Looking to buy a console for the living room. Now, I've never owned a console in my entire life, and hope to count upon the wisdom of my fellow OzBargainers in making a decision.
Additional info:
1. I'd like a console with a good range of coop games to play with my other half and when I have friends over.
2. 3-4 years ago before work took over, I used to play computer games a lot. Games I played were mainly first person shooter games such as CoD, Battlefield and sports such as FIFA.
+1 for Switch.
Whenever we go over to a friend's place who has PS4, Xbox, and Switch, we always play on Switch for co-op games.
I don't play online.
Switch definitely has some good points.
Main downside is there are no great deals on games, campared to the bargains that frequently come up for ps4 and xbox1 .
Also, even the older titles on switch don't go down much, whereas formerly $99 ps4/xbox1 titles, can be had $9 less than 12 months later. Eg. South Park Fractured Butt hole.
Depends the type of games you like, I feel the switch is made much more towards co-op games, lot of random stuff there that would be enjoyable to play. The issue is, most of them are more 'party' like games, ones you see for a younger audience (or those young at heart haha) if you're looking to play a whole bunch more mature games you'll get so much more out of the PS4 (but largely single player).
I love my Switch but only because I have a PS4 to play most of the more mature games. I hardly use my xbox, its good but unless you're looking for older games (they're great at backwards compatibility) almost all the games you can get on the xbox is available on the PS4 plus a whole bunch more.
Based on your additional info I would suggest Switch also. I wouldn't think you would be disappointed.
Co-op games like Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Mario Party are the Switch's strength. My wife enjoys playing all of the above for a quick session at night or even on a weekend with the kids, and when friends or family come over some of the Mario Kart races can get super competitive! Then there is the almost friendship breaking Mario Party (and the trash talking of the 30 somethings playing it). And then there is always something awesome such Zelda to enjoy together as well.
I guess the appeal is the fact that the Switch is the only place to get those mentioned games. No-one matches Nintendo first party titles for pure enjoyment.
From your second point I'm hazarding a guess that you have a PC, which of you do many of the games on XBox or PS4 (like those you mention) are available on that, thus making the Switch a better purchase in my opinion.
Having said all that, you can have lots of fun with any.
Based on your limited criteria, either console would suit you just fine. That said, there is some upside/downside with each, for example:
PS4 affords a better big screen experience IMHO and for FPS titles, it's the hands-down winner. Games are relatively cheap (disc-based media) and easy to come by. But the console is a lump of a thing, can be a bit noisy, and is not exactly portable.
Switch might help you get more gaming time in - noting your "before work took over" comment. It's awesome to undock and throw in the backpack to squeeze in some gaming on the bus/train, at lunch etc. The multi-player 1st party Nintendo games are top-notch albeit a little exxy.
I have both consoles (PS4 Pro and Switch) and the Switch is my go-to 90% of the time.
I have both consoles (PS4 Pro and Switch) and the Switch is my go-to 90% of the time.
Heh me too although I only bought both consoles to play exclusives that aren't on PC. That Nintendo quality.
I'm a PC user too (high-end, late-model gaming machine) but it's wasted on word processing, spreadsheets, notepad and a bit of retro emulation ;-)
Almost all of my gaming is on consoles. Happy to take convenience over pixel perfection.
don't know if by xbox you are including xbox onex - the king of the consoles.
it ain't portable or small but its the closest thing to a pc experience by a mile.
Gamepass provides a working library as well.
don't know if by xbox you are including xbox onex - the king of the consoles
Agreed. I don't really like xbox, and never really have… But have always had one lately , xbox 1, then xbox one s, now the xbox 1 X.
I have ps4 pro also. But now that the x is out and significantly more powerfull than ps4 pro, I am switching to that now . Trying to get all my ps4 games on xbox instead now (to take advantage of extra power of the xbox1 x) .
If it's between xbox one (standard or xbox1 s) and ps4 (standard, or pro) I would say ps4 is winner hands down mostly on exclusives.
If you bring the xbox one X into it, I would say Xbox one X is best BUT, need to look into exclusives. ie. Check ps4 exclusives vs xbox exclusives, and maybe there might be a certain game you absolutely must have, that is only on ps4 or only on xbox (less likely).
Can't comment on gaming experience of switch, as I don't own 1. I have considered buying just for the few Nintendo exclusives. I have an original wii though, and can play mario cart, super mario etc on that though.
An option might be, pick up an old original wii for about $40 (definitely value for the fun you will get out of it IMO, especially with guests over).
Then have ps4 or xbox1 also. If you wanna play online, and have mates that play online, it seems important that you have same as them. Ie. Xbox players cant play online with mates on ps4 , and vice versa (even if same game) . I don't really play online though, and happy when I do connect online to play with any randoms on there.
Also, to consider Xbox one s or xbox one X both play UHD 4k film discs, ps4 pro does not So if you need a 4k disc player, xbox one s is only very slightly more $$ than normal xbox one. Xbox one X is quite alot more, but some decent deals out if you wait.
Sounds to you like you might want an Xbox One (preferably X).
I'm saying that as a PS4 owner.
- I'd like a console with a good range of coop games to play with my other half and when I have friends over.
I'll leave this up to someone else to answer, as I'm not entirely sure about the co-op situation, but local co-op games on PS4 seem to be pretty few and far between. Back in the 360/PS3 days though, Xbox was the better choice here. Good party game that is available on both though is the You know Jack series.
- 3-4 years ago before work took over, I used to play computer games a lot. Games I played were mainly first person shooter games such as CoD, Battlefield and sports such as FIFA.
I'm scratching my head trying to think what FPS exclusives PS4 has other than Killzone (and that isn't very good), but despite not being an owner, nor paying all that much attention to it, I can name one big one for Xbox One (Halo series). Otherwise, both have the cross platform titles (Doom, Wolfenstein, Metro, COD, Battlefield), and the only sports exclusive for PS4 that I can think of is MLB The Show.
Now as to why I recommend the One X for you, it is because:
Looking to buy a console for the living room. Now, I've never owned a console in my entire life
You clearly aren't a huge gamer, and so you should get your money's worth. Not only will this give you the best Multiplatform experience, but it also doubles as a solid media centre (4k bluray, plex client, etc). Theoretically it should never gather dust even if you don't have games to play at the moment.
Then, like others have said, Gamepass is great, and you also have backwards compatibility with many 360 games, so you can play old gems that you missed for cheap.
I'll leave this up to someone else to answer, as I'm not entirely sure about the co-op situation, but local co-op games on PS4 seem to be pretty few and far between. Back in the 360/PS3 days though, Xbox was the better choice here.
Nope, local co-op is dead on Xbox as well. I'd say that this is part of a broader trend seeing console gaming converge towards a more PC-like experience which is more centered around online play than couch co-op.
I'm scratching my head trying to think what FPS exclusives PS4 has other than Killzone (and that isn't very good), but despite not being an owner, nor paying all that much attention to it, I can name one big one for Xbox One (Halo series).
The Last of Us and Uncharted are not traditional FPS, but they're good shooters. These sorts of games are more typical console games in the sense that they prioritise story over online competitive play, which is something that PC games are more and more moving towards. I'd say that most PC shooters are now multiplayer first, with campaign mode just an afterthought really.
IMO, Halo hasn't been all that great recently. You can play Halo 1 - 4 on the 360, so only Halo 5 is new for the Xbox One, I'm not that much of a fan. It's okay, but not great.
Overall, I agree with you about the Xbox probably being a better platform for OP because of Game Pass.
From what you have said, get a Switch.
Switch is better if you want to play with friends. Almost every game I have is multiplayer.
I own all three, I play all of them pretty frequently.
It really depends on what games you want to play. Based on what you've said (namely that you're interested in co-op games), I'd say the Switch is not a bad choice, but that said, most of the best titles for the Switch are going to be 1 player games (i.e. Zelda and Mario). There's also the fact that the Switch is actually significantly more expensive than the PS4 Slim and Xbox One S. Then you'll also have to shell out for a microSD card and also a Pro controller to make the most of it (the Joycons are fun, but not great for serious gaming). The Switch will be a big investment, so only get it if you're interested in Nintendo games. Based on what you've said, it doesn't sound like you would particularly like Nintendo games, so I'll give the Switch a pass.
If you asked earlier, I'd say that the PS4 would be the natural choice over the Xbox One, but Microsoft have done a lot of great things recently that have really made the Xbox One a more viable alternative. The One S redesign is great, they've got better media functionality and I'd still say that Xbox Live is a superior platform. That said, as a PC gamer, I still think it's blasphemous to charge gamers for something that's free on PC. Xbox Game Pass is a really good idea as well, for less than the price of a Netflix subscription every month, you have access to a growing library of games, many of which are actually great. If you're just getting into the system now, I'd say that a majority of games would be available through Game Pass. For the price of a AAA game at release, you'd be able to have Game Pass for over half a year. FWIW, I also like the Xbox One controller, and Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is awesome.
The PS4 is a good choice if you're after a console that's just a console. I think Sony got burned pretty badly with the PS3, trying to make a console that can do everything and anything so they really went back to basics and focus on the games. The PS4 is solid, it has a solid library, and since you didn't have a PS3, some of the best PS3 games have been re-released and enhanced (The Last of Us, Uncharted…etc.). The PS4 certainly has the best library, especially if you prefer Japanese games. If you want to buy a console and games the old-fashioned way, I'd say that the PS4 is the best choice.
Appreciate everyone above who chimed in with their comments/experiences.
So, by the looks of it, it's more towards the Switch vs PS4/Xbox.
I would say the allure of a console for me is mainly the following:
1. To be able to chill on the coach on weekends with the gf and get a bit of quality time together in
2. I'd like to be able to play some single player games with a good storyline as well. But I guess, if I really wanted to, I also have a decent gaming PC to do this
From a single player gaming perspective, what does a console offer that a gaming PC doesn't?
Exclusives (both the PS4 and Switch have great exclusive games) and HDR in the case of the PS4/XB1X assuming you have a capable display.
The only good HDR monitor options other than TVs for PC are crazy expensive and HDR on Windows is a mess. There are some good examples of HDR that work on PC such as Resident Evil 2 (2019) but others make the game look worse such as Hitman 2 2018.
Both of your requirements are satisfied by all three consoles, so it doesn't really help narrow it down. I'd say this is a good way of deciding:
1) Do you care about portability and Nintendo games (i.e. Mario, Zelda, Splatoon, Pokemon…etc.), if yes, get the Switch. If not, then don't get the Switch because it's more expensive than the alternatives and multi-platform games are usually better on the Xbox and PS4.
2) Do you prefer a cheap monthly subscription based service with an okay number of games or would you prefer to buy games individually but have access to a broader library. If the former, Xbox, if the latter, Playstation.
Overall, based on what you've described yourself playing (e.g. CoD, Battlefield and sports such as FIFA), you'll be fine with either the Xbox or PS4 and you'll probably see no difference between the two. You're really only playing multi-platform titles rather than any exclusives. If this is the case, I'd suggest Xbox because 1) the Xbox One S is quite significantly cheaper than the PS4 at the moment (it's usually around $60 - $70 cheaper from memory), and 2) because of Game Pass.
Nintendo games (mainly Mario and Pokemon) sounds nice. Portability is definitely a non-factor though. Console will be strictly for the living room. I mostly drive/walk to most places, so won't be gaming on the go. I should also probably add I have a Nintendo 3DS XL that I have not turned on in more than a year.
Either is fine really.
console is cheaper - xbox one x has grunt and gamepass library is regularly updated with some quality games plus the monthly freebies.
bigger variety of titles at comparatively low cost including co-op - albeit not many games and mostly splitscreen.
However 2 accounts on 2 TV's or screens and 2 consoles and in house co-op for roughly 3 years - the life of a console.
Nintendo is essentially a 1 dimensional platform for casual/kiddy gaming. Some excellent titles but lacks real variety in quantity.
4k hdr on a decent telly with the x is great for the money.
Nintendo is essentially a 1 dimensional platform for casual/kiddy gaming. Some excellent titles but lacks real variety in quantity.
Disagree with this completely as someone who plays both what you would call "serious" and "casual" games. There are other serious games apart from war simulations (which is what most FPS are). Take something like Zelda - certainly not a casual game by any means (very difficult + heaps of hours), and also not a kiddy game either (very deep themes, challenging puzzles, requires a lot of thought and analysis). Same goes for many of the excellent JRPGs coming out on the Switch.
The idea that anything without guns and big explosions is somehow "casual" is silly in my mind. You could be a world class Mario player, just as you could be a "casual" FPS player. Casual or not is how you play, not what you play.
"Casual or not is how you play, not what you play."
Well-said mate.
I'm ~470hrs deep on Zelda, almost 200hrs into Valykria Chronicles 4 and a similar amount of time on Mario Odyssey As a result, my game backlog continues to grow.
@[Deactivated]: Wow, that's a huge effort. Well done! I'm only part way through the main quest of Zelda and I've finished the main quest for Mario Odyssey, but I just haven't had the time/motivation to go back and really finish the game. Been distracted with Smash, now Kingdom Hearts is next on my hit list.
From a single player gaming perspective, what does a console offer that a gaming PC doesn't?
Ps4 has lots of exclusives compared to xbox. Many of the xbox titles are also on PC and since you have gaming pc, you can play on both xbox and pc for the single purchase price. I'm not sure is every xbox game that once purchased, can also play on pc under same purchase license ? Maybe someone else here knows about that.
I don't have gaming PC or switch. I do think it is really cool and adds value though, how you can purchase on xbox and be able to play on pc for free (well, included in your purchase).
Switch pros: Consoles comes with two joy cons enabling two player right out of the box, can do 4 player by just buying another joy con pair. 1080p docked TV play and portable. Nintendo exclusive games with lots of fun multiplayer/coop games.
Switch cons: Underpowered compared to PS4/XB1 and can only achive 1080p or sub-1080p on docked mode. Limited library of games and not many multi-platform games apart from indies.
PS4 pros: Huge library of games with multi-platforms and exclusives. Pretty much any games you want is on this console.
PS4 cons: None really apart from having to buy more controllers if you want to play local coop unlike Switch which can do it out of the box.
XB1 pros: You can hook up a mouse and keyboard but I don't know if many games support it. XB1X is a great 4K console and more powerful than the PS4 Pro.
XB1 cons: Smaller library of games than PS4 but has most multi-platform games.
Whatever you buy, you will wish you had the other. So just buy them all and be happy. Throw in an Nvidia Shield Tv with gaming controller while you’re at it!
You need to make a poll. I have a ps4 but a Switch is great for a larger group. Xbox and playstation have online as their focus but Nintendo have same room play.
You definitely want the Xbox. Controllers are night and day better, it's backwards compatible, which means hundreds more (very cheap) games from back when co-op games were more common. Plenty of sports/shooters. It's realistically your only choice.
I wouldn't say xbox is the only choice. But good point regarding backwards compatibility on XBOX1. I only recently found out about this despite owning xbox1 for years. Unfortunately sold/traded some awesome games on xbox360, not realizing I could play them on xbox1.
Proven* by observational truth gathering.
*May not necessarily contain proof.
(…and Switch has Smash. Proven* to make you a better gamer and lover).
And the actual stereotypes as I see them…
PS4 - The average everyman with pretty common interests, casual to moderate gamer.
Xbox - Bro gamers and hardcore console gamers (ew)
Switch - Probably autistic, living with parents, wears Pokemon shirt unironically at 25. Also really wholesome types who have a switch purely to pull out during yawn inducing drinking sessions. (I have a switch with about 300 hours logged on MK8 btw)
PC - Nerdy high school kids and any adult that has an income and still plays video games.
How about board games?
People that attend renaissance fairs.
@Cheaplikethebird: No way! I play board games and I've only ever been to medieval fairs if you must know.
@[Deactivated]: Hahah. Edit - just reread your comment and got the joke.
BTW any reccomendations for modern board games to play with casual players?
@Cheaplikethebird: Saboteur 2. I think they sell 1+2 in a single box. Sab1 is too luck based and gets stale very fast. Good for one play through. 2 adds sufficient depth but keeps it simple enough to play whilst drinking.
coop games to play with my other half and when I have friends over
Switch, hands down. Nothing beats it in terms of easy-to-pick up multiplayer and social games.
I think given your requirements, probably any will do. All of the systems will have enough games to keep you occupied for a while. PS4 and Xbox have reasonably mature libraries (especially including backwards compatibility for Xbox). The online services will give you access to games (either a library like GamePass or specific games each month like Xbox Live).
So I'd consider a few factors:
- price (console, games, subscriptions)
- specific must have games (if any)
- controller or form factor preferences
- other features (e.g. Media player)
For the record, I have an Xbox One (original). While I'll concede the PS4 has a superior library, the Xbox still have more good games (between exclusives, cross platform and backwards compatible) than I'll ever be able to play. I play single player and some couch co-op with my wife.
Some good couch co-op options include shooters like Halo, Gears of War, Borderlands. There are also plenty of platformers and Indies that include co-op, like Cuphead, Rayman Legends. Some RPGs offer it too, like Diablo III, Divinity Original Sin 2. A lot of those are multi-player.
I enjoy my Switch very much. The main reason is the portability. If my wife decides to watch trash on TV (which is a common occurrence) I can pick it up and play in hand-held mode.
That said, I have been looking at some PS/Xbox games and really wished they had Switch releases, e.g. Resident Evil 2 Remake.
I should also add, FIFA19 on Switch is alright.