Officially, yes, that means that Hertz is saying that you need to go to the counter.
In practice, I've never had an issue just going to the PC section.
The 2 scenarios where I've seen "Standard Counter":
- updated credit card on file or new renter (they can validate the card at the gate)
- booked less than an hour before pickup time (no problem, just pick a car and go to the gate)

If you *do* go to the counter, you should still be able to go to the PC aisle after they validate your credit card or whatever they need to do.