How to Navigate the Increasingly Insane Console Market
2025 is going to be a big year for video game consoles. That's not just a gut feeling after the greatness of 2024, but a prediction based on some major announcements on the horizon.
There is the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2, which will give patient Nintendo fans a massive upgrade when it comes to power and reliability (read: Joy-Cons that don't drift). The current Switch is the third best-selling console of all time worldwide. There is no doubt in my mind the launch year of the Switch 2 will see sales numbers in the tens of millions.
Then there's the most anticipated game of not just 2025, but maybe all time, set to come out in the second half of the year. That's right, it's Grand Theft Auto VI. It's not just the sequel to one of the best-selling games ever, it's the definition of a system seller. In an era where the biggest games of the moment are free-to-play, a tentpole release like this has become a rarity. This, combined with the 12 year gap since GTA V's first launch, will make it an even bigger event. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people will be rushing to the store wondering which console to buy in preparation for taking the week off to play GTA VI day one. It will be the defining release of the console generation, bigger than Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring combined.
The games industry's big three (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo) are going to move units this year, which equates to plenty of you wondering which you should buy. That's why I'm here. These are the best modern gaming consoles you can buy right now. I've been gaming on all these consoles—some I've been using for years. I know the ins and outs, which ones are right for you based on what, how, and where you like to play.
The Best Sony PlayStation 5 To Buy Right Now
The PlayStation 5 is a solid entryway into 4K gaming. Sony has pulled ahead of Microsoft in terms of exclusive titles with games like Astro Bot, Horizon Forbidden West, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (and you get access to that amazing PS4 library as well). In terms of tech, the DualSense controller is an impressive leap forward when games take advantage of what it can do.
The console technically supports outputs of up to 8K resolution and 120 frames per second on compatible titles. For the most part, though, you'll be playing closer to 4K60—even on the pro console. For that reason alone, I'd opt for the regular PS5 slim as the entry level console of choice for most folks with a 4K tv.
PlayStation 5 Console (Slim)
I've said it before and I'll say it again: the PS5 Slim is the best bet for most gamers. If you want to play GTA VI at launch, this is probably what you should get. This edition has a disc drive so you can pop in physical game discs or watch 4K Blu-Rays. Totally worth it, in my opinion. If you know you're just gonna download GTA and never buy a game again, well, you can save yourself a little money and opt for the Digital Edition instead.
The Digital Edition comes with a reduced price tag and slightly reduced bulk. No extra space for that disc drive makes it the best-looking PS5 to date. Aside from that, it's virtually identical to the regular PS5 Slim. If you want something more powerful, you can look to the PS5 Pro.
PlayStation 5 Pro
The PS5 Pro is for the gamers that really care. In the Grand Theft Auto example, these are the folks who normally play on PC, but can't wait for the console exclusive to make it's way over. So they want the most powerful thing on the market that can run GTA VI the day it comes out. That's the PS5 Pro, for sure—nothing on the Xbox side compares yet.
The Pro console is a behemoth, but it runs titles like Rebirth and Spider-Man 2 especially well compared to the base PS5. The upgrades allow it to prioritise performance and graphics at the same time and not forcing the console user to sacrifice. It also utilises AI upscaling (PSSR) to make lower resolution (1080 or 1440p native) titles run in an approximation of 4K. It's all cutting-edge stuff and if that's your style, there is nothing that competes with the PS5 Pro short of a PC. Price-wise, yeah, you pay for what you're getting.
A caveat with the PlayStation 5 (and console gaming in general) are the fees associated with features that are free on PC. Namely paying to pay online. Although many of the biggest free-to-play titles these days don't require a PlayStation Plus subscription to get online, plenty games still do. You can't see player messages in Elden Ring without it. Any Destiny player on PlayStation has needed to keep paying that sub for the past decade. Oh, you also can't easily transfer cloud saves between consoles without it. For example, when reviewing the PS5 Pro I couldn't transfer my my saves from my base PS5 games to the Pro console without either using a physical cable and powering on both devices...or I can suck it up and pay for PSPlus. All in all, not a fun position to put your customers in,, but this is frankly the norm across all consoles.
The Best Microsoft Xbox To Buy Right Now
It's been a decade of rebuilding for the Xbox brand. What used to be a powerhouse, home of Halo and Gears of War pivoted to the game of pass, aka Xbox Game Pass, before realising Xbox could just use all that Microsoft money to simply buy the good games. Acquisitions of Bethesda, Activision-Blizzard, and other major publishers have launched Xbox into a whole new era. And then there's the consoles.
Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X is the top of the line. It's a nearly five-year old console at this point, but mine is barely starting to show it's age. This is where I blew through such technical powerhouses as Alan Wake 2 and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2—two of the best looking games I've ever played. The Series X might not quite measure up to a modern gaming PC built in 2025, but it is no slouch. Plus, it will also run everything that comes to it right out of the box.
If you're looking to play GTA VI on an Xbox this year, I recommend the Series X. It's the best option for newer and upcoming titles and still holds its own. If that's not the goal, and you are really looking for a beginner's guide to gaming, let me introduce you to the Xbox Series S.
Xbox Series S
The Series S is the smaller, less expensive model that sacrifices a disc drive. Unlike with Sony's Digital Edition PS5, there are significant tech differences between these two Xbox Series models. Most notably, it's a native 1440p console. It can upscale games to run at 4K on a 4K TV, but it can't run them natively like the Series X. That typically means the Series S runs games at a slightly lower resolution. For games with multiple graphics modes, sometimes options are more limited on the Series S.
It might not be the highest tech console, but there isn't any cheaper good time out there than a Series S and a Game Pass subscription. There's thousands of hours of good gaming on that service and if you haven't touched a console game since Wii Sports, it's enough to keep you entertained for years without ever having to buy a single game. Used to the Netflix life? This is the gamer equivalent. Just be warned that the new tiering system is a bit convoluted and confusing since the Xbox Live branding was folded into Game Pass Core. Again, this is required for many online features across titles, but at least on Xbox you don't have to pay to play Destiny 2.
The Best Nintendo Switch to Buy Right Now
Even with a new Nintendo console coming this year, we can't ignore gaming's most popular option. Revolutionary at the time, this console combined Nintendo's console ambition with the mass appeal of its handhelds in a machine that did both. The Nintendo Switch is still affordable, family-friendly, and the only place you can legally play Mario and Zelda.
Nintendo Switch (OLED Model)
My top pick for Switch is the OLED. It's the Nintendo Switch for adults. It's got the nicest screen and a kickstand that isn't constantly flirting with precarity. Overall, the Switch OLED is a pretty sizeable upgrade from the original comfort-wise and the white Joy-Cons look nice—not like a kid's toy.
To be fair, the Switch is by and large just that. A toy for kids. At very least, it's not a 4K machine for gamers. It's happy to live at 1080p on TV mode and 720P on handheld mode. 720 is still 720, even on an OLED. Even when it came out in 2017, the tech was dated. But the gimmick was good, and more importantly so are the games. So if you're getting it to get your younger ones a first console, the super nice OLED might not be the way to go.
Nintendo Switch Lite - Yellow
Your budget pick for gaming console of 2025 has got to be the Switch Lite. It's durable, colorful got lots of titles to keep youngsters of all ages entertained (and youngsters at heart) This makes it the perfect gift for kids for any birthday or holiday. And, with rare exception, it plays all the same games at the same resolution as all the other Switch models.
The big downside of the Lite is the inability to "switch," as it were. Like the 2DS before it, this Nintendo budget console ditches the main gimmick of its predecessor. There is no TV out on the Switch lite, it's pure handheld chaos, baby. This makes certain titles (my beloved Ring Fit Adventure that kept me active during the pandemic) unplayable. But it mostly just means an even lower fidelity experience across the board. You know who doesn't mind that? Kids.
Nintendo Switch (Neon Red/Neon blue)
The final Nintendo Switch option is the original. An oldie, but a goodie. I still have mine. Can't say I use it a ton, but I did for a number of years there and loved it dearly. Still being sold for the Nintendo-mandated £300, it's hard to recommend over the other two.
The Best PC Gaming Handhelds You Can Buy Right Now
GTA VI might not be coming to PC right away, but that isn't a good reason to neglect two of the coolest consoles on the market. Ever since the introduction of the Steam Deck, the PC gaming market has been going increasingly mobile. These powerful handhelds are all the rage.
Valve Steam Deck
My top recommendation for the average console gamer is the Steam Deck OLED. It runs on Valve's SteamOS so you don't even have to worry about learning Windows (like some kind of PC gamer). The Steam Deck UI completely console-ifies your entire Steam library and makes it easy for newbies to jump in. If you're used to the Switch, you may find it to be a bit beefy, but once I got used to it I actually found the Steam Deck OLED to be the most ergonomic of all PC gaming handhelds.
It's never been a better time to get your feet wet, buy some games on Steam (wait for a sale, there will be plenty), and see what all the fuss is about. If the price looks prohibitive and you don't care much about graphics, get the cheaper LCD model while it's still being sold.
SUS ROG Ally X
My final pick is the Asus Rog Ally X. It's still the best Windows-based PC handheld from what I've tried. Super powerful, but it does require a fair amount of tinkering, and knowledge of Windows is a plus. I love that it makes it easy to access both my Steam and Game Pass libraries. It's really a device meant for the hardcore and if you don't already have a PC library this might not be for you.
You Might Also Like
