What does "console port" mean in relation to games?

Question

I read some user reviews for Crysis 2 and some people complain that it’s not a great PC game because it’s a console port. I’m trying to figure out (without success) what console port means. Of course I know that most games nowadays are targeted for as many platforms as possible and consoles are far away from being the best platform for FPS games (it’s difficult to beat the accuracy of the mouse).

So, I can’t see Crysis 2 being very different from any old “PC” only FPS such as Quake 2 or Medal of Honor 1 & 2, which had a linear story and were just FPS games.

pc terminology

So, I can't see Crysis 2 being very different from any old "PC" only FPS such as Quake 2 or Medal of Honor 1 & 2, which had a linear story and were just FPS games.

Oak · Accepted Answer

I think there's a difference between the dry definition of a port and the thing that people complain about.

The term "a port of a game" means a game was developed for one set of platforms, and it was later released for other platforms. Technically, a game released for multiple platforms from the get-go - such as Crysis 2 you have mentioned - shouldn't be called a port.

But that's not what people complain about. A game can be a port from its version on another platform, and still be a great game which was carefully ported. What people really complain about are games that exhibit elements not appropriate for the platform they are running on; unfortunately, this is a common occurrence with ports, hence the connection.

The problem isn't really exclusive to ports - a port may be a good port (modified to fit the new platform perfectly), while a non-ported game released on many platforms may simply work better on one platform vs another. The truth is, though, that many game today are designed with consoles in mind, and unfortunately their PC version (whether a port or a simultaneously-released version) is inferior because they are not properly adapted.

Common examples of things not properly adapted are UI elements - e.g. where mouse navigation is lacking while keyboard navigation is fine; aiming - where in consoles FPS often have auto-aiming mechanisms that should not appear on the PC; driving - where the accurate gamepad control does not have a parallel in a PC keyboard; etc. One of the biggest ones is something a little less obvious, and that's performance - a poor "port" might have poor performance on the platforms it was not originally designed to work with.

EDIT I've recently found this nice piece listing problems or missing features that plague PC releases of console-oriented games nowadays. Although it specifically bashes some select titles, it does mention problems that I've seen in many recent games, and I thought it's worthy to include the link here.

Ragnar · Answer

It means that the game was ported from a console. It was first developed for a console, the code was initially written in such a way that the game runs on a certain console (PS3, Xbox360, Wii etc.) and then they took that code and modified it so that it will run on a PC (usually, under Windows).

The same code or the compiler that runs or makes the game run on a PS3 does not run on an XBox, it needs to be modified first. This is what is called "a port", as far as I know. I might be entirely incorrect about the specifics, I only know about the concept as a whole.

Doozer Blake · Answer

From Wikipedia

"Console Port" is a term specifically used to describe a game that was originally made for a console (such as PS3 or Xbox 360) before an identical version is created which can be played on a personal computer. This term has been widely used by the gaming community, primarily in a negative way due to the higher levels of performance that computers had during that generation of gaming.

The negative connotations also sometimes focus around things like:

Lack of support for customizations
Lack of support for mods
Lack of a console (to perform commands in game)
Lack of dedicated servers for multi-player

The games aren't always specifically created for a single console, but people can often perceive it to be that way. It's quite likely the developers are trying to keep their code-base as consistent as possible to require less work to maintain multiple versions.

user598527 · Answer

adding to the other answers:

locked frame rate (more common because developers can tie game speed to frame rate to save process clock cycles) and resolution
no mouse support
universal texture resolution
no key rebinding (as it is rare in console games), or multiple functions bound to the same key (controllers have a limited number of keys compared to over 100 in an average keyboard)
no PC-specific on-screen mouse and keyboard prompts (the icons may be directly lifted from the console version or a generic "1-9" scheme is used)—in particular makes QTEs difficult to complete
HUD size and menu layout isn't accommodated for PC viewing distance and layout. For example, you may only see three key bindings in the control options at once even though all keys could easily fit the screen.
no server browser (console games universally use automatic matchmaking to my knowledge, likely a result of higher average viewing distance)
forced autoaim when mouse is used

and...

the PC port isn't created in-house, but is outsourced to a third-party company (not necessarily a negative point, but can show lack of interest)

What does "console port" mean in relation to games?

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