Your old system is on its last legs—it glitches more than ever, the latest games aren’t available on it, and one of the controls only works if you push the buttons a certain way. Or maybe you’re just a bit bored with the systems you have and are in the market for a new one to keep your gaming fresh.
Whatever the reason, choosing a new gaming platform is a big decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Even if you’re just a casual gamer, your new system is going to be your gaming partner for the next few years. You’ll want to make sure it’s a perfect fit for you and how you play.
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a new gaming platform. In this article, we’ll go over the five most important ones so that you can start your search for the perfect system with a better idea of what to look for and what questions to consider.
Games
The most important thing for every gamer is obviously going to be the games! Thankfully, we’ve moved into an era of cross-platform game availability, which is a major change from the 1990s and early 2000s. The days of the console wars generated some fun competition and trash-talking but seriously limited which games were available to players.
When it comes to considering the games you want to play, it’s also important to consider alternative game sources that you enjoy using. Maybe you’re a word nerd who plays all the daily puzzles on the New York Times. Or maybe you’re a cardshark who enjoys spending time at the online casino playing table games and slots.
Online casino games don’t typically have high requirements to play, but each platform is different and has its own requirements. NewCasinos.com offers a guide to players—reviewing requirements in detail, discussing the offerings provided, and breaking dense information into easy-to-understand pros and cons lists.
It also shows if those online casinos offer a mobile app or are mobile-optimized. It’s important to keep all these factors in mind when choosing your new platform.
Compatibility
Today’s gaming world is much better about backward compatibility, but it’s still an important factor to consider. A new gaming platform shouldn’t have to mean saying goodbye to all of your old favorite games and sacrificing all the progress you’ve made on them.
Today, most gaming platforms are backward-compatible for at least one generation. This means that you can usually play PlayStation 4 games on a PlayStation 5, or Xbox One games on the Xbox Series X. There may be some issues with graphics, but gameplay shouldn’t be impacted.
When looking for a new gaming platform, check that your favorite games will still be playable on the platforms that you’re considering. Or, check if that platform has a cloud gaming option so that you can play your favorite games without having to purchase a new copy.
Specs
Whenever a new gaming platform is announced, the hottest topic of discussion is the system’s specs. For people who don’t really care about this information, it can be overlooked. For the people who do care, however, the specs are everything.
The CPU and GPU impact what games can be played, the speed, and the overall quality. Having great CPU and GPU specs is essential.
The GPU architecture is a niche spec that is less important but matters to experts. Also, consider the memory, usable and internal storage, and the optical drive and verify that any platform has options to expand storage or connect to an external storage device.
Cost
We all wish that we had unlimited gaming budgets, but sadly for most of us, that isn’t the case. In fact, if money wasn’t a concern, it would probably be simplest to just buy one of every gaming platform and decide which one you liked best after playing them all.
In reality, setting a budget is a good way to help you determine which gaming platforms and potential upgrades you should purchase.
Don’t forget that it isn’t just the cost of the system itself—there are also any customizations or upgrades you may want. You might already have a compatible headset and controllers but if not, those are added costs to consider as well.
If you’re choosing a new platform because you want to get into a type of gaming that requires specialized equipment, don’t forget to factor those costs in. The most obvious example of this is driving simulators. A playseat can be a huge expense but they’re essential for making the games fully immersive.
Community
Video games are an important source of friendship and community for many people. Even single-player games often have Discords and forums where they can be discussed. With multiplayer games, it’s easy to develop friendships (and rivalries!) with the people you play with all the time.
When you’re choosing a new gaming platform, consider the community aspect. Will you still be able to chat and play games with your friends on this platform? Does it have built-in chat functions that are easy to use? Or will you use the new platform as an opportunity to make a new group of gamer friends?
Top Options
The perfect console for each player is going to depend a lot on personal preference, budget, and favorite games. There are some gaming platforms, however, that are always at the top of the charts when being compared by the gaming experts.
The PlayStation 5 immediately sold out when it was released and kept flying off the shelves for months afterward. This was because it is one of the best all-around systems. The Xbox has always been the main competitor for the PlayStation, and the Series X continues this rivalry. It is probably the most powerful system on the market.
The Nintendo Switch is the leading handheld gaming platform. It’s ideal for people who like to game on the go, and it has some great options for collaborative gameplay.
