes PCs are more focused on being visual candy than playing.

However, Wright said most competitive games are specific to PC. She said she believes PC is much better for multiplayer capabilities and this has led to a plethora of games and game genres. For example, there is “LoL,” “Overwatch” and then role playing games such as “World of Warcraft.” Console does have its own competitive games, such as the “Call of Duty” series.

Regarding the future of the two gaming systems, Wright said, “I feel like in a way the PC will be ahead of the consoles. Consoles in a way always focus more on gameplay than the settings.”