Nintendo Switch, Xbox One or PlayStation 4: Which is the best console of this generation?

With E3 approaching, you can know that Microsoft, Sony e Nintendo will do everything to show players that one console is superior to the other. And not to make your head more confused and indecisive after the presentations and conferences, we are going to show you the main advantages and disadvantages of each eighth generation console. Our selection will exclude portables (Nintendo 3DS e PS Vita) and focus on desktop consoles. unfortunately the Wii U will also not enter our discussion because Nintendo has already retired its “disaster” officially.

“Greatness awaits you”

O first console that we will approach is the monster of Sony, PS4. The video game is the market leader in sales and inherits the company's success with its latest consoles (PS3 and PS2). The PS4 has three models that please both the simplest gamers (with the basic model and the slim) and the most demanding gamers (with the Pro model).

O PS4 Pro has several advantages over the original in terms of processing power, storage and being able to play games in 4K. Even so, if you choose a PS4, the most recommended is to opt for the basic model or slim, as not many Sony games support the PS4 Pro, and 4K TVs are still not that common these days. Additionally, the PS4 is the only current console to support Virtual Reality with the PS VR, which finally makes good use of the PS Move, the controls with motion detection technology that almost went unnoticed by the PS3.

In addition, the PS4 is already at a price a little more affordable in Brazilian lands, since the Sony now manufactures the console in the country (Forget the absurd 4 thousand reais it cost around here at the time of launch). Unfortunately the same does not apply to PS VR.

Even though the peripheral is the most comfortable virtual reality device with the best experience available, the price remains high for gamers and, since its launch, there aren't many titles that have compatibility with the system. Despite that, Resident Evil 7 is one of the best games to take advantage of PS VR.

The PS4's greatest asset is its library of exclusives, with some of the best titles of this generation such as Horizon Zero Dawn, Uncharted 4, Bloodborne, between others. So, if you are that gamer looking for a console with firepower and a rich collection of titles both exclusive and cross-platform, the PS4 is the right choice for you.

Console or multimedia box?

from Sony, let's go for Microsoft, its main competitor. O Xbox One got off to a rocky start when, during the console's announcement conference, the company talked about all its features, except the most important: games.

It took a long time for the public and the gaming community to forget that the Xbox One was just a very expensive multimedia device, but a gaming platform. And, when it looked like the company's console was going to have its place in the sun, Microsoft seems to be losing more audience every day. In terms of processing, the Xbox One clashes with the PS4, however, its biggest disadvantage is its small library of exclusives, since most of the games that come out for the console are also available on the PC.

Microsoft still maintains a good following thanks to the backwards compatibility program that extended the console's library with all the games of its predecessor, the Xbox 360.

In the announcement of the most compact model with greater storage capacity, the Xbox One S definitely retired the use of Kinect, a technology of motion capture that made its debut in the previous generation but did not have a good future with the low availability of compatible games and terrible quality.

There's still a card up Microsoft's sleeve to directly rival Sony with Project Scorpio, which promises a revamped console with more power and new features. Even with few exclusive titles, Xbox One still has interesting games like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 3, Titanfall 2, Among others.

If you like games as much as other multimedia content and connectivity with other smart devices, Xbox One is a good choice as it is the most versatile console available on the market.

fun wherever you want

Last but not least, we have Nintendo with its latest console, the Switch. The new machine is the company's hope to regain its prestige in this generation after the disaster of Wii U, an underused and poorly publicized console that had a small but good library of games.

Although the price of the console is still high here in Brazil, since Nintendo no longer operates in the country, the Switch is the most innovative, being a hybrid between a desktop and portable console that still has detachable controls with the realistic technology of the HD Rumble.

This technology increases the precision of the interactive response of the controls, for example, in the game 1-2 Switch you can really “feel” that there are ice cubes inside the controls in one of the minigames available in the title. It remains to be seen whether Nintendo will take advantage of this functionality correctly in the future.

The console launch game, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, became the best-selling debut game in history and boosted console sales, giving the company hope.

This time, Nintendo seems to have got it right in the launch of the Switch, keeping the focus on games, since the console has practically no extra functionality, other than the use of amiibo, clear. Among the best titles on the console are: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms, between others. With few titles yet, but a lot on the way, the Switch is a great choice for those looking for a quality console to take on trips or play at home with friends.

A surprise presentation or the announcement of new models or features during E3 may change your opinion as to which is the best console to choose. In addition to the advantages and disadvantages of each machine, the player must weigh how much money he is willing to invest in a console and what types of games he prefers to play, as neither Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo are able to please all tastes.

Even so, we hope that this information will serve as a guide to help you not be so indecisive when you have economic funds to invest in a new gaming machine.