We’ve Spent Hours Playing the Best Video Game Consoles, for Science

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Video games have exploded in the last five years. They now make up a nearly $250 billion industry, in which game consoles have a massive chunk of the market share, second only to mobile gaming.

And 2023 is a good year to be a gamer, whether you’ve been a platformer addict since the Atari days or you prefer to play idle farming games during your commute. That’s especially true if you’re looking for a new console—the chip shortage has abated, investors are buying into the industry, and the technology only continues to improve.

These days, it’s easy to score a state-of-the-art gaming console for immersive VR, online battles, and story-led indies and RPGs (though you still might run into stock issues with popular consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X). But choosing the right game console—the best of which cost around $500—is all about understanding your favorite ways to game, important specs like graphics and storage, and which platforms you need access to.

Lots of gamers (like myself) find themselves with multiple consoles so they can play everything they want. After all, there are still only three major manufacturers, and each tailors to a certain type of player. But here at Popular Mechanics, we’ve been testing and reviewing game consoles for more than 20 years and have many a dedicated gamer who spends their free time and their work time putting those consoles through their paces.

We used our deep understanding of the industry’s current offerings—both exclusive titles and the consoles themselves—and hours of playing to help you determine the best video game console for your needs.

Prefer to game another way? Check out our recommendations for the best thin gaming laptops, retro gaming consoles, and VR headsets.

The Best Game Consoles

• Best Overall: PlayStation 5

• Best Budget: Xbox Series S

• Best for Families: Nintendo Switch

• Best for Online Gaming: Xbox Series X

• Best Handheld: Nintendo Switch OLED

What to Consider

Platform

Before you dive into console specs, understand that each game console manufacturer has its own marketplace and games library, including games that are exclusive to those platforms. Sony’s PlayStation, for instance, is the only console you can currently use to play Horizon: Forbidden West. To play Forza Horizon 5, you need Microsoft’s Xbox, and to check out any recent Legend of Zelda titles, you need a Nintendo Switch.

While some platform-exclusive games eventually become available on other consoles and marketplaces like
Steam, these ports are sometimes clunky. If there’s a game you’re itching to play, check its compatibility with each platform before you buy. Here’s a list of the most popular exclusive games from the three industry-leading console manufacturers to help you decide.

Sony (PlayStation)

• The Last of Us

• God of War: Ragnarok
  

• Stray
  

• Horizon: Forbidden West
  

• Until Dawn
  

Microsoft (Xbox)

• Forza Horizon 5

• Grounded

• Halo Infinite
  

• Microsoft Flight Simulator

Nintendo (Switch)

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom

• Super Mario Odyssey

• Xenoblade Chronicles 3

• Splatoon 3

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Storage Capacity

Even some of the best consoles on the market, like the PlayStation 5, have middling storage space. If you like to download a lot of new games to try out, make sure you opt for a console with plenty of storage—upwards of 512 gigabytes—or compatibility with external storage.

All of the gaming consoles we recommend have expandable storage. For the Nintendo Switch and the Switch OLED, you’ll need a microSD card, like this Sandisk one optimized for use with the console. For the Xbox Series X and S, opt for a Microsoft-approved NVMe SSD like this one from Seagate. The same goes for the Playstation 5, which works best with this WD Black SSD.

Display Compatibility and Graphics Processing

Since you’ll need to plug your console into a TV or monitor to see what you’re playing, take a look at the display specs on both your console and your monitor. For instance, the Nintendo Switch OLED dock supports 4K on an equally compatible display, whereas the regular Switch’s dock only supports Full HD. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 5 supports up to 8K quality.

Pay attention to the graphics card’s speed, too, measured in frames per second (fps). Most of the consoles we recommend support up to 60 fps, with a few models rocketing up to 120 if you use them with a compatible display and an HDMI 2.1 cable—which is a boon if you play lots of fast-paced, high-stakes online games.

We’ve made sure to note the display compatibility for each model we recommend. But as a rule of thumb, you should opt for a console with 4K compatibility and at least 60 fps if you have a large display and like to play quick, graphics-intensive games.

How We Selected

I’ve been playing games for as long as I can remember—and reviewing games and peripherals for a fraction of that time—so I’m lucky to say I’ve tried out almost every console on this list (save for the Valve Steam Deck, which I yearn for). While I’m partial to the Nintendo Switch because of my love of Zelda, and I’m obsessed with the immersive experience I get with my PlayStation 5, I’ve put in plenty of hours on Xbox consoles, too.

I used my expansive experience with the market’s current offerings, as well as consulted the testing other PopMech editors have done of consoles new and old. We used our understanding of the most important specs like display quality and storage, as well as our knowledge of gamers’ needs and the exclusives available on each platform, to recommend the best console for every type of gamer.

PlayStation 5 Game Console

It’s no secret that Sony’s PlayStation 5 is the most impressive console on the market right now. Between its sleek casing, the award-winning controller with immersive haptics, and the incredibly fast speeds, this console offers the best all-around experience you can get (that is, if you like the games available in the PlayStation Store).

I own this console, and the most impressive part about it is its ridiculously quick load times that put any Nintendo console to shame. I bought my PS5 on a whim and immediately put my Switch down, where it would stay for the next six months while I fell in love with the sleek user interface, the vast PS5 and PS4 libraries at my disposal, and the DualSense controller.

The controller’s battery dies much more quickly than you might be used to, but that’s only because of all it’s doing to get you deeper into the game. As I ran the main character, Aloy, around a desiccated U.S. in Horizon: Forbidden West, the DualSense flitted in my hands as I navigated tall grass, emitted discrete cricket sounds as night fell, and bounced dramatically when I fell from tall cliff sides. And, while the controller’s effects brought me deeper into the game, my hands comfortably cradled the ergonomic shape.

You can save $100 if you opt for the digital-only version of the PS5, but beware that this console only has about 800 gigabytes of space once you account for the operating system. That said, it’s relatively inexpensive to upgrade the storage with an SSD.

Xbox Series S Game Console

The Xbox Series S is the least expensive option we recommend, but that doesn’t mean you’re cutting corners when you buy this console. It’s fast, small enough to not take up much space in a cramped apartment, and compatible with some of the best games.

Even better, the new Xbox Series S in black comes with up to one terabyte of storage, which is a lot for a digital-only console. That makes this one of the best bangs for your buck.

I’ve primarily used the Series S to play rounds of online games like Fortnite and Dead by Daylight with my friends. And it’s a great console for that type of gaming since the load times are quick, the UI is intuitive and uncluttered, and there’s something to be said for that nostalgic and comfortable Xbox controller.

I cut my teeth on the beloved Xbox 360, and the Xbox Series S/X feels like a return to that excellence after the middling Xbox One.

Xbox Series X Game Console

On paper, the Xbox Series X is the most powerful next-gen console available, making it an excellent choice if you prefer to play intense games online with your friends (or strangers). With its 4K visuals, impressive frame rates, HDR support, advanced ray tracing, and myriad other technical specs, games on the Xbox Series X run like a dream.

“In the past, I would reach for my phone at the first sign of a load screen, anticipating a little time to kill,” Director of Product Reviews Will Egensteiner, writes in his review. “With the Series X, it would finish before I could even consider it. I never waited more than 15 seconds for something to load. (Though there was one instance of game-stopping lag, and another when the sound mysteriously cut out in Gears 5).”

Egensteiner also likes the user-friendly nature of the Quick Resume feature, which keeps games “open” in the background to reduce load times. “I’m the type of person to save, save again, then quit to the game’s home screen before I turn the console off,” he says. “On the Series X, I only witnessed a game’s opening graphics twice. Everything loads right away. And that means more time playing.”

Unfortunately, Egensteiner says, Quick Resume isn’t flawless, and sometimes forces games to quit and restart if the console goes to sleep and loses its connection to the internet.

Still, for fans of first-person shooters, racing games, sports series, and simulation titles, the Xbox is a great choice, with titles like Forza Horizon 5, Microsoft Flight Simulator, popular sports franchises, and heavy-hitter Halo Infinite.

Xbox also offers an excellent value proposition in the form of Xbox Game Pass. But the Xbox exclusives are limiting—if you love immersive RPGs, you might want to opt for a PlayStation or Switch instead.—Harry Rabinowitz

Switch OLED Game Console

The newest addition to the Nintendo Switch console family, the Switch OLED is a small but noticeable improvement over the original Switch for a small bump in price. And this console doubles as a handheld.

The main upgrade comes in the bigger, more vivid OLED screen, which makes this the best console to play Nintendo games on.

While it’s tough to say which console has the best exclusives, it’s true that Nintendo is the most alluring because its games have only ever, and will only ever, be available on Nintendo consoles. As such, if you want to play any title with characters like Link and Zelda, Mario and Luigi, or Tom Nook and Isabelle, this is the best option.

The Switch OLED also has better speakers than the Switch, a much better kickstand for tabletop gaming, and an ethernet port on the docking tray. It also has 64 GB of internal storage, compared to the original Switch’s 32—or you can upgrade your storage with an inexpensive microSD card.

Overall, the Switch OLED is a great choice if you’re a fan of Nintendo. Just beware that load times can be frustratingly long.

Switch Game Console

The best-selling console on the market, the Nintendo Switch distinguishes itself in two ways: through its unique form and its excellent library of exclusive games.

For families with multiple gamers in the household, the Switch is an affordable, incredibly versatile console that’ll be as satisfying for hardcore RPGs and indies as it is for family-friendly couch co-ops. The Joy-Con controllers double when you take them off the console, and buying extras is easy.

I’ve used my Nintendo Switch for years, bringing it with me on many trips. While I can complain for ages about the Joy-Con drift, which is a buzzkill when you’re in the middle of a battle, the Switch is an accessible console that, up until recently (see our Steam Deck review), was the only device to make true high-quality gaming portable. And it looks decent on the TV, too.

You can’t ignore the swath of kid-friendly games, from Mario + Rabbids: New Hope to Mario Party and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Combine these Nintendo titles with great indie game offerings like Hades and Hollow Knight, and the Nintendo Switch offers the best catalog of games for players of all ages.

Playing indies is one of my favorite ways to use my Switch because the graphics are often less intensive for these games. And the handheld form lends itself to artistic and inventive games with shorter playtimes.

Steam Deck Video Game Console

If you’re an experienced gamer—especially one who prefers to play on the PC—Valve’s Steam Deck is probably the most interesting console on the market. If you’re new to gaming, its finicky nature might make you want to quit the hobby altogether.

With impressive specs and a novel open-source platform that makes it almost entirely customizable, the Steam Deck is a handheld of the future. But it needs some work to become the go-to console for every gamer. For now, Test Editor Hunter Fenollol recommends it for PC gamers and anyone who’s into tweaking every last configuration.

“These days my Steam Deck puts the latest game releases, complete with PC features like customizable button mapping and game modifications, right in my hands,” Fenollol writes in his review. “It lasts up to eight hours when I play less demanding indie games, and a bit over two hours when I play AAA titles at their highest settings. That’s a hell of a lot longer than the single hour I get from my gaming laptop.”

He also says the ergonomics are excellent, though the console isn’t exactly discrete. “Although the Steam Deck looks massive at first glance, especially side-by-side with a console like the Switch, the ergonomics are some of the comfiest found on any handheld.”

As long as you’re comfortable tinkering with settings, the Steam Deck is an incredibly powerful PC-in-a-handheld that can transform your gaming life, fit with a seamless SteamOS interface that works just as well on handheld as it does on PC and TV.

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