// Platform Guides
Pick Your Platform
One guide per system: what it costs right now, which model fits you, the games worth owning, and the accessories that actually matter. Updated as prices change.
From $599.99 · Updated October 2026
PlayStation 5, PS5 Digital, and PS5 Pro
The best exclusive library of this generation, though prices are up this year. Which model to buy, the exclusives worth owning, and why storage is the first upgrade.
Open the PS5 guide →
From $499.99 · Updated October 2026
Xbox Series X and Series S
All four models after the August price hike, which Game Pass tier gets new games on day one, and the storage card every Xbox owner ends up needing.
Open the Xbox guide →
From $499.99 · Updated October 2026
Nintendo Switch 2
The price and bundles, the Nintendo games you cannot play anywhere else, and the microSD Express rule that catches original Switch owners.
Open the Switch 2 guide →
Platform Guide · Updated October 2026
PC Gaming: Steam Machine, Handheld, or Desktop
Valve's Steam Machine and its real price, handhelds, prebuilt versus DIY during the memory shortage, and where to buy PC games without getting burned.
Open the PC guide →
The Short Version
Every console costs more in 2026 than it did a year ago, and waiting for a price drop has not paid off once this year. Here is where we land at current prices, checked against Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo's own stores in October 2026.
- Best for most people: PS5 Digital at $599.99, or the disc model at $649.99 if you buy physical games. It has the strongest exclusive library and runs Grand Theft Auto VI on day one.
- Cheapest way into GTA VI: Xbox Series S at $499.99. Mind the storage: the 512GB model fills up fast, so plan on the 1TB model at $599.99 or a storage card.
- Best for families and handheld play: Nintendo Switch 2 at $499.99, or $549.99 with Mario Kart World. Nintendo's games are only on Nintendo hardware, but GTA VI is not coming to it.
- Most power: PS5 Pro at $899.99, sold out at most US retailers since mid-September. Don't pay a scalper; our PS5 Pro article explains how to get one at list price.
- Already have a gaming PC? Then the question is which upgrades matter, not which console to add. The PC guide covers it.
Each guide above goes deeper: which model fits you, the games worth owning first, and the accessories worth buying. Prices change, so every guide carries the date we last checked.
Not sure which platform is right for you? Start with Which Console Should You Buy in 2026? Buying for GTA VI? Read the GTA 6 console guide.
