What should I consider before purchasing a gaming console in 2018, the obvious answer you will get from a gamer who doesn’t care about specs will be:
Purchase a gaming console that supports the games you like playing and also do not forget to purchase the kind of gaming console your friends have, so then you will be able to play online games with them.
The less informed will see this guide as suitable, but in an actual sense buying gaming consoles is more than just selecting a gaming console that supports the game you like. Not that purchasing gaming consoles that support games that you like is a bad thing, but in purchasing those gaming consoles, performance and general user experience should be given utmost priority.
In this article, I am going to be giving a comprehensive list of 5 gaming consoles that I consider to be the best of 2018. This list will guide you in purchasing your next gaming console.
I will be discussing the hardware specs, games support and price of these gaming console.
5 Best Gaming Consoles To Buy In 2018
Let’s get this list started.
1. PlayStation 4
Sony may not manufacture the most powerful gaming consoles, but the wide range of interesting games supported by their consoles has made a name for them.
The PlayStation represents the best gaming console a gamer who is contended with 1080P gaming should have.
The hardware specs of the PlayStation 4 includes:
- 184, Teraflops, AMD Radeon based graphics engine
- 8 Gigabyte of GDDR5 RAM
- 1080P max resolution
- 500 Gigabytes to one Terabyte of storage with support for expandable memory
- VR support
The PlayStation 4 doesn’t support 4K resolution.
Though the gaming specs may not be the same as those high-end 4K Gaming consoles, the support of Virtual reality has really given the PlayStation 4 and edge. The PlayStation 4 supports uncharted, God of war, the Colossus, Horizon zero Dawn and many more games.
What you should note about purchasing a gaming console from Sony is that they do not support games that were compatible with the previous generation of consoles. So you shouldn’t be expecting PlayStation 3 games to play on the PlayStation 4.
The PlayStation 3 goes for a price of 250 USD.
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2.PlayStation 4 pro
The PlayStation 4 pro is the most powerful gaming console Sony has ever made.
The PlayStation 4 pro does everything the PlayStation 4 can do, but it does it slightly better, plus it supports games in 4k.
If you do not have a 4k television, there is no need to purchase the PlayStation 4 pro, as it will be underutilized.
The hardware specs of the PlayStation 4 Pro includes:
- 4.20 TeraFlops, AMD Radeon based graphics engine
- 8GB of GDDR5, 1GB DRR3 RAM
- 2160P (4K) maxed out resolution.
- one Terabyte of storage
- VR support
The PlayStation 4 pro might be a better performer when compared to the play station pro, but the main reason most people will purchase the PlayStation 4 pro over the PlayStation 4 is its ability to play games in 4k resolution.
One thing you should have in mind when purchasing the PlayStation 4 for its 4k capabilities, is that the PlayStation 4 pro delivers only upscaled 4k content.
The PlayStation 4 pro faces difficulties in maintaining high frame rates when playing power intensive games in 4K, frame rates may drop.
The PlayStation 4 pro supports all the games the PlayStation 4 does because both consoles were birthed in the same generation and it costs 400 USD
3. Xbox one S
The Xbox one S is Microsoft answer to the PlayStation 4.
The Xbox one S shares capabilities with the PlayStation 4, but offers more for the same price.
The Xbox one S hardware specs include:
- 917 MHz AMD RADEON based graphics.
- 8 Gigabyte of GDDR3 RAM
- Max 4K resolution but it’s set at 1080P
- 500 Gigabyte 2TB of storage
Though the Xbox one S has 4K capabilities, it is not at the same level as the PlayStation 4 in terms of performance.
For the Xbox one S, the images are just largely stretched to for 4K screens.
Unlike PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles have the ability to play games from the old library, which I will consider as an added advantage. The Xbox one S has an inbuilt 4K player and it costs 250 USD
4. Xbox one X
The Xbox one X is the currently the most powerful console in the world, with hardware specifications and performance no other gaming console can match.
The hardware specifications of the Xbox one X includes:
- 6 Teraflops, AMD Radeon based graphics engine.
- 12 Gigabyte Ram
- Resolution of 2160P (4K)
- storage One TeraByte
One drawback of the Xbox one X is the one Terabyte storage it comes with, with the kind of power it possesses, it deserves to have higher inbuilt storage.
Where the PlayStation 4 pro only outputs upscaled 4k content, the Xbox one X outputs both native and upscaled 4K content.
In addition, the Xbox one X offers more 4K games when compared to the PlayStation 4 pro. Just like Xbox one S, the Xbox one X supports games made for older generation consoles. It also features an inbuilt 4K player and being one of the best 4K consoles in the market today, it costs about 400 USD.
5. Nintendo switch
The Nintendo switch represents the best console for anyone that is into serious mobile gaming.
The Nintendo switch is a mobile gaming console that can be played at home on your television and also when handheld without a television presenter.
When docked, the Nintendo switch acts like a tablet with it’s on the dedicated screen that can be shared with others through split-screen multiplayer games.
The Nintendo switch is a small tablet with controllers called joy cons attached to it. Due to its mobile nature, you shouldn’t be expecting the same performance you get on the Xbox one X or the PlayStation 4 pro.
Hardware specifications of the Nintendo switch include:
- 6.2inch LCD with a screen resolution of 1280 X 720
Nvidia custom Tegra for CPU and GPU - 32GB of internal which can be expanded up to 2 Terabytes
- 1080P content via HDMI and 720P built-in screen in tabletop mode and a handheld mode.
- 4310MAH
As earlier said, the Nintendo switch is the best solution for anybody that cares a lot about gaming on the go.
The Nintendo switch even offers a 3.5MM jack, giving you the ability to hear quality SFX via headphones while playing games.
The Nintendo switch costs 299 USD.
And there you have it. This is my list of Top 5 gaming consoles you should purchase right now in 2018. Feel free to drop your comment in the comment section below as I’d love to hear from you.