PS5, Xbox Series X or Switch: which console should you buy?

Every few weeks someone leans on the counter and asks the same thing: which console should I get? There is no single right answer, because the three big machines are built for different kinds of player. Here is how we talk it through in the shop.

PlayStation 5 — the big-budget showcase

If you care most about cinematic single-player games and the sharpest versions of the year's biggest releases, the PS5 is the safe pick. Sony's own studios keep it stocked with exclusives, the DualSense controller genuinely changes how some games feel, and load times are close to instant. The trade-off is size and price — it is the largest of the three and asks the most up front.

Xbox Series X|S — value and the subscription play

The Series X matches the PS5 on raw power, but the real story is Game Pass: a rotating library that makes the machine cheaper to actually feed. The smaller Series S drops the disc drive and some resolution to hit a lower price, which suits anyone happy to buy digitally. If a growing library matters more than a shelf of exclusives, this is your platform.

Nintendo Switch — the one that leaves the house

The Switch will never win a spec sheet and it does not try to. What it offers instead is Nintendo's back catalogue, effortless local multiplayer and a handheld mode that fits real life. For families, commuters and anyone who plays on the sofa with someone else, it is often the most-used console in the house. Browse what we have across consoles and pick up a game or two to go with it.