All manufacturers ( Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo , to name a few) offer different ways to understand video games. They stand out according to their philosophy (graphic power, original concept, family fun, etc.), but also by their exclusivities. With this great diversity, it is often difficult to navigate. Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch or Nvidia Shield: discover our selection of the best consoles in 2019, according to your needs and your video equipment.
In 2019, there are many ways to play to suit all tastes. The smartphone in your pocket is also the perfect example with the many games available on the Play Store. However, video game consoles still take a big place in the market where each manufacturer offers a different solution with a vision of the game, which can also be. How to know which console is right for you? Are you more likely to prefer beautiful graphics in 4K, or do you prefer to simply play in multiplayer with your loved ones? The needs are diverse and varied and a whole panoply of consoles is there to answer them.
If you do not know where to go, this guide is meant to help you!
Consoles for playing in 4K
Xbox One X: Native 4K compatibility
Microsoft’s Xbox One X is currently the only console on the market to offer a native 4K graphics experience. Thanks to its 6 teraflops of power and 12 GB of RAM, it is able to run compatible video games in Ultra High Definition at 60 fps constant, as is the case for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey , Gears 5 , Forza Motorsport 7 or Red Dead Redemption 2 .
Microsoft has made great efforts to offer optimized versions for the Xbox One X. Both for old games or new ones that have just come out.
More than just a home console, it also comes with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray drive to play all your favorite movies on your TV. Obviously, it is necessary to have the necessary equipment at home to enjoy this image quality.
In the era of dematerialization, the Microsoft console offers the Xbox Game Pass subscription to have unlimited access to a selection of games. This is not the same subscription as to play online, named Xbox Live Gold, which allows to make multiplayer games on the Internet and to receive free monthly games free. Both are available under one subscription named Xbox Game Pass Ultimate .
Why do we recommend Xbox One X?
A native 4K definition
A large list of games optimized for the console
4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive
PlayStation 4 Pro: the 4K “upscalée”
The PlayStation 4 Pro system does not offer a true 4K definition, it is upscaled to give the illusion of UHD, but without actually showing it on the screen. The result is totally bluffing and sometimes it’s really hard to tell the naked eye between Xbox One X graphics and the PS4 Pro.
It is powered by 4.2 teraflops of power with 8 GB of RAM that allows it to run some games in 4K upscalée 30 fps or Full HD 60 fps , all with HDR processing.
What will especially tip the scales is the beautiful list of exclusive licenses that Sony has: The Last of Us , Spider-Man , Uncharted or Gran Turismo . Moreover, this number is growing thanks to the PlayStation VR, a virtual reality headset that only the Japanese manufacturer offers on a home console.
Like the Microsoft console, Sony also offers its PS Now subscription to access a hundred games from its console, and even on PC. Regarding the PS Plus subscription that allows you to play online, it also gives a selection of free games per month.
Why take the PS4 Pro?
A 4K upscale bluffing
HDR treatment
The list of exclusive Sony licenses
The only console to offer experiences in virtual reality
PlayStation 4 Slim: all in finesse
In 2016, Sony markets the Slim version of its PlayStation 4. It has the same characteristics as its eldest (namely an octa-core x86-64 processor, a graphics processor of 1.84 teraflops and 8 GB of RAM) while being 30% thinner, 16% lighter and above all quieter. Note that the touch buttons on the front of the console have been replaced by physical buttons.
It should be known that it gives access to the same catalog of games as the PS4 Pro , but without the optimization of the graphics. It still offers image processing thanks to its HDR compatibility, but also a DVD / Blu-Ray player.
Just like the catalog of games that does not change, subscriptions to PS Plus and PS Now are also identical to enjoy the same services regardless of the platform.
Why is the PS4 Slim recommended?
Thinner and quieter than the original model of 2013
A rather successful HDR processing
The same catalog of games as the PS4 Pro
But also the same subscriptions (PS Plus and PS Now)
Nintendo Switch: the hybrid console
The Nintendo Switch is a machine that offers an interesting concept: it can be used in both portable mode and home console mode on a TV. A detail that makes it particularly attractive, but especially different from its competitors (that’s why it has its own category).
Nintendo DS has always put forward a certain robustness for its consoles and the Switch is no exception to the rule (note: the Game Boy works even 20 years later). It is a console that is suitable for young and old, especially with a catalog of well-supplied games that now reaches more than 1,000 titles available on the eShop. There’s something for everyone, from famous Big N productions with licenses like Zelda, Mario and Pokémon , to third-party titles such as Dark Souls, FIFA and more.
Regarding its raw features, it includes a 6.2-inch HD screen, a chip Nvidia Tegra X1 associated with 4 GB of RAM that can be found for example in the NVIDIA Shield 2017, a battery of 4,310 mAh which provides it a range of 2 to 3 hours depending on use and a storage capacity of 32 GB (expandable via micro SD).
A new model of Nintendo Switch with a better autonomy is also available since very recently, we invite you to read our dedicated article to make sure you do not buy.
Why take the Nintendo Switch?
Its solid design
Its innovative side of hybrid console
Its detachable lever to play 2
Its varied catalog of more than 1000 games available
