Choosing a fighting game (I need some help!)

So recently I’ve been watching a lot of fighting game videos and tournament highlights and I really want to dive into a fighting game. I have played some fighters before (the main ones being KI, MKX, and Injustice 2) but Im looking for something new, as I got bored of these games pretty quick and I never cared much for their tournament scene. I’m not a total noob to fighters since I did play these games a lot, so I get some of the basic theory and stuff like that but my execution has always been my weak point. That being said I’m not scared to pick up a harder game because this is something I really want to put some time in. One of my problems is that I don’t have a ps4, so unless it’s on Xbox I’ll have to play on pc. I’ve heard a lot of stuff about bad pc ports, low player bases and an stuff like that which has me worried. Two games I’ve really been considering are SFV and Guilty Gear xrd rev 2. I know there’s a LOT of opinions on SFV but I’ve never really played any of them before so I have no bias towards the game. The thing that intrigues me is the fact that it has a huge following with lots of players a hyped up tournament scene, and it looks pretty fun to play. Guilty Gear is absolutely beautiful and the gameplay looks smooth, but it seems to be a game everyone praises yet never plays, as it seems to have a pretty niche community. So what would you guys have to say about my dilemma? I’m open to other games too not just SFV and Guilty Gear! I figured this could be a good topic for all kinds of new players looking to dive into this world of fighting games. Any responses are appreciated, thank you!

My advice is to play what you think that you will like.
Personally i will recommend GGXrd Rev2 over SFV simply because i prefer that game and i think that overall is the better package.
Your best friend for finding matches are the discords, fb groups, etc that are listed on dustloop.
Since the game has a smaller community compared to SFV people prefer to play in lobbies than wasting their time with ranked or leaving it to the matchmaking.

I’ll definelty look into the groups and discords for the game, thanks for the advice!

Id recommend Blazblue. massive and varied roster, healthy online, and the combos are more lenient in my experience. if you can play Gulity Gear id definitely recommend it, i just feel like Blazblue is better for beginners and still good in its own right.

for 3D fighters can’t go wrong with DOA. no literally you can’t since they make so much money off of DLC costumes they made a free to play version with rotating characters and all the ninjas automatically unlocked. if you want to play as just one character permanently just pay $5. you could play that game for a long time for free.

I second Guilty Gear. Absolutely fantastic game. I haven’t had a chance to really get into the last Blaz that was released. Tekken 7 is a must play.
And Persona was good when I played on the 360.

The one thing you need to keep in mind is the games that aren’t main stage at Evo will have smaller communities. I like that. It tends to mean the player base are on a much higher level as the newer players either git gud or give up. So if you can get in you will always have challenging matches. Easy enough to do. Just find the discord.

Pick the one that you have the most fun with. Playing a fighter for the sake of playing a fighter, rather than because you enjoy it, isn’t going to get you anywhere.

I personally recommend Tekken 7 and GGXrd, for no other reason that those are the current-day fighters I enjoy the most.

GGXrd is looking like the popular pick so I’m really gonna look into that one. I’ve heard it’s pretty tough but I’m up for a challenge. Thanks for all the advice so far guys!

Had to buy a lot of games myself to settle with one.
Started with SF4, went to Guilty Gear and Skullgirls, tried 3S and Vampire Savior, jumped on the SFV and Injustice 2 trains and now I’m deep into Tekken and think I found my game.
Don’t regret purchasing any of those games though. They all teach you different stuff and are well designed and fun to play.

Just try a lot of games. Just throw shit at the wall and see what sticks. Ain’t nobody be able to tell you what game you will like.

SFV. Then wait for mvci. These are the games that won’t go away in 4 more months like NRS games. Life’s too busy to learn tekken.

SFV. The execution barrier is low and you can play the game just fine with a pad (I have switched from stick to pad) and you get to play online with all the PS4 players.

I would personally suggest getting any fighting game that looks fun to you. Tekken 7 is awesome, SF5 is great, GGXrd Rev2 is great, BlazBlue is cool, KOF 14 is sweet. Just get as many fighting games as you can afford. All those games can be purchased on PC and you shouldn’t have a hard time finding a game, even if it means searching for a community online and playing with those people. As far as controlling them, I’d suggest getting a Hitbox or custom Hitbox. It’s the future of fighting game control and the most recent apparatus developed for the genre. Anyone can learn to play on Hitbox but I find the more intelligent you are in general the easier it is to grasp. I guess the same can be said for all things. Anyway, if you insist on using a stick, I’d suggest getting a Korean stick. My biggest praise goes to the Myoungshin Fanta which you can purchase from focusattack.com or etokki.com. Make sure you stick can support the 35mm collar. Focus attack sells a Makestick case you can buy which will hold it but you gotta put everything together yourself. Pretty easy though. Welcome to the FGC and have fun gaming.