Video game

Choosing the right video game console and or game streaming service can be a difficult choice. And, with the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch OLED now on the market it can make a difficult choice that is much harder.

Each console and game streaming service has their own unique strengths, which could make anyone of them best suited for your needs. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of the key features and benefits of each to help make your decision easier.

Table of contents

1. PlayStation video game consoles
2. Xbox video game consoles
3. Nintendo video game consoles
4. Game streaming services

Console gaming

When it comes to video game consoles, there are three major home console makers—PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo. Furthermore, each console maker has their own family of consoles. First, PlayStation has PlayStation 5. Next, Xbox has Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Finally, Nintendo has Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED.

To top it all off, each console maker takes their own approach to gaming. You probably have several questions running through your mind at this point. What’s the difference between all of these consoles? Which one is right for me? To help answer those questions, we’ll look at PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo to see what each console maker has to offer and see how they are different and in some cases similar.

PlayStation 5

In November 2020, Sony released their next generation PlayStation 5 console. The PlayStation 5 is much more powerful than any previous PlayStation console. The PS5 can play games at 4K 60 frames-per-second all the way up to 120 frames-per-second and is 8K capable.

There are 2 different PlayStation 5 models available: PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive and PS5 Digital Edition. The only difference between the 2 models is that one comes with a Blu-ray drive that will allow you to play and watch physical disc PS5 games and movies.

PlayStation 5 games

Sony has many first party studios that include: Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studios, Bend Studios and more. The PlayStation 5 is home to a variety of games including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart, God of War Ragnarok, Alan Wake II, Final Fantasy XVI, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, The Last of Us Part I and more.

Other games fans can look forward to on PlayStation 5 include: The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Tekken 8, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and Dragon’s Dogma 2—to name a few.

Click here to see the full line up of PlayStation 5 games available at Bestbuy.ca

PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility

The PlayStation 5 is backwards compatible with over 4000 PlayStation 4 games. As a result, you can play some of the top games from PlayStation 4 such as God of War and The Last of Us Part IIPlayStation 4 games will run at a more stable frame rate and some games will even have higher resolutions. Unfortunately, just like the PlayStation 4, the PlayStation 5 is not directly backwards compatible with older PlayStation games before PS4.

PlayStation online multiplayer and digital delivery

First and foremost, PlayStation 5 offers online multiplayer and digital media delivery service in the form of PlayStation Plus. PlayStation Plus allows PlayStation owners to play online with friends, get free games every month and get exclusive discounts on games. All PlayStation Plus monthly games are playable on PS5 and yours to keep as long as you’re a subscriber.

As a PlayStation Plus member, you also get exclusive game content like members-only skins, cosmetics, weapons and more for free-to-play games. And, you get 100GB cloud storage to save your game progress. Furthermore, you can pick up your adventures on any other console with that game installed. Finally, as a PS Plus subscriber, you’ll be able to hand control of single-player adventures over to them. Even if they don’t own the game with Share Play.

PlayStation Plus consists of three different tiers that you can choose from to subscribe toEssential, Extra, and Premium. Furthermore, Essential and Premium subscribers will also have access to hundreds of high-quality games to play.

Each of the three tiers comes with their own perks and benefits. I’ve broken it all down in the chart below for you.

Cloud Streaming

As part of the PlayStation Plus Premium tier, you get access to stream hundreds of PS5, PS4, PS3 and PS2 games from a wide variety of publishers. Some games are available for download, while others are available only to stream over the internet. Games are added and removed on a regular basis to give you a variety of games to choose from.

PlayStation Plus Premium cloud streaming supports resolutions of up to 4K HDR at 60Hz and includes the entire suite of PlayStation 5 audio outputs included Tempest 3D.

The Classics Catalog

PlayStation 5 PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers have access to something that is called the classics catalog. This is a curated library of generation defining games to download and play from previous PlayStation platforms including PSP, PS2, PS3 and PlayStation.

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

In November 2020, Microsoft released two next generation consoles Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S—often referred to as Xbox Series X|S. You are probably wondering what the difference is between the two new consoles, right? Let me break it down for you.

First and foremost, both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S share the same core next-generation features and play the same games. Whereas the Xbox Series X can play games at 4K 120 frames-per-second all the way up to 8K 30 frames-per-second, the Xbox Series S can play games at 1440p 60 frames-per-second up to 120 frames-per-second and games can be upscaled to 4K.

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S games

The main reason for owning a home console is to play games. Xbox has over 20 first party studios including Rare, 343 Industries, Bethesda Game Studios, Obsidian, Playground Games and more.

The Xbox Series X|S has hundreds of games, which are fully optimized for the new hardware including Call of Duty Modern Warfare III, Starfield, Mortal Kombat 1, Forza Motorsport and many more. Games that are optimized for Xbox Series X|S feature super-fast load-times, heightened visuals, and steadier framerates at up to 120FPS.

These include new titles built natively using the Xbox Series X|S development environment as well as previously released titles that have been rebuilt specifically for Xbox Series X|S. And, many upcoming games on Xbox are smart delivery compatible. What this means is, you only have to buy these games once to play the best version for your console.

Click here to see the full line up of Xbox Series X and Series S games available at Bestbuy.ca

Xbox backwards compatibility

When it comes to backwards compatibility, Xbox is king. Keeping in tradition with previous generations, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S both can play thousands of backwards compatible games from Xbox One S, Xbox 360 and Xbox. Compatible games run natively on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S with no additional work from developers. This means, higher and more steady frame rates, reductions in in-game load times, increased visual quality and resolution.

And, a new, innovative HDR reconstruction technique can be used to add HDR support to games that existed before HDR. That means Xbox 360 and Xbox games can support HDR with no impact at all to the game’s performance.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass Core

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the Netflix of video games for Xbox gamers. You pay a nominal monthly fee to get access to download hundreds of games. Additionally, gamers have access to more than 100 games from the cloud to play on their Android device. And you can play brand new games on day one from Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks! Plus, you’ll also be able to play select indies and blockbusters.

This means you’ll be able to play the latest Halo, Gears and Forza games for free on the day of release as part of your subscription and more! Furthermore, EA Play is part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and allows you to play more than 60 of EA’s biggest and best console games.

In addition to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, there are three additional Xbox Game Pass tiers: Core, Console and PC. I’ve broken down the key benefits that each tier offers in a chart below to allow you to choose the Xbox Game Pass plan that is right for you.

CoreConsolePCUltimate
Online console multiplayerHundreds of high-quality games on consoleHundreds of high-quality games on PCHundreds of high-quality games on console, PC and cloud
Catalogue of more than 25 high-quality games on consoleNew games on day oneNew games on day oneNew games on day one
Member deals and discountsMember deals and discountsMember deals and discountsMember deals, discounts and perks
EA Play membershipOnline console multiplayer
EA Play membership

Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED

When it comes to options for taking your gaming console with you on the go, Nintendo has all the bases covered. The Nintendo Switch lineup offers premium gaming experiences on the go. The Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED connect to your primary TV through its “docked” mode, and converts to a portable simply by lifting the console out of the dock. In its undocked “handheld mode” the Nintendo Switch and Switch OLED can be played wherever your travels may take you.

The biggest difference between the Switch and Switch OLED is in the screen. The OLED was introduced in Fall 2021 as a step up for people who primarily use the Switch for portable gaming. As our Gaming Editor Jon Scarr mentions in his unboxing and review article, if you mostly connect to a television, the the Switch OLED is likely not a necessary upgrade for you. However, he also states that if you enjoy portable gaming, then the Nintendo Switch OLED provides a much better gaming experience.

On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch Lite is specifically made for gamers on the go. It is lighter and more portable than ever. The Nintendo Switch Lite is a dedicated handheld device so you won’t be able to play games on your TV. Furthermore, it sells at a lower price point than the Nintendo Switch and the controller is now integrated into the Lite’s body—so you won’t be able to detach them.

Nintendo Switch games

The Nintendo Switch consoles don’t always get the biggest multi-console blockbusters. It might not be the optimal choice for those who want to play all the latest cross-platform first-person shooters but it boasts a very strong catalogue of its own exclusive titles. These are beloved franchises that have endured the test of time.

Additionally, Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED feature some of the most highly rated games such as Super Mario Bros Wonder, Super Mario RPG, Pikmin 4, Sonic Superstars, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and more. Not to mention other Nintendo franchise favourites such as Mario Kart 8 DeluxeMario OdysseySplatoon 3, and Mario Party Superstars.

Click here to see the full line up of Nintendo Switch games available at Bestbuy.ca

Nintendo Switch backwards compatibility

The Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED are not backwards compatible with previous generations of Nintendo consoles. However, with a Nintendo Switch online subscription you have access to play some of Nintendo’s best retro games with over 100 NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games.

Nintendo Switch online, local multiplayer and family gaming

Nintendo Switch Online is a paid subscription that allows players to play select Nintendo Switch online. The service also features some of Nintendo’s retro gaming content in curated NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis games. In addition to extra content you also get access to exclusive offers, and cloud saves.

While the Nintendo Switch may not offer as robust online service as PlayStation and Xbox, it has a much stronger collection of unique local multiplayer selections. The Nintendo Switch is designed to be played together. Detachable joy-cons and great titles like Super Smash Bros. UltimateMario Kart 8 Deluxe and WarioWare: Get It Together! make it easy to play side-by-side with your family and friends.

Nintendo’s history of developing family-friendly software also makes the Nintendo Switch a strong candidate if you are looking for a console for the whole family to enjoy. It’s true that the Xbox and PlayStation have a number of E-rated family titles as well. In comparison however they are arguably outdone by Nintendo’s deep line-up of AAA titles that play well for all ages.

Game streaming services

Game streaming gives you the ability to play video games via the internet from a remote server onto a variety of personal devices. Because games are run on remote servers, you do not need to have expensive dedicated hardware to play. In fact, game streaming services allow you to play AAA games on your mobile phones, tablets, TV or in a web browser on your computer.

In the last few years game streaming services have started to gain popularity with services from NVIDIA, GeForce Now, Xbox, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna and PlayStation.

Game streaming isn’t a new concept. G-Cluster, Gaikai, and OnLive were among some of the first game streaming services that offered gamers the ability to play games on demand over the internet in the past 20 years. However, these pioneers were well before their time and a sufficient internet infrastructure was not in place.


Take the next step

Friends gaming on Nintendo Switch consoles

By now you probably have a very good idea of which console or cloud game streaming services best suit your personal preference. Each one has both positive and negative aspects, but you’ve got to decide what suits you the best. Regardless of what you choose, you can’t go wrong. Find your next gaming adventure on bestbuy.ca.

Shop video games

Best Buy
Best Buy is one of Canada’s largest and most successful retailers, operating the Best Buy (www.bestbuy.ca), Best Buy Mobile, and Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.ca) brands.