Gaming Consoles

Play By Play: Comparing the Best Modern Game Consoles

In these trying times, there is often nothing like escaping into the world of fantasy, and what better way to do that than to boot up your computer or favorite video game console, jump into some of your favorite worlds, and play your favorite video game series? This is exactly what so many people of all ages do to try to feel a little more at ease in the world, and many of them are enjoying their favorite games on some of the hottest new game consoles. 

If you’ve been thinking about picking up a new video game console for your home but haven’t thought about which option might be the best for your household, you’ll get all of the information you needed in just a moment. In the current world of video games, the major options come down to three platforms, and those three platforms are provided by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. All of these well-known gaming companies are working hard to get you to buy into their vision for what the latest gaming console should look like.

Trying Something New: Microsoft’s Xbox One

Back in 2013, Microsoft brought the first iteration of the Xbox One platform into the world, along with several first-party games and a few third-party exclusive titles that really helped set the console apart from the competition. It was beautiful, it was new, and most importantly, it was different. It was different than anything Microsoft had tried before, and love it or hate it, you definitely noticed it. 

How has the Xbox One platform continued to hold up? Amazingly well, actually! Here are some of the current best reasons to consider picking up a console in the Xbox One family.

Well-known games

One of the things people really love about the Xbox platform is the amount of great exclusive titles it has native to it, most notably the long-running and best-selling video game franchise, Halo. Xbox fans are highly passionate and vocal about their love for the series that you will only find available on Xbox One.

A familiar interface

The current Xbox One runs a modified version of Windows 10, presenting the millions of users who use Windows a familiar and friendly user interface right out of the box. Xbox One also brings some features over from Windows, such as the ability to interact with the Cortana virtual assistant.

A fantastic online community

Xbox provides access to Xbox Live, which is Microsoft’s online multiplayer service for the Xbox platform. With Xbox Live, gamers can team up with each other in their favorite games, stream their playthroughs, and chat over their headsets, all on their Xbox One.

The Future of the Xbox

We are now seeing Microsoft gear up for the release of the newest console experience from the company, known at the moment as the Xbox Series X. This new platform is due to bring a ton of new features to the Xbox experience, including: 

• Powerful, upgraded hardware capable of running the latest titles at 4K and 60FPS, loading games much quicker, and running virtually silent with no distracting fan noise. 

• Backwards compatibility baked right in to ensure you can still play your favorite games from older Xbox consoles. 

• Specs on par with a gaming PC, without having to drop potentially thousands of dollars.

Powerful and Stable: Sony’s Playstation 4

The Playstation 4, also lovingly referred to as PS4 by many of the console’s adoring fans, brings a lot to the table, and is still a worthy contender for a place in your living room among the current console options. With features like these, it’s easy to see just why the PS4 is still widely played every day by millions of loyal users across the world. 

The DualShock controller

The Playstation 4, like all other Playstations before it, comes with a DualShock controller ready to rock for you. This DualShock, however, comes with some upgrades that you should be aware of. The PS4 controller has the ability to light up so you can see your buttons in the dark, as well as a tiny speaker to hear your game at night without waking anyone else in your home up. 

The simplicity

One of the things fans have always praised Sony for in regards to the Playstation experience is how simple and intuitive it is to navigate through the system. Everything is easily laid out, and the gamer can change the layout of their menus, color schemes, and more with relative ease. 

The familiarity

Like it or not, Playstation is one of the oldest names in the game, and Sony has worked hard to preserve the Playstation experience all the way back to the original Playstation. That attention to detail has not gone missed in the PS4, and you will find that it is just as familiar and easy for you to get around as any Playstation before it. 

The Future of the PlayStation

Like Microsoft, Sony is also preparing to launch its highly-anticipated follow-up to the PlayStation 4, named of course the PlayStation 5. What can you expect to see from this new line of PlayStation consoles?  

• Further integration with the PlayStation VR platform to make your virtual reality experience even better. 

• The ability to convert your older PS4 titles into digital versions of those same games on the PS5, with added backwards compatibility features to ensure smooth playing of PS4 games. 

• A brand new and overhauled aesthetic, bringing a new style to both the appearance of the console as well as the controller. It is one unique machine that will stand out on your entertainment center.

Console Quality in a Handheld: Nintendo’s Switch

The Nintendo Switch has been known since 2017 has Nintendo’s big comeback. With the Switch, Nintendo did something that only Nintendo could do—reinvent gaming once more. Just like Nintendo revived the video game industry in the 1980’s with the Nintendo Entertainment System, it has also changed how people play console quality games. 

Thanks to the Switch, it is now possible to play console-level games anywhere you go, thanks to the easy portability of the console. If you get a Switch for yourself, you can expect to enjoy some of these great things about the platform. 

Easy to take anywhere

Thanks to the design of the Switch, you can easily stow it in your bag and take it with you if you’re going on a trip or would like to go somewhere to play games with your friends. Whether you’re flying in a plane or riding down the highway on a long road trip, your Switch can be there to keep you entertained for hours on end. 

Plenty of ways to play

The Switch allows you to play in a multitude of different ways. You can play some games with the touchscreen on the console, or you can use the included Joy-Con controllers. If you would prefer to go a little more “old-school,” however, you will be happy to know that you can use bigger Switch controllers that are a little more reminiscent of a GameCube controller.  

Nintendo’s classic games

Don’t forget that this is Nintendo you’re dealing with, so you will also be able to enjoy some of the first-party series that only Nintendo can come up with. Rejoin old favorites from the likes of Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and so much more by playing new versions of these old classics on the Switch. 

Game On!

It can seem difficult to find the best gaming console for you, but if you know a little bit about what you’re looking for and what your budget is, you will find it deceptively simple to compare gaming consoles price so you can find the best price for gaming consoles near you. 

Think about which console you like and how many games you might like to get, and you can begin to consider the cheapest price for gaming consoles once you have made your final decisions and are ready to begin shopping around.