A console is the largest gift most people ever buy in this category, and the decision gets made badly for a predictable reason: the internet answers “which console is best?” when the question you actually have is “which console is right for this person, in this house?”
Those are different questions with different answers. Here’s the second one, in four checks.
Check 1: is there already a console in the house?
If there is, buy for that one. Games, controllers and subscriptions don’t transfer between platforms, their friends are on the platform they already use, and a second competing system is a burden dressed as a present.
This single check resolves a surprising number of console-gift decisions into “actually, buy them a game and a controller instead” — which is usually the better gift anyway. Our big-ticket gift list covers the alternatives at this budget.
Check 2: who is it really for?
A child, or a family with children. Nintendo, and it isn’t close. The library is the most family-friendly in gaming, most of it rated E, it works on a television and in their hands, and it comes with two usable controllers so two people can play immediately. Our family games list is built on that capability.
A teenager or an adult who plays with friends online. Buy whatever their friends are on, even if it’s not the machine you’d pick. Playing together is the whole point at that age, and being on the wrong platform is worse than being on the less powerful one.
An adult who wants big story games. PlayStation and Xbox are the home of the cinematic single-player blockbuster. Between them, the deciding factor is usually the subscription: Xbox’s library service is unusually generous and includes its own new releases on launch day, which our subscriptions guide explains properly.
One person who’ll play in their hands. A handheld-only console is cheaper, tougher and plays the same library — as long as nobody expects to use the television. Our Switch 2 versus Switch Lite comparison sets out exactly what that trade-off costs.
A household that wants a spectacle. VR is the one gift in this price range that makes people gasp, needs no console at all, and asks for clear floor space plus attention to the account age rules. Our Quest 3S review covers who it suits and who it really doesn’t.
Check 3: what does it cost after the box?
Three costs that don’t appear on the console’s price tag.
- Games. A console with nothing to play is a deflating morning. Buy at least one game or a store card alongside it.
- Extra controllers. Most consoles include one; the Nintendo model effectively includes two. A third and fourth player can cost more than a game each.
- A subscription for online play. Every platform charges for playing with other households. Nintendo’s is $19.99 a year individually or $34.99 for a family plan covering up to eight accounts; Xbox and PlayStation have their own.
Check 4: disc drive or not?
Consoles now come in versions with and without a disc drive, and the cheaper version is usually the one without. That’s fine — digital works perfectly well — but it has two consequences worth knowing before you buy.
A disc is unusable on a drive-less console. If you don’t know which version is in the house, buy digital codes rather than boxed games. Our physical versus digital comparison covers the wider trade-off, including resale and lending.
Second-hand games stop being an option. For a household that buys pre-owned games to keep costs down, the disc version pays for itself over a couple of years. For a household that buys everything digitally anyway, it’s money saved.
Before you spend that much on someone else’s child
Ask a parent. A console changes screen time, house rules and what the arguments in that home are about for the next three years, and plenty of families have decided against one deliberately. The surprise is not worth the position it puts them in.
If the answer is no, the good news is that everything else in gaming is cheaper. A game for the console they already have, a controller, or a gift from the kids list gets you most of the joy at a fraction of the price and none of the awkwardness.
One buying note about price
Console listings on large marketplaces are often placed by third-party sellers rather than the manufacturer, and the asking price can sit well above what the console normally sells for — particularly close to Christmas. Compare against the platform’s own store before ordering. The prices on this page are pulled live and carry the date they were checked, which is exactly so you can see whether today’s number looks sensible.