Gaming 101 – How to Tell Which Video Gaming Platform is Best For You

In a world full of ever-changing tech, gaming platforms can get confusing. And so many ways to play too. Considering it seems like a new revision or entire console comes out every other year, we’re here to help discern the differences between some commonly discussed platforms, how they may benefit you, and ultimately, guide you to finding which method of gaming might be best for you. Welcome to Gaming 101!

What’s a Gaming Platform?

You might be asking yourself this very question. And it’s actually a great question. Many people who either are new to gaming or may have a family member (i.e. child, sibling, etc.) don’t know what that means. That’s perfectly okay, and probably why you’re here!

Our definition in Gaming 101: A gaming platform is a system which is build primarily to play video games.

Now, why are we here making this post? Another great question – gold star for you, reader. Whether you’ve owned every console known to mankind or looking to dip your toes into the hobby of video games, it’s important to know what options are available to you. With so many options, it can absolutely be overwhelming making a choice. It also depends on what you’re looking for, your time commitment allowance, budget, etc.

Now, back to platforms. These can come in various forms: gaming consoles, personal computers (PCs), and mobile gaming. They can also be combined into a hybridized gaming platform as well. Don’t worry, we’ll talk about and break down each one of these sections in detail. The takeaway I want you to have from this:

There’s no wrong way to get into gaming.

Period. It should be Gaming 101 Rule #1. Don’t let someone tell you otherwise.

Now, let’s breakdown some of these platforms in detail and get you on your way to playing some games.

Console Gaming

First off is one of the most common forms of playing video games: gaming consoles. We’ve broken down the difference between two consoles, but we’ll go in detail about another one as well, in addition to some variations of those too.

So, we’ve got three main players in this: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. We’ll focus on those through this section.

Microsoft: Their Xbox Options

Console	Quick Description
Xbox Series X	High power, costly, “current generation”
Xbox Series S	Mid-power, more affordable, no physical games allowed
Xbox One X	Mid-to-low power, cannot play current gen games
Xbox One	Low power, easily available and affordable, plethora of games

Sony: The PlayStation Options

Console	Quick Description
PlayStation 5 (Digital)	High powered, “current generation,” only digital games, slightly cheaper than disc drive PS5
PlayStation 5 (W/ Disc Drive	Same power as Digital, can use game discs, slightly more expensive
PlayStation 4 Pro	Mid-power, cannot play PS5 games. Good upgrade from base PS4
PlayStation 4	Low power, easily available and affordable, plethora of games

Nintendo: The Switch Options

Console	Quick Description
OLED Switch	Screen is larger, brighter and more vibrant. Better battery and storage. Same games can be played as any other Switch. More expensive.
LCD Switch	More affordable than OLED model. Just as portable.
Switch Lite	Smallest model, and cheapest. Trade off is no detachable Joy-Cons or docking capability. Only portable.

Now, we could go into the technical specs, but we’ll leave that for another article in the near future. Consoles, aside from the Switch (which as the potential) are better for being in the living room, bedroom, family room – somewhere stationary. This is both a pro and a con; with removing the portability feature, the engineering wizards can focus on providing the beefiest tech into the consoles.

In this similar line, this engineering make it hard for consoles to have any technical upgrades; hence why there seems to be half-steps in the console lines before a true upgrade happens. You would need to buy a whole new console in order to experience new and shiny resolutions and lighting in games.

Each console set have their own exclusive franchises as well. Xbox is home of franchises like Halo, Gears of War, and now with recent acquisitions, The Elder Scrolls series (Credit to CNBC) and Call of Duty (Credit to MS News). PlayStation houses games such as God of War, Gran Turismo, and The Last of Us. Franchises such as Mario, Pokemon, and Fire Emblem call Nintendo home sweet home.

This can incentivize a consumer to choose one consoles over another to play their favorite game; or, they may feel forced into a decision (Gaming 101 Rule #2 – don’t feel pressured in choosing; just pick your favorite!). Some games, however, are referred to as multi-platform, meaning they can be found on multiple gaming platforms. Examples of this would be Overwatch, Madden, or Destiny 2. These, and others, can be found on most, if not all, of these consoles.

Consoles can be an excellent entry point into gaming with all of the options, the wide berth of games available (both paid and free-to-play games) and the ease of use in navigating each option.

PC Gaming

So, PCs – this can be a whole couple posts. To condense it, there’s simply a lot that can be done in PC gaming. PCs themselves have a huge benefit to consoles in which they are typically easier to upgrade, trade out parts, and fully customize to someone’s liking.

Take a look at a subreddit called r/pcmasterrace, and you’ll see so many variations of custom builds. The trade off of that – those costs can rack up really quickly. Especially when you look at the cost of graphic cards – these dictate how well a game will run and allows someone to play higher-intensive games or newer games. These alone can cost more than a home gaming console.

Typically, because of this, PC games have the capability to look much more detailed than consoles. Games have more room to stretch their legs to show off their graphical prowess due to less constraints that consoles have.

And if a game doesn’t look as good as it could, or maybe it’s a game that never dies *cough* Skyrim *cough*, people create modifications, or mods, for the games. These can range from new weapons and missions to overhauling graphics or adding entirely new systems. All of which are easier to create and implement in PCs over consoles due to their customization.

PCs also have access to an even wider net of games. Valve has their Steam storefront, Epic has their own store for their games, and even Microsoft and Sony have some of their exclusive titles available to purchase. PCs have access to many options of games, as most games come out either exclusive to a platform AND PC or multi-platform including PC.

Keep in mind, for this discussion, we are usually referring to the Windows operating system, as it has the more compatibility with games. Other systems, like Mac and Linux, are harder for game developers to develop on, so these systems have less options. Additionally, due to ever-improving tech, games become more graphically intensive, meaning continual upgrades are needed to your PC to keep up with high-end graphics.

Mobile Gaming

Next up is mobile gaming platforms, a newer segment of the gaming industry market. It may be newer, but it’s an absolute beast. According to data.ai, mobile gaming was estimated to account for nearly 60% of all gaming-related spending habits by the end of 2023z

You heard me right. Almost 60 freaking percent. Mind blown in Gaming 101, right?

However, pull back and look at the big picture. We all have phones, right, BlizzCon? And tablets are everywhere too. They all play games, some of them just as well as consoles nowadays.

With that, there’s a vast array of games to choose from, ranging between match-3 games with different themes to full games like Minecraft and Darkest Dungeon. These games are highly accessible, built for either quick, pick-me-up rounds or 10 minute game sessions.

On break at work? Clear a couple floors in Peglin. On the toilet for a moment? Why not play a couple rounds of Mario Kart Tour? The portability of a library of games makes gaming more convenient than ever.

Of course, there are a few limitations to review as well. First off is that a phone can only do so much in terms of graphical fidelity. While there are a few exceptions like Death Stranding Director’s Cut, many AAA games can’t be ported to mobile devices without downgrades. You also have a vast amount of games on app stores classifying as “shovelware,” or games that took a few hours to make and severely lack depth or are plagued by ads.

One thing to really keep an eye on, especially if you do have a tendency to gamble or are a parent with a child who plays phone games are micro-transactions (MTs) and gacha mechanics. MTs are a way for game companies to make revenue by giving you, the player, a premium currency or some other paid benefit in the game.

Be wary of them, and be wary of children who have access to making $99.99 purchases on a mobile game. Gacha mechanics are tricky too; think of them as loot boxes, where you aren’t quite sure what you’ll get with the purchase, but it could be a top-tier character or item. Just be conscientious of your funds and who has access to them. Forbes has a great article discussing the issues of loot boxes, and how they could be attributed to developing gambling behaviors in children. That’s my PSA today, you’re welcome. There’s your Gaming 101 advice today.

Hybridized Platforms

Our last stop focused on hybrid platforms; this means they’re a little bit of everything with a lot of potential. There’s quite a few options now, with big names such as the Nintendo Switch and Valve’s Steam Deck being the forefront.

Hybrid platforms can take form in a variety of ways. For the Switch, it has the portability of a mobile device and the at-home set up of a console (aside from Switch Lite). It utilizes 2/3 categories main features we’ve discussed so far. I could also detach the Joy-Cons and either have a friend play a game with me, like Mario Kart 8, or set the screen up on with the built in kickstand for comfortability. There’s a lot of innovation in tech like this.

Same with the Steam Deck but on a different scale; it’s got more power than the Switch (closer but not quite at the same power as Xbox One X or PS4) and it’s still very portable. The Steam Deck Dock also allows it to be connected to a TV via HDMI port, so it can become a stationary console.

There’s also ways to make phones similar through game streaming. In this process, services like Microsoft’s GamePass allows current generation games to be streamed via WiFi or cellular data to the phone. Then, you could use either touchscreen controls or a Bluetooth controller for playing said game.

Technically then, I could play Halo: Infinite on my iPhone with my PS5 controller connected to my phone via Bluetooth. However, this is all dependent on Internet connectivity and stability, which can affect the quality of image and inputs in the game.

Which is Best For You?

There’s no clear answer for me to give – it’s all up to you! Gaming can be complex in terms of where to begin. Or maybe your kid asks you for the newest Xbox, and you’re thinking, “I have no idea what they’re talking about…”

I hope this guide helps out a bit in breaking down some of the different platforms available in gaming. Or maybe it’ll help sway you to another platform or to expand your horizons. Thanks for partaking in some Gaming 101!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or reach out on X!