Video Game Systems (PS4 vs Xbox One vs Switch) (vs 3DS) (vs Vita)

If you've been following my Twitter feed, you'll see I post a lot of deals on video games. I enjoy playing games and they fulfill many functions: a social experience, an interactive story, an escape for a few hours.

But committing to a console is a daunting and expensive investment. Hopefully I can help in some small way if you're looking to dive in to the newest generation of consoles or thinking about expanding your collection.

PS4 - A powerful system with a great catalog of games. It really shines in single player games such as Horizon: Zero Dawn and Last of Us. Aiming to be an entertainment console, it includes a 3D Blu-ray player (though not 4K Blu-ray) and can handle streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and others.

If you want to play your old PS games (1, 2, or 3), the PS4 doesn't offer backwards capability, meaning it won't play your old games if you just insert the disk into the system. You can buy most digitally from the Playstation Store or subscribe to their monthly Playstation Now service to stream the games.

They also offer a yearly service called Playstation Plus (PS+ is required for online gaming) that gives you some free games and/or discounted games per month. The only catch there is that when your PS+ runs out, you have to renew or you will be unable to access your free games (your paid discounted games will still be yours to play).

You have two main options for the hardware: PS4 and PS4 Pro. Other than a $100 difference ($300 vs $400), the PS4 Pro offers a higher output of games, up to 4K (2160p). Unless you have a 4K TV, it isn't really necessary. I have a PS4 and like it.

Xbox One - A powerful system with a great catalog of games. It really shines in multi-player and shooter games such as PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Gears of War 4. Aiming to be an entertainment console, the S and X include a 3D/4K Blu-ray player and all three versions can handle streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and others.

If you want to play your old Xbox games (OG or 360), the One offers backwards capability on many games. 

They also offer a yearly service called Xbox Live Gold (required for online gaming) that gives you some free games and/or discounted games per month. Same catch as PS+, that if you end your subscription, the free games will be behind the pay wall and inaccessible.

Xbox does sync to Windows 10 and you can stream your Xbox to your PC if someone is hogging the TV. It's cross-platform multiplayer as well, meaning you can play with your friends on their PC version of games.

You have three main options for the hardware: Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X. The Xbox One and the Xbox One S are very similar in price ($250 vs $300 @ 500GB storage) and the S is basically a better version of the OG One as the S came out 3 years later. The S has a better design and more GB options (500/1TB/2TB) and a slightly better Graphics Processing Unit. The X is is crazy powerful, but much more expensive ($500). Once again, if you aren't a hardcore gamer, it's not really necessary. I don't have an Xbox One.

Switch - The newest system in this generation, the Nintendo Switch does something the other two can't: switch from a console to a handheld. You can pop the Switch into the TV Dock and play on your TV, or grab and play on the go. It's a relatively new console, meaning that while there are fantastic, fantastic games such as Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey that can only be played on the Switch, there isn't as many games as on the PS4 or Xbox One.

There is no backwards compatibility on the Switch, but Nintendo is re-releasing a lot of old Wii U games remastered or retooled for the Switch.

A yearly service was announced recently for the Switch called, surprisingly, Nintendo Switch Online. Launching in September, it will include online gameplay as well as access to 20 older NES games, with the promise of more. These older games will also have the capability to be played online with friends, giving an added twist.

Hardware options are a bit different for the Switch, as they are mostly cosmetic. No Switch vs Switch Ultra or something like that, just choosing different colors for the side controllers (called Joy-Con) and skins for the TV dock. My family owns two Switches, one for each of us.

BONUSES:

2/3DS: Nintendo also offers another handheld option: the 2/3DS. With many options to choose from depending on price point and desire/nondesire for 3D, the DS family has the most expansive catalog of quality games. I own... too many versions of a DS and carry around one with me at all times.

Vita: PlayStation has its own handheld, but you wouldn't really know it. Although it is a good quality system, there just isn't that many games for it. I use mine as a portable RPG device, downloading and playing all the old Final Fantasy titles on it. But I haven't dusted it off in quite awhile.

What do you think? If you own a console, which one and why?