The best gaming console for every type of gamer

Whether you’re buying your first console or just trying to find the right upgrade with your hard-earned cash, it can be tough navigating the current home console market. And with new devices like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X blurring the lines between console and PC, you’re probably wondering which console is right for you.

That question has only gotten tougher to answer as Microsoft and Sony continue to release new hardware, while the Nintendo Switch manages to quietly dominate after nearly eight years on the market. And now that we’re nearly four years into both PlayStation and Xbox’s latest console generations, it’s safe to say that it’s probably time for an upgrade if you’re still rocking an Xbox One or PS4. There are also a handful of interesting alternatives to buying a console outright if you’re on the fence or have a tight budget.

Here, we break down which console is right for your needs.

Best gaming console for most people: PS5 Slim

If you want a completely immersive experience, the PlayStation 5 is the choice. Just know that it’s a pretty big statement piece. The notoriously chunky original model got a slimmed-down revision for 2023, which is much more reasonably sized with the option to add a detachable disk drive either packaged in or purchased separately later on. Either way, you get an 825GB SSD.

The core difference is a digital-only experience, which saves you $100, or a disc drive for an extra $100, which lets you play physical PS4 games and other media titles like DVDs, CDs and even Blu-rays. We’d always recommend this route, as it can truly be a full entertainment console.

Its library of exclusive titles shouldn’t be glossed over either. Between games like charming platformer Astro Bot and tough-as-nails Returnal that showcase the DualSense Controller’s impressive haptics and story-driven graphical showcases like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and The Last Of Us Part 1 — not to mention a wealth of great third-party games like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Helldivers 2 and Tekken 8 — the best PS5 games have something for everyone.

Like the Xbox Series X and zooming past the Xbox Series S, the PlayStation 5 is powered by a custom CPU with 10GB of RAM and a custom GPU. You can game in full 4K resolution that’s produced natively on the console, with support for up to 120 frames per second (fps), although many games are sticking around 30 to 60 fps for now. The PlayStation 5 user interface is a bit more minimalist but equally as swift in comparison to the Xbox. The Series X has a bit more power inside and a larger amount of storage at 1TB.

As is tradition with recent PlayStation consoles, Sony will soon launch an even more powerful PS5 Pro in November 2024. This souped-up PS5 promises a number of performance boosts, including true, uncompromised 4K gameplay at up to a smooth 120 fps. You can also expect improved ray tracing for even more realistic lighting and shadows as well as general upscaling that should make new and old games look sharper. All of these perks come at a hefty $700 price tag, which doesn’t even include the $80 disc drive you’ll need to buy if you want to play physical games.

We’ll have to test the PS5 Pro ourselves to see just how big a leap it is over the original, but unless you’re a graphics snob who doesn’t mind splurging for the best of the best, you’ll probably be fine with a PS5 Slim, especially since it often goes on sale these days.

Best gaming console for portability and family fun: Nintendo Switch OLED

The standard Nintendo Switch blurs the line between a traditional gaming console and a portable, handheld device. You can play it on your TV when you plug it into its dock, or you can simply pull it out of that dock and take your favorite games with you wherever you go. While it doesn’t have top-notch specs like the latest next-gen video game consoles (or even like last-gen consoles), its portability and modular Joy-Con controllers make it the best choice for someone who isn’t quite looking for a traditional gaming console.

You can also find other versions of the Switch, like the handheld-only Nintendo Switch Lite or the Nintendo Switch OLED, which boasts a slightly bigger, OLED screen. We’d recommend springing for the Switch OLED if you can, for not just its superior display but also its quality-of-life improvements like a larger kickstand and more internal storage.

While the Nintendo Switch resides in a niche of its own in the gaming world, one of the biggest draws to purchasing the console is the myriad of classic games you get access to. On top of being able to play modern essentials like Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can snag a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play tons of retro essentials from past Nintendo consoles like the Super NES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy and even the Sega Genesis. Nintendo has arguably the best selection of exclusive games, making it a huge draw to loyal fans of these series. The long list of best Switch games also includes some solid third-party hits, from essential indie games like Hades and Balatro to ports of iconic franchises like Marvel vs. Capcom, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and BioShock.

Buy a Nintendo Switch if you want a different gaming experience than what you’d get on the PS5 or Xbox Series S and X. It’s a console that prioritizes great gameplay, great local multiplayer and great family-friendly experiences. Plus, it’s portable, so you can game whenever you want.

Best budget gaming console: Xbox Series S

The Xbox Series S is the most affordable Xbox console and the smallest of these high-powered consoles. As we said in our review, it’s the ideal option for the masses with support for a large backlog of Xbox titles, the ability to play next-gen titles and plenty of horsepower. And if the Series S is too light on storage for your needs, you can upgrade to the 1TB model, which is available in Carbon Black or Robot White, for an extra $50.

The main things to know? Well, there is no native 4K with the Series S (1440p is the maximum resolution that is pushed out), but it can run games at up to 120 fps for super-smooth gameplay. However, if you want a true 4K experience with gaming, you’ll need to opt for the Xbox Series X or the PlayStation 5.

The good news is that the Series S can play all of the best Xbox Series X games; they might just not be as fine-tuned or optimized. In fact, both of these consoles support a large backlog of games dating all the way back to the original Xbox (think Halo, Sea of Thieves, Ace Combat and Forza, to name just a few). You’ll need to have previously purchased these digitally, buy them fresh or opt for a Xbox Game Pass subscription to play them on Series S. It’s a digital-only console with no disc drive, meaning this likely isn’t the choice for you if you have a ton of physical Xbox One games.

Starting at $300, the Xbox Series S makes sense as the console for casual gamers, families and beginners. It will not only introduce you to new titles but also deliver a compelling next-gen experience with zippy load times and solid graphics for the price.

Most versatile gaming console: Xbox Series X

The Series X is the most powerful Xbox ever, and it shows. Between fast load times and games that almost run instantly, it’s a climactic moment for the world of Xbox. It also boasts access to the same Xbox ecosystem that makes the Series S such an enticing pick, just with more power and a $200 price jump. That ecosystem promises the full benefits of services like Game Pass, which still might be one of the best deals in gaming even after a price hike thanks to upcoming titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and South of Midnight being available on the service at launch.

Features like ray tracing for realistic lighting and teraflops of power for a zippy experience are all packed inside. And the Series X does it in a smaller package than the PlayStation 5 and stays quiet while doing so. Its improved loading times and big performance boost make for a faster experience over the Xbox Series S and one that’s on par with the PlayStation 5.

You also have a giant backlog of titles that will work on Xbox Series X, from early Halo games to plenty of racing with every Forza ever. You can easily access those with a subscription to Xbox Game Pass, which is the ultimate pairing for this console, or simply pop any backward-compatible games you own right in the disc drive. The base model’s 1TB of storage is a good amount to get you started, and you can grab a Seagate storage card for more space.

Microsoft has also expanded its Xbox Series X lineup with a few new models, including a $450 Digital Edition that comes in slick white for a cheaper $450 (but at the expense of a disc drive) as well as a 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition that gets you twice the storage of the standard console for $600. We’d recommend getting a disc model if you can, but that white Digital Edition sure is pretty.

The latest Xbox controller sports a slightly rethought texture and an additional share button. (Don’t worry — just about all of your Xbox One accessories will still work here.) Haptics are par for the course and provide an engaging experience. It’s not as immersive as DualSense on PlayStation 5, but it makes up for it with a better D-pad, grip texture and offset sticks.

The Xbox Series X is packed with some serious power and will set you up for some epic games. It provides a seamless experience with basically no lag across the dashboard to games. And with a handful of exciting exclusives like Indiana Jones, Avowed and South of Midnight on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to pick up a Series X.

Best gaming console alternatives

Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox may be the big three when it comes to console gaming, though the definition of “console” itself has blurred over the past few years. PC gaming handhelds like the Valve Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally give you the power and library of a modest gaming computer within a portable, Switch-like design, and with so many ways to stream games to your phone, tablet or even TV, the question of whether you actually need a console is a valid one.

If you want to play the best PC games on the go, our top pick is the Steam Deck OLED. It can play thousands of the top titles available on Steam at fairly respectable settings — including blockbusters like Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — and features a familiar, console-like interface for easily browsing and shopping games. You can even use the Steam Deck as a full-on Linux PC if you like to tinker, though you’ll need to be somewhat savvy to get Windows running and access non-Steam games. The Asus ROG Ally X is a good alternative if you want something that runs Windows out of the box, though it’s more expensive and has its own control and performance quirks.

Gaming subscription services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon Luna let you stream games to pretty much any device with a screen. This means that even your phone can be a decent console alternative, especially if you connect the excellent Backbone One controller to it and effectively transform it into a mini Switch. Samsung’s newer TVs and FreeStyle Gen 2 projector have streaming apps like Xbox Cloud Gaming built right in, meaning all you need is a controller and an internet connection to get up and running with games like Halo Infinite or Starfield. Streaming obviously has its own trade-offs — you won’t quite get the fidelity or responsiveness of playing something locally, and you’re at the mercy of your home internet — but these services are a nice entry point into modern games that don’t require a separate $500 machine.