Playstation, Xbox and many others: find out what consoles are on the market, their features and how to choose the best one for you.
Nowadays, choosing a new video game console is not as simple as it might seem. Especially now that a new generation of gaming platforms has appeared on the market, ready to give emotions in pixels and polygons to all fans.
To orient ourselves and choose the right console for us, we must in fact take into account several aspects, which should be evaluated carefully before opening the wallet. We'll discover them together in this guide, focusing in particular on the machines that have most recently appeared on the shelves: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.
PS5, Xbox Series X/S or Switch: which console to choose?
Before we figure out which video game console to choose from those proposed by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, it is appropriate to make a few clarifications. The first is that buying a last generation platform also means being ready to spend more money. Currently PS4 and Xbox One are widely supported, and provide gamers with a very large park of titles. It would not be a bad idea to bring home an old-gen console, especially for those who are not "hungry" for new releases. The other is that, for lovers of retrogaming, there are also consoles for video games of the '80s and '90s brought back to life in mini version, such as the NES, the first PlayStation, the Mega Drive or the Super Nintendo. We can now focus on the heart of our guide, pitting some useful advice to choose the console that best suits our style of play.
Exclusive games
The first aspect to consider could only be the video games. Many of the most popular ones are multiplatform, and therefore playable on several different consoles - such as Fortnite or the football FIFA -, while others are exclusive to a single manufacturer.
If we love Nintendo characters - such as Link, Zelda, Kirby or the legendary Mario - we have to buy a Nintendo Switch; if our nerd heart beats for Uncharted and God of War, PS5 is the wisest choice; finally, gamers who appreciate Master Chief and his Halo should immediately jump on Xbox Series X/S.
Retrocompatibility
Buying a new console, in most cases, means saying goodbye to the old games in our game library. Unless the platform you just picked up has backwards compatibility. Xbox Series X and S are thankfully compatible with all Xbox generations, while PS5 with almost the entire PS4 library. Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, can't read Wii and Wii U games.
Price
In choosing the best video game console, price can only be a relevant factor. This varies according to the different models of the same console on the market today. Nintendo Switch, for example, costs 299 euros in the basic version and 349 euros in the one with OLED screen, while the only portable edition Nintendo Switch Lite is priced at 178 euros.
PlayStation 5 is available at 499.99 euros in the version complete with Blu-ray player and 399.99 in the Digital version, without optical drive. To close, the Xbox Series X costs 499.99 euros, while the more compact and less powerful Series S comes 299.99 euros, also without a disk drive.
Services
In the age of the Internet and subscriptions, even video game consoles are not outdone. Nintendo offers Nintendo Switch Online, a subscription service that gives you access to many classic 80s and 90s games, and allows you to play multiplayer titles online. Sony does the same with PlayStation Plus, which gives away a selection of PS4 and PS5 games to subscribers every month.
The Japanese giant has also developed PlayStation Now, dedicated instead to streaming video games from the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 era. Xbox, then, is betting everything on Xbox Live Gold - similar to PS Plus - and Xbox Game Pass, a revolutionary Netflix-style subscription service that gives access to a catalog of over 100 games to download and play freely.