The war between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo continues. This console generation is quite competitive and there are a number of reasons to pick any one of these brands — but after doing our research, we think Sony’s PlayStation 5 is the best gaming console you can buy. We’ve also compiled a shortlist of some of the other top gaming consoles you can buy, to suit all of your gaming needs.

Why you should buy this: It’s the best version of the most popular console and has the highest number of high-fidelity games.

Who it’s for: Everyone.

Why we picked the PlayStation 5:

With lightning-fast load speeds, a new controller, and a phenomenal line-up of launch titles (including fan favourites and new exclusives), the PS5 is the best plug-and-play gaming platform available.

First of all, the PS5 currently has the upper hand when it comes to games. PlayStation gamers have been enjoying titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, and Godfall since the get-go. Xbox fans, on the other hand, have finally been able to play Halo Infinite following its launch in 2021, but beyond that, the list of top-tier exclusives is slim. Sony also has finally brought backward compatibility into the fold, too, and the PS5 will be able to play most PS4 games, so you won’t miss out on late-gen titles like The Last of Us Part II and Ghosts of Tsushima. The PS5 simply has the best game library out there right now.

The PS5’s solid launch line-up is only part of the equation, however. Slightly larger than the DualShock 4, the new DualSense controller refines haptic feedback, incorporating a precise sense of touch into the gaming experience that force feedback never achieved. If you’re draining your stamina bar to pull back a bowstring or attempting to bust down a locked door, for example, the hand triggers can convey that tension. The new technology, combined with ongoing support for PSVR, makes for a more immersive gaming experience.

Speaking of peripherals and hardware, both iterations of the console use AMD chips across the board, including an eight-core CPU running on a modified version of the Ryzen line. The PS5’s GPU also is from AMD and provides 10.28 teraflops of power, while supporting resource-intensive processes like ray tracing, which allows for more advanced lighting in games. It also comes with a 4K Blu-ray player, putting it in line with the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. In layman’s terms, the PS5 is technically less powerful than the Xbox Series X, but still packs a punch and represents a massive upgrade from last-gen consoles.

If discs aren’t your thing — or you simply want to save some cash — look no further than the PS5 Digital Edition. It retails for £100 less than the standard PS5 but is identical concerning specs. The only difference between the two is that the Digital Edition has no disc drive, meaning Ultra HD Blu-rays are out of the equation, and you’ll need to rely on digital downloads. Everything else, including the launch line-up, remains the same.

The main issue with the PS5 is that even after a year on the market, they’re still hard to find, due in part to chip shortages. They go in and out of stock at retailers semi-regularly, but you can’t expect to walk into a store and find one sitting on a shelf these days.

Why you should buy this: It’s the most powerful Xbox available right now, and Game Pass is an attractive value.

Who it’s for: Players who want to play as many new games as possible with the best visual fidelity.

Why we picked the Xbox One X:

The Xbox Series X is a tech powerhouse. The console features 12 TFLOPS of power and up to eight times more graphical performance than the Xbox One, not to mention twice as much as the Xbox One X. The Xbox Series X also has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM and supports variable refresh rate, Variable Rate Shading technology, and a low-latency mode that allows for better responses out of your games. The power in this next-gen console is sure to wow gamers — that is, when there are true next-gen games available for it.

There’s no discussing the Series X without acknowledging just how good Halo Infinite is. Even though the game missed its initial deadline, it finally launched at the end of 2021 and was an instant hit. We also adore Forza Horizon 5, which raked in a slew of awards following its release in 2021. Other games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and NBA 2K22 are phenomenal, and there’s no shortage of other experiences to enjoy on Microsoft’s new platform. Sadly, there aren’t as many fantastic exclusives on Series X as PS5, at least as of 2022, but that will likely change in the future. There will be a slew of great games for Xbox Series X down the road, including the long-awaited Perfect Dark reboot, State of Decay 3, a new instalment of Fable, and plenty of other titles.

In the meantime, Xbox Series X owners have no shortage of games to play. Xbox Series X will support every previous generation of Xbox games, similar to how Xbox One did. This means you’ll be able to play select Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X games all on the new machine — a huge win for game preservation. The Xbox also is home to Game Pass, the best deal in gaming. With more than 100 heavy-hitting games on the roster and promises of Project xCloud integration, gamers can explore and test out new titles for a low monthly fee. The library isn’t made up of last-gen throwaways, either; there are plenty of newer first-party titles that’d cost you a premium if you were to go out and buy them right now. Given Game Pass is available on PC as well, the Series X also allows for more cross-platform opportunities than Sony’s offerings.

While the Xbox Series X is a powerful machine, it’s also a surprisingly quiet one. The console’s cooling architecture is incredibly efficient, so much so you might wonder if the console is even on at times. The Xbox One, by comparison, is as loud as can be.

Why you should buy this: You want a full console gaming experience, but on the go.

Who it’s for: Everyone

Why we picked the Nintendo Switch:

Nintendo sidestepped the current console arms race by changing not how you use your console, but where. The Switch is a hybrid device that plugs into a television like the PlayStation and Xbox, but also works as a handheld.

While it doesn’t quite have the oomph to play the latest 4K, 60 fps releases for Xbox One or PS4, the Switch can play Doom (2016) at a smooth 30 fps anywhere you want to, and that’s more than good enough for a lot of gamers. In addition to contemporary titles like the Wolfenstein II port, the Switch has also proved itself as a fantastic venue for reviving modern classics, such as Skyrim, L.A. Noire, and Dark Souls Remastered.

More than just a clearance house for lightly aged AAA titles, the Switch also offers an ever-growing catalogue of remarkable first-party games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as well as excellent indies such as Stardew Valley, Celeste, and Dead Cells. Add in some forward-looking experiments with Nintendo Labo, and the Switch looks like a well-rounded platform with something unique to offer everyone.

Why you should buy this: This last-gen console has a healthy catalogue of top-tier games, and the price tag has dropped since the release of the PS5.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to game without breaking the bank.

Why we picked the PlayStation 4 Pro:

While plenty of gamers are making the jump to the PlayStation 5, there’s still a lot of life left in last-gen consoles. The PlayStation 4 Pro is still a serious gaming machine with a vast library of games, and the console’s price tag (and the cost of games, accessories, etc.) only is going to continue to drop. The PS4 Pro is also slightly easier to find than the PS5, though, most modern consoles have suffered from low availability following the recent chip shortage. The PS4 Pro delivers an impressive playing experience for 4K television owners because of the enhanced graphics and sharper images for 4k-enabled titles.

We’re not going to pretend that the PS4 Pro is close to matching the superior PS5, but it’s still a worthwhile gaming experience. Aside from a handful of titles exclusive to the PS5, you’re going to have access to most major titles out now and all the most popular free-to-play titles.

Price is a major factor when deciding whether to upgrade to a new system — there’s no shame in snagging a last-gen console to play with until the PS5 becomes less expensive and more widely available.

Why you should buy this: It has 20 of the best games ever made for a price point that won’t make you wince.

Who it’s for: Nintendo fans old and new, and those who grew up with video games.

Why we picked the SNES Classic Edition:

The 16-bit era saw Nintendo at the peak of its creativity, releasing popular, acclaimed games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Metroid alongside cult hits like Earthbound. Third-party companies didn’t take a back seat, with Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VI and Konami’s Super Castlevania IV among the best games of all time.

With the plug-and-play SNES Classic Edition, you can experience all over your favourite classic Super Nintendo games as you remembered them through retro gaming. There’s even a CRT filter option, mimicking the look of your old television.

With the addition of a save-state feature, playing old Nintendo games on the SNES Classic is significantly less frustrating than it was 25 years ago, and when you’re ready to sit down and game with a buddy, classics like Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting give you a chance to compete for bragging rights.

The SNES Classic Edition also is the only way to play Star Fox 2, outside the Nintendo Switch Online service, a game Nintendo cancelled just before its original release date. To unlock it, you just need to beat the first level of the original Star Fox, but it will be very tough to pull yourself away once you start playing.

Choosing the best gaming console is, honestly, more philosophical than technical. Since gaming PCs currently produce the highest frame-rate and highest resolution, picking the best gaming console comes down to a number of factors including its design, features, and game library.

We do test them, of course. We’ve spent a lot of time playing video games on these consoles, and even more thinking about what they can do. Furthermore, we make sure that everything we like about these products works and delivers like advertised. That includes playing all kinds of games, checking the quality of the internet connectivity, factoring in quality and quantity of exclusives, and checking if developers are currently making games for the platform.