New Nintendo Game Console 2017

A visitor plays a Nintendo's new Switch game console during its game experience session in Tokyo on January 14, 2017. Strong demand for the new unit would help Nintendo close the book on poor. Find the perfect deal for Nintendo Consoles with free shipping for many items at eBay. Shop by model such as nintendo switch, new nintendo 3ds xl, game boy advance sp.

The gaming industry advances incredibly fast, offering more and more products to discover. Whether you are a pro-gamer or a novice, you will be interested in learning what's new in gaming equipment. Don't stay behind, get the best game consoles!..Read more..Read less
Xbox One S has a capacious onboard 1 TB HDD that enables you to store a lot of gaming content. The redesigned bundled game controller of this video game console can be used not only with the console itself but with any other device that runs on Windows 10 OS.

New Nintendo Game Console 2017 Game List

No color options except the white one.
The updated Xbox One S console offers the power and connectivity of its previous iteration in a 40% smaller case plus several new features like the 4K and HDR video out support.
detailed parameters
JAGUAR AMD CPU 64-bit X86 (1.75 GHz) 8-CORE
8 GB DDR3 (shared between CPU and GPU), 32 МB ESRAM
1.24 TF - RADEON HD 7790
2 TB
3 x USB3.0 2 x HDMI 1 x Optical audio out 1 x AUX
The capability of playing Blue-Ray videos at the 4К resolution, Support of High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDR) video technology, Xbox Live service for Internet gaming
Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth
Includes the whole bundle of items to ensure an exciting gaming experience shareable with other players on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc.
The glossy covering around the buttons isn't scratch-resistant.
The functionality of PS4 allows you to plunge into the pleasures of a contemporary game world at the fastest processing speed. Do not miss a chance to get this newest SONY game console!
detailed parameters
JAGUAR AMD CPU 64-bit X86 (1.6 GHz) 8-CORE
Systems
8 GB GDDR5 (shared between CPU and GPU)
1.84 TF - RADEON HD 7870
500 GB
2 x USB 3.0 1 x HDMI 1 x Optical audio out 1 х AUX in
AudioShield technology to remove unwanted background noise, SHARE technology to record streaming video, SHAREfactory Video Editor, 4K video support, Blue-Ray discs support, PlayStation®App
Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 (EDR)
Thanks to the Kinect Real Motion, the sensor can track even the smallest movement.
The power adapter is pretty big and connects separately.
The console has amazing characteristics and can be used as a player for movies in Ultra HD and for Blue-Ray. This is one of the best items you can get!
detailed parameters
JAGUAR AMD CPU 64-bit X86 (1.75 GHz) 8-CORE
8 GB DDR3 (shared between CPU and GPU), 32 МB ESRAM
1.24 TF -RADEON HD 7790
500 GB
3 х USB 3.0 2 х HDMI (1 in, 1 out) 1 x Optical audio out
Smart Match system on Xbox One, 4K video support, Blue-Ray discs support, Skype adapted specifically for Xbox One
Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth
Kinect Adventures is included in the kit - the game where you use your body instead of a controller.
Does not support Blue-Ray.
This model will give you a good time with friends thanks to the additional Kinect controller. You will be able to feel the new level of games. Go ahead and get it first!
detailed parameters
Power PC (3.2 GHz) 3-CORE
512 МB GDDR3 (shared between CPU and GPU), 700MHz
ATI C1/Xenos
250 GB
5 x USB 2.0 1 x HDMI 1 x AV Multi Out 1 x Optical audio out
Kinect accessory that allows you to play games using your body as the controller, Full HD support
Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth
You can use Wii U GamePad as a remote controller for your TV.
Small hard drive storage space.
The model features Miiverse - the newest chatting system on social networks. You will be able to discuss various topics with players all around the world. Don't miss out on this amazing console!
detailed parameters
IBM Power PC 750 (1.24 GHz) 3-CORE
2 GB DDR3, 32 MB eDRAM cache (both shared between CPU and GPU)
AMD R600/700 550 MHz
32 GB
4 х USB 2.0 1 х HDMI 1 х AV Multi Out 1 х Сard reader
GamePad with touch screen, Classic pro-controller, Stylus for Wii U GamePad.
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0

Microsoft Xbox One S 2TB Console

A Well-coordinated Teamwork

Microsoft engineers have put much effort in redesigning the original Xbox One console, which resulted in Xbox One Slim model’s being 40 % smaller than the original console and, which is very important, preserving its full functionality. The redesign even allowed integrating once external power adapter into the video game console case that greatly facilitates the placement of the Xbox One S console near displaying devices and makes it more convenient. The upgraded Xbox model regained its white color and got a half of its case made perforated to ensure a sufficient removal of the heat generated during the console operation. The bundled game controller has also undergone some changes and gained a textured surface for a better grip. But the main change the update brought to the bundled controller is the capability of interacting with a host device via the Bluetooth connection, which enabled the controller wireless pairing with your PC. Another important newly introduced feature is the expansion of the onboard HDD capacity to 2 TB that allows you to store much more gaming content on Xbox One S console. The One S video game console supports displaying the image on the connected compatible displaying device at the 4К resolution not only when watching videos from an online service or a Blu-Ray disc but also when playing games (upscaling from the FullHD resolution). The video subsystem of the Xbox One S also gained a High Dynamic Range video output support to enhance the visual experience for the video content with an expanded brightness range watched on HDR-compatible TVs.

Creation of a Virtual World

The world-famous Xbox video game console was created owing to the advancements of the Microsoft, the leading software development corporation. The launch of the original Xbox established the Microsoft as a vendor of the most powerful gaming consoles. The Xbox appeared a strong competitor to Sony’s products, which was holding a leading position on the market with its PlayStation 2 video game console and the idea of competing with which seemed ridiculous. But not for Microsoft. The critical point in the Xbox video game console's evolution has come with the launch of Xbox 360 model, which hit the shelves a year before its competitors so by the time of their arrival, the Xbox 360 had already had many gaming titles and a big market share. Therefore, the video game consoles from other popular brands had to catch up with Xbox 360. Recently, the company has released the latest model of its game console, which has been improved design-wise and feature-wise and dubbed the Xbox One S.

More Products to Consider

If you are an avid fan of fast-paced games, we recommend you to check Forza Motorsport 6, which offers an unprecedented experience in virtual racing.

Additional Info

VIDEO
Xbox One S Unboxing, Setup and Impressions

Sony PlayStation 4 Slim 500GB Uncharted 4

Performance

This video game console is equipped with a CPU and GPU manufactured by AMD. The main components of this video game console are an 8-core AMD Jaguar CPU with 1.6 GHz clock frequency and a GPU based on the modified AMD Radeon architecture (GCN 1.1). PlayStation 4 has 8 GB of GDDR5 onboard memory which offers a 176 Gb/s data transfer rate and is shared between the CPU and GPU to ensure the high computing performance. You can enjoy most of the PS4 titles at 1920 х 1080 pixels (Full HD) resolution at comfortable 60 fps. With that, you can always rely on your console to deliver the highest image quality possible at such resolution and framerate.

Interfaces

The manufacturer decided to spare the latest incarnation of Sony PlayStation system of obsolete analog interfaces (except for a headset mono analog out, which is built in DualShock 4 controllers). As a result, you can connect Sony PlayStation 4 to an external display or a TV panel only via the HDMI port with mandatory HDCP protection support. You will not have any problems with that as all the modern HD and Full HD TVs support an HDMI connection. The gaming console also has an auxiliary (AUX) port intended for connecting a PlayStation Camera. The PlayStation Camera is a motion detection camera, which enables the control of console interface as well as voice control or interactive control in selected games. The available S/PDIF digital out makes it possible to connect the console to speaker systems via receivers and standalone DACs. PlayStation 4 console offers 2 modern USB 3.0 ports for connecting an external storage device, such as USB flash drives.

Extras

DualShock controllers of this best video game console among the Sony products have the Share button. The PS4 gaming console actually records your current gameplay and saves the records in 15-minute long footages (the feature also allows taking screenshots during your gameplay), which you can share with your friends online. On pressing the Share button the recorded gameplay footages are saved to the console's HDD, thus enabling you to watch them again later. During the gameplay video recording, all the unwanted background sounds are eliminated by the AudioShield proprietary technology. Moreover, the SHAREfactory application enables you to edit the gameplay videos that you saved using the SHARE feature before sharing them. This model of video game console even supports Ultra HD (4K) video playback, which permits you to enjoy the picture on a connected 4K display or TV in full splendor. With the PlayStation App, it is easy to purchase games for your PS 4 console even when you are away as the application makes your PS4 download the games automatically at home. You can watch your friends playing by using a mobile device screen and connecting to their PlayStation 4 consoles as a guest. When purchasing a PS4 console, you are given a choice between several configurations, which is very useful.

Type-over text (Overtype mode) Insert mode is what you're used to. As you type, any characters to the right of what you're typing move over to make room for your new text. When you are editing text in overtype mode, you are typing text over your previous text. In this mode, typing new characters. Sep 28, 2019  It sounds as if you have some version of Word 2010. In that version, the Insert key toggle is disabled by default. If you have a tendency to hit the Insert key unintentionally (all too easy to do when aiming for Backspace or Delete), you may want to leave it. Sep 04, 2018  Is Microsoft Word 2016 typing over already existing text? Normally, there are a couple of different reasons text may be getting overwritten. Fix 1 – Insert Key. Try pressing the “Insert” key to toggle typing back to regular functionality. The “Insert” key is usually found next to the “Backspace” key. If you’re on a laptop, you may have to hold down a Function (Fn) key while pressing another key to toggle. Overwrite in microsoft word. Nov 18, 2016  Overtype mode is particularly irksome as it is very easy to inadvertently turn it on and off. In Microsoft Word this is accomplished by pressing, often accidentally, the INS (Insert) key. This key is very close to the backspace key on a standard keyboard. The current status of the Overtype mode is indicated by the letters OVR on Word’s Status Bar. May 04, 2013  Microsoft Word versions previous to Word 2010 and Word 2010 and even Windows WordPad had an option to overwrite the text if we preseds the Insert key before typing anything. Things have changed in Microsoft Word 2007 and onwards. Now there is an Insert Mode which works in the same way as pressing insert key in the previous versions.

Additional Info

VIDEO
Sony PlayStation 4 with DualShock 4 Controller

Microsoft Xbox One

Performance

Microsoft Xbox One console is equipped with AMD Jaguar Accelerated Processing Unit analogous to that of PS4 but clocked at 1.75 GHz. The AMD Jaguar CPU consists of 2 quad-core modules with as many as eight cores. The GPU used for the Xbox One is 853 MHz AMD Radeon GCN chip, which is analogous to RADEON HD 7790 desktop GPU. The GPU and CPU are closely integrated and share 8 GB of DDR3 RAM with a bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, 3 GB of which are reserved for the utility software and the operating system, and 5 GB are available for games. To further accelerate the system performance, the manufacturer decided to complement the Xbox One memory subsystem with a 32 MB eSRAM module, which has a memory bandwidth of 109 GB/s.

Interfaces

This latest model in Xbox product series has 3 USB 3.0 ports with a peak data transfer rate of 5 Gb/s for data exchange between the console and external media devices. It is worth mentioning that Xbox One consoles are furnished with two HDMI ports, one for input and one for the output of video (and digital audio up to 7.1 channels) signal at the resolution of up to 4K. There is also a separate optical port for digital audio output, which allows connecting audio receivers and digital audio signal processors to do a digital-analog processing and pass the signal to amplifier and speakers. For connecting to the Internet there are two options available: a wired Ethernet port and a wireless Wi-Fi connection. There is also a Kinect 2.0 dedicated port on the back side of Xbox One consoles.

Extras

Smart Match is a revolutionary system of players selection for Xbox One. The Smart Match was fully reworked and redesigned for the next generation games and it implements the most advanced algorithms of gaming partners selection based on their skills, native language, and reputation. That means you will be playing with people similar to you. And what is also important, you will not need to wait for another player to join you in a cooperative gaming mode. The Kinect Real Motion technology enables the Kinect 2.0 high-resolution sensor to track your motions with high precision. For example, you can clench your fist and thus give a specific command in a game or an application interface. You can give commands and issue orders when you stand or seat. With an Xbox One console, you can communicate via the Skype application in Snap mode while watching TV as well as organizing three-way Skype calls with people all over the world. The basic configuration of this video game console has a capacious 500 GB HDD on the board, which is enough for storing many modern games. Besides, you can choose an optimal configuration among the ones available on the market.

Additional Info

VIDEO
Microsoft Xbox One Console

Microsoft Xbox 360

Performance

This gaming video console by Microsoft comes with an IBM Xenon (PowerPC architecture) CPU, which has three multithreading-capable cores clocked at 3.2 GHz. The video rendering and image processing in Microsoft Xbox 360 are passed on to Xenos GPU by AMD company that has a 10 MB of eDRAM dedicated memory. Since the amount of this eDRAM memory allocated to GPU is too small the GPU shares the 512 MB of GDDR3 RAM that operates at 700 MHz frequency with the Xenon CPU via the unified memory architecture.

Interfaces

The Xbox 360 gaming console has a great number of input/output ports. The Xbox 360 Slim model offers 5 USB 2.0 ports for external devices. You can connect flash drives to the console via the USB and watch videos or use game data from them. The available USB ports on the video game console can be used for connecting wired Xbox controllers, Xbox Live Vision camera device, wireless networking adapter, or even Windows devices to stream the video from the console to them. The video out on Xbox 360 is implemented via the digital HDMI interface capable of transferring digital video and audio signals to connected TVs and display devices (there is also a separate optical digital audio out). All standard Xbox 360 controllers have a 2.5mm headset jack to enable the use of wired headsets for voice chatting. The Microsoft Xbox 360 also features a proprietary radio system allowing for wireless connectivity of accessories and a dedicated Kinect port.

Extras

The main feature that makes this video game console stand out from the crowd of competing devices is the bundled Kinect device. Using a Kinect controller you can literally substitute a standard game controller (gamepad) with your body. Kinect controllers have many built-in sensors for detecting the motion and gestures, permitting you to control your gameplay with your own body. This feature brings a new level of interaction with the console and your games and makes gaming much more interesting.

Additional Info

VIDEO
Microsoft Xbox 360 Console with Kinect

Nintendo Wii U

Performance

The Nintendo Wii U console is equipped with a tri-core IBM PowerPC 750 (Espresso), which is clocked at approximately 1.24 GHz. The CPU of the Wii U console operates with 2 GB of DDR3 RAM memory. The GPU used in this Nintendo console is AMD R600/700, clocked at approximately 550 MHz and with 32 MB of eDRAM cache memory. The GPU supports 3D video and images. The memory architecture of the Nintendo Wii console allows the Espresso CPU and Latte GPU to access both the main 2 GB DDR3 memory pool and the eDRAM cache memory on the GPU, thus boosting the overall system performance.

Interfaces

Nintendo Wii consoles offer 4 USB 2.0 ports capped at 480 Mb/s for the connection of external devices. This Wii console supports the video output at up to 1080p resolution (Full HD) via the HDMI and component video out or 576i, 480i (anamorphic widescreen) via the analog composite video out. The Wii U is capable of outputting a 5.1-channel linear PCM surround sound signal or analog stereo signal. The compact Nintendo Wii console supports wireless network connectivity and Fast Ethernet wired connectivity with an accessory as well as Bluetooth 4.0 connection.

Extras

The Nintendo Wii U supply package includes the Wii GamePad with a 6.3” built-in touch screen. This compact display does not have a multi-touch functionality, though. The package also includes a classic Nintendo Pro game controller for those who prefer its ergonomics. The Nintendo Wii U has a bundled stylus used with the GamePad, which is very helpful in the games developed specifically for Nintendo Wii U consoles. This modification of Nintendo Wii U console includes 32 GB of internal eMMC flash memory for the storage of your game info and media.

Additional Info

VIDEO
Nintendo Wii U Deluxe Set

What is a Video Game Console

Game consoles are the best choice not only for people who love games but also for those who want to make a wonderful present. Nowadays, you can explore the whole new world with this amazing device. A game console is a video device designed specifically for games. The nice thing about it is that it can be used for watching high-resolution videos accompanied by crystal-clear sound, in most present-day formats. Of course, most people buy consoles to play games. And this is absolutely right. Game consoles are so powerful that they allow playing literally any game.

If you need a wider spectrum of games, we would recommend you to look at gaming PCs.

What Features to Compare

Performance

To achieve the best gaming experience, it's vital to get a console that will give you an advantage of quick response time. For that, consider the CPU and supported formats. If you strive for a highly detailed picture and incredibly good-looking games, the video console should be really powerful and support Ultra HD (4K) and/or Blue-Ray discs. These tech specs will allow you not only to play high-resolution games but also stream video to your TV, PC monitor and even projector in the superb quality. The RAM is another thing you ought to consider in order to choose a device with great speed and overall performance rate. The higher RAM capacity you have, the more performing your video game console will be. Among other important specs worth your consideration is also the graphics (GPU) that tells you how good a picture is going to be adapted for a screen to stream movies and enjoy a gameplay.

Interfaces

To be able to use your video game console to the fullest extent, it's important for it to have enough ports to connect various multimedia devices. Most present video game consoles have a USB 3.0 port that can read and transfer information at 5 Gbit/second rate (that's really quick). Consoles are equipped with a digital video, some with an optical audio, to provide for 3D sound reproduction and a video signal transfer. A lot of manufacturers today offer wireless video game consoles that connect to a PC over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for maximum users' comfort.

Extras

Best Nintendo Games 2017

Consider additional features as well, for they add to convenience of use. Some consoles allow for game control using your own body instead of a controller so that your adventures become more fun and natural. The cameras and motion sensors scan what you do in front of the screen and transfer your movements to the game. Pay attention whether it's possible to store your favorite games in the memory and have quick access to them when your friends come around.

Sources:

1. Video-Game ConsoleBuying Guide, Consumer Reports. May 2016.

2. Jason SchreierWhich Video Game Console Should You Buy?Kotaku. December 23, 2015.

3. Chris Hall,Cam BuntonXbox One S: Release date, specs and everything you need to know, Pocket-lint. August 2, 2016.

4. Jeff BakalarPlayStation 4 review: Great gaming for 2016 and beyond, CNET. November 16, 2015.

5. How to Pick a Gaming System, wikiHow. January 2016.

Popular Comparisons

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

The Rundown

  • Best for Mobility: Nintendo Switch at Amazon, “Makes playing on the go easy.”
  • Best for Graphics: Xbox One X at Amazon, “If you’re looking to get the highest sense of realism from a current gaming console with the most powerful displays, the Xbox One X takes the cake.”
  • Most Popular:PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console at Amazon, “With close to 64 million sold worldwide, it’s hard to doubt the 62% market capture and user base of Sony’s PlayStation 4.”
  • Best for Families:Nintendo Wii U at Amazon, “ Most of its gaming library contains an E rating for Everyone.”
  • Best Value:Xbox One S All-Digital at Amazon, “A first for gaming: a truly disc-less all digital console for the modern age.”
  • Best Re-Release: Super NES Classic at Amazon, “Resurrects the glorious gaming era of the 1990s.”
  • Best Handheld: Nintendo 3DS XL at Amazon, “Boasts real 3D capabilities, a library of over 1,224 games, and is backward compatible with Nintendo DS games.”

Our Top Picks

Best for Mobility: Nintendo Switch

4.2

Upon its first reveal, the Nintendo Switch marketed itself as a mobile gaming system that not only could be played at home on your television, but also carried around and playable wherever you go. Nintendo’s innovative console makes playing on the go easy and comes with a disassembling controller with split screen options, so you can play with friends.

The Nintendo Switch has 50 third-party publishers in partnership for developing its future games. Hits like Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey have given it a strong lineup. The Switch makes for a great system for parties with its mobile snap-off joy-con controllers–once out of its docking station, it acts like a tablet with its own dedicated screen that can be shared with others through split-screen multiplayer games.

Best for Graphics: Xbox One X

4.6

The Xbox One X capitalizes on its former Xbox One model with some of the most powerful tech you’ll find in a gaming system today. If you’re looking to get the highest sense of realism from a current gaming console with the most powerful displays, the Xbox One X takes the cake.

The Xbox One X contains six trillion floating point operations per second with 326GB/s and 12GB GDDR5 RAM, giving it the most graphical horsepower in rendering native 4K HD graphics at 60 frames per second. This makes games like Call Of Duty: WWII have a heightened sense of realism, detailing everything from flowing hair, rays of the sun and clothing fiber. All Xbox One games are compatible and run better on the Xbox One X in Full HD display as well. Microsoft even plans on bringing Original Xbox and Xbox 360 backward compatibility to the system too.

Most Popular: PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console

4.4

With close to 64 million sold worldwide, it’s hard to doubt the 62 percent market capture and user base of Sony’s PlayStation 4. It’s latest model, the PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console brings an updated version of the system with even more robust power.

The PlayStation 4 Pro version antes up the frame rates for its PS4 games – many to 60 fps – bringing 4K high definition gaming and video streaming, as well as twice the GPU power of a standard PS4. The PlayStation 4’s huge library includes 1,648 games, all of which can be played in HD with its Pro version. The system is also good for its multimedia functionality, playing Blu-ray discs, as well as streaming TV, music and more with dedicated apps and downloadable games on its PlayStation Store. Due to its popularity, there’s always someone willing to play online with you, so you’ll never miss out on the fun.

Best for Families: Nintendo Wii U

Nintendo’s been known as the flagship console that is the most kid-friendly, and the Wii U is no exception. Most of its gaming library contains an E rating for Everyone, and the games are often some of the most critically acclaimed for gameplay, art direction and just pure fun.

The Nintendo Wii U uses a gamepad controller with a screen in it, so if parents want to use the living room TV, kids can still play on their Wii U through its dedicated gaming screen without interference. It includes some of the most fun local multiplayer games, too, such as Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D world – both capable of up to four players. The Wii U is also compatible with Wii remote controllers, so you don’t have to buy even more hardware to get in on the game with your friends and family.

Best Value: Xbox One S All-Ditigal

The Xbox One S is already a good value, aimed specifically at people who want the modern-gen console experience, without the price tag of the flagships, and are okay sacrificing a bit on power. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition has the same 8-core Jaguar processor with 1.75GHz of speeds and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. It only comes in one storage size—1TB—which is a good size for digital storage, but it doesn’t include the Blu-ray drive. That ends up benefitting the build as this console is a full pound lighter than its optical drive version.

What the all-digital version of the Xbox One S really gives you is a 100% download-based system. This is a double-edged sword because, on the one hand, you save some money without the need for an optical drive, but on the other hand, you can’t play DVDs or buy used physical copies of games. But, if you’re planning on building a game collection that is only digital (and let’s face it, that’s pretty likely anyway), then you really aren’t missing much with the One S All-Digital. Xbox is even getting you started with three games included: Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 3.

A drive-free, disc-less console is an interesting move on Xbox’s part, but it seems in line with the direction gaming is going, especially with systems like the Nintendo Switch pitting portability and simplicity above power.

Best Re-Release: Super NES Classic

When news dropped that Nintendo would be re-releasing updated classics of its former consoles like the NES and Super NES Classic, gamers rejoiced. The Super NES Classic resurrects the glorious gaming era of the 1990s with 21 different games, including Starfox 2.

With the original look and feel of the 16-bit home console (only smaller) the Super NES Classic acts as a sort of timepiece for when gaming was reaching its peaks. Some of the best two-player games of its era are included and ready to play, such as Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter II Turbo. Defining games such as Megaman X, Earthbound, Kirby Super Star and Super Mario RPG return, too. Any gamer wanting to relive their youth or introduce new gamers to a simpler time when the Internet was first starting should get the Super NES classic. Included are two wired Super NES Classic controllers for multiplayer action.

Best Handheld: Nintendo 3DS XL

The King of Handheld gaming systems first laid its groundwork with the Gameboy in 1989, but now bursts on the scenes of 2017 with the Nintendo 3DS XL. The dual-screen portable handheld system boasts real 3D capabilities, a library of over 1,224 games, and is backward compatible with Nintendo DS games.

Nintendo has come along way from its eight-bit handheld Gameboy system to its now robust and powerful face-tracking, 3D-capable, Wi-Fi-enabled Nintendo 3DS XL system. It can play local and online multiplayer, so you and other 3DS owners around the world or in the neighborhood can play games such as Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart 7. The Nintendo 3DS XL measures 1.5 x 7.1 x 5.1 inches, weighs 1.1 pounds and comes in a variety of unique colors.

Tested by

How We Tested

We bought three top-rated gaming consoles that our reviewers tested for 85 hours. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these consoles, from their price to their graphics. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.

What to Look for in a Gaming Console

Price -The newest gaming consoles can be pricey, but you don’t have to spend a lot for an exciting gaming experience. Nintendo’s mobile gaming system, Switch, for instance, is more than $100 cheaper than many of its competitors. You can also find great deals on classic systems.

Compatibility -If you’ve previously owned a gaming console, you should consider buying a new console that’s compatible with the library of games you’ve likely collected. For example, your PS4 won’t play games from older Sony consoles, but you can still access hundreds of older PlayStation titles using the PS Now streaming service. Xbox One, on the other hand, has much better backwards compatibility, not to mention a digital redemption scheme that lets you download newer versions of your existing games for free.

4K or VR support -How important is it to you to be able to play your favorite games in true 4K? If you’re answer is “very,” you’ll want a console that supports 2160p, like the Xbox One X, but if your answer is “not really,” you can settle for something else. The same goes for virtual reality, as not all systems will support it.

Test Results: Nintendo Switch (Best for Mobility)

4.2

What We Like

  • Perfect portable size

  • Great for local multiplayer

  • Relatively low cost

What We Don't Like

  • Graphics aren't as good as other consoles

  • Lackluster online service

  • No Ethernet port, Wi-Fi only

The Nintendo Switch won our testers over with its lightweight feel, “perfect” size, and “amazing” library of games. “It's like having a modern Game Boy but with better games and graphics,” raved one of our reviewers. Our testers also loved that it easily connects to the TV and has an extensive battery life. One of our reviewers declared, “For a casual gamer, you don't need any other consoles.” You’ll need to buy a memory card, though, according to our testers, as space for downloaded games is limited.

All Nintendo Consoles

Test Results: Xbox One X (Best for Graphics)

4.6

What We Like

  • 4k graphics and enhanced visuals for Full HD

  • Blu-ray drive for movies

  • Super quiet while running

What We Don't Like

  • Cost of getting initial setup high

  • No SSD, still a hard drive

  • Only improves certain games

The Xbox One X came highly recommended by our testers for serious gamers looking for incredible display quality, tons of storage, and the added bonus of being able to use the device for streaming TV and video. “This console is able to process a massive open world video game worth ~40 GB of space,” explained one of our reviewers. “With such a huge game, graphics are still displayed in 4K and looks phenomenal.” Our testers didn’t like that downloading a game could be quite time consuming, and one of our reviewers wished the controller came with a USB wire for charging. Bottom line: “For the retail price, this 1TB device with 4K display, that is capable of multitasking on many different things is incredible,” gushed one of our reviewers.

Test Results: PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console (Most Popular)

4.4

What We Like

  • Beautiful 4K graphics

  • Improved hardware with more RAM and power

  • Faster UI, load speeds, and downloads

What We Don't Like

  • Lacks Ultra HD Blu-ray player

  • Enhanced graphics not supported on all games

  • 1 TB hard drive, not SSD

“Though it has an expensive upfront cost, it pays out tenfold with a wide selection of games that fit anyone’s style, mind-blowing graphics, and a variety of entertainment options,” one of our testers declared of the PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console. Our reviewers also liked the simple setup — “You can easily get connected in under five minutes,” noted one tester. And while the online functionality, which you need to play most of the popular games, requires a $60/year membership, one of our reviewers explained its value: “It is worth noting, however, that you get a lot in return for this service, including free games every month that you keep for as long as your membership is active.” Our testers also mentioned long update times and download speeds, but felt the overall product was a great buy “for serious gamers.”