Gaming Systems

Gaming Systems

Choosing the Right Console For You

The three main gaming systems on the market right now are the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. I have written a
brief writeup of each
of them. Today, consoles are considered the most powerful on the market, so it is up to YOU to decide what you want.
Although each have their differences, gaming systems have generally evolved and adapted in the same ways.

The Console Wars will still live on, regardless of your choice.

Alternatively, you can always invest in a gaming PC. Though they are very expensive, with the right setup, you
can potentially beat out the power of a standard home console today. The running trend within the PC gaming community
is calling themselves the PC Master Race due to the longevity and upgradability of a PC.

A Brief History of Gaming Systems

In the 60s, the television became a household item, and German born engineer Ralph Henry Baer created a device to simulate table tennis on the T.V.,
dubbed the Brown Box (Isi, 2015). Unfortunately, no company showed interest in his machine, so he got licensing from Magnavox and created the
Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, the first video game console to be retailed. The success of it caused American gaming company Atari to create its own
Pong video game and console, The Atari 2600. The console offered slight enhancements to Pong, such as sound and better performance.

It all changed when Japanese giant Nintendo released the Famicom in Japan, then the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the 1980s, which spawned
successful franchises like Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt, where they became a major success in the market. In 1988, Japanese video game company
Sega launched the Sega Genesis, and it became the first successful console with a 16 bit processor, to where it sold 40 million units worldwide. Sega
marketed it with this tagline: Genesis does what Nintendont, which sparked an early generation of Console Wars that would continue for decades in
the future (Minor, 2013). Nintendo would go on to create several more consoles, such as the GameBoy, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES),
and the Virtual Boy, where some became successful and some did not.

Today, the Console Wars continue, as the emergence of Sony in the 1990s made the Console War larger than it was ever before. Mainly, Sony and
Microsoft are the two competing brands on the market, while Nintendo tries to stay independent of the competition. This website is a breakdown of
each along with a market brief.

Consoles

Sony PlayStation 4

Introduced in 2013, the PlayStation 4 is the newest generation in the PlayStation brand. This console runs on an 8 core AMD Radeon processor.
It provides you with a 1080p, high resolution gaming experience to the games that you play. The PS4 also has the capability to stream online services
such as Netflix, Hulu, etc., as well as the ability to purchase, rent, or stream videos on the PlayStation Store via the Playstation Network.
It uses Blu Ray Technology, so you can use it to play your Blu Ray discs as well. The PlayStation 4 has received a high end upgrade in the PS4 Pro,
providing the same experience as before, but on a stronger processor and true 4K HD gaming. The current price of a PS4 Pro is approx. 399.99 USD.

Microsoft Xbox One

The Microsoft Xbox One was also introduce in 2013, it is the newest extension in Microsoft and their gaming division. The console shares the
same processor as the PS4, but it processes at a better rate than the PS4, making it more powerful. However, the Xbox One does not come without its
differences, as the Xbox One has less graphical power than that of the PS4. The XB1 displays its games at 720p resolution, but still offers the same
amount of entertainment that the PS4 does. However, the quality of Xbox Live is better compared to the PlayStation Network on the PS4, and they offer
better streaming services, premium items, and higher quality serbers than the PS4. Like the PS4, it also received a high-end upgrade in The Xbox One S.
It shares nearly the same processing power as the PS4 Pro, but the PS4 Pro is more powerful, and the Xbox One S does not provide a 4K gaming experience,
only its media streaming content has that. The Xbox One S is currently priced at approx. 299.99 USD.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo has their newest console on the market, a brand new, innovative home console in The Switch. What makes the Switch different from the PS4 and Xbox One
is the fact that it is a hybrid gaming console. You can either play it at home on your TV, or you can take it with you, docking the controllers on
a built in touchscreen display. While significantly less powerful and provides only 720p gaming, but the graphics will vary from games. While still a
part of the ongoing Console War in this generation, Nintendo usually tries to stay in their own lane, trying to innovate their products to their loyal fans.
The console so far has been a succees, faring better in sales than the Wii U did. The Switch is currently priced at 299.99 USD.

What to Choose

It is entirely up to YOU to choose what you want. Play how you play.


© Copyright 2017 by Adam Ransom. All rights reserved.
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