PC gaming is not dead

The intense popularity of the current console generation has been a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's been behind some of the best games, period, with developers conjuring mesmerising worlds, innovative gameplay and creatively lush environments from the debutant HD formats. Consequentially, with rising development costs and a congested marketplace, publishers increasingly opt for commercial dead-certs rather than place faith in riskier properties.

So as the current crop of consoles begrudgingly approach their long overdue sell-by dates and with such disparity in processing power between our mainstays and behemoth high-spec rigs, the PC is hitting its stride once again. For a gaming platform repeatedly labelled as 'dead', the PC has continued to show its dominance with a fervent mod scene and unshakeable support, despite piracy concerns and high-profile publisher snubs.

This month's look at the next update of the iCEnhancer mod for GTA IV demonstrates this entirely; take a look and bask in the knowledge that photo-realism is almost here.