Do you want to know which game console is better? Then we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the rating of the Top 10 best game consoles. The rating includes the best models of game consoles according to customer reviews and expert tests.
While Google aims to develop efficient cloud services, including Stadia, there is still an uphill battle between the major hardware manufacturers in the gaming world. From year to year, the best solutions from Sony and Microsoft are released for gamers, and this one is no exception. In our evaluation of game consoles in 2021, we will try to find out who is the number 1 in the field of fixed solutions production today. In fact, because in the production of portable consoles, Nintendo continues to be the undisputed leader. But in choosing an independent set-top box, everything is also ambiguous, if only because the manufacturer constantly has new solutions: from budget to premium. As for retro consoles such as Sega or Dendy, which, of course, are “their leaders” for representatives of the previous generation, their relevance, of course, disappears against the backdrop of modern companies that have conquered the console segment. Hand consoles are an exception.
The best portable game consoles
In the portable console segment, some brands compete for their target audience: there are models from the Sony branded company, Sega offers look good in the budget category. From time to time, new brands delight with an attractive price-performance ratio. We do not consider the latter, since you will not receive exclusives from XoKo, PSP and similar companies, but the fact of their existence is still worth mentioning. In our opinion, the following templates are relevant and in demand for set-top boxes.
Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP
Our top 10 game consoles are opened by the handheld Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP, which has been delighting users with a good structure and an affordable price for playing classic games for more than a decade. On the body is a modest 3-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 2727 pixels. At the same time, the modest screen supports 32,000 colors. Obviously, this model uses the old Wi-Fi 4 module standard. This compact console is based on a good 32-bit RISC processor with a modest 16 MHz frequency. As you can imagine, the small console weighs about 270 grams.
Advantages:
- small size;
- low price;
- modest weight;
- many reviews.
Flaws:
- old model.
Sony PlayStation Portable 3000
Another good portable game console was offered by fairly experienced Sony engineers. We are talking about the model PlayStation Portable 3000, which is not considered the most powerful on the market, but satisfies a fairly high level of practicality and a wide range of options. Relatively speaking, this model preceded the classic PSP. On the front of the console is a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. The DVD drive can be found in the design of the gadget. Like the original console, this model supports MS Duo and UMD cards. Therefore, the device can be used as a reader. The battery capacity of this model is 1200 mAh. The weight of the device with one battery is less than 200 grams.
Advantages:
- good autonomy;
- good screen;
- there is a drive;
- fashion model.
Flaws:
- expensive model.
Nintendo Switch Lite
The name suggests that we are talking about a simplified version of the popular portable game console. The youngest model of the Switch series features an even more ergonomic and lightweight body. In addition to the small size, a small screen should be noted, but the price corresponds to the parameters of the console. The display size in this box is 5.5 inches. Among the strengths, one can note the well-known custom NVIDIA Tegra chip, which guarantees good performance and, accordingly, the number of supported games. There should be no problems connecting the set-top box to the TV. The battery was also reduced, but this did not particularly affect the battery life. 5-6 hours the device works without loss of productivity. The battery charges quickly.
Advantages:
- small size;
- blank screen;
- good processor;
- fair value.
Flaws:
- reduced screen.
Sony PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite
If you do not know which Sony portable set-top box to choose, we recommend that you pay attention to the PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite model with an adequate price and good parameters. The console has a modest 4.3-inch TFT screen with an aspect ratio of 16 by 9. The screen resolution is 380 by 272 pixels. Management is carried out through 4 “Action” buttons, a classic four-way joystick, two buttons and an analog joystick – in general, a standard set. Of the equipment can be noted support for USB, wireless adapter and slot for Memory Stick Duo. Separately, it is worth noting the work of the company’s engineers on high-quality optimization of energy consumption. Now the device works much longer without recharging.
Advantages:
- battery life;
- good display;
- good equipment;
- convenient management;
- good power.
Flaws:
Nintendo Switch
The best portable console of 2021 according to “Value for money” is the Nintendo Switch model, the simplified version of which we previously reviewed. The classic model provides for the use of both portable and stationary consoles connected to a TV. This flexibility is provided by the Joy-Con controller. When handheld mode is activated, these controllers can be connected as joysticks on the sides of the screen. In turn, in stationary mode, the controllers are turned off and used as independent joysticks. Such a gamepad in itself is worth its money. As for the set-top box, we are satisfied with the presence of a high-quality IPS-matrix with a good viewing angle, HD resolution and a good level of color reproduction. The simple version comes with 4 gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of permanent storage.
Advantages:
- good power;
- chic gamepads;
- big screen;
- memory size;
- the price of money.
Flaws:
Best game consoles for TV
To date, it is not clear which game console is better than the Xbox or Playstation. From time to time, Microsoft and Sony release new models and seem to evenly distribute the target audience. By what principle? Most likely, Xbox fans like performance, they are more powerful in our opinion. In turn, the Playstation company is constantly in a “tug of war” with its exclusives, which, nevertheless, has a positive effect on the sales of the company’s consoles.
Sony PlayStation 4 Slim
A simplified version of the fourth-generation Sony console has been added to the rating of game consoles – this is the PlayStation 4 Slim, the advantages of which include an updated look and small size. As for the technical component, there are no big news here, which is another nice bonus given the low cost. The amount of memory is 500 gigabytes, and the RAM is 8 GB. AMD Jaguar (8 cores) is used as a hardware base. The package bundle attracts with the presence of the proprietary Sony DualShock 4 controller, the quality and practicality of which cannot be faulted. There is a charging cable, a mono headset. The height package is the same: an IEEE 802.11 b / g / n / ac module, Bluetooth 4.0 and 2 USB 3.1 ports are implemented.
Advantages:
- small size;
- elegant design;
- good equipment;
- amount of RAM;
- pretty powerful model.
Flaws:
- no second gamepad.
Microsoft Xbox One S
This is a simplified version of the classic premium gaming console from Microsoft. Indeed, this model is distinguished by a reduced copy that has retained the main parameters. At the same time, the company’s engineers managed to reduce the body by almost 40%. At the same time, the console supports 4K resolution and HDR technology, which distinguishes the console from the simplified version of the competitor. By the way, this is the first console that “learned” to reproduce 4K graphics. In addition, there is a built-in power supply. It seems insignificant, but the update of the gamepad, even if in size, has not changed. On the plus side, you can highlight the optimization of video stream settings, the presence of a front USB port (it finally appeared) and the ability to play Blu-Ray movies.
Advantages:
- convenient gamepad;
- dynamic resizing;
- 4K video support;
- source of power;
- frame rate stability.
Flaws:
- xbox Live is paid online.
Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
Considering how many hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews have been devoted to this premium gaming console, I would not like to spend too much time describing it. This is definitely a high-end console that has not lost relevance with the advent of the fifth generation. The model still has powerful hardware, attracts with support for games in 4K resolution, and supports branded VR glasses. At the same time, there is 1000 gigabytes of usable space on the hard disk. In terms of communication, everything is on top: Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac are enough for now. Likes a wide range of games, including exclusives. You can stream the game directly to YouTube by clicking on the button, the menu is convenient. It must be said that the controller battery is not inferior to the Xbox batteries. However, the price of the games leaves much to be desired, the shares have to wait, so as not to “torment your wallet too much.”
Advantages:
- great gamepads;
- good power;
- equipment and equipment;
- 4K support in games;
- simple control, menu.
Flaws:
- there is already a fifth generation.
Microsoft Xbox One X
The former leader of our list at the moment is the liquid-cooled Microsoft Xbox One X. This is the most powerful gaming console with support for HDR 10, Dolby Atmos and 6 teraflops. It is worth saying that there is also a version of Project Scorpio, which differs in design, stand for vertical installation of the console and, of course, the price tag. In terms of price / quality ratio, the classic version looks more attractive. High performance is guaranteed by an 8-core processor coupled with 12 gigabytes of RAM. At the same time, the maximum image resolution reaches 4K, and the volume of the built-in storage device is 1000 gigabytes. The model has a wide range of ports including three USB 3.0 ports, two HDMI interfaces and an optical S/PDIF. With the latter, you can connect 7.1 speakers to get the most out of your gaming experience.
Advantages:
- maximum power;
- number of interfaces;
- elegant appearance;
- excellent cooling;
- memory size.
Flaws:
Sony PlayStation 5
The best game console (prefix) of 2021 is the Sony PlayStation 5, presented online in connection with the pandemic. This did not prevent developers from plunging into the world of gamers, which is not surprising, since almost seven years have passed since the release of the first of its predecessors, if you do not take into account the Pro version of the fourth generation. The hardware base is now powered by the next generation AMD Ryzen 8-core processor based on the Zen 2 architecture with advanced Radeon Navi graphics. This is truly the epitome of next generation energy. Implemented support for 8K. In addition, the manufacturer took care of the presence of a specialized sound chip that can take the soundtrack to a new level. The novelty received a solid-state SSD and a Dualshock game controller.
Advantages:
- new generation processor;
- solid state drive;
- advanced controller;
- support 8K;
- sound accompaniment.
Flaws:
- price at the start of sales.
How to choose a good game console?
The fixed segment of the console is rarely updated. So much has been said over the years about the difference between PS4 and XONE that I don’t even want to go back to it. If you don’t know how to choose a good set-top box, then you should understand that there is no clear leader between Microsoft and Sony consoles, otherwise there would simply be no competition and the segment was updated even less frequently. Companies use approximately the same equipment, each brand has its own services. And in terms of accessibility, Microsoft will surely win, but in terms of exclusives, of course, the leadership belongs to Sony. And this trend can be traced in almost all respects: somewhere the PS4 wins, and somewhere the Xboxe opposes. As for the latest generations that have just come out, it’s too early to say anything yet. Shortly thereafter, we will add…
Simplified versions. It is not always necessary to overpay for the premium (updated) version of the set-top box, since both brands have almost the same equipment. Yes, there may be slight drawdowns in games, but this hardly bothers those users who want to get a premium model at an affordable price. In terms of power, the Xbox One S is stronger than the simplified version of the classic PS4 competitor, if only because it supports 4K.
Portable decoder. If the task is to occupy the hands of a teenager, then you can pay attention to the budget segment, where there are extremely simple and weak Sega models and competitors. However, even modern smartphones can withstand a greater load than similar solutions. The only difference is that a trigger or gamepad is required to fully play on a tablet or phone, and this is an additional cost. In the premium class of portable consoles, the undisputed leaders are Sony and Nintendo. In favor of the former, integration with stationary models can be considered. The second company is an obvious “monopolist” in its segment, offering a high level of ease-of-use controls, a good range of games, interesting features and good power.
What is the best game console to buy in 2022?
Thus, over the years in the field of production of consoles, both portable and stationary, there are well-known leaders, which we have repeatedly mentioned in our publication. If you don’t know which game console to buy, I would like to add that the latest generations of Microsoft and Sony are also slightly different in terms of usage from past releases. For example, an American company uses Xbox Smart Delivery, with which you can use past releases for new generations of consoles without losing quality. So it’s more profitable. Sony still has problems implementing this technology. However, in terms of exclusive games, they have a serious advantage. If this is important, the conclusion is obvious. Considering these factors, our opinion is:
- Best Simplified Game Console – Xbox One S
- Good handheld console – Nintendo Switch
- Most Powerful Gaming Console: Microsoft Xbox One X
- Best Premium Gaming Console – Sony PlayStation 5
The topic is quite controversial, so I would like to know your thoughts on the topic. Thanks friends.