What is a "Peasant"?

You would not believe how many people misunderstand the definition of "peasant". It's possible that, at some point in the past, the popular definition of the new term was "anyone who owns a console", and it's very likely that some people who are not part of our community use it with that meaning, but that's just either not true anymore or makes no sense outside of friendly banter.

The PC Master Race uses the term "peasant" as a personification of willful ignorance regarding the objective superiority of PCs over consoles. The term is especially applicable when facts are ignored or dismissed in lieu of regurgitated console marketing disinformation in an effort to defend some abhorrent practices by console manufacturers.

Such dismissals are not limited to, but may include:

  • the reference to popular misconceptions such as mentions to how the human eye can not see past a certain number (usually in the high 20's or low 30's) of FPS, or that a high enough number (usually above the high 30's) can easily make people sick.
  • A praise of artificial restrictions (exclusives!) as an advantage of consoles over other consoles or over PC's.
  • A very strong post-purchase rationalization (or Buyer's Stockholm Syndrome), a cognitive bias whereby someone who has purchased a product overlooks any faults or defects in order to justify their purchase.

That's pretty much it. We don't use the term to put ourselves above other gamers. We use the term to put our PCs above consoles. It's not the people, it's the platforms.

  • Not being able to afford a PC with incredible specs does not make you automatically a "peasant". There are members of the PC Master Race who are only saving up for a PC as they have none or play on desktops or laptops of average or even low specs.

  • Playing on both PC and Console does not automatically make you a "peasant". Nor does it playing only on Console as you can simply be saving up to buy a PC, for instance, or just have no way of acquiring one in the immediate future.

  • Using a controller on PC does not automatically make you a "peasant". PC is about choice and different games benefit from different peripherals.

You can see more definitions at /r/PCMasterRace/wiki/dictionary

The companies behind many of the most recent consoles have engaged in such shady misinformation tactics, that there's even a separate page just to keep track of it.