Entry #9: A Guide to Game Consoles

So there's a certain holiday coming up regarding... giving gifts and pretty nice things to family and others, and I caught myself thinking: What's one of the best electronic gifts you could give to someone? What does one console have over the other? What kinds of games are on it, and how costly is it so I know what to work with? And more than likely, i'm sure you've caught yourself doing this as well. Well, fear not! I'm going to go over four different video game consoles that you could consider as gifts for you and your kin this holiday season. These will all have their shares of upsides and downsides, and using this list, I hope to give you all some insight as to what's a good gift to buy this year. So hang up the stocking, finish off those leftovers from Thanksgiving, and start decorating that pine tree that's mysteriously sprouted up through your living room's floorboard with glass bulbs and silver fluff; here's a good comparison list of video game consoles for your friends and family this season!

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I'm starting with what I believe to be the best purchase out of the bunch; the Playstation 4 (PS4). This slanted little black box can do so much for family entertainment when it comes to satisfying everyone; it can play games, stream movies, play standard & blu-ray dvd's, in addition to video apps that stream so much more and post to online social media sites like Twitter and Youtube. It can pretty much do everything, except cook your food and clean the house. Not to mention the extensive game library, both physically and digitally, which will keep your kids and teens entertained for hours. With the coming "Playstation Experience" in December, this is easily the best pick for an electronic gift this season... provided you can afford it, that is.

I'm personally not that good with money, so I can't speak for everyone when it comes to income and such. Regarding this, however, the base price of a PS4 with one terabyte of memory is about $200, and additional controllers are $40 each. This isn't that bad, but let's say you own an "Ultra 4K" TV and want to bump up how your games look. For that, there's the PS4 Pro, which off memory plays games, but not blu-ray or standard DVD's. The PS4 Pro will run you an extra $200, costing about $400 for one console, controller, and all its' trappings. Another unfortunate detail about the PS4 is once you've set up an online account, you should make absolutely sure the username you choose is a good one, because you can't go back and change it once it's been confirmed. If you want another, you basically have to start another account, and lose all your purchases and progress in the various games you play on it, and that's terrible.

Following this up is the Xbox One, which may as well be the rival to the PS4. It has basically the same functions as the PS4, but has slightly different apps and services offered compared to the PS4. It also has things like the ability to sign users in via the controller they use to start up the console, a general focus on games, and so on. Compared to the PS4, it also bolsters some exclusive titles from teams who work with Microsoft to make these games, such as Rare Replay, ReCore, and so on. This is something more for teens to young adults, rather than kids. Now, how does it stack up against the PS4?

Well for one, it's simple and easy to change your username at any time. You can change it once for free, and continuously afterwards for a small price. It's much easier than having to recreate your account for the sake of a title. However, while it does share largely the same library as the PS4, I feel the exclusives don't do much for those who invest in it. Just about anything you can find on the Xbox One, you can find on PS4, and done much better, including the DVD Player functionality (which has to be downloaded as an app before proper use, for some baffling reason). But for ~$230 for 500 GB and a game alongside it, perhaps there's something in it that you may like. Be wary of controller prices, though. Sometimes they can range from ~$60 to ~$80, and that's... odd.

This console in particular should be able to satisfy anyone, no matter what the family drama. This is the Nintendo Switch, which just made its' debut recently. This little portable device allows you to take gaming on the go, with small controllers that can attach and detach from the console at will for various methods of gaming. Play with family members, play with friends, play with anyone around you with a Switch and others around the world! It's truly a nice little system that gives you plenty to play with, and complete with a hearty library of first and third-party titles, it's easy to see why everyone would want to get their hands on one of these. But similar to the PS4, this comes at a pretty steep cost, arguably more so than the previous systems.

Let's start with the system itself. The dock, Switch, and both "Joy-Cons" are all in one package of about $300. The left and right joy-cons are used for playing whatever you get for your Switch, but the system only comes with one left controller, and one right controller (and two wrist straps, respectively). Buying one pair of both joy-cons in store will cost you $80 up front, and individually, they're $50. So if you intend on getting a Switch, you'd better make sure the controllers don't get lost. What if you also want to plug in your Switch to the TV? Well, the bundle only comes with one, but additional docks to leave in the house for use elsewhere will cost you $90. Combined with the standard prices of the Switch's games as well, it's pretty easy to see where this is going. Getting a Switch will leave a fresh hole in your wallet, so you'd do well to make sure you have enough money to keep up with what the Switch serves you. If you can swing it, though, the Switch is a worthy investment.

But what if you don't need a home console at all, and your kids/siblings want something to keep them entertained day in and out? Well, that's what the Nintendo 3DS is for. I know it's from the same company, but the 3DS does well for portable entertainment, more so on the portable side than the Switch does. It has a growing library of games, decent third-party support, and very good first-party support. Nintendo keeps the 3DS alive with tons of games made from them and for their players, so it's a very good investment. But, if you're looking for something deeper, then... you should stick with a console.

The 3DS isn't too expensive, but while it has a strong library of games and such, it's purely for kids and teens. You won't find anything like what the PS4 or Xbox One will offer, so if you're more into the hard, serious side of gaming, then you won't get that on a 3DS. As for prices? They're probably the best ones on this list! A 3DS XL (which has added functions plus processing power) will cost $200, and they vary in different colors. A 2DS XL (which is the exact same thing minus the 3D function) is about $150, with only three different, current versions available, and the standard 2DS (which can't close at all and has the base minimum that the standard 3DS offers) costs $80. This is probably the best choice if you can't afford one of the home consoles on this list.

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And with that, there's my comparison list of video game consoles this year! I hope I was able to clear up some info about some of the systems on this list, and give some insight onto what's the best buy for this year. If you're ever confused about what to get for your siblings, your parents or anyone else, you can never go wrong with video games (if you can afford them, obviously). Happy Holidays to all, and a wonderful night of video games to everyone!