很难想象一个普通的孩子（或成年的孩子）在圣诞节早上(Christmas morning)在树下找到一个闪亮的新游戏机(game console)并感到失望。然而，对于非游戏送礼者来说，要确定您应该购买 的众多游戏机中的哪一个可能有点棘手。(game console)
因此，我们将使其尽可能简单，并帮助您确保在圣诞节那天(Christmas day)避免任何失望。
提出正确的问题(Asking The Right Questions)
每个人都是不同的，所以有些人会倾向于一个游戏机(game console)或另一个。花点时间讨论这个人对玩哪些游戏感到兴奋，他们已经拥有什么游戏机(game console)（如果有的话）以及他们的朋友在玩什么，
如果有人对游戏充满热情，他们不应该花太多时间来谈论它。不要担心了解它的全部内容，只需注意让他们兴奋的事情。
假冒游戏机(Counterfeit Consoles)
整个行业都围绕着制造廉价的仿冒游戏机而建立，目的是欺骗非游戏买家交出他们来之不易的现金。仅仅(Just)因为一个控制台看起来有点像另一个，并不意味着它们在表面下有任何共同点。
始终确保您从信誉良好的买家那里购买游戏机(game console)，并确保其品牌正确。如果控制台便宜得令人怀疑，那么您的警钟应该已经响起。
PS4 Slim 和 Xbox One S(PS4 Slim & Xbox One S)
这是两个主流控制台领导者。PlayStation 4 ( PS4 ) 由索尼(Sony)制造，Xbox One(Xbox One)由微软(Microsoft)制造。PS4 Slim和Xbox One S是当前的入门级机型。它们已经取代了这些控制台的原始版本，并且更安静、更小、更省电(power hungry)。
不必担心这些游戏机之间的技术差异。在它们之间进行选择时，只有两件事很重要。
首先是您的受赠人是否想要玩任何一个游戏机或另一个游戏机独有的游戏。简单地访问“平台”条目下的游戏维基百科站点(Wikipedia site)，将显示他们想要的游戏是否是独占的。
另一个重要因素是他们的朋友正在玩哪些游戏机。在线多人(Online multiplayer)游戏非常受欢迎，但一般来说，你不能跨品牌一起玩。这种情况正在发生变化，但目前大多数网络游戏只允许同一平台上的玩家一起玩。
如果您给礼物的人买了一台 Xbox，而他们的朋友都在使用Playstation 4游戏机，那么他们就会失去乐趣。
PS4 Pro 和 Xbox One X(PS4 Pro & Xbox One X)
您可能会看到标有“ PlayStation 4 Pro(PlayStation 4 Pro) ”和“ Xbox One X ”品牌的更昂贵的游戏机在出售。这些是我们在上一节中讨论的基本型号 PS4 和 Xbox One(base model PS4 and Xbox One)游戏机的高级升级版本。
游戏在这些游戏机上运行并且看起来更好，因此如果价格差异(price difference)与您无关，那么高级游戏机值得额外花钱。
但是(However)，它们玩的游戏与基本模型完全相同。游戏(Game)开发者确保他们的游戏在两者上都能玩得很好。所以这不是“坏”和“(” and “)好”之间的选择。相反，它是“好”和“(” and “)更好”之间的选择。如果您想了解更多信息，请查看我们关于这些精英游戏机的文章。
这些游戏机的升级版本确实为目前拥有每种产品基本型号的任何人提供了一份极好的礼物。(base model)最好的礼物是受赠人想要的，但绝不会为自己买的。高级控制台版本正是这种购买。
任天堂 Switch 和 Switch Lite(Nintendo Switch & Switch Lite)
最后，我们来看看这一代游戏机的最新成员。Nintendo Switch有两个版本。普通的Switch是一个带有可拆卸控制器的大型手持控制台。它带有一个特殊的“底座”，可让您将其连接到电视并将其用作传统控制台。
另一方面，Switch Lite 是一款仅限手持设备，没有将其连接到电视所需的部件。(Switch Lite)
两款游戏机都玩完全相同的游戏，但有少数例外情况依赖于较大的 Switch电视连接(TV connectivity)和可移动控制器。然而，在大多数情况下，任何一个控制台都提供相同的游戏库(game library)。
我们建议大多数孩子会喜欢较小的Switch Lite，如果他们没有自己的电视或没有足够长的时间使用家庭电视(family TV)以使大Switch 的更高价格物有所值(Switch worth)。它是一款真正的手持设备，更适合较小的手，并且颜色鲜艳。如果家里已经有一台作为家用控制台共享的(home console)Switch，那么Switch Lite将成为显而易见的选择。
但是，如果您不是为个人而是为家庭购买Switch，那么标准的就是要走的路。只要(Just)确保你选择了修改后的模型，它有更冷、更省电的组件。
Switch是一款具有广泛吸引力的游戏机，它不仅适用于任天堂（公认的优秀）第一方游戏的粉丝。但是，它无法获得您在Xbox One或PS4上找到的大多数花哨的(PS4)AAA游戏。
相反，它会获得这些游戏的偶尔（巧妙地缩减）版本，其中包含许多出色的第一方独家游戏以及来自以前从未便携过的旧游戏机的出色游戏端口。在决定Switch(Switch)是否是正确的控制台之前，请考虑到这一点。
较旧的游戏机(Older Game Consoles)
上面列出的游戏机来自当前一代，下一代游戏机都可能在2019 年圣诞节(Christmas 2019)后很久才推出。但是，您仍然可以在上一代的翻新（甚至是新的！）游戏机上获得惊人的优惠。这包括Xbox 360、PlayStation 3和Nintendo Wii U等游戏机。
年轻的游戏玩家几乎肯定不是这些有十年历史的游戏机的合适受众。话虽如此，可能会想念上一代游戏机（或从未拥有过）的年长游戏玩家可能会喜欢获得这些游戏机之一。
因为一件好的礼物往往是一个人无法(person couldn)证明自己购买(justify buying)的东西。现金拮据的游戏玩家也是如此，他们可能会发现快速构建大型上一代游戏库很容易，这些游戏可以在二手市场上以个位数的价格购买。
在掌机方面，任天堂 3DS(Nintendo 3DS)仍然是一个不错的选择，而且价格便宜。它甚至比Switch Lite(Switch Lite)更便携，并且拥有任何游戏机中最好的独家游戏库之一。事实上，我们强烈建议您购买最新的“ New 2DS ”型号之一，它是 3DS 系列的最佳版本。它只是没有3D屏幕。
Which Consoles Should You Buy the Kids for Christmas?
It’s hard to think of the average child (or аdult child for that matter) finding a shiny new game сonsole under the tree on Christmas mоrning аnd being disappointed. However, for a non-gaming gift-giver it can be a little tricky to figure out which of the many game consoles is the one you should buy.
So we’re going to keep it as simple as possible and help you make sure that any disappointment is avoided come Christmas day.
Asking The Right Questions
Every person is different and so some people will gravitate towards one game console or the other. Take the time to have a conversation about which games this person is excited about playing, what game consoles they already have (if any) and what their friends are playing,
If someone is enthusiastic about gaming, they shouldn’t take much prodding to chat about it. Don’t worry about understanding what it’s all about, just take note of what gets them excited.
Counterfeit Consoles
There’s a whole industry built around making cheap, knockoff consoles with the purpose of fooling non-gaming buyers into handing over their hard-earned cash. Just because one console looks a bit like another, it doesn’t mean they have anything in common under the surface.
Always make sure you buy the game console from a reputable buyer and make sure it’s branded properly. If a console is suspiciously cheap, your alarm bells should already be ringing.
PS4 Slim & Xbox One S
These are the two mainstream console leaders. The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is made by Sony and the Xbox One is made by Microsoft. The PS4 Slim and Xbox One S are the current entry-level models. They have replaced the original versions of these consoles and are quieter, smaller and less power hungry.
Don’t worry about the technical differences between these game consoles. There are only two things that matter when it comes to choosing between them.
The first is whether there are any games your giftee wants to play that are exclusive to one console or the other. A simple visit to a game’s Wikipedia site under the “platforms” entry will show you whether their desired games are exclusive or not.
The other important factor is which consoles their friends are playing with. Online multiplayer gaming is incredibly popular, but in general you can’t play together across brand lines. This is changing, but right now most online games only allow players on the same platform to play together.
If you buy your giftee an Xbox and their friends are all using Playstation 4 consoles, they’ll be left out of the fun.
PS4 Pro & Xbox One X
You may see much more expensive consoles branded as the “PlayStation 4 Pro” and “Xbox One X” for sale. These are premium, upgraded versions of the base model PS4 and Xbox One consoles we discussed in the previous segment.
Games run and look better on these game consoles, so if the price difference is irrelevant to you, the premium consoles are worth the extra money.
However, they play exactly the same games as the base models. Game developers ensure that their games play well on both. So it’s not a choice between “bad” and “good”. Instead it’s a choice between “good” and “better”. If you want more information, check out our article on these elite consoles.
The upgraded versions of these game consoles do make an excellent gift for anyone who currently owns the base model of each respective product. The best gifts are those which the giftee wanted, but would never justify buying for themselves. The premium console versions are exactly that sort of purchase.
Nintendo Switch & Switch Lite
Finally, we get to the latest addition to this generation of game consoles. The Nintendo Switch comes in two versions. The plain Switch is a large handheld console with detachable controllers. It comes with a special “dock” that allows you to connect it to a TV and use it as a traditional console.
The Switch Lite, on the other hand, is a handheld-only device, without the parts needed to connect it to a TV.
Both consoles play exactly the same games, with a handful of exceptions that rely on the larger Switch’s TV connectivity and removable controllers. For the most part however, either console offers the same game library.
We’d suggest that most kids would appreciate the smaller Switch Lite, if they don’t have their own TV or long enough access to the family TV to make the higher price of the big Switch worth it. It’s a true handheld, better for smaller hands and comes in great colors. If the family already has a Switch that’s shared as a home console, the Switch Lite becomes the obvious choice.
If you are however buying a Switch not for an individual, but for a family, the standard one is the way to go. Just make sure you pick up the revised model, which has cooler, less power-hungry components.
The Switch is a console with wide appeal, it’s not just for people who are fans of Nintendo’s (admittedly excellent) first-party games. However, it does not get most of the fancy AAA games you’d find on Xbox One or PS4.
Rather, it gets occasional (smartly cut down) versions of those games, with many excellent first-party exclusives as well as great ports of games from older game consoles which have never been portable before. Take that into account before deciding if a Switch is the right console.
Older Game Consoles
The consoles listed above are from the current generation, with the next generation of gaming machines all likely to launch long after Christmas 2019. However, you can still get amazing deals on refurbished (or even new!) consoles from the previous generation. This includes consoles such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii U.
Younger gamers are almost certainly not the right audience for these decade-old game consoles. That being said, older gamers who may miss their previous-gen consoles (or never had them) might love getting one of these consoles.
Since a good gift is often something a person couldn’t justify buying for themselves. The same goes for cash-strapped gamers, who might find it easy to quickly build a large library of previous generation games, which can be bought for single-digit prices on the used market.
On the handheld side, the Nintendo 3DS is still an excellent choice and can be had for a bargain. It’s more pocketable than even the Switch Lite and has one of the best exclusive game libraries of any console. In fact, we’d strongly suggest getting one of the latest “New 2DS” models, which is the best version of the 3DS family. It just doesn’t have the 3D screen.
