Xbox Vs PlayStation Vs Nintendo: A Grown-Up Buyers Guide To Consoles
Duane Beckett
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If you want a simple answer to which is better: Xbox vs PlayStation vs Nintendo? – The answer is obviously Nintendo.
No doubt impatient Xbox and PlayStation fans have already rushed off to the comments. And that’s fine because my answer is subjective to my experience and needs today.
So, if you are an adult with family in tow, or want to socialize around gaming, this article is for you.
As a gamer in the 80s, 90s, 00s, and right into this last generation of Xbox, PS5, and Switch consoles – I can categorically state that:
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Nintendo is better than Xbox (just not at everything)
FACT: The Nintendo Switch has more exclusives than the Xbox Series X. Honestly, I can’t think of many Xbox One exclusives, and I am someone who has picked up every Xbox console since the original.
My top picks right now would be Gears of War 5, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Forza Horizon 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Sea of Thieves…
I would have included Cuphead (a fantastic game), but that’s on other platforms after a period of timed exclusivity. And this is the issue with Xbox.
In comparison, the Nintendo Switch has a LONG list of exclusives. Too many to reel off (if in doubt tap here). And we’re not saying the lack of exclusives makes Xbox bad.
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FACT #2: Game Pass and Xbox Live are the best on the market! Game Pass offers countless games to play for a monthly fee and Xbox Live opens up social gaming. And this leads to:
The Best Console Deal Today?
Right now, you can order an Xbox Series X with two years of Xbox Ultimate (the combination of Game Pass and Xbox Live) for $34.99 per month for 24 months.
That’s a brand new console with a library of games, plus online gaming for around three times the cost of Netflix monthly. Sounds high but:
- $34.99 x 24 = $839.76
- The console itself is $499
- Xbox Ultimate is $14.99 monthly normally, which comes to $359.76 over 24 months.
- So, the price to buy outside of this deal would be $858.76.
That makes it hands-down the best console deal right now! And with that said, Xbox has to be the place to play on a budget ($34.99 monthly). What’s even more spectacular is that the Xbox Series X is the most powerful console on the market.
So if this Xbox Vs PlayStation Vs Nintendo article is about:
- What’s the best next-gen deal?
- Or who has the most powerful hardware?
- Or who offers the best online service?
- Or who has the best subscription option?
The answer to all would be Xbox. Yet, games matter. And in the big picture of Nintendo vs PlayStation vs Xbox. Xbox is the first console to tap out. Which is a shame, as it’s the best deal going.
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Nintendo is better than PlayStation (just not at everything)
FACT: The Nintendo Switch has as many exclusives as the PlayStation.
God of War, Bloodborne, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Ratchet, Clank, and Horizon…
These are comparable in quality to Super Mario Odyssey, Smash Bros., Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing…
The lists for both platforms go on and on. Yet any eagle-eyed gamer will notice something. The games mostly target different audiences:
- PlayStation offers more to the core gamer
- Nintendo offers more for gamers outside that core audience
Another consideration about the PlayStation 5 is that it’s way more powerful than the Nintendo Switch. But not as powerful as the Xbox Series X. Nor is the PlayStation better than the Xbox for its online service or subscription offerings (yet both Xbox and PlayStation offer better services than Nintendo).
Yet, in summary:
- If you want the best deal, power, or services – buy Xbox.
- If you want the best exclusive core games and don’t care about being #2 in power and services – buy PlayStation.
But that leaves the big question: If it is Nintendo vs PlayStation vs Xbox, why did I pick Nintendo?
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Goldeneye on the N64
Video games have been a big part of my life – but I’m 42 now. In my teens to early thirties, I was a PlayStation gamer, and my K/D (Kill/Death) ratio in Call of Duty mattered (I couldn’t give a **** anymore).
Yet, throughout my life, Nintendo has crept in and out of my gaming habits. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Bionic Commando on the NES. Then the Mortal Kombat fiasco in the SNES/Genesis era (the Sega Genesis showed the gore while Nintendo censored it, ultimately suffering a backlash – it was a big deal at the time).
Then there were my mid-late teens, when I was hooked on Goldeneye (N64) and later Super Metroid on the GameCube. And like all those times before, Nintendo hooked me again with the Switch.
Accessibility is the key
The games matter, but being able to share them with friends and family, whatever their age becomes a priority in later life. And this means I need games to play without worrying about whether the game is too violent, graphic, stressful, or age-appropriate – especially when friends and family are often over.
This is Nintendo’s charm. The Switch is living room proof, but if I do want to play a little Fortnite, I just ‘Switch’ to handheld mode.
So to summarize:
- If you want the best deal, power, or services – buy Xbox.
- If you want the best exclusive core games and don’t care about being #2 in power and services – buy PlayStation.
- And if you want something that is living-room, and family-and-friends proof – buy Nintendo.
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Xbox Vs Playstation Vs Nintendo: A Conclusion
The console war started when I was a kid. It was Nintendo vs Sega, and then Sony. And then Sega went down the toilet.
In that time PC gaming went from the Spectrum to the Commodore 64, then the Amiga 500, and now to $1,500 graphic cards.
At the same time arcades were cool, not cool, and out of business. Then they were cool again (thanks Stranger Things).
My point is that there is no console war: only games and the fun they bring. So buy what you love and what you want to share with others, and you’ll be a happy consumer (always).
For fantastic deals on consoles check out these links:
- Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, $349.99
- Playstation 5, $499.99
- Xbox Series X, $499