Make no mistake; gaming consoles can be quite tricky to select from. A lot of people think that once you’ve seen certain gaming consoles that their features pretty much extend to other similar gaming platforms. Not so.
Gaming consoles, by design – as well as based on the nature of the video game console industry – each have their own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Don’t think for a second that the only difference between a Sony PlayStation console and an Xbox Series alternative are the titles that you have access to.
There are significant differences among the different consoles out there. If you want to get a good understanding of gaming consoles that are more likely to deliver the kind of experience that you’re looking for, pay close attention to the descriptions below.
Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
If you’re looking for the best overall gaming console, this is a good place to start.
It features an 8 Jaguar AMD processor running at 2.1 GHz. In terms of memory, it features 8GB GDDR5 RAM. When it comes to storage, it has a hefty 1TB hard drive and is fully WiFi and Bluetooth compliant.
Its controller has a DualShock capability with a light bar at the touchpad. You can play VR games on this console in 4K.
Its main advantage is that it has improved the performance of all games that you play on this platform. It features a high resolution 4K output, and its processor is faster than the competition. It also gives you a tremendous amount of space. You can’t argue with a 1TB hard drive.
With that said, its main shortcoming is that it has no Blu-Ray player, and not all games are available in 4K.
Xbox One S
If you’re looking for a multimedia gaming console that supports videos as well as audio and, of course, games, this could be your top choice. Not only does it offer a 2TB hard drive, but it also has a new exterior design for its console. Right now, only white is the available color, but there are skins sold on the market that you can use to customize.
It has an ultra-HD Blu-Ray capability and fully supports the 4K resolution and HDR. It comes with Bluetooth and has Bluetooth-textured grip controllers, as well as a wireless antenna.
Its main advantage is that it’s smaller than its predecessor and features great HDR and 4K streaming at a decent price.
Its downside is that it offers a fairly limited 4K gaming capability. If you want to use the Kinect, you have to get a special adaptor to use it with the Xbox One S.
Nintendo Switch
If you are looking for a hybrid gaming console, you might want to try this product.
It features a handheld console with two detachable joy controllers. It has a grip that lets you combine them into a single gamepad. The straps for the controllers turn them into individual controllers. It also has a dock that connects the console to your TV.
It has a native screen resolution of 720p.
This system’s main advantage is that it is a great hybrid design. This handheld console’s screen is bright and crisp with great resolution. The controllers are very dynamic and easily used. You can connect to TV for traditional video game console gameplay.
The downside to this unit is that it doesn’t support 4K resolution when plugged into your TV. Also, forget about virtual reality game titles with this platform. Some players complain that the right analog stick has a weird placement.
Nintendo Switch Lite
If you’re not a hardcore gamer but would still like a tremendous amount of leeway and portability for your games, try this product. Not only is it intended for purely handheld console gaming, but it is also lighter and more compact than other similar products on the market. Its 5.5-inch screen packs a crisp 720p display.
If you’re looking for maximum comfort, this handheld console is it. It doesn’t use joy cons. Instead, it features fixed controllers. It uses D-pads in place of traditional buttons.
When it comes to wireless connectivity, this product has you covered because it features Bluetooth. The only downside is you cannot connect it to wireless headphones.
It offers external microSD storage and has 32GB internal storage.
The main advantages of this platform are that it’s light and more compact than the Switch. It is also available in many colors. It is well-designed and quite comfortable and convenient. Finally, it’s also very easy to use.
The downside is that it’s exclusively a handheld device. You can’t slap it onto a dock so that you can play with it on your big screen TV. As far as controls go, it doesn’t come with a joy-con, which is a big turn-off to some hardcore gamers.
Asus ROG Phone II
If you’re looking for a top-notch Android gaming device, take a long, hard look at this unit. It is both a phone and a game console. Not only does it feature an octa-core Qualcomm snapdragon 855+ processor running at a 3GHz processor with 12GB RAM, but it also ships with 1TB of storage. Not too shabby for a device that you can use as a phone.
It features a 6.6-inch display with 2340×1080 resolution at 120Hz. Its battery is not too shabby at 6000mAh. On top of all these amazing features, it has a 48-megapixel camera.
Just how powerful is this unit? Well, you can play 100 different game titles at 120fps. You can also play Fortnight at a decent 60fps speed.
The main advantage of using this hybrid smartphone is that it offers a gaming experience that beats the quality of budget PCs. Imagine that!
It also has a great camera feature. Its data storage is quite competitive. Overall, it is quite durable, and you can use it both as a phone and a console.
The main downside to this unit is that it has a very finicky and – some people say – spotty gyroscope. Also, the price can be a turn-off to some.
Microsoft Xbox One X
If you are a gaming addict – and believe me, our numbers continue to grow every single day – this is probably the best console platform for you. I don’t say this lightly. You only need to look at its powerful gaming console configuration to be persuaded.
It has a core CPU running at 2.3GHz. It sports 12GB GDDR5 RAM. Its GPU packs six teraflops of processing power. It fully supports 4K HDR gaming, and the unit comes with 1TB storage.
The main advantage of this unit is its resolution and overall great performance. Plus, it also has a built-in 4K Blu-Ray DVD player.
The downside to this unit is that 4K games are simply too large to play. That 1TB storage might seem big, but it gets quickly filled up because of the large size of 4K games available for this title. It is also very expensive compared to other consoles, and there are fewer exclusive games for this unit.
PlayStation 4 Slim
If you’re looking for a starter gaming console, you might want to take a look at this product. It features all PS4-exclusive titles, but it’s cheaper than the PS4 Pro.
Its resolution is not bad. It features a 1080p resolution at 30fps. There’s a dedicated share button, so you can share gameplay videos and snap images of your action. It also allows you to save gameplay. It is fully Twitch compliant, so you can do live streaming on the Twitch network.
Its main advantages are its low price, its compact footprint, its stable network performance, and its energy efficiency.
The two key downsides to this product are that it has no 4K Blu-Ray drive and has no audio optical out connector.
SNES Classic
If you want to play classic games, take a long, hard look at the SNES Classic console. If you’re nostalgic for Nintendo game titles, this 16-bit generation game console enables you to experience the glory days of the NES Mini.
The controllers can be plugged into the Wii U via the Wiimote. Its interface uses the classic SNES interface. The games that it plays are great emulations of the original versions. Each product also ships with 20 games loaded in the game library.
Its main advantages are the following. It comes with two controllers. It also has a previously unreleased game – Star Fox 2 – and you get to enjoy a wide range of classic games.
The downside is that the controller cords are very short. Also, units sold outside the United States may not have adaptors.