How to choose a gaming platform

1. Budget

One of the main criteria for choosing a gaming platform - the amount of money you are willing to spend on this hobby.

If the budget is limited, it is better to take the PC. For the game on high settings need a computer at least 50 thousand rubles, which is 25-30 thousand more than the price of most consoles. However, lower prices for the game quickly beat off the difference. In Russia, the standard edition of the major projects on consoles usually cost 4000 rubles, and on the PC - 2000. Moreover, in the digital gaming stores like Steam or GOG often sell with huge discounts - up to 90%. On consoles such generosity is rare.

On the other hand, if you are willing to spend money or not going to buy more than 6-8 games a year, then it will be better to take some console: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One or PlayStation 4. They are easier to manage, more stable and more intuitive than the PC. They can be connected to the TV, turn on and never touch it until the next generation will be. With a PC problems tend to be more from the incompatibility of marriage or components to software errors or banal updates

Windows at inopportune moments.

The most expensive options for gaming platforms - a more powerful version of consoles (Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro) and higher gaming PC segment. The most powerful console on the market, Xbox One X, will cost about 40 thousand rubles. PlayStation 4 Pro costs about 30 thousand, while the high-end gaming PC - from 70 thousand rubles.

The benefits of these options is that they support the 4K format, as well as the pull of the game to high and ultranastroykah. This means that the graphics on them are simply excellent. A more expensive PC and let you enjoy a very smooth gameplay at 60 frames per second or higher. On consoles, the game rarely go at more than 30 frames per second.

2. available games

Another important parameter when choosing a platform - games. Most of the projects is available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Also, there are games that come out only on specific platforms: for example, in the action about the Nordic gods mythology, God of War, you can only play on the PlayStation 4, and in the fi shooter Halo 5 - only on Xbox One. In addition, some games released only consoles (As gangster western Red Dead Redemption 2), while others are located on certain consoles and PCs (mostly projects produced by the Microsoft, like Forza Horizon 4 races).

Exclusives on the PC - this is basically the strategy and play different genres from independent developers. For example, fi strategy Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak and Wahrammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 came out only on computers. Like the multiplayer shooter World War 3 or a tactical shooter Insurgency.

Games that are only available on the PlayStation 4 - is, as a rule, action games in the third person, with a focus on the story and gameplay. In five years of existence of the console Sony has accumulated a lot of similar projects. Among them, for example, the game Spider-Man Marvel's Spider-Man, the post-apocalyptic action game The Last of Us and adventure game in the spirit of "Indiana Jones» Uncharted 4. All these projects are characterized by attention to detail gameplay, exciting plot and well-prescribed characters characters.

Among exclusives Xbox One - shooter series Gears of War and Halo, Forza racing franchise, action games in the third person and Quantum Break Sunset Overdrive. However, virtually all the new Xbox games are also available on the PC, such as Forza Horizon 4 and Quantum Break.

Exclusively on Switch out mostly games from Nintendo: Super Mario Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. These games are different genres, characters and stories, but they are united by one thing: Nintendo terrific attention to detail in the gameplay. Every company is trying their game to make the most fun and exciting, guided by the development philosophy of "game should be fun and surprise." And yet almost all projects of this studio are rated 3+ or 6+ - ideal if you want to play with your child.

3. Additional functions

Each base platform includes many advanced features that can be decisive in the selection.

Support for 4K and HDR

4K - this ultra-high resolution image format and the HDR - a technology screens with high contrast, brightness and more accurate color reproduction.

Of 4K platforms under consideration supports PC, Xbox One S (enhanced audit basic Xbox One), Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro. However, a comfortable game at such a high resolution can provide only expensive PC, and Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro, because this format is very demanding on the hardware. It should be noted that buying platform for this technology is only in that case, if your TV or monitor that supports it. On the Full HD-screens the difference will not be.

HDR is available on PC, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. Playing with enabled HDR - it's an amazing experience, after which the normal screen will seem dull and dull. The main thing - do not forget that the TV or monitor must support it to get everything working.

Portability

The ability to play anywhere, anytime, as a rule, has a special subspecies of consoles like the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. But thanks to the Nintendo Switch it appeared among the stationary consoles. Switch can be used as connecting to a TV, or on the move - thanks to the built-in screen. However, in this mode, the prefix becomes a little less powerful, but most of the projects it is still possible to play comfortably.

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can not be called portable. But this property can have a PC. Some companies issue mini-computers designed specifically for gaming, for example, GPD Win 2. It is small a laptop with an integrated keyboard, gamepad, and a six-inch screen. He is not so productive, but pulls well undemanding games like Fortnite.

Watching movies and TV series

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One reproduce Blu-ray-drives, as well as they have a Netflix app, Hulu and Amazon Video. On the PC, everything is available (though, to read Blu-ray requires a special drive), and even more, such as iTunes.

Nintendo Switch to video consumption is ill-suited - it while you can only watch YouTube and Hulu. The Japanese company has for some reason not in a hurry to add support for other services.

multifunctionality

Console designed primarily for games, and besides they can not so much: to play music, show movies and TV series.

If you need a real versatility, it is better to take a PC - a versatile machines that can do anything. Write music, to develop applications, create documents, go online, edit images. not without reason computers They are used in virtually every sphere of human activity.