The 7 Best Gaming Consoles of 2023 – We Tested the Top Video Game Consoles

Video game consoles have changed so much since the Magnavox Odyssey — the first product of its kind — debuted half a century ago. Gone are the days of singularly focused, basic gaming. Today, the gaming console realm runs the gamut — from basic consoles that take you down memory lane to ultra-portable rigs for gaming on-to-go to insanely powerful offerings for high-res HDR and virtual reality gaming — the list is endless.

And the growth seems never to stop. The and the PlayStation 5 — the next-generation gaming consoles by Microsoft and Sony — hit the shelves in late 2020 with $499.99 stickers. After being pretty impossible to find at those prices for a while, the cutting-edge gaming rigs are easier to get a hold of.

The Best Gaming Consoles

What to Consider

Honestly, patience is among the most important things you need before embarking on a journey to buy a new gaming console. Even though supply issues have improved massively over the past year (the ), getting your hands on a top-tier gaming rig is still challenging. We suggest keeping a close eye on major retailers such as , , and and following them on social media for possible announcements about stock availability.

Recently, Amazon made purchasing a and an less frustrating by introducing an invite-based setup. Designed to ensure that real customers (not bots) buy a console, the retailer will notify you with an email when the product is in stock after granting your invite request.

Gaming Performance

Regarding actual gaming performance, you should know that the latest PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles are head and shoulders above their rivals. The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X can deliver a 4K experience at up to a whopping 120 frames per second — more than a high-quality gaming PC can produce — when paired with the right TV (HDMI 2.1-equipped televisions are a must-have for the latest Microsoft and Sony consoles).

Nintendo’s products don’t offer the same high-powered gameplay and streaming capabilities as their Microsoft and Sony rivals. However, they’re hugely popular thanks to next-level versatility and exclusive access to iconic characters and titles like and . Switch consoles are more affordable, too.

Home Entertainment Capabilities

Most of today’s finest gaming consoles also double as amazing streaming devices. Save for Nintendo’s product, any other option we suggest can stream 4K content from popular streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix, among others.

Our thoroughly researched picks from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo — the gaming console industry’s titans — will allow you to enjoy today’s latest (and greatest) video games with the highest quality. We also evaluated Apple and Google products to pick solid options for casual and budget-minded gamers — they may be cheaper, but they’re pretty darn great.

Get ready to get your play on with these top-rated gaming consoles.

A note on availability: Due to high demand, some gaming consoles constantly fluctuate in and out of stock. We will frequently check and refresh the links to these products as they become available again.