The next generation of game consoles is just around the corner - the first swallows from the world of the future can be expected by the end of 2020.
However, even among the "oldies" there is something to see, because over the years of their existence they have accumulated so many games that until you replay them all, you look, and the new generation can be bought at a discount.
10. Microsoft Xbox One S
- stationary
- 1024 GB hard disk space
- virtual reality support
- support for UHD-resolution and 3D-mode
- wireless controller included
- Infrared, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11ac), LAN
- video playback
- 8 GB
- connectors: HDMI, USB x3, optical audio out
The budget model from Microsoft opens the rating of the best game consoles. Unlike Sony, Microsoft is less zealous about exclusives, so many of the initially "Xbox" games are available for PCs, which, however, somewhat reduces the cost of the console for buyers. However, Xbox also has a kindergarten only for its own; this includes the newest game in the Halo franchise.
Well, if you still have games that were once created with the expectation of the original Xbox-console or Xbox 360, then a more modern version is also a good option. The engineers promise full compatibility of the current console with all previous games from the same manufacturer.
And the Xbox One S also draws 4K resolution, unlike the "just" PlayStation 4. However, the Microsoft console does not reach the capacity of the PlayStation 4 Pro, since most of this 4K itself is just stretched 1080p without competent upscaling, like in Sony. However, for a console at this price point, this is already a great achievement.
Microsoft's brainchild completely breaks its rival in the field of video streaming - Xbox One can stream video from various services, for example, Netflix, without any problems. By the way, even with the Xbox One S, you can stream games to your own PC, if it is running Windows 10.
You can also play multiplayer games on Xbox One S, only you need an Xbox Live Gold subscription. It doesn’t cost much, only $ 60 per year. As with Sony, subscribers will receive 2 free games each month with the same cap. But, unlike Sony, Xbox owners have the ability to use auto-updates and a cloud service for storing saves without a signature.
Pros: price, 4K, many options without a subscription, video streaming.
Cons: few worth exclusives, upscale up to 4K is not very high quality.
9. Microsoft Xbox One X
- stationary
- hard disk space 1024 GB
- virtual reality support
- support for UHD-resolution and 3D-mode
- wireless controller included
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11ac), LAN
- video playback
- 8 GB
- connectors: HDMI, USB x3, optical audio out
This is Microsoft's answer to the release of the Sony PlayStation Pro, and I must say it came out well. It is the most powerful Microsoft model in the console market to date. And, we add, the most expensive. It supports 4K and HDR, and these are the same 4K "native" for more games than Sony.
Like the S version, the Model X is perfectly compatible with games for previous generations of consoles and can play videos in UHD Blu-ray quality. This set-top box has one unpleasant feature: for some reason, Microsoft engineers decided to limit the console data storage to 1 TB. And with modern games it will fill up very quickly.
Pros: Power, 4K support for games and videos.
Cons: price, little-cost exclusives.
8. NES / SNES Classic
- stationary
- controller included
- connectors: HDMI
When it became known that Nintendo had decided to reissue an updated model of the classic consoles of the early 90s - the NES and Super NES Classic - a sigh of nostalgia swept through the ranks of old-school gamers. For many, it was NES Classic that opened the world of console gaming, and a number of games for it were included in the golden collection of gaming masterpieces.
Some iconic games such as Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter II Turbo are included with the purchase. And for a little extra, you can again experience the sensations of Megaman X, Earthbound, Kirby Super Star and Super Mario RPG.
The new version of the popular game console directly copies the appearance of the old one, except that the size has become a little smaller. And it comes with two controllers for multiplayer play.
Pros: Small size, access to classic games.
Cons: Only 30 games, difficult to find on sale.
7. Nintendo 3DS
- portable
- display 3.53 ″, 800 × 240 pixels.
- working time 3.5 h
- support for 3D mode
- Wi-Fi (802.11b / g)
- Supported memory cards: SD, SDHC
- connectors: headphone out
Although handheld consoles from Nintendo are becoming less common, they are still in service. Their price is small, ergonomics are at a height, they take up little space and can be carried anywhere.
The difficulty with the 3DS and 2DS line is that with the release of the Switch it has become outdated, so there will be no new games for it. But the old ones are more than enough. The vast library of 3DS and 2DS includes many games, including ported versions of Mario, Zelda and Animal Crossing - and they are excellent.
The price option also speaks in favor of the "old man"; while Switch games will cost you $ 60 or more, 3DS and 2DS games are only $ 20.
Pros: price, large library of games.
Cons: there will be no new games for her.
6. Nintendo Switch
- portable
- display 6.2 ″, 1280 × 720 pixels.
- working time 6 h
- HD resolution support
- wireless controller included
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11ac)
- virtual reality support
- internal memory 32 GB
- supported memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
- connectors: HDMI, USB x2, headphone out
When developing the Nintendo Switch, the creators were guided by different principles than the industry mastodons, Xbox and PlayStation. It is a very small device, completely self-contained. That is, unlike the consoles already mentioned, the Nintendo Switch does not require a massive TV screen, a stand for it and a separate place in the room to work.
Nintendo Switch successfully combines the best features of a home gaming console (with the ability to connect to a TV if so desired) and a smartphone. You can play it while standing in line, on the subway, during a break between couples, waiting for your child from school - and anywhere.
Nintendo Switch is inferior to PlayStation and Xbox in terms of power, and its graphics are somewhere in the middle between PS3 and PS4, so it will not pull "weighty" games. However, autonomy, portability, and a large selection of Nintendo's own excellent games more than make up for this difference. Plus, Nintendo has recently taken to expanding its library with indie games, some of which come across real masterpieces. And graphics are not important for indie.
Let's add that if PlayStation relied on virtual reality, then Nintendo created its own analog, Nintendo Labo. And this is one of the most original and creative innovations that have appeared in recent years in the console industry.
Pros: versatility, great exclusives. We recommend that you choose a console from Nintendo in a red box and with a serial number starting with XKW - this is a new version of the device, to which, among other things, a more powerful battery has been added.
Cons: little capacity, no online service.
5. Nintendo Switch Lite
- portable
- display 5.5 ″, 1280 × 720 pixels.
- working time 6 h
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11a / b / g / n / ac)
- internal memory 32 GB
- supported memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
- connectors: headphone out
Nintendo Switch comes in two flavors. The full-size version, which is ranked sixth, has a 6.2-inch screen, detachable controllers, a fold-down leg for placement on a hard surface and the ability to connect to a TV.
And the Switch Lite model is simpler. Its screen is only 5.5 inches, the controllers cannot be detached, there is no leg, and it is also impossible to connect to a TV. But the price is only 2/3 of the "full" version. Switch Lite is perfect for highly mobile people, as well as for those with small hands - for example, children.Plus, Switch Lite also has other advantages - for example, the gamepad of the "lightweight" version is much more convenient than the "full-size" one.
Mobility comes at a price. Although you can connect the Joy-Con to the Switch Lite, you have to buy them separately and are inconvenient to use. Plus, you can't play all the games from the large Switch library (all those that require a TV connection or multiplayer are cut off).
Pros: mobility, large selection of colors, nice design and shape.
Cons: limited selection of games.
4. SEGA Genesis Mini
- 2 joysticks
- HDMI cable
- Charging cable
Another good and inexpensive game console straight from the nostalgia-shrouded gaming childhood. This time, SEGA offers to return to bygone times. The console itself has remained faithful to the prototype, although it has become smaller in size. Along with the device right out of the box, customers will receive as many as 42 classic games. Among them are legends such as Castlevania, Sonic, Tetris and Contra.
The console also comes with two wired controllers, a power cable, a USB adapter, and an HDMI cable. And even the original 16-bit menu theme music!
Pros: Design, size, attention to detail, price / game ratio.
Cons: A bet on nostalgia doesn't always work for new buyers.
3. Sony PlayStation 4
- stationary
- hard disk capacity 1000 GB
- virtual reality support
- support for HD-resolution and 3D-mode
- wireless controller included
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11b / g / n), LAN
- video playback
- connectors: HDMI, USB x2, optical audio out
PlayStation is the most popular console on the market. Sony holds 62% of the game console market, and the number of PlayStation 4 copies sold reaches 64 million. The secret of its popularity is a huge library of exclusive games that cannot be enjoyed on another platform.
Note that in recent years, Sony has become generous and out of the entire array of games, on which it sits like a dragon on treasures, ported a whole one game to the PS. This is Horizon Zero Dawn. And the rest - including God of War, the entire Uncharted series, Bloodborne, Marvel's Spider-Man, Shadow of the Colossus, and others - are still available only to PlayStation owners.
The exclusives come with a very convenient controller, an extremely simple and intuitive interface and support for virtual reality, which competitors cannot boast of. Sony has its own subscription system that gives you access to multiplayer games and MMOs. In addition to the subscription, players will also receive 2 free games per month; however, they are not given forever, but for the duration of the subscription.
We also add that if you plan to play with friends, choose the same console as them, since Sony does not support cross-platform. And only in very few cases can PlayStation players join their PC friends in the MMO world. In all the rest, they exist in separate "corrals" that do not overlap in any way, as in The Elder Scrolls Online or Destiny 2.
Pros: a large selection of exclusive games, intuitive interface and control, not too high a price for a console.
Cons: graphics, no 4K resolution, poor compatibility with games of previous generations.
2. Sony PlayStation 4 Slim
- stationary
- hard disk capacity 500 GB
- virtual reality support
- support for HD-resolution and 3D-mode
- wireless controller included
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11ac), LAN
- video playback
- connectors: HDMI, USB x2
A great choice if you want to get access to all Sony exclusives, but part with as little money as possible.
PlayStation 4 Slim will pull 1080 resolution, while fps in games will be about 30, and these numbers are more than enough for ordinary, casual gamers who are helped by games to relax after a hard day and who do not pretend to be more. And despite its low price, the PlayStation 4 Slim supports virtual reality.
Pros: price, large library of games.
Cons: Poor compatibility with previous generation games.
1. Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
- stationary
- hard disk capacity 1000 GB
- virtual reality support
- support for UHD-resolution and 3D-mode
- wireless controller included
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (802.11ac), LAN
- video playback
- connectors: HDMI, USB x3, optical audio out
The PlayStation 4 Pro can do everything the PlayStation 4 can do, only better. If by the word “resolution” you mean 4K, you have a powerful TV with HDR support at home, then Pro is the best choice.At the moment, this is the most powerful game console in the Sony lineup, the only one that can produce honest 4K (the graphics of a number of games have been specially adjusted for the pro version).
Unfortunately, the PlayStation Pro lacks the power to handle “normal”, non-tweak 4K high framerates. In general, against the background of the upcoming PS5 on the Pro version, it makes sense to spend money only if for you $ 100 is more, $ 100 is less - no difference.
Pros: support for 4K, HDR and virtual reality, large library of games, relatively low price.
Cons: cannot play videos, poor compatibility with games of previous generations, a new version will be released soon.
The most anticipated video game console of 2020 - Sony PlayStation 5
Although the exact release date for the PS5 has not yet been disclosed, it is known that its release is scheduled for December 2020. And gamers all over the world anxiously froze in anticipation of the novelty. No joke - we are promised full 4K support and an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive. Or a completely digital version without a drive, which, given the decline in sales of games on physical media, is the future.
In addition to the presence / absence of a drive, the PlayStation 5 will have built-in SSD storage, a ray-traced GPU and, importantly, immersive surround sound.
There is also unofficial information that the PS5 will receive multi-GPU technology. Sony already owns this patent.
The estimated cost of the new item will be 50 thousand rubles, and games for it will cost 5,000 rubles and more.
The capabilities of the new console in all its splendor were demonstrated by a recent video designed to show the graphics capabilities of the PlayStation 5. Whatever you say, it is impressive - until now only PCs of the highest price category could achieve this quality.
By the way, the eternal rival of Sony - Microsoft Xbox - also promises the release of a new generation of its consoles by the New Year 2020. Xbox Series X pre-orders should start soon.