Console Wars:

Point- PS4

The PlayStation 4 is getting up there in age. Its time in the spotlight is almost over. I firmly believe in the fact it is better than the Nintendo Switch. The reasons are quite simple and easy to follow and I intend to prove them all. While the Switch has benefits, it simply pales in comparison to the PS4.

For starters, the store. The PS4 store is more comprehensive than the Nintendo Switch. If you want to find a new or interesting game on Switch, you’ll have a harder time finding anything you haven’t already seen. It’s a cumbersome piece of software, with genre tags and price range selections hidden behind sub menus. Who wants to go through a sub-menu just to say you want to look at a game with a certain price? On the PS Store, you only need to scroll down to a single selection on the front page.

Another point for the PS4 is the raw power. While you can’t carry it around like the Switch, the PS4 has more raw processing power over its counterparts. This allows you to play games at a higher resolution with shorter-load times, allowing for a smoother gameplay experience. This is a massive benefit, allowing one to get more from a gaming experience over the Nintendo Switch. No annoying gimmicks found around here.

And lastly, the PS4 has a better sharing function than the Switch. While both allow you take screenshots and short videos, the PS4 has a better feature the Switch doesn’t: streaming. The Nintendo Switch is incapable of streaming to other websites, whereas the PS4 can easily share. It’s just a matter of having a streaming service account to stream your gameplay. It’s a massive plus if you want to show what you’re playing to your friends, but they’re a long way away.

Such are the benefits the PS4 has over the Nintendo Switch. They’re simple and concise, and if you look to buy a new console, keep these advantages in mind.

Counter Point- XBOX ONE

 Lots of people play video games, but are still split on what platform they play. There are those who are die-hard personal computer (PC) gamers. There are die-hard PlayStation gamers. Everyone has a right to an opinion, but the platform I stand behind is to the Xbox One. 

Xbox has been thriving since 2001 and has three main iterations to the console in that 19-year span. There was the Original Xbox, the Xbox 360 and the most recent console, the Xbox One and its three different variations. As great as the Original Xbox and Xbox 360 are, we are going to focus on the most recent console, the Xbox One. 

The Xbox One was released in 2013 and since the release, there have been two alternate versions of it, the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X. All three of these made improvements upon the one before. The Xbox One improved graphics and storage over the 360, the Xbox One S improved the size as well graphics from the Xbox One, then the Xbox One X again improved upon graphics, but it also upgraded the processing power over the Xbox One S. 

The Xbox One X, as of right now, is the most powerful console and the only thing that rivals its processing power is a personal computer (PC).

You’re able to play those games from your childhood with backwards compatibility, meaning you are able to play games from the Original and the Xbox 360. On top of that, everyone loves Halo and recently the only way to play Halo was you either had to own an Xbox or have a friend that owned one. 

The reason Xbox is better can be summed up in three things. You’re able to play older games, it is the strongest console out there and the ability to play one of the most iconic series in gaming. You have to own this console.

COUNTER-COUNTER POINT- SWITCH

Nintendo isn’t afraid to take a chance on a new idea. Each of its consoles has been a new direction for gaming. I won’t claim that all of them were great ideas, but Nintendo has the bravery to try something new. With the DS, they normalized touch screens for video games. They made motion controls the trend for a couple of years with the Wii. With their newest console, the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has blurred the lines between handheld gaming and console gaming.

The Switch can be used as an on-the-go console, or stationary console with the implementation of the docking station. It has the touch screen that was popularized through the DS line. By detaching the controllers known as the “Joy-Con,” the Switch can utilize the motion control from the Wii era of gaming. This is an homage to some of its most innovative ideas from the last decade. However, the Switch isn’t just doing the same thing as its predecessors. It’s doing something new by being both a handheld and a console.

The other major consoles continue to do the same formula for each of their consoles. They increase their graphics, memory and processing power and call it a new system. Nintendo also increases these things, but redefines what gaming can be.

But what good is a console without games? I think games on the Switch have more artistic direction than its competitors. However, I do have a Legend of Zelda tattoo, so I may be biased. (“Breath of the Wild” deserved Game of the Year though.)

In the past, Nintendo has been critiqued for a having a lack of third-party titles. That is no longer the case with the Switch. Nintendo made a point of making the Switch easier to code in response to their last generation.

Because of the ease of coding, the Switch has become one of the primary locations of indie games, second only to the PC. This makes Nintendo have not only their top tier Nintendo exclusives, but a wide range of third-party games and creative games from small studios.

Outside of the lack of games, there have been two other main gripes with Nintendo: online play and the controller. Nintendo has now introduced a small fee to support their online services. This is common practice for the other two big consoles. However, Nintendo online is less than half the price than its competitors. And if you have a problem with the controller, Nintendo has plenty of shapes, colors and layouts for all types of gaming.

I am a Nintendo fan boy through and through. I have been playing for as long as my memory goes. Nintendo is family friendly, sure. But they are also not afraid to take risks in their game and console design. They are always looking to push the envelope and give their community a completely new experience. I want my gaming to be a joy and a surprise. Their games are clean, tight and unique every time. And that’s why I love the Switch.