Best Gaming Consoles for Online Services (2024)

The Series S's hardware is similar to the Series X's RDNA 2 architecture, but its CPU is clocked down, and it has less RAM.

I noticed some minor screen tearing and mild frame rate choppiness in The Falconeer at 120 frames per second and in Gears 5's Versus mode at 120 frames per second.

The Series S maintained the same whisper-quiet noise level as the Series X, registering just 38 decibels in Dirt 5.

You know, I'll say that there are a lot of original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games available on Game Pass.

Many people have pointed to Baldur's Gate not supporting the Xbox Series S in split-screen mode as an example of why the Series S is holding this generation back.

The downside, though, is that you have only a woefully small 364 gigabytes of usable space to install games and apps.

Sure, you can expand the storage using the slot on the back, but the one-terabyte Seagate expansion card is a horrible buy with the Series S.

For a controller, it uses the exact same one that the Series X does, and it's compatible with just about all of the Xbox One's accessories.

The interface is essentially identical to what we've had on the Xbox One for years now, so it's an unexciting upgrade.

Onboard, we have twice the graphics horsepower of the Xbox One X.

This is running at 4K60 with all the ultra PC presets enabled.

When you turn it on, it makes a huge difference.

Keep in mind that the games I'm playing are not optimized at all for the Series X.

One very cool feature of this Series X is its ability to perform HDR reconstruction.

The technology of this generation is so transformative.

If you want more than one terabyte of space on your Series X, you're going to want one of these devices.

Essentially, this means that you can expand with another SSD directly into the back of the system.

So you're getting 2.4 gigabytes per second, pretty much consistently.

A new console is nothing without a new controller, and the Series X has some interesting differences.

Therefore, it is better suited for smaller hands.

Now, if we open up the back, you will see that we have the exact same setup as the Xbox One.

When playing PS5 games, loading times are instantaneous.

When paired with ray tracing, the worlds just look lifelike.

The PlayStation has always been the holy grail of gaming, and the PS5 is no exception.

These games can only be played on PlayStation and nowhere else.

Unfortunately, the PS5 has only 667 gigabytes of storage.

Sony released a system update to allow users to expand the system storage.

Sony absolutely knocked it out of the park with the DualSense controller.

The DualSense has a built-in microphone to talk to your friends or people online.

The ROG Ally features a high-resolution 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, providing a smooth and crisp gaming experience.

It is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, making it significantly more powerful than both the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck.

The performance of the ROG Ally can be hindered by its battery life, which is significantly shorter than that of the Switch.

The ROG Ally can play full PC-quality titles and has a vast library of games available through platforms like Steam.

It also supports emulation, allowing access to a wide range of older console games.

The ROG Ally does not have access to Nintendo's first-party games, which are exclusive to the Switch.

The ROG Ally comes with 512GB of storage, which is significantly more than the Switch's 32GB.

Despite having ample storage, the ROG Ally does not support a full-length M.2 SSD.

The ROG Ally's controls are leagues ahead, featuring responsive and smooth console-quality buttons and joysticks.

The device also features customizable RGB lighting for a personalized touch.

The ROG Ally is heavier and bulkier than the Switch, which makes it less comfortable for extended play sessions.

It's a Zen 2 CPU with 4 cores.

It's going to have some kind of RDNA 2-based GPU integrated into it.

We've never seen any kind of PC built with that level of memory bandwidth for an integrated GPU.

A scenario where you're supposed to have that super sharp cinematic look, as opposed to a game where 1080p would have been nice for content consumption.

This is not a game console like the Nintendo Switch, which is a completely locked-down device.

Valve was very particular about which games were running.

We had to obtain permission from the developer in order to run it.

You only get the premium etched glass on the 512-gigabyte model.

Now, in terms of storage, that is not going to be enough.

Now, the SSD is not upgradable.

Ooh, the D-pad is smooth to roll and has a good click for each individual direction.

These are touch-sensitive joysticks, so as soon as I put my finger on them, they respond.

This is quite an unusual control scheme.

The PlayStation 5 offers impressive graphics with ray tracing and high resolution, providing a next-generation gaming experience.

The console's faster SSD results in quicker load times and smoother gameplay.

Console graphics still do not match the quality of high-end PCs.

The PS5 is compatible with most PS4 games, allowing players to enjoy a vast library of titles.

The game catalog is expected to grow and improve over time.

Some bugs have been reported regarding PS4 game compatibility.

The PS5's SSD provides fast load times, enhancing the gaming experience.

The actual usable storage is significantly less than advertised, with only about 670GB available after the operating system installation.

Large game files can quickly fill up storage space.

The new DualSense controller offers improved haptics and adaptive triggers, providing a more immersive gaming experience.

Some games do not fully utilize the new controller features, which leads to underwhelming experiences.

The controller is larger and has good battery life.

The switch's clean matte finish and surprisingly lightweight design immediately felt great in my hands.

The screen itself is smaller at 5.5 inches compared to the standard, which is 6.2 inches.

The speakers sound noticeably weaker, but it's nothing drastic.

The idea that a 200-dollar device, legitimately small enough to fit into my pocket, is able to play massive games like Breath of the Wild, Skyrim, Doom, and The Witcher 3 is incredible.

Some games are effectively unplayable as a result of their inability to dock and play on a TV.

I also wish there were a version with more than 32 gigabytes of built-in storage.

Adding an SD card is still easy to do.

Most of its buttons represent a tangible improvement over regular Joy-Cons.

The new D-pad, which replaces the left Joy-Con's directional buttons, is also a fantastic addition.

The OLED model was released in 2021 and features a larger OLED screen that displays significantly more vibrant and robust colors.

Ultimately, this is a 2017 tablet that could probably be beaten by an iPhone 7 in terms of power.

For every masterpiece, there are two or three lazily thrown-together ports done solely as a cash grab.

The catalog and backlog of amazing games for the Switch are overwhelming, from both Zelda titles to many Mario games.

There are too many games for the Switch that have launched with performance that is practically unplayable.

The game library is absolutely stacked, and many of the best games are from Nintendo itself.

The OLED model also has double the amount of internal storage, with 64 GB compared to only 32 GB on the LCD version.

Micro SD cards are incredibly cheap, and you definitely should buy one if you're going to be downloading any games.

The Joy-Con controllers are infamous for developing stick drift and becoming unusable seemingly at random.

Joycons, as a whole, are pretty awesome with their easy sliding on and off the system.

The PlayStation 4 is an attractive system with a sleek, modern appearance.

Games load impressively quickly, and you can immediately pause the action.

The PS4 is locked at 60 Hertz, so let's power up the console and hear that sound once again.

In the most loaded scenes, I experience some drops to 45, but I don't see any lags, and the game looks surprisingly good.

I really appreciated the graphic improvement compared to the previous consoles.

The 3D effects, heavily advertised as the new standout feature, worked only at a very specific angle, and many users complained about headaches.

The new 3DS is more of an iteration than a complete overhaul of the existing 3DS system, but that's not to say its changes aren't substantial.

The Nintendo 3DS is probably one of the most interesting consoles you can buy.

The 3DS is one of the last handhelds to have a uniquely specialized lineup of games.

The 3DS has one of the best game lineups of any so-called old handheld.

The cartridges themselves are very similar; the only noticeable differences are the colors and the little hook on the 3DS cartridges.

Acquiring games for the 3DS through official means has become challenging.

The rapid increase in 3DS piracy is simply a natural response to the company's actions.

The exterior of the 3DS was a very interesting design from Nintendo.

The C stick itself feels like a slightly inferior option compared to a second circle pad.

Overall, I really like the button layout and the feel of the system.