“Sony”? “Nintendo”? “Microsoft”? Overwhelmed by so many options for new video game consoles.
Nearly a year following the release of the latest game consoles from Sony and Microsoft – the Xbox Series X and S, as well as the PlayStation 5 – they have achieved unprecedented speeds from the shelves. And because it did not want to stay out of this frenzy, “Nintendo” launched a new model of its “Nintendo Switch” system equipped with a luxurious “OLED” screen, and succeeded in catching up with the sales race.
Children’s game consoles
If you’re a parent who doesn’t know much regarding video game consoles, you might feel a bit overwhelmed by the idea of buying a new hardware for your kids. Is the device you have chosen suitable for the age of the boys? Does it allow you to monitor the games that are being played on it? Are the games you know compatible with him?
We’re here to help and answer your questions, as well as give you some recommendations and tips on how to expand your device’s storage to accommodate more games.
What regarding all these new models and systems? And which model do I need? Microsoft launched its latest versions of the Xbox at the end of 2020, coinciding with the release of the PlayStation 5 from Sony, but the two devices come in two different flavors this year, meaning that you will be confused if you go to the market unprepared for what awaits you.
In turn, Nintendo recently launched a new model of its popular system “Switch”, which means that you have three options.
The newer versions of the Xbox and the PlayStation boast lightning-fast load times and enough power to keep up with the super video games coming out in the coming years.
• The PlayStation 5 system ($ 500) comes with a disc drive that allows you to play external games that you buy on discs, in addition to watching DVDs and Blu-ray discs. There is also a PlayStation 5 digital version ($ 400) system that comes without a driver, but plays the same games as its predecessor and has the same features… But don’t expect to buy PlayStation 5 games from store shelves and play them on this device, but you have to Buy everything in digital form directly from Sony.
• We are now moving to the Xbox Series X system (500 dollars), which includes a disk drive and an internal storage capacity of 1 TB to keep games. This device is powerful enough to play 4K games at 60fps and allows you to use the drive to play games you buy from abroad and watch movies.
The Xbox Series S (300 dollars) is the least expensive of the new gaming devices, but it suffers from some negative aspects, most notably the absence of the drive, its exclusive digital format, and 512 GB internal storage, in addition to that it does not play 4k games.
It should be noted that Nintendo has not improved the power of its systems in more than 4 years, which increases the likelihood of releasing a new device in the not-too-distant future. The successor to the “Switch” system may be a year away from today, but it will certainly be released before the upcoming Sony and Microsoft models.
good competitor
• The “Switch” device topped the list of best-selling systems in the past four years until today, which allowed it to accumulate a huge library of popular games, and more is on the horizon. So, if you are not interested in owning the latest device in the market, the Nintendo system still has a lot to offer its users at a better price than the competitors and a greater abundance in stores due to the controls imposed on shipping devices of other brands. But what really sets the Switch apart from all other devices is the ability to move it between two modes, a TV-connected device or a handheld tablet that you can carry wherever you go.
Let’s say you’ve played the latest version of Super Mario or Legend of Zelda on TV, but you have to go out and get on the bus, you can simply unswitch the switch and continue playing on your way to your destination.
The Nintendo Switch Lite is the cheapest system at just $200, but it’s not perfect, as it’s only a portable gaming system. It can be compared to the latest versions of the “Game Boy” because it is often used to play outside the living room and for one player, and it cannot be connected to the TV. So apart from all this, it can be said that it is comfortable, durable and great for kids or anyone who is not interested in playing electronic games on a TV.
Finally, the Nintendo Switch OLED tops the list of the best Switch devices with a price tag of $350, and the unique OLED screen made it the best-selling device, because it is significantly larger than the main Switch screen (and much larger than the Switch Lite). This device offers better colors, minor improvements in terms of accessories such as a kickstand, expanded internal storage for saving games, and an Ethernet port built into its platform to justify the $50 price increase over other devices. The Switch OLED may be the best of its bunch in terms of quality, but it plays the same games as other devices.
Choices and alternatives
• So, which of these devices should you choose? It’s up to you, and if you’re choosing a regimen for the kids, you can ask them which one they like best.
If you’re buying the system for a little kid, we recommend the Nintendo Switch because it has all the family games you can choose from… and for that reason, Nintendo is arguably the Disney of electronic games – because they make things for all ages.
If you want the newest and the best but your budget is limited and you don’t have a 4K TV, we recommend the “Xbox Series X”, which looks exciting and for good reason: its amazing price for a game so modern and offers new and awaited titles such as “Call of Duty” and ” Far Cry, Halo, and Assassin’s Crane, as well as sports such as Maiden NFL.
• Can old boys games be played on the new system? Yes, most of the “Xbox One” and “PlayStation 4” games work on the systems that were left behind, especially on the new “Xbox”, which Microsoft boasts of running games released since 2001. The company also guarantees that you will play all the games released on Xbox One” (the version that preceded the latest version of “Xbox”) except for games that require a motion-sensitive Kinect camera.
As for the PlayStation 5, you can play all PlayStation 4 games except for the 10 games mentioned on the company’s website.
Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch doesn’t play the old games from previous Nintendo consoles like the 3DS and Wii, but it does offer a low-cost subscription service to play a limited selection of classic games from the 80s and 90s like Super Mario Kart and Donkey Kong Country and the original Super Mario Bros.
• Will you find enough storage capacity to keep the games of the whole family? In this growing digital market, video games are taking up more space on hard drives. You can keep all the games on the “Xbox” and Playstation and buy a separate disc from the store because having more storage capacity is more important than ever.
– “The Dallas Morning News”, “Tribune Media” services.
