世界似乎总是在经历艰难的经济时期，但圣诞树(Christmas)下的游戏机通常是快乐孩子的必经之路。如果您自己不是游戏玩家，可能很难理解市场上的所有控制台选项。别着急；我们将讨论最适合您的控制台选项。
谨防假冒产品
许多人犯下的最痛苦和最可避免的错误之一就是购买假冒游戏机。整个行业都充斥着表面上看起来像新游戏机的廉价仿制游戏机。他们的名称和品牌与真实产品足够接近，以至于对游戏机一无所知的人可能会被愚弄。
一个简单的经验法则是，如果你有机会购买一个看起来像PS5或Xbox但售价 50 美元的游戏机，那它就是仿冒品。仅从亚马逊(Amazon)或沃尔玛(Walmart)等信誉良好的零售商处购买这些设备，并仔细检查品牌和产品说明。如果有疑问，请在购买控制台之前询问了解真实控制台长什么样以及它可以玩哪些游戏的人查看在线说明。
选择合适的控制台品牌
有三大游戏机品牌可供选择：索尼 PlayStation(Sony PlayStation)、微软 Xbox(Microsoft Xbox)和任天堂(Nintendo)。我们将详细介绍它们，但您必须做出的首要决定之一是这些品牌中的哪个适合礼品接收者。
有两个重要因素：他们想玩哪些游戏以及他们的朋友在哪里玩。每个(Every)品牌都有几款独家游戏。所以如果你想玩超级马里奥兄弟(Super Mario Bros)游戏，你必须购买任天堂(Nintendo)。如果你想玩战神(God)，你需要一个(Playstation)Playstation(War)。喜欢晕(Halo)？您需要一个 Xbox。因此，请尝试了解他们喜欢哪些视频游戏特许经营权并相应地选择游戏机品牌。
如果他们喜欢在线游戏，通常最好让他们购买与朋友使用的游戏机品牌相同的游戏机。尽管越来越多的游戏允许不同系统的玩家一起玩多人游戏，但不能保证他们想玩的游戏也会如此。例如，使命(Call)召唤现代战争 II允许在(Duty Modern Warfare II)PlayStation和Xbox之间进行“交叉游戏” 。
PlayStation 5 和 Xbox Series X|S
当前一代的游戏机是Sony PlayStation 5和Xbox Series X和Series S游戏机。在撰写本文时，任天堂(Nintendo)尚未宣布当前世代的游戏机。
虽然库存短缺已开始显着缓解，但您可能仍然难以获得其中一台游戏机，尤其是以官方价格购买。
PlayStation 5有两种类型：一种带有蓝光(Blu-Ray)驱动器，另一种不带。无盘PS5数字版(PS5 Digital Edition)便宜约 100 美元。不过，如果您决定使用PS5 ，我们强烈建议您避免使用此型号。该驱动器的优势和灵活性超过了您可能节省的 100 美元。与将数字游戏作为您唯一的选择相比，只需(Simply)访问便宜的二手游戏就可以为您节省更多的钱。
这两个 Xbox 控制台玩相同的游戏并且是同一代控制台。S 系列是(Series S)X 系列(Series X)的精简版、更便宜的型号。S 系列(Series S)没有光驱。它有一半的内部存储空间、较弱的GPU和较少的内存。
这是因为Series S通常以 1080p-1440p 为目标，而Series X以(Series X)4K视觉效果为目标。因此，对于在 1080p 电视或显示器上玩耍的孩子来说， S 系列(Series S)是一个不错的选择。缺少光驱是S 系列(Series S)的主要缺点，我们建议尽可能购买 X。然而，S 系列(Series S)控制台更容易找到，所以如果它是你唯一的选择，它仍然是一个出色的小型次世代控制台。特别是对于喜欢Fortnite和Minecraft等游戏的孩子来说，4K 图形并没有给他们带来太多好处。
在PlayStation 5和Xbox Series X之间做出选择很大程度上取决于上一节中提到的因素。在两个系统上发布的跨平台游戏通常彼此没有区别。Series X具有轻微的图形优势，而PS5在其(PS5)DualSense控制器中具有更先进的触觉反馈和更快的游戏存储以加快加载时间。
如果他们目前拥有PS4或Xbox One主机，那么购买相应的新主机很有意义，因为PS5和Xbox Series X|S都向后兼容上一代主机。由于Series S无法播放光盘，数字游戏将无需额外购买即可转移。
关于订阅服务的说明
虽然PS5和Xbox Series X很相似，但它们都提供有些不同的游戏订阅服务。在这两种情况下，您都不必购买带有控制台的游戏。支付游戏订阅费用(game subscription)即可访问 100 多款当前和上一代游戏。
在Xbox Game Pass的情况下，如果您是订户，您将获得所有第一方独家游戏，以及大量旋转的第三方AAA和独立游戏。使用PlayStation Plus（取决于您的订阅级别），您将获得类似的库大小，但第一方游戏仅在发布后的某个时间才出现。
任天堂(Nintendo)还提供订阅服务，但它只包括访问NES、 SNES、N64和（奇怪的）SEGA Genesis时代的复古游戏。
您更喜欢哪种(Which)订阅服务可能是决定PlayStation 5或Xbox Series X|S的一个比实际游戏机本身更重要的因素。所以在承诺之前花点时间仔细检查一下确切的产品。
任天堂开关
Nintendo 的 Switch(Nintendo’s Switch)有望成为该公司有史以来最畅销的家用游戏机，并且它会继续推出新游戏，并且会持续数年，甚至在下一代Nintendo游戏机问世时也是如此。
如果他们喜欢玩手持模式游戏，喜欢《精灵宝(Pokemon)可梦》、《动物森友(Animal Crossing)会》或《塞尔达传说(Legend)》等游戏(Zelda)，并且不为简单的图形、较低的分辨率和较低的帧率游戏所困扰，那么Switch是不二之选。
在可供选择的三种Switch型号中，我们推荐Nintendo Switch OLED，特别是对于手持模式玩家。OLED屏幕是一个巨大的升级。如果他们只会玩停靠，请省钱并购买标准Switch。
我们不建议任何人购买Nintendo Switch Lite，除非他们知道只有手持模式和便携性很重要。Switch Lite没有可拆卸的Joy Con控制器是一个重大问题，因此如果它们出现控制器漂移，您必须将整个控制台送去维修。
蒸汽甲板
Steam Deck是一个有趣的替代选项。虽然它看起来像掌上游戏机，但它实际上是一台掌上电脑(handheld PC)，可以玩越来越多的PC Steam游戏。基本型号的价格仅比Nintendo Switch高一点，而Steam游戏通常比 Switch 游戏便宜得多。
如果您要为其购买礼物的人已经是 PC 游戏玩家，那么他们拥有的许多游戏都可以在此手持系统上运行。或者，Steam Deck可以作为进入 PC 游戏的经济入口。为Steam Deck(Steam Deck)购买的任何游戏都可以在多年后可能获得的任何未来游戏 PC 上运行。
缺点是Steam Deck的设置和运行比控制台更复杂，而且电池寿命更短。Steam Deck的创造者Valve为使(Valve)Deck更像控制台做了很多工作，但它仍然不如控制台那样即插即用。
上一代游戏机
考虑到PS5和Xbox Series X的情况非常紧张，购买(Xbox Series X)PlayStation 4、PlayStation 4 Pro、Xbox One S或 Xbox One X可能很诱人(Plenty)。和上一代游戏机，因此获得这些旧游戏机之一似乎很划算。
但是，我们建议您此时避免购买上一代游戏机，因为它们是死路一条。这些游戏机将很快停止接收新游戏，而它们接收到的游戏机将提供与当前一代相比严重退化的游戏体验。
在所有上一代游戏机中，最接近划算的是PlayStation 4 Slim。这款小巧、安静的视频游戏机仍然可以玩到新的索尼独家(Sony)产品，如漫威蜘蛛侠(Marvel Spider-Man)、战神(God)诸神黄昏(War Ragnarok)和地平线禁忌西部(Horizon Forbidden West)。但是，如果您不优先考虑索尼(Sony)独家游戏，那么在您找不到PS5或Series X的情况下， (Series X.)Xbox Series S是最好的游戏机。它几乎在所有方面都比上一代游戏机好方法。
虽然PS4 Pro和Xbox One X的目标是 4K 而不是 1440p，但Series S的游戏时间与(Series S)Series X一样长，它提供更快的加载时间、更高的帧速率和更好的视觉设置。
Which Consoles Should You Buy the Kids for Christmas?
The world always seems to be going through tough economic times, but a gaming console under the Christmas trеe is usually a surefire recipe fоr happy kids. If you’re not much of a gamer yourѕelf, it cаn bе hard to make sense of all the console options on the market. Don’t sweat it; we’ll discuss the options for which console is beѕt for you.
Beware of Counterfeit Products
One of the most painful and avoidable mistakes many make is buying counterfeit consoles. There’s an entire industry of cheap knockoff consoles that superficially look like new consoles. They’ll have names and branding close enough to the real thing that someone who doesn’t know anything about gaming consoles might be fooled.
A simple rule of thumb is that if you’re being offered the chance to buy a console that looks like a PS5 or Xbox but costs $50, it’s a knockoff. Only buy these devices from reputable retailers such as Amazon or Walmart, and carefully check the branding and product description. If in doubt, ask someone who knows what the real console looks like and what games it can play to look at the online description before you purchase the console.
Picking the Right Console Brand
There are three major console brands to choose from: Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo. We’ll go through them in detail, but one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is which of these brands is right for the gift recipient.
There are two important factors: which games they want to play and where their friends play. Every brand has several exclusive games. So if you want to play a Super Mario Bros game, you must buy Nintendo. If you want to play God of War, you’ll need a Playstation. Like Halo? You’ll need an Xbox. So try to understand which video game franchises they like and choose the console brand accordingly.
If they love online gaming, it’s usually best to get them the same console brand that their friends use. Although more games allow players on different systems to play multiplayer games together, there’s no guarantee this will be the case with the games they want to play. Call of Duty Modern Warfare II, for example, allows for “crossplay” between PlayStation and Xbox.
PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S
The current generation of consoles is the Sony PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. At the time of writing, Nintendo has not yet announced a current-generation console.
While stock shortages have begun easing significantly, you may still have trouble securing one of these consoles, especially at their official prices.
The PlayStation 5 comes in two varieties: one with a Blu-Ray drive and one without. The disc-less PS5 Digital Edition is around $100 less expensive. Still, we strongly recommend avoiding this model if you decide on a PS5. The advantages and flexibility of the drive outweighs the $100 you may save. Simply having access to cheap used games will already save you much more money compared to being stuck with digital games as your only option.
The two Xbox consoles play the same games and are the same console generation. The Series S is a cut-down, cheaper model of the Series X. The Series S lacks a disc drive. It has half of the internal storage, a weaker GPU, and less memory.
This is balanced out by the fact that the Series S generally targets 1080p-1440p, whereas the Series X targets 4K visuals. Therefore, the Series S is a great option for kids playing on 1080p TVs or monitors. The lack of a disc drive is a major drawback of the Series S, and we recommend getting the X if possible. However, Series S consoles are much easier to find, so if it’s your only option, it’s still a brilliant little next-gen console. Especially for kids who love titles like Fortnite and Minecraft, which don’t benefit much from 4K graphics.
Choosing between the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X largely comes down to the factors mentioned in the previous section. Cross-platform games, released on both systems, are generally indistinguishable from each other. The Series X has a slight graphical advantage, while the PS5 has more advanced haptic feedback in its DualSense controllers and faster game storage for quicker load times.
If they currently own a PS4 or Xbox One console, it makes a lot of sense to buy the corresponding new console since both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S has backward compatibility with last-gen consoles. With the Series S unable to play discs, digital games will transfer forward with no additional purchase.
A Note On Subscription Services
While the PS5 and Xbox Series X are similar, they both offer game subscription services that are somewhat different. You don’t have to buy games with the console in both cases. Paying for a game subscription grants access to 100s of current- and older-generation games.
In the case of Xbox Game Pass, you get all first-party exclusive games if you’re a subscriber, along with heaps of rotating third-party AAA and indie games. With PlayStation Plus (depending on your subscription tier), you get a similar library size, but the first-party games only arrived sometime after their release.
Nintendo also offers a subscription service, but it only includes access to retro games from the NES, SNES, N64, and (strangely) SEGA Genesis era.
Which subscription service you like more may be a much more significant factor in deciding between a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S than the actual consoles themselves. So take the time to go over the exact offerings before committing.
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo’s Switch is on track to be the company’s best-selling home console of all time, and it continues to receive new titles and will for a few years, even when the next Nintendo console comes out.
If they enjoy playing handheld mode games, love games like Pokemon, Animal Crossing, or the Legend of Zelda, and aren’t bothered by simpler graphics, lower resolutions, and lower frame rate gameplay, the Switch is a no-brainer.
Of the three Switch models to choose from, we’d recommend the Nintendo Switch OLED, especially for handheld mode players. The OLED screen is a massive upgrade. If they’ll only ever play docked, save your money and buy a standard Switch.
We don’t recommend that anyone buy the Nintendo Switch Lite, unless they know that only handheld mode and pocketability matter. It’s a significant concern that the Switch Lite does not have removable Joy Con controllers, so if they develop controller drift, you have to send the whole console in for repair.
The Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is an interesting alternative option. Although it looks like a handheld gaming console, it’s actually a handheld PC that plays a growing selection of PC Steam games. The base model costs just a little more than a Nintendo Switch, and Steam games are generally much cheaper than Switch games.
If the person you’re looking to buy a gift for is already a PC gamer, many of the games they own will work on this handheld system. Alternatively, the Steam Deck can be an affordable entry into PC gaming. Any games bought for the Steam Deck will work on any future gaming PC they might get years later.
The downside is that the Steam Deck is more complex to set up and run than a console and has shorter battery life. Valve, the creators of the Steam Deck, have done a lot to make the Deck more console-like, but it’s still not as plug-and-play as a console.
Last-gen Consoles
Given how tight the stick situation has been for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it can be tempting to buy a PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One S, or Xbox One X. Plenty of games are still being released for both current- and last- generation consoles, so getting one of these older consoles may seem like a good deal.
However, we recommend you avoid buying last-generation consoles at this point simply because they are a dead end. These consoles will soon stop receiving new games, and those they do get will offer a seriously degraded gaming experience compared to the current generation.
Of all the last-generation consoles, the one that comes closest to being a good deal is the PlayStation 4 Slim. This small, quiet video game console still has access to new Sony exclusives such as Marvel Spider-Man, God Of War Ragnarok, and Horizon Forbidden West. However, if you don’t place a high priority on Sony-exclusive games, the Xbox Series S is the best gaming console to buy if you can’t find a PS5 or Series X. It’s better than last-gen consoles in almost every way.
While the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X do target 4K rather than 1440p, the Series S will keep getting games just as long as the Series X, it offers fast loading times, and higher frame rates with better visual settings.
