Which game console should you buy by

You may, however, see an improvement in how they look and perform compared to the standard PS4 - though they won't look or perform as well as they would on PS5. The PlayStation 4 Pro was the most powerful console in the PlayStation lineup until the PlayStation 5 came along , capable of outputting native and upscaled 4K in games that have been patched to make that possible.

Like the standard PS4, this console has an excellent library of games and some fantastic exclusives as well as Playstation VR support. Though it's capable, it's not every game that will output native 4K on the PS4 Pro — many of them will be upscaled as the console just doesn't have quite the degree of power required to maintain native 4K resolution and run a large game with consistent frame rates - if you want that then the PS5 is probably a better option.

The PS4 Pro also has the same problem as the PS4 in that there isn't good backwards compatibility for previous console generations. There's also no built-in Ultra HD Blu-ray player so if you're looking for a console that will play your physical 4K media, this isn't the one.

It will, however, still play standard Blu-rays and DVDs, and can stream in 4K from compatible services. But it is a cheaper gateway to 4K gaming than the PS5. Think you might make the jump to 4K? Available in standard or slim versions, the PS4 is the baseline console offering from Sony, sitting underneath the PS4 Pro and the new PlayStation 5 in terms of power.

Since it launched eight years ago, the PlayStation 4 has been a firm fan favorite, even cementing its place second bestselling home console of all time. Key reads: Make sure you check out our full PlayStation 4 review and our picks of the best PS4 games. These are the best PS4 deals you can get right now. To truly get the most out of the Xbox Series X, we advise picking up an Xbox Game Pass subscription that enables you to access hundreds of games for a monthly fee and definitely helps the Xbox platform stand apart from its competitors.

With mobile streaming available as part of Game Pass Ultimate, the Xbox is finally able to offer a portability that steps on the toes of the Nintendo Switch but only very slightly. It will, however, see you playing older titles on your new console rather than brand-new games, which is a bit anti-climactic for a new console generation even if some games are optimized. However, there are some great new Xbox Series X games in the pipeline that could change that.

Buy this if you want: You want minimal loading times and smoother gameplay, a great audiovisual multimedia experience, to keep access your older Xbox games and accessories and more control over your storage. The Xbox Series S is a next-gen console that takes a radically different approach. It's designed to offer the same generational leaps as the Xbox Series X , such as high frame rates, ray tracing and super-fast load times, at a considerably lower price — and inevitably, this means it comes with a few key compromises.

It has significantly less storage than the Series X, and targets a resolution of p for gaming and upscales to 4K when connected to an ultra HD display. A couple of titles are capable of native 4K, such as Ori and the Will of the Wisps, but this is a machine designed to run games at a lower resolution.

Games on the Xbox Series S are impressive, with smoother frame rates, increased resolutions when compared to Xbox One and Xbox One S and faster load times The Xbox Series S is a great entry point into next-gen gaming, then, without the sizable financial outlay required to own a full-blown next-gen console. As we've alluded to already, there are drawbacks to consider.

If you prefer to purchase games physically, or have amassed a large collection of physical Xbox One games over the years, the Xbox Series S's lack of disc drive may put you off. The other factor that may deter people from buying Microsoft's more affordable Xbox is the fact that outputs at p for gaming.

This lower resolution is a firm favorite in the PC gaming space due to the superior image quality it provides over p, and lower amount of graphical grunt it requires, which has allowed Microsoft to create a lower-spec machine that still boasts next-gen features. If you own an Xbox One X, the drop to p from native 4K can be noticeable, and the Xbox Series X is the console for you if you're after the outright best image quality possible.

Yes, the Series S has fewer teraflops than the Xbox One X four compared to six , but teraflops are no longer the defining factor in how a GPU power is determined.

For Xbox One owners looking to upgrade without breaking the bank, the Xbox Series S is a great option, if you can accept what it's been designed to achieve.

Buy this if you want: You're on a budget, but still want to experience next-gen gaming, you plan on mostly getting games from Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, and you're tired of sitting through long loading screens. Here's where to buy the Xbox Series S. Looking for an entry-level console but not interested in what PlayStation has to offer or in next-gen? The Xbox One S may not be as powerful as the Xbox Series X, but it does offer access to plenty of new Xbox games, such as Psychonauts 2 and the upcoming Halo infinite, as many new Xbox releases are cross-generational.

At present, Xbox doesn't have a huge amount of exclusives to write home about, but, to make up for this disappointing exclusive lineup, Xbox consoles do have much better backwards compatibility capabilities than PlayStation consoles. If you ever owned an older Xbox console and you still have the games from that, or you really want to catch up on a bunch of excellent titles you missed out on then the Xbox One S is a great way to do this.

Also, thanks to Smart Delivery, if you do decide to upgrade to an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S at a later date, you can take many of your games with you and play them on your new console.

An area where the Xbox One S completely outstrips its direct counterpart, the PlayStation 4, is overall home entertainment — while both consoles are able to stream from a variety of entertainment apps like Netflix and Amazon, the Xbox One S also has a 4K Blu-ray player built in.

One issue Xbox has compared to PlayStation is exclusive games. Where PlayStation has quite a robust collection of exclusives, Xbox is somewhat lacking.

What it does have on its side is Xbox Game Pass, which for a monthly fee gives access to a rotating library of games. We would recommend having a look at the Xbox Series S before picking up an Xbox One S, as this digital-only, cheaper alternative to the Xbox Series X offers the benefits of next-gen gaming with a price tag not far off that of the Xbox One S. Key reads: Make sure you read our full Xbox One S review as well as our picks of the best Xbox One games to see what you could be playing.

Think this is the console for you? These are the best Xbox One S deals right now. The most recently released console on this list, the Nintendo Switch OLED sees the standard Switch getting a pleasing upgrade - but it won't appeal to everyone.

The Nintendo Switch OLED boasts a seven-inch OLED screen, which provides perfect blacks and accurate colors while offering a larger picture than the standard Switch, alongside enhanced speakers which sound fantastic. More affordable next-gen. Xbox One S. The affordable media center. An upgraded classic. Nintendo Switch. If getting the best possible crispness for most games is a priority, PS4 comes out on top. However, when it comes to the premium versions of both consoles, Xbox has an edge.

Both systems are about on par with one another, with minor differences. Both systems are capable of outputting 8K visuals and running games at frames per second fps. Why we picked the PlayStation 5: With lightning-fast load speeds, a new controller, and a phenomenal lineup of launch titles including fan favorites and new exclusives , the PS5 is the best plug-and-play gaming platform available. We'll keep our advice in plain english, for those who might not be familiar with backward compatibility, streaming services and 4K gaming.

Let's start with the big one…. The average age of gamers in the US is 35 years-old according to the ESA but consoles are, obviously, hugely popular with children, teens and young adults.

Traditional stereotypes of people who play games are long outdated, with games that cater to all tastes and levels of dedication. Broadly, some consoles are a better fit for different people, based on their age and situation, as we outline below. Best for: Families, Younger Gamers, Anyone who loves good games Nintendo is like the Disney of games, so it feels absurd to put an age limit on its consoles.

The Switch is a home console that you hook up to your TV, and also transitions to a portable handheld, making it ideal for both commuting, and keeping the kids entertained on long trips out and about. Nintendo further cements its family-friendly credentials through its online environment, where online chat is limited to a smartphone app. The PS4 is perfect for anyone upwards of being a teen or young adult, and has an amazing selection of platform-exclusive games.

The console is also home to a number of popular multi-platform online games, such as the FIFA, Battlefield, and Call of Duty series, as well as the all-consuming battle royale game, Fortnite. Microsoft also offers the Xbox One S; a brilliant, high value, console for younger teenagers, as well as the Xbox One X which is the most powerful console available, and better suited for more generous wallets.

You get a console that plays almost all the biggest games, a great online service, loads of multimedia options Netflix, web browsing, movies etc , plus it looks good and is easy to use. Xbox offers a far friendlier environment for older games, with the Xbox One able to play titles from the previous Microsoft console, the Xbox , straight off their discs. The library of Xbox titles that are eligible for this is currently sitting at over , but it will continue to grow.

The same applies to the more powerful Xbox One X, which has the added bonus of running some Xbox One games enhanced in 4K, as well as playing some Xbox games at a higher resolution.

Lots of games on the console offer split-screen play, as well as games that display multiple players on one screen. The PS4 and Xbox One also have games that can be played on one screen, like FIFA, PES or Madden to name a few, but split-screen is a rarity, giving way to to on online multiplayer experiences, rather than the more party-friendly vibe of Nintendo. This is worth considering, since you'll need to own a game on the same console as your friends to play against them online e.

It's also handy to know people with the same console so that you can swap games once you've finished with them. It's rare to replay most single-player games, so borrowing, lending, and swapping can really save some cash. It pays to shop around for the best trade-in prices, so be sure to do your research first.

Microsoft has stopped sharing the sales numbers for its console, but it was around 30 million at the end of