What are the best platforms for gaming?

Although technically you can play a range of games on many different kinds of platforms, some are better suited to specific types than others. If you’re in the market for a new device and are not sure which way to go in terms of operating systems, then this short guide may answer some of your questions.

Choices

If you want to play video games and not really do much more than that, then a console is a cheaper option than a PC at about or under $200. There are plenty of consoles to choose from, including Game Cube by Nintendo, PS4 by Sony and XBox by Microsoft.

If you enjoy online gaming, however, then you should be looking at PC platforms instead. In fact, in some respects, PCs are giving consoles a hard time because they are much more versatile and you can do a lot more with them than play video games. For example, if you already have a computer with Windows or Mac OSX, you can access a wide range of online gaming sites, including those offering casino high roller bonuses across a broad spectrum of casino games.

Consoles – the top two

The PS4 has a camera as an optional extra and is also cheaper than the XBox (without the camera), making it attractive if you’re upgrading on a budget. Voice control is offered, and as you are logging into the console, the Playroom feature allows you to play a few mini-games while you’re waiting. More powerful than the XBox and three times more powerful than its predecessor PS3, you can expect an 8-core AMD Jaguar CPU that attains 2.75GHz. There’s 8GB of GDDR RAM and an 800MHz AMD Radeon GPU. Sometimes described as a gamer’s gaming machine, the PS4 also has BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Lovefilm.

A big rival to PS4 is the XBox, which is said to offer a glimpse of the future in terms of gaming technology. It has a better range of games available, plus enhanced entertainment features, including movies and TV. Also with voice control, it was initially considerably more expensive than the PS4, but has since dropped in price. Additional ports allow you to connect your TV and video recorder systems. XBox runs the 8-core AMD Jaguar GPU at 1.75GHz and has an 853MHz–800MHz GPU. However, on the graphics front and in terms of general hardware, the PS4 has a distinct advantage.

PCs

Windows and Mac OSX are the go-to platforms that will allow you to access lots of online games. The upcoming Windows 10 has features that emulate the XBox’s functionality, and there is potential for cross-play between both platforms. Game streaming on Windows is also promised for the future, as is the arrival of ‘Cortana’ on XBox. ‘She’ will send messages to other gamers or undertake a Bing search on your command.

Finally, Mac lovers are not left out of the gaming world and now have a brilliant selection of top games from which to choose – everything from role-playing to action adventure, and many more. Mac devices that can be used for gaming include laptops, the iPad and iPhone.

While there are a lot of different platforms for gaming, consider what your needs and preferences are to help narrow down the options.