Gaming Consoles & Hardware

The three biggest companies in the video game home console market are Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. The newest consoles from each of these companies is the Nintendo Switch, Microsoft’s Xbox Series X (and Series S) and Sony’s PlayStation 5.

The Nintendo Switch is designed to be a handheld, portable and home console hybrid. When docked the Switch can output to a TV or other screen via HDMI. When removed from the dock, the console seamlessly switches to the built-in touchscreen display. The Switch is available in three models; the premium Switch OLED, the budget Switch Lite and the original Switch.

The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are comparable in terms of hardware. Both consoles are designed for high performance gaming at 4K and 8K resolutions with high 120fps framerates. In terms of raw power, both consoles outperform the Switch. The differences between the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are more about their game libraries and subscription services than their hardware.

Xbox GamePass is a paid subscription service available on Xbox and PC platforms. For a monthly fee, GamePass users get access to a large rotating library of games from Microsoft-owned studios and other game developers and publishers. The library of games is updated several times a month. Microsoft has pledged to make all new releases from Microsoft-owned game studios available on GamePass on their launch day.

Nintendo and Sony also have their own subscription services. Nintendo Switch Online gives users access to a library of classic games from Nintendo Consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo and the Nintendo 64, in addition to some Sega Megadrive games. Nintendo sell Bluetooth and wired classic Controllers for each of these platforms.

Sony have announced additional tiers to their PlayStation Plus online subscription service. These higher tiers will give users access to a catalogue of hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games and a library of PS2, PSP and original PlayStation games.

Before deciding on a new video game console for the kids, it's worth getting an understanding of what games they want to play and what platforms their friends are playing on. Some games are exclusive to a particular console whilst others are multiplatform, so check the console can play the games they most want to play. You should also bear in mind that some online multiplayer games might not let you play with other people playing the same game on a different platform, so keep that in mind if your kids want to play online with friends.

The Nintendo Switch has a great library of games for people of all ages and skill levels and is the only place where you can play the latest instalments in Nintendo’s popular, long-running franchises such as Mario, Pokémon, Zelda, Donkey Kong and more. Because of it’s hybrid design the Switch can be used for portable and handheld gaming as well as playing on the big screen. This makes the Switch great for long car trips.

As mentioned previously, there are currently three industry leaders in video game home Console hardware: Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. But if you look outside of the home Console market, there are a wide variety of games available on PC and Smartphone platforms as well. Whilst there is a lot of overlap between modern Game Consoles and Gaming PCs, there are also a lot of notable differences that will appeal to different people based on personal preferences.

In general, a Gaming PC is a more customizable, versatile and potentially more powerful platform. A Game Console will generally be more focused in design and user friendly. Of course, PCs come with a wider variety of technical specifications and a less expensive PC may not necessarily outperform a modern game console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, although the components in a desktop PC can be upgraded piece by piece.

PCs have a much wider catalogue of games than Gaming Consoles. Some games are exclusive to a certain console or the PC platform.