What is the best game console to buy: PlayStation 5, 4, Nintendo Switch

Which Console Is For You? Game Console Buying Guide

‏With the recent new gaming consoles launching, it’s a great time to jump aboard the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S – or maybe buy a Nintendo Switch if that suits you better. And the PS4 and Xbox One are still around- let’s go over what game console works for you!

What is the best game console to buy?

PlayStation 5

Coming in a standard edition or, slightly cheaper, digital edition (which comes without a disc drive), the PS5 is Sony’s latest PlayStation console – and it’s as impressive as you would hope.

Sony has re-imagined the key parts of the PlayStation experience with the PS5 – from a simpler setup and new well-thought-out user interface, to the revolutionary DualSense controller and added bonuses for PS Plus members – and the result is a console that feels like a genuine step up from the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 4 Pro that came before it and we can’t help but be impressed.

Thanks to titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls, the PS5 manages to outshine its next-gen counterpart, the Xbox Series X, when it comes to first-party games, while the PS5 library also boasts plenty of excellent third-party games. There are also plenty of new PS5 games in the pipeline to get us excited about the future.

PlayStation 4

Anything the PlayStation 4 can do, the PlayStation 4 Pro can do slightly better. However, the PS4 Pro sits below the PS5 in terms of power and capability.

The PlayStation 4 Pro plays all the same games as the standard PlayStation 4, so if you’re upgrading you won’t have to start your library afresh and you won’t need to pay any more for new 4K games either. You may, however, see an improvement in how they look and perform compared to the standard PS4 – though they won’t look or perform as well as they would on PS5.

The PlayStation 4 Pro was the most powerful console in the PlayStation lineup (until the PlayStation 5 came along), capable of outputting native and upscaled 4K in games that have been patched to make that possible.

Xbox Series X

Microsoft has got a really impressive hand to play this console generation, too, though, and the Xbox Series X is its new flagship. It’s the most powerful console ever, too.

An SSD and huge power mean it’s right up there with the PS5, and the prices are similar too. However, Microsoft’s console might be a cheaper one, in the long run, thanks to Game Pass, a membership scheme that makes it affordable to play a huge range of games for a monthly fee.

After buying Bethesda recently, too, Microsoft should catch up on the exclusives front in the next couple of years, making the Series X an equally great choice.

Nintendo Switch OLED

The newest version of Nintendo’s handheld is also the best one going, in our opinion – it’s got a fancy new screen that really revitalises the many classic games you can pick up for the platform.

The build quality is also much improved, with a better dock, kick-stand and more, so if you’re out to get a new Switch now then this is definitely the one to pick.

Nintendo Switch

Of course, even if it’s no longer super new, the original Nintendo Switch also has to be part of any console conversation – it’s an absolute classic, portable and for home use all in one package.

No one can beat Nintendo’s lineup of first-party games from franchises like Mario Kart, The Legend of Zelda, and mainline Mario titles, and it’s also great for playing older titles bought digitally.

If you’ve got a family, we think this is the best choice by far – you’ve got some of the best games ever, in an amazing package, and most of them are family-friendly.

SNES Classic Edition

The 16-bit era saw Nintendo at the peak of its creativity, releasing popular, acclaimed games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past *and *Super Metroid alongside cult hits like Earthbound. Third-party companies didn’t take a backseat, with Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VI and Konami’s Super Castlevania IV among the best games of all time.

With the plug-and-play SNES Classic Edition, you can experience all over your favorite classic Super Nintendo games as you remembered them through retro gaming. There’s even a CRT filter option mimicking the look of your old television.

With the addition of a save-state feature, playing old Nintendo games on the SNES Classic is significantly less frustrating than it was 25 years ago, and when you’re ready to sit down and game with a buddy, classics like Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting give you a chance to compete for bragging rights.

The SNES Classic Edition also is the only way to play Star Fox 2, outside of the Nintendo Switch Online service, a game Nintendo canceled just before its original release date. To unlock it, you just need to beat the first level of the original Star Fox, but it will be very tough to pull yourself away once you start playing.

How we did the test game consoles

Our tests are independently conducted and reflect the test editor’s honest and objective opinions. Selection of products and test results are in no way influenced by manufacturers, retailers or other internal or external parties.

A game console is never better than the games available for it. And if you play online it’s a bit pointless if you don’t have the same machine as your friends. But all the same, we’ve taken on the task of evaluating the machines that make up the wonderful and enormously diverse world of game consoles.

We’ve lived, tested and played on consoles for a long time, often from when they were released, and we update our reviews on an ongoing basis. At the same time, we’ve taken into account a couple of key parameters when we made our assessment.

Range of games. A game console without enjoyable games is completely pointless. So the range of games both now and in the future is, if anything, even more important than the console itself.

Controls & Hardware. Game controllers are your most important tool and of course they must be top class. But there may also be different special controls or functions in the hardware that distinguish them from the rest.

Services & Software. Do you have to pay to play online? How easy is it to buy games and to find friends to play with or any subscription services? It’s also very important that the game console interface is easy to navigate and straightforward. So that, for example, during a game you can easily check what your friend wrote or invite other people to play.

What is the number 1 selling game console?

Sony’s PlayStation 2 is the best-selling game system overall with over 155 million units worldwide.

Is the Xbox or PlayStation better?

Yet despite these specs, the PS4 is actually better at putting down its power than the Xbox One. That’s because Microsoft’s games console uses some of its resources to power the operating system, meaning it has less grunt to bring to bear on games.

Is ps4 or Xbox more popular?

According to a recent study, PlayStation is less popular than Xbox in the US despite it possessing the majority of game console market share. The console wars between Microsoft and Sony have been going on since the early 2000s with the release of the original Xbox and the PlayStation 2.

Is Xbox One better than Nintendo Switch?

The Xbox One S and X clearly output games at a higher resolution than the Switch, but the Switch’s games are optimized for the platform and often look just as good at first glance. Plus, the Switch often looks just as good on your morning commute as it does on a TV. Overall, it’s too close to call.