If you are a console gamer, then 2017 was a pretty good year for you. Coming off from the PS4 Pro launch in late 2016, the console market saw the launch of two new systems at two extreme ends of the spectrum. But considering the main contenders of the market, these are my two favorite systems of the year and all time in this current generation:
The Xbox One X is the newest console to the market. It’s the ultimate gaming console currently available. Combining power and the sleek design from Microsoft, makes it a pretty hard to beat setup. In this tiny package lies an 8-core CPU clocked in at 2.3GHz, an AMD graphics card of 6 teraflops of compute power, 12GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. To put that in perspective, a fully-loaded 27-inch 5K iMac in 2017 has about 5.5 teraflops and is priced around $2,700. A fully-loaded iMac Pro with 18 cores has 11 teraflops of compute power and is priced 26 times more expensive than this Xbox One X at $500. And what you get from that power is something pretty darn amazing.
The Xbox One X is able to push out 4K 64 frames per second and an HDR to an equally capable TV at native resolution. The experience is pretty breathtaking. One of the best games to demonstrate the full power of the Xbox One X is Forza Motorsport 7. It has everything the Xbox One X can do, which means 4K resolution, 60 frames per second, and HDR. And when hooked up to a TV such as the LG OLED panel with equal specifications, the experience is crazy.
The Xbox One X isn’t all pros and no cons. For starters, to take full advantage of the performance, you need a TV capable of 4K resolution and HDR. These days, 4K TVs are getting rather inexpensive but HDR is still a very marketable term. Though with time, even these TVs will get less expensive. Also, the Xbox One X only comes with one TB of built-in storage. That sounds like a lot until you realize how big 4K and HDR titles really are. Each game takes about 100GB or 10% of your total capacity. Do the math: 10 games (if even) and you’re maxed out. The good news is you can use an external hard drive. I recommend getting an SSD with USB-3, like a 1TB G-DRIVE SSD that I use.
The Xbox One X is quite honestly the best console I’ve ever owned. While yes, at $500 it’s expensive, but for the amount of performance, it’s hard to beat. Compared to any gaming computer rig and the Xbox One X is the clear bargain. But now, let’s take a step back away from all this high performance gaming and super crazy graphics and let’s go look at the Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo Switch is, by far, the most successful console launch of 2017. With it going out of stock for months after launch, selling 2.74 million units in one single month, the Switch has now become the most favorited piece of tech for a lot of gamers out there including myself. But it’s actually quite the clever device. Delivering a great experience handheld via its 6.2-inch 720p panel, and yes, I did say 720p. While it may be lacking in resolution, it’s actually a really good display in terms of brightness, color accuracy, and vividness. It’s honestly a joy to use on the go but when you are home, you can just slide it in the dock and push out full 1080p to a TV for an even more immersive experience. The controllers, called Joy Cons, are pretty neat. Use them while connected to the Switch, use them separately in the air, or attach them to a grip for a more controller-like experience. You can also use them individually as two controllers similar to a classic Nintendo controller in games such as Mario Kart 8. And if you want to play more engaged games, the Switch Pro controller fills that void with a much more substantial feeling controller with excellent ergonomics.
But it’s not just the hardware that makes the Switch successful. It’s the titles backing it. At launch, Legend of Zelda was available with Mario Kart coming shortly after, and more recently, Super Mario. The flagship titles really helped push the Switch into victory for 2017.
So regardless of what experience you’re looking for, there’s a console for you. What’s my pick of the two? Obviously it’s the Nintendo Switch.
