- Hey, guys, this is Austin.
So there have been just a couple of new consoles
released over the last few months,
but the question is, which one is right for you?
First of all, we have the brand new Nintendo Switch.
Now at first glance, this might look
like a weird sort of comparison to make,
as of course this is much more portable
than something like a PS4.
But the big advantage of the Switch,
is that not only can you use it in portable mode,
but once you're ready, you drop it on the dock
and it is every bit the console
that something like a PS4 or Xbox is.
For about the same money as the Switch, though,
not only can you pick up an Xbox One S,
but you could also pick up a PS4 Slim.
So let's find out which one is going to be best for you.
If you caught the Is It Worth it episode on the Switch,
you'll know that I really like it.
So I think Nintendo did a great job of blending
all the best parts of a portable console
with something that can totally work
as a traditional game console.
Drop it on the dock,
and of course you have your full HDMI output,
but when you're ready to go play on the go,
it's as simple as just picking it right up.
Portability really is a huge selling point for the Switch.
Now sure, it might not be as graphically impressive
as something like a PS4, Xbox, but keep in mind
that this is a very small, very thin,
what's essentially a gaming tablet.
It is really cool to have a proper game console
that you can take with you everywhere.
It really does set the Switch apart from the competition.
Speaking of flexibility, one of the coolest parts
of the Switch are the Joy-Con controllers.
So as simple as just sliding them right off the side,
you get two fully independent controllers
that you can use like this
or drop them on more of a traditional grip
that looks a lot more like a controller.
Honestly though, using them
in the fully independent configuration,
I feel like works really well.
You can easily scroll through games.
It's nice to be able to kind of have that freedom
to do dance moves while you play the Switch.
Don't do that, it's a bad idea.
Of course, the Switch is not perfect.
As a brand new game console, the biggest issue
is the game library.
There just aren't that many games out for this guy yet.
Essentially right now, this is a $300 Zelda machine.
That's not exactly a bad thing,
Breath of the Wild is a terrific game.
But if you wanna play things like
Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, or Mario Kart,
you're going to be waiting a while,
The future is already looking a lot more bright
for the Switch than it ever did for the Wii U,
but you have to keep your expectations in check.
Now sure, there are going to be lots
of great Nintendo titles for the Switch
and there is some promising third-party support coming,
however, this is never going to be your primary console
to play games like Madden, Battlefield, or Call of Duty.
That is where the Xbox One comes in.
So the One S is an updated version for 2016,
where you're getting a much slimmer console
with an integrated power supply and some key upgrades
including 4K and Ultra HD Blu-Ray support.
But most importantly, this is a game console.
Even though the Xbox One is technically $300,
you can usually find it for less than that.
For example, right now on Amazon,
there's a Minecraft Xbox One S bundle
which costs only $240.
This is a lot of console for that cheap.
And since the Xbox has been out for a few years,
it's seen a lot of major updates since the original version,
including support for some Xbox 360 games,
a ton of accessories, a pretty decent game library,
and my personal favorite is the controller.
I really do feel like the Xbox One controller
is one of the best ever.
For that kind of price, you can pick up an Xbox One S
and a few games and it's still going to cost you
less than the Switch by itself.
But, there's more to the Xbox than just gaming.
The Xbox One has always had a fairly strong media focus,
with an HDMI in port to connect it
to something like a cable box,
so you can control it all from one spot.
But with the Xbox One S, you're getting not only
4K support, so for example, you can watch Netflix in 4K
on this, but it also can handle HDR,
as well as it has an Ultra HD BluRay player,
something you're not going to find on any other console.
And just look at it, I honestly feel like the Xbox One,
especially in white, is such a classy,
clean looking console.
Especially compared to some of its competition.
I mean, just look at it, the PS4 might be a solid console,
but looks-wise, this is kinda like someone took a PS4 Pro
and just chopped it in half.
But, there's a lot more to the PS4 Slim than just the looks.
So like the Xbox One S, this was released a few months ago.
And while, technically, it's a $300 console,
again, if you go on Amazon, it's not difficult to find
something like this for about $260,
and that includes a full copy of Uncharted 4.
One of the big advantages of the PS4 though, is performance.
This is, hands-down, the most powerful console
that you can buy today.
Now that is really going to be noticeable
in a lot of multi-platform games.
Typically, if a game runs on Xbox and PS4,
it's either going to run
at a higher resolution or a better framerate
when you're playing on the PlayStation.
The PS4 also has a lot of exclusive titles.
So games like Uncharted 4,
Horizon Zero Dawn, Gran Turismo,
these are all only going to be found on the PS4.
Well, sure, a lot of the times you can say
it works better on PC, but really, with the PS4,
you're getting a lot of games
that you just cannot get elsewhere.
Something else going for the PS4 is PlayStation VR.
Now this is the most affordable, proper VR headset
that you can get.
And while it is by no means cheap,
it is an easy way for you to get into VR
and honestly there are some
pretty decent titles available on it.
It might not be a must-have just yet,
but it's only going to continue to get better.
There are plenty of reasons
to pick up any of these consoles,
but what it really comes down to are the games.
There is no talking about the Switch
without looking at Breath of the Wild.
Now, I think some people get a little bit caught up
with the idea that since this is essentially a tablet
and inside the Switch, it's running a basically
tablet processor, that it is not in the same league
as the PS4 or Xbox One.
But one look at Breath of the Wild
should really kind of tell you otherwise.
Yes, graphically it is not quite on par,
but it's still more powerful
than something like a 360 or PS3,
and just look at this.
This is a really nice-looking game.
So yeah, if you look closely, you'll see the resolution's
a little bit down at 900p, and the lack of anti-aliasing
can mean that there are a few rough edges,
especially with all the sharp grass and whatnot around,
but the most important thing is
this is a different style of console.
You can pick it up, take it with you wherever,
and I think all of that said, Nintendo did a good job
of blending portability with power
as I try not to die, that's not good.
Software-wise, the Switch is an improvement
over the Wii U, but the real issue is a lack
of actual titles to play.
So not only are there not a ton of games
that you can actually play on the Switch,
but on top of that, there's really not a lot
of other stuff you can do.
There's no Netflix, there's no YouTube,
there's no web browser.
Now a lot of this stuff is coming soon,
but for now, this is a Zelda machine.
Moving over to the Xbox One,
there are quite a few exclusive titles,
but my favorite is definitely the Forza series.
I have a soft spot for racing games
and I feel like Forza does a good job of blending
some of the fun stuff with a horizon
with some of the more serious stuff like
Rock Band 4.
Rock Band 4 is an excellent game, what just happened?
What.
(impish laughter in the background)
The Xbox is at a disadvantage compared to the PS4
in the multi-platform stuff,
but it's not a huge difference.
Sometimes you'll notice maybe a little bit
of a resolution drop, but for the most part,
you're getting a very similar experience
and if you really like games like Forza,
it's not a bad console to get.
One big advantage for the Xbox, is its software.
Not only do I feel like it does the best job
of handling things like multitasking,
but the video apps are solid.
There's a good selection, but more importantly,
you're able to get 4K out, which is something
you can't do on the PlayStation
unless you upgrade to a PS4 Pro.
Games are absolutely the strong suit of the PS4.
So exclusive titles like Horizon Zero Dawn
not only look incredible, but there are a lot of games
that you will just not find anywhere else
besides the PlayStation 4.
Developers have done a great job of taking advantage
of the extra horsepower of the PS4.
And while I sound like a broken record here,
there are so many titles that are just only on PS4
that are absolutely worth a play.
Software-wise, there's not a lot
to complain about with the PS4.
The menu is snappy, there are a fair few cool features,
such as Spotify, as well as you have PlayStation Now
if you wanna stream games, and the video apps
are completely fine.
The thing you're really missing here
is just that 4K support.
There are totally legit reasons
to pick up any of these consoles.
The Switch is something legitimately different
and has tons of potential,
the Xbox has the media side down
and still has a lot of great games,
and the PS4 is hands-down one of
the best places to play games, period.
Assuming of course, you don't have a PC.
So, which console would you guys go with?
Let me know in the comments below
and I will catch you in the next one.