If you want one gaming console that covers the most bases in 2026, the PlayStation 5 is our top pick. It has a deep library, plenty of performance, an excellent controller, and backward compatibility with most PS4 games. Our PlayStation 5 review still reaches much the same conclusion: it’s the console to beat this generation. Sony’s recent price increases make it considerably harder to call a bargain, but it’s still the console I’d recommend first to someone who simply wants a great machine under the TV.
The Nintendo Switch 2 makes more sense if you expect to play away from that TV, while Xbox still gives you two very different ways into Microsoft’s ecosystem. There’s also the Steam Deck OLED if what you really want is your PC library squeezed into something you can carry around.
Our picks
PlayStation 5
The best gaming console overall
Pros
- Deep game library
- Fast and responsive hardware
- DualSense remains a standout controller
- Strong PS4 backward compatibility
- Disc and digital options
Cons
- Much more expensive in 2026
- Still a fairly large console
The regular PlayStation 5 makes more sense for most buyers than the PS5 Pro. You’re getting the same PS5 library, the same DualSense controller, and practically the entire PlayStation ecosystem without paying extra for graphical improvements that plenty of people won’t notice unless they go looking for them. Our updated PS5 review remains very positive on the slimmer hardware and the console’s overall library.
The library has also had years to fill out. New buyers get a mature PS5 catalog alongside compatibility with the overwhelming majority of PS4 games, so there’s no shortage of things to play from day one. The DualSense still gives the console a little extra character, too. Its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers can change how actions feel in supported games, and the effect remains genuinely impressive when developers make good use of it.
Price is where the recommendation gets uncomfortable. Sony raised the U.S. recommended retail price in April 2026 to $649.99 for the standard PS5 and $599.99 for the Digital Edition. That’s a lot of money this deep into a console generation, but the regular PS5 still gets you almost everything you’d want from PlayStation without wandering into PS5 Pro territory.
Nintendo Switch 2
The best portable gaming console
Pros
- Excellent handheld and TV flexibility
- Larger 1080p display
- Much stronger performance than the original Switch
- Compatible with many original Switch games
- Up to 120Hz in supported games
Cons
- LCD instead of OLED
- Storage expansion requires microSD Express cards
- Price is climbing
The original Switch had one great trick: the console under your TV could leave the house with you. Nintendo Switch 2 keeps that idea intact, but it no longer feels like you’re accepting quite so many technical compromises for the privilege. Our Nintendo Switch 2 review came away impressed with the performance jump and 120Hz display, even if the system still has a few rough edges.
Nintendo’s official Switch 2 specifications include a 7.9-inch 1080p display, support for up to 120Hz in compatible games, 256GB of internal storage, and up to 4K output when docked. None of those changes reinvent the Switch. They simply make the same idea feel far less constrained by aging hardware.
You also don’t have to abandon your compatible original Switch library when you upgrade. Nintendo says compatible Switch games carry over, while some titles can take advantage of the newer hardware for better graphics or faster loading. Nintendo Switch 2 Editions go further with dedicated upgrades for select games.
There are still annoyances. The LCD can feel like a step backward if you’ve grown attached to the Switch OLED screen, something we explore more closely in our Switch 2 versus Switch OLED comparison. Expandable storage also requires microSD Express cards.
Switch 2 currently carries a $449.99 U.S. suggested retail price, but Nintendo says on its official Switch 2 page that the price will rise to $499.99 on September 1, 2026.
Even so, its biggest advantage hasn’t really changed. You can play on the couch, move to the TV, then throw the same machine in a bag when you leave. If that sounds like how you actually want to play games, Switch 2 doesn’t have much direct competition.
Xbox Series S
The most affordable Xbox
Pros
- Lowest-priced current Xbox
- Compact design
- Access to the current Xbox library
- Strong Game Pass integration
- Up to 120 fps in supported games
Cons
- No disc drive
- 512GB base storage fills quickly
- Lower graphical targets than Series X
- Far more expensive than it used to be
The Xbox Series S isn’t the ridiculous bargain it was at launch. What it still does well is give you the least expensive way into current Xbox hardware, provided you’re comfortable with the compromises.
You’re playing the same current Xbox generation as Series X, but at lower resolution targets and without a disc drive. Microsoft’s Series S specifications target 1440p gaming with support for up to 120 fps, while storage options range from 512GB to 1TB. If you want a deeper look at how the two systems differ, our Xbox Series X and Series S guide breaks down the hardware and ecosystem.
The price argument has become much harder in 2026. The Microsoft Store currently lists the Series S at $499.99 for the 512GB model, with the 1TB version costing even more. That’s an enormous jump from the $299 launch price, and it means “budget console” no longer describes the Series S particularly well compared with the wider market.
It can still make sense if you mostly buy digital games, play on a 1080p or 1440p display, and specifically want Xbox without paying Series X prices. The Series S is now less about being cheap and more about being the least expensive route into Microsoft’s current console ecosystem.
PlayStation 5 Pro
The best high-end gaming console
Pros
- Best visual performance in the PS5 family
- Improved ray tracing
- PSSR image reconstruction
- 2TB SSD
- Higher and more consistent frame rates in supported games
Cons
- Extremely expensive
- Disc drive sold separately
- Improvements vary between games
The PS5 Pro is for people who notice when a game asks them to pick between the sharp-looking mode and the smooth-running one, then get annoyed that the choice exists in the first place. Our PS5 Pro review found the upgrade worthwhile for enthusiasts, while also making it clear that everyone else can live without it just fine.
Enhanced games can use the Pro’s additional graphical power, improved ray tracing, and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, or PSSR, to improve image quality while holding onto higher frame rates. Sony’s current PS5 Pro feature page also details its enhanced PSSR support aimed at improving clarity, image stability, and fine detail in supported titles.
The included 2TB SSD is another upgrade you’ll appreciate without having to squint at screenshots. Current games can eat through storage quickly, so having that space makes daily use a little less annoying. Existing PS5 controllers and most accessories carry over, and Game Boost can improve performance in some backward-compatible PS4 and PS5 games.
Then you hit the price. Sony’s 2026 increase pushed the PS5 Pro to $899.99 in the U.S., and that’s before buying the optional disc drive.
If you’ve already spent good money on a high-end 4K display and regularly notice differences in resolution, ray tracing, and frame-rate stability, the Pro gives you the best version of console PlayStation. Anyone who read that sentence and wondered whether they’d even see the difference should probably buy the regular PS5.
Xbox Series X
The best Xbox gaming console
Pros
- Strong 4K performance
- Disc and digital options
- Excellent backward compatibility
- Game Pass and Play Anywhere integration
- More powerful than Series S
Cons
- Very expensive in 2026
- Less compelling if you already own a capable gaming PC
- Bulky design
If you’ve already settled on Xbox, the Series X decision comes down to how much the Series S compromises would bother you. Our Xbox Series X review still praises its power and Game Pass integration, while also questioning how compelling the hardware is if you already own other devices that can access much of the same library.
Series X gives you considerably more graphical power, higher resolution targets, and a UHD Blu-ray drive on the standard model. If you’ve accumulated physical Xbox games or have a good 4K television, those differences are easy to understand.
Backward compatibility remains one of the ecosystem’s best features, stretching across multiple generations of Xbox hardware. Play Anywhere sweetens that further for anyone who also games on PC, letting compatible purchases and saves move between the two platforms without much fuss.
The painful bit is current pricing. The Microsoft Store lists the standard Xbox Series X at $799.99, with the 1TB Digital Edition at $749.99. At that point, raw performance alone isn’t enough to make the recommendation.
Series X works best when you can point to the things you’ll actually use: a 4K display, physical games, or a sizable Xbox library. If your main plan is downloading Game Pass titles and playing them on a smaller screen, spending that much becomes much harder to defend.
Steam Deck OLED
The best handheld gaming PC
Pros
- Excellent OLED display
- 90Hz refresh rate
- Console-like SteamOS interface
- Huge Steam library
- Better battery life and thermals than the original Deck
Cons
- Much more expensive in 2026
- New demanding PC games can push the hardware
- Linux compatibility occasionally requires tinkering
The handheld gaming PC market has become crowded, but the Steam Deck OLED still gets one fundamental thing right: it feels like a gaming system before it feels like a tiny computer. That ease of use was also one of the biggest reasons our Steam Deck OLED review came away so positive on Valve’s refresh.
SteamOS puts your library front and center without dropping you onto a Windows desktop whenever you turn the machine on. You can suspend a game, wake the Deck back up, and browse your library through an interface designed around a controller. That sounds mundane until you’ve spent time fighting with Windows on another handheld.
Valve’s official Steam Deck OLED specifications list a 7.4-inch HDR OLED display with a refresh rate up to 90Hz and peak brightness of 1,000 nits. Valve also improved efficiency, battery life, thermals, Wi-Fi, and other parts of the hardware rather than simply replacing the screen.
Age is starting to show in performance. Newer handheld PCs can outrun the Deck on raw hardware, and demanding releases increasingly require lower settings or reduced frame-rate targets. Linux compatibility has come a long way, but there are still games and software that can turn an otherwise console-like experience back into PC troubleshooting.
Price has also stripped away one of the Deck’s easiest old arguments. As we reported when Valve raised Steam Deck OLED pricing in 2026, the 512GB model rose to $789 and the 1TB model to $949.
I’d still take the Deck’s combination of screen quality, controls, SteamOS, and general usability over the messier experience offered by many Windows handhelds. The appeal now comes from how well the whole machine fits together, not from getting it for surprisingly little money.
How to choose a gaming console
Choosing a console gets easier once you stop worrying about which one technically wins and start looking at how you already play. Your games, your screen, and whether you want something portable will narrow the field pretty quickly.
Start with the games
Your library should be one of the first things you consider. If Nintendo’s franchises are the reason you’re shopping, Switch 2 is the obvious destination. If you’ve already built up years of PlayStation or Xbox purchases, staying in the same ecosystem can save you from rebuilding that collection somewhere else.
Platform boundaries have also become less rigid, particularly between Xbox and PC. I wouldn’t choose a console around the vague possibility of one exclusive arriving years from now. Look at the games you’re actually playing and what’s already available.
Decide where you want to play
PS5, PS5 Pro, Series X, and Series S are happiest connected to a television or monitor. Switch 2 can bounce between handheld and docked play without asking you to manage another device. Steam Deck OLED goes further toward portable PC gaming, although that freedom comes with the occasional compatibility or performance headache.
Your display should influence how much you spend, too. A good 4K television makes the extra performance of Series X, PS5, and especially PS5 Pro easier to appreciate. If you’re still playing on a 1080p screen, several hundred dollars of additional graphical horsepower can become surprisingly difficult to spot.
Remember the costs after checkout
Buying the box doesn’t end the spending. Digital-only consoles rule out used physical games and disc-based sales, while modern games can burn through built-in storage much faster than you expect. Controllers, subscriptions, headsets, and storage expansions can all push the real cost higher.
Hardware prices have also moved upward across much of this list. Before paying for the premium configuration, make sure the thing you’re paying extra for is something you’ll actually use.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best gaming console in 2026?
The PlayStation 5 is the best gaming console for most people in 2026. Its combination of a deep game library, strong performance, the DualSense controller, and PS4 backward compatibility makes it the strongest all-around choice without reaching the PS5 Pro’s much higher price.
Is the PS5 or Xbox Series X better?
We prefer the PS5 overall, but Xbox Series X makes more sense if you already own Xbox games, regularly use Game Pass, or move between Xbox and PC. Our PS5 versus Xbox Series X comparison goes deeper into the differences between the two platforms, though current pricing has changed considerably since that comparison was last refreshed.
Is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth buying?
Yes, particularly if you want Nintendo games or regularly move between handheld and TV gaming. Switch 2 has much stronger hardware than its predecessor, a larger 1080p handheld display, and backward compatibility with many original Switch games, as detailed on Nintendo’s official Switch 2 page.
If your original Switch still does everything you need and you mostly play older games, however, there’s no reason to upgrade simply because a newer model exists.
Should you buy a PS5 or PS5 Pro?
Most players should buy the regular PS5. The PS5 Pro delivers better image quality, improved ray tracing, stronger performance, PSSR upscaling, and a larger 2TB SSD, but both machines play the same PS5 games.
The Pro earns its premium if you have a good 4K display and already care about the differences between performance and fidelity modes. Our PS5 versus PS5 Pro comparison digs further into that tradeoff. Otherwise, the regular PS5 is much easier to justify.
