Same for me. Coding, 3d modeling (for fun), lately some fpv simulator to get better with drones before I shred a real one. I even worked in the gaming industry, but it just doesn't keep me interested for long anymore.
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Same as you. I used to game a lot (too much) in my younger days. Now I use the computer to support my tabletop gaming hobbies, 3d printing, a little coding, and streaming.
I work all day on the computer. Its been a long time since gaming took up the majority of my computer time.
I think the stagnation in graphics improvements, combined with the extreme costs of high end GPUs and the massive growth in the industry, is what changed the dynamic. Most gamers just don't care about the high end like they used to and now its corporate BS that has a more direct impact on their gaming experience instead of better hardware.
I know you said you’re not into games much anymore but If you’re into D&D you might like Baldur’s Gate 3. I also know of a group for older gamers if you’re ever thinking of dabbling again.
I mostly use my computer for:
- CAD (both 3D modeling and circuit board design)
- Programming (mostly embedded firmware in Rust lately)
- Chatting because doing that on a phone is too slow and autocorrect sucks.
- Work (remote desktop, mostly)
- News
- AI tomfoolery with stuff like Stable Diffusion and LLMs.
Every now and again I'll get addicted to a new game and use my PC for that too. My latest addiction was Baldur's Gate 3 when it came out 🤷
I don't use my computers for modern gaming. Like OP, I prefer tabletop games, though I do speed run crossword puzzles and play some PixelDungeon on my phone when I have spare time. I also built a Retropie, and play some old Atari and PS2 roms on a bored Sunday. My stuff can run Civ IV, which is probably the last title I bought.
My main systems are for work, or for supporting self-hosted services including local infrastructure, home lab stuff, email, blogs, home automation, media servers, etc, etc. Lately I've been getting into SDR projects using RPi or old laptops.
So, uh... Yeah. Fun stuff, but not so much gaming.
My job is coding so my primary use is doing that stuff. I do game an awful lot though.
I think, here on Lemmy, there's relatively many folks who use their computers for other things, given there's so many techies here...
Programming, research and education would be my primary computer uses.
Linux, emacs, Python, forth, microcontrollers, kicad, gimp, blender, FreeCAD, spice, and astronomy are my main uses in no particular order. I occasionally play Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead. I used to be a regular cafe gamer, but I expect a clear and strait forward transaction of ownership with all purchases. Renting something that cannot be owned and reading some long legalise nonsense are not at all interesting to me. Maybe one day there will be a game industry again, but as far as I'm concerned, the world of proprietary exploitation, subscriptions, and extortion is the same as nonexistence.
Does collaborative writing for fun count as games? The communities involved call them games, but there's no thoughts about control schemes or graphics, and no need to do anything outside your browser. That, chat, social media, reading (both for work and personal time), and the like take up the bulk of my PC time.
I used to play a ton of games throughout my teenage years but fell off in my 20s. Now in my late 30s I still keep up with gaming news and discussion, but I rarely actually play through games anymore. I go through maybe one a year.
You're right that the discussion has changed, and that's due to a number of factors. Mostly, new games are pretty configurable and will run on pretty much any modern hardware. Long gone are the days where you simply couldn't play something unless you ponied up for a Voodoo 2. Add to that, that PC hardware is a lot more standard now. Gaming enthusiasts dont need to learn a bunch of competing hardware standards to keep up anymore.
And the other side is that with the introduction of microtransactions, keeping an eye on how companies are trying to monetize games is important. AAA games these days have Hollywood movie budgets and if they're not profitable, then hundreds of people are out of a job. Looking back, it's pretty amazing what 10-15 people could accomplish with a fraction of the budget and time that modern developers get(indie games notwithstanding)
I'm mostly using my PC for photo work, drawing, writing, and programming.
Most of my game time is on consoles (Xbox Series X and Switch).
I rarely play PC games, and they're usually PC-friendly by design (e.g. heavy use of keyboard/mice, ready availability of neat mods) or distribution (weird indie shit®).
Oh and emulators. Recently started dumping all of my GameCube and Wii games, and I have to say Dolphin is just bloody incredible.
I game a decent ammount, but else I use my computer to organize my photos, do some web design, research stuff, test the odd thing a VM.
I need to get a NAS...
Photo editing and uploading, maintaining my sports club's website, video calls to family members, watching films and TV. Do word puzzles count as gaming? I do Quordle and Octordle every morning. I also have an ancient laptop running Linux; I'm trying to work myself up to switch the computer over come October.
Photo editing. As a helping tool for guitar with Guitar Pro and Songsterr and HX edit. I also spend a fair bit of time on my homelab, configuring servers, networks and maintaining my self hosted empire.
Yeah, I like gaming but lately I don't have the time for it and just like you I've switched to in person tabletop as it has the added benefit of interpersonal interactions face to face.
Anyway answering your question, yes I use it a lot, sometimes more or less depending on my job situation but mostly browsing, illustration, emails and 3D software make about 80% of my computer time.
I rarely use my computers for games. Occasional bomb squad game with my wife. That's about it. I use it a lot for watching things, and coding a lot, related to work/personal projects and such. It was weird for me to find out most people that spend a lot of time on computers here are doing it because of games. Not because computers are fun to work with.
My main computer is a 500$ laptop that I use for writing, bills, shipping, etc. My gaming laptop comes out maybe once a week.
The primary use of my computer is for work as I am a 3D artist. I also watch a lot of videos and it serves as my audio rig for my music and headphones.
Yeah. I don't play computer games, and the computer my kid plays games on? She uses it more for drawing. The kids (not little kids) have laptops and use them for school. So about 1/5 of the computer use here is games. Lots of music streaming. One kid has a PS4 though, so there is a lot of gaming overall.
Xennial here. My non-admin use is probably split 60% learning, 30% programming, 10% gaming
My usage is a roughly even split between games, music, and all other media (including social media).
Programming and other digital projects used to be on par with music but back then games was a clear first place and social media use was a blip.
I am an adjunct professor. My evenings are taken for making slides and marking. I wish I had time for gaming.
Technically my primary computer activities are gaming, but these days I game exclusively on the Steam Deck or the tablet (for mobile games)...
My most speced-out computer was actually purchased for work related reasons. I wanted a decent GPU because I thought I'd be working in deep learning. Well current job doesn't require training models and I was required to use a dedicated work laptop so... This high-spec one I mainly use for just about everything else other than gaming
My primary use is photo editing for a photography hobby. I shoot wildlife and upload photos to iNaturalist. I shoot sports for a local junior college and an adult baseball league.
I don't watch a ton of movies, but it also serves as my Plex server. I leave it off unless I want to watch something though.
There are games on it, but I rarely get that itch anymore. In my teens and 20s, 1000 hours a year would have been a slow year. It's probably more like 0-100 a year now.
Rarely. I barely have time to game, never mind do the other things like code or whatever. Had my gaming pc for only about a year though
Work: Video editing. And browsing the web! Andddd a lot of video games lol
These days, my home PC is mostly used for consuming media, editing my own media, and (at least this time of year) business and tax paperwork. Games are definitely not my primary use.
I mostly use my computer for Discord, watching videos, and just generally browsing the web. I'm not a huge gaming person, although I was as a kid. I don't know how to code or anything, though...I have a healthcare related job.
My computer isn't good enough to run a lot of games anyway. It's a laptop from around 2018 that I have hooked up to a keyboard, mouse, and second monitor.
I'm 54 and don't game at all on my PC, it is used only for coding, a Beelink SER5
Main uses for me are coding, bookkeeping, email, office apps, and general web browsing. I haven't played games in years. Not how I prefer to unwind these days anyway.
I mostly use my laptop for coding, language learning, and watching TV series. I do play games on it but rarely, I got enough consoles and handhelds and I prefer using them instead of the computer, I'd use the computer if I want to play a game for a console I don't have tho.