Talk to me about games consoles!

[MargotMoon]

DD10 would like a games console for Xmas. She wants one where she can play the dance moves game primarily, but also likes Minecraft. I was thinking about a Wii Fit as she is very active but that just goes to show how out of touch I am because I now see they don't make them any more.

I've had a look and can see that the main choice is between Nintendo Switch, PS4 and XBox. What else do I need to know??

I can see already that I can't afford the PS4 unless I get the 'Slim' version. Is that sufficient for occasional gaming?
What's the difference between XBox and XBox live?
I have a crap DVD player so like the idea of being able to use the console for playing those as well, which appears to rule out the Switch?

Finally, what additional outlay will be there apart from games? Are there extra costs, such as accessories, which I'd need to budget for?

DS has the Nintendo Switch and loves it. He took it with him to uni, so it's good for older kids too. It came with everything he needed in the box except for additional games, though you might need an HDMI cable to connect it to the TV.

The Switch won't play DVD's. All the games are downloaded. And we did have to buy him an extra memory card to hold the additional games, but it was a standard SD memory card and about $20 on Amazon.

Wii Fit wasn't a console - it was a game on Wii, which needed the balance board. It can be played on Wii or Wii U (successor to the Wii) but not on Switch (Nintendo's latest console).

Microsoft's latest console is called, rather confusingly, the X-box One. The original was released in 2013.
They later released the X-box One S (a smaller and slightly more powerful version).
Recently they launched the X-box One X, which is even more powerful, and is the most powerful console currently available.

What's the difference between XBox and XBox live?
X-box refers to the console. X-box Live is the online service - you will need this to play games online. I think that costs 6 quid a month or about 45 quid a year, but I'm not sure. If you don't play online, you won't need it.

The PlayStation 4 equivalents are:
PS4 - base model
PS4 Slim - equivalent of X-box One S
PS4 Pro - equivalent of X-box One X, but not as powerful

The PlayStation equivalent of X-box Live, the online service, is called PS Plus. In the last couple of months, Nintendo have also started requiring a subscription for online play.

If you choose an X-box / PlayStation 4 and you have a 4K TV, I'd probably go for the Pro / X. If not, it depends whether you want to spend the extra money for a difference that isn't that noticeable on your TV.

No other accessories are needed, and the Switch comes with two "joycons" (controllers) so unlike the others, two people can play together out of the box. However, you might well want a carry case if you take it out of the house, a protective film for the screen and a Pro controller - the joycons are a bit small for adult hands, I find.

X-box is better for driving games (semi-serious ones, like Forza Motorsport and arcade racers, like Forza Horizon). It also plays many games from older X-box models. See this list.

www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/backward-compatibility

PlayStation has more exclusive games than X-box, but there are more than enough games released on both to make that a non-issue for most people.

Nintendo's strength is in the Nintendo series games - in particular, Mario and Zelda, but there are other excellent games on the system. The other advantage is being able to play your Switch without needing a TV.

I'd suggest basing your choice on three factors:

1. Is using your console as a portable important to you? If yes, get a Switch.

1. Do you want to play online with your console-owning friends? If yes, get the same console as the majority of your friends. This doesn't apply if you want to play Fortnight.

1. Research the exclusive games for each system, and choose which ones appeal to you most. Some examples:

Switch: Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros (coming soon), Arms, Mario Kart

X-box: Forza, Forza Horizon, Halo, Gears of War, Ryse, Zoo Tycoon

PlayStation 4: Spiderman, The Last Of Us, The Last Guardian, Yakuza

@BadLad Thanks!! That's really helpful. I'm veering towards a Switch then, although it's a shame that I won't get the benefit of the DVD player as well. Does the switch have any other 'active' games like dance one, do you know?

Xbox one is a blu-ray player. Handy if you ever want to get Blu-rays instead of Dvds.

We have the Xbox One S, I wouldn't pay for PS4, more expensive and Xbox does the games we want.

@BadLad that's really, really helpful, thanks!!

@WhyAmISoCold Can you play DVDs in a Blu Ray player?

@MaggieMuggins yes you can.

Dance games aren't my thing, but apparently Just Dance is on the Switch.

www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Dance-2019-Nintendo-Switch/dp/B07DNZZY3F?tag=mumsnetforum-21

There is some moving of your arms in Mario Party and 1-2-Switch. 1-2-Switch isn't very good but it's quite a good demo of the Switch can do. You could watch some YouTube videos of the gameplay.