Best game console while we wait for PS5 and Xbox Series X: Switch, PS4, Oculus and more - CNET

The Switch lacks the flashy visuals and many of the triple-A "hard-core gamer" titles (Red Dead Redemption 2, the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077) that you'll find on the Xbox One and PS4. But you'll be too busy playing a long list of exclusive Nintendo franchises like Zelda, Mario and Animal Crossing to care. Unlike rival consoles, it can also hot-swap between playing on your TV and gaming on the go -- just pop it in or out of the included charging cradle. So, while you're unlikely to take a Switch on a plane in the age of COVID-19, you can move between rooms when other family members need the TV without skipping a beat. 

Yes, plenty of great old-school NES and SNES games are here, as are vast numbers of kid-friendly titles like Pokemon and Minecraft -- but the Switch has more M-rated games like Wolfenstein II and The Witcher 3 than all previous Nintendo platforms. (Yes, Fortnite is here as well.) The only problem? The Switch was out of stock for months, which is why many people have been opting for the Switch Lite instead (see below). But inventory seems to have returned to many retailers since September. See complete Switch coverage at GameSpot.

The original Oculus Quest was a bit of a gaming dark horse: It was the first consumer VR headset that was fully wireless and self-contained (read: no need to pop your phone into a plastic mount). With the Quest 2, Oculus has delivered improved screens in the headset and more polished hardware along with a nice price cut versus the original: The Quest 2 starts at $299 for 64GB, with a $399 version that quadruples that. Oculus is even curating an impressive list of games, including some familiar franchises like Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell. The biggest downside is that you now need a Facebook account to use it -- a new requirement we could do without. Read our Oculus Quest 2 review.

The Switch Lite can't connect to a TV like a regular Switch can, and it's got a smaller screen than the OG Switch. But it lets you play 99% of the same games, and it costs $100 less. For many -- especially now that everyone is stuck at home -- the lack of TV output is a deal breaker. On the other hand, the Switch Lite can sometimes be found in stock without crazy marked-up pricing, unlike nearly all of the other consoles listed above. For that reason alone, it's worthy of consideration for many. Read our Nintendo Switch Lite review.

The PlayStation 4 has trounced the Xbox One in the sales charts since both debuted back in November 2013, and with good reason: The PS4 started off at a lower price, and was laser-focused on producing a great gaming experience, with an impressive list of exclusive franchises like God of War, Uncharted, Spider-Man and The Last of Us, none of which is available on Xbox or Switch. (Gaming is central to the PS4, but it can also play Blu-ray discs and stream Netflix, Hulu, HBO and most other popular entertainment apps.) Outside of the Quest 2, the PS4 also has the best virtual reality integration of the current "big three" console trio, thanks to the PlayStation VR add-on.

Now, we know the PS5 Digital Edition is coming Nov. 12 and costs "only" $400. So why pay upwards of $300 or more for an aging PS4 system? Two reasons: First, the PS5 may well be impossible to get this holiday season. And, Sony may again offer the baseline PS4 for $200 with a bundled game or two, as it has in past Black Friday deals. As all parents know, a PS4 on Christmas morning is a much better option than an IOU for a PS5. See complete PS4 coverage at GameSpot.

It's nearly impossible to get an Xbox One right now. Both the Xbox One X (which enabled 4K gaming) and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition (which lacked an optical drive) have been officially discontinued, and the Xbox One S (pictured) seems to be out of stock everywhere. That may well be by design. While 4K gamers will be eyeing the $500 Xbox Series X on Nov. 12, Microsoft is also bowing the $300 Xbox Series S the same day. That model offers no optical drive and half the storage (512GB), but it plays all the same games as the Series X, albeit at a lower 1440p resolution, but supposedly at the same speeds. (Preorders open for both on Sept. 22.)

Read more: Xbox Series X vs. Xbox Series S: It's all about 4K vs. 1440

Microsoft has said that it intends for the Xbox One line to "coexist" with the newer models, at least for now. But barring a price drop, there seems little reason for it to exist if you can scoop up a Series S: The 2020 Series S costs the same and runs all the same games, in addition to all the forthcoming Series X games, too. 

Still, there's the issue of availability, which might make a new or used Xbox One S attractive for some. And all these Xbox models have access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In addition to activating online multiplayer options, this subscription service opens the door to accessing dozens of additional titles at no extra cost. That includes any forthcoming Microsoft titles like the upcoming Halo Infinite and Psychonauts 2. Microsoft is also touting a program called Smart Delivery that will automatically slot versions of games that are optimized for the Series X from your cloud library, if and when you upgrade, so you shouldn't need to repurchase specific titles to see them in their next-gen glory. 

Furthermore, Microsoft has extended its Project xCloud online gaming service to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers at no extra cost, meaning you can play streaming-based versions of many titles via (Android) phones and laptops, so long as you have a solid broadband connection. See complete Xbox One coverage at GameSpot.

Sega's answer to the NES and SNES Mini is largely a winner. Like those now-expired Nintendo options, this micro console includes two vintage controllers (just like the old days, they're wired) and an easy HDMI hookup for connecting to any modern TV. There are 42 old-school games built in, and that's the list you'll want to check: If replaying Ecco the Dolphin, Toejam and Earl, Virtua Fighter 2 and Altered Beast is your idea of a good time, then by all means take the plunge. Just keep in mind that this unit frequently goes on sale for $50 (that's the price you should wait for), and console owners would be better off buying the Sega Genesis Classics, a fantastic $30 retro collection for Xbox, PS4 or Switch that nets you 51 titles, many of which are the same ones you'll find on the Genesis Mini. Read our Sega Genesis Mini review.

This new handheld console has a 4.3-inch screen (reminiscent of the late, great Sony PSP) and takes cartridges that package retro game collections by publisher, each of which cost about $20 and house up to 20 games. Kick things off with the $80 Atari bundle or the $100 Evercade Premium Pack, which adds Data East and Interplay cartridges. See Evercade's site for the full breakdown of which games are on which cartridge, but this system is more about deep cuts, like titles from the rarely seen Atari 7800 and Lynx consoles -- you won't find any Nintendo games here. Still, this handheld packs a nice surprise: Unlike the Switch Lite, it can also output gameplay to your TV screen. But since external controllers aren't supported, you'll need both a long HDMI cable and a mini-HDMI-to-HDMI dongle to make that setup work. Read our Evercade review.