How to Choose a Gaming Platform

Three main criteria will help determine which is better to give preference to: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.

1. Budget

One of the main criteria for choosing a gaming platform is the amount of money you are willing to spend on this hobby.

If the budget is limited, then it is better to take a PC. To play at high settings, you need a computer for at least 50 thousand rubles, which is 25-30 thousand more than the price of most consoles. However, lower prices for games will quickly break the difference. In Russia, standard editions of large projects on consoles usually cost 4 thousand rubles, and on a PC – 2 thousand. Moreover, in digital stores of computer games like Steam or GOG, there are often sales with huge discounts – up to 90%. On consoles, such generosity is rare.

On the other hand, if you are ready to spend or are not going to buy more than 6-8 games a year, then it would be more expedient to take some kind of console: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One or PlayStation 4. They are easier to manage, more stable and more intuitive than PCs. They can be connected to the TV, turned on and no longer touched until a new generation appears. With a PC, problems, as a rule, are greater: from incompatibility or defective components to software errors or banal Windows updates at inopportune moments.

The advantages of these options are that they support the 4K format, and also pull games on high and ultra settings. So, the graphics on them are just fine. And expensive PCs also allow you to enjoy a very smooth gameplay at 60 frames per second and above. On consoles, games rarely run at more than 30 frames per second.

2. Available games

Another important parameter when choosing a platform is games. Most of the projects are available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. There are also games that are released only on specific platforms: for example, the action game about the gods of Norse mythology God of War can be played only on PlayStation 4, and the fantastic shooter Halo 5 – only on Xbox One. In addition, some games are released only for consoles (like the gangster western Red Dead Redemption 2), while others are released on certain consoles and PCs (mainly projects released by Microsoft, like the Forza Horizon 4 race).

PC exclusives are mainly strategies and games of different genres from independent developers. For example, the fantastic strategies Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak and Wahrammer 40000: Dawn of War 3 were released only on computers. As well as the multiplayer shooter World War 3 or tactical action Insurgency.

Games only available on the PlayStation 4 are typically third-person action games with a focus on plot and gameplay. Over the five years of the console’s existence, Sony has accumulated many similar projects. Among them, for example, the game about Spider-Man Marvel’s Spider-Man, post-apocalyptic action the Last of Us and an adventure game in the spirit of “Indiana Jones” Uncharted 4. All these projects are distinguished by a well-thought-out to the smallest detail gameplay, a fascinating plot and well-written characters of the characters.

Xbox One exclusives include the Gears of War and Halo shooter series, the Forza racing franchise, and third-person action games Quantum Break and Sunset Overdrive. True, almost all new games for Xbox are also available on PC, for example, Forza Horizon 4 and Quantum Break.

Exclusively on Switch are released mainly games from Nintendo: Super Mario Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. These games differ from each other in genres, characters and plots, but they have one thing in common: Nintendo’s stunning attention to detail in the gameplay. The company tries to make each of its games as fun and exciting as possible, guided by the philosophy “the game should bring pleasure and surprise” when developing. And almost all projects from this studio have a rating of 3+ or 6+ – ideal if you want to play with a child.

3. Additional Features

Each main platform has additional features that can be decisive when choosing.

4K and HDR support

4K is an ultra-high-resolution image format, and HDR is a technology for screens with increased contrast, brightness and more accurate color reproduction.

Of the platforms we’re considering, 4K supports PC, Xbox One S (an improved revision of the base Xbox One), Xbox One X, and PlayStation 4 Pro. True, only expensive PCs, as well as Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro, can provide a comfortable game in such a high resolution, because this format is very demanding on hardware. It should be noted that buying a platform for the sake of this technology is worth it only if your TV or monitor supports it. On Full HD screens, there will be no difference.

HDR is available on PC, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. Playing with HDR turned on is a terrific experience that will make normal screens seem dull and dull. The main thing is not to forget that the TV or monitor must support it for everything to work.

Portability

The ability to play anywhere and anytime is usually inherent in a special subset of consoles like the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. But thanks to the Nintendo Switch, it appeared among stationary consoles. Switch can be used both by connecting to the TV and on the go – thanks to the built-in screen. True, in this mode, the console becomes a little less powerful, but in most of the projects it can still be comfortably played.

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can not be called portable. But this property can have a PC. Some companies produce mini-computers designed specifically for games, for example, GPD Win 2. This is a small laptop with a built-in keyboard, a game pad and a six-inch screen. It’s not that productive, but it pulls undemanding games like Fortnite well.

Watching movies and TV shows

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One play Blu-ray discs, and they also have Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video apps on them. On the PC, all this is available (however, a special drive is needed to read Blu-ray) and even more, for example, iTunes.

Nintendo Switch for the consumption of video content is poorly suited – so far you can only watch YouTube and Hulu on it. The Japanese company for some reason is in no hurry to add support for other services.

Versatility

Consoles are created mainly for games, and besides, they can not do so much: play music, show movies and TV shows.

If you need real versatility, then it is better to take a PC – these are universal machines on which you can do whatever you want. Write music, develop applications, create documents, go online, edit images. No wonder, computers are used in almost every sphere of human activity.