Welcome to week 5 of the Holiday Tech Gift Guide. As we begin the closing arc of the gift guide, with just one more installment next week, we’ll be taking a look at two of the biggest tech shopping categories of the holiday season. This week, it’s all about the latest and greatest video game consoles!
Now most casual shoppers might already be aware of the big console names — especially if you have a gamer in the house — so instead of focusing on the spec list (because specs for consoles are largely similar), this list will include some must-have games to go along with the console purchase. If we’re lucky, we’ll even scout some great console/game bundles.
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Steam Box
Most folks know about the Wii U and Xbox — or, as most moms like to call them, the “Nintendo” and “the other Nintendo” — but there’s actually a new player emerging in the console space this year. Valve, a video game company that also provides the PC game distribution platform known as Steam, has created an operating system so that other companies can develop home consoles that run the Steam service. Short version: If you know a gamer who loves to play games on their computer, the Steam Box lets them play their favorite computer games on their big screen HDTV instead of their likely smaller computer monitor.
If they already play games on the computer (it doesn’t matter if they have Mac, Linux, or Windows PCs), this gift technically already comes pre-loaded with all of their favorite games, since they can log in to the same Steam account they use on the computer. I personally can’t wait to run all the games I bought on Steam that my computer isn’t powerful enough to handle in high quality on my TV. The one tricky downside is that there’s more than one Steam Box, because any hardware manufacturer can make one. So finding the right one is a matter of budget and preference. As with any expensive gift, I recommend asking the recipient ahead of time exactly what they’re looking for.
Must-have Games for your Steam Library –
- ARK: Survival Evolved
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Rocket League
- Space Engineers
- Subnautica
- Estimated Retail Price: Ranges from ~$500-$1,400, depending on the specs/model.
Sony PlayStation 4
The PS4 originally released in 2013, but many folks still haven’t made the leap to the latest console generation. Last cycle, the Xbox 360 was a household name, while the PS3 became something of an enthusiast purchase for those who either wanted to invest in Blu-Ray before it became a big deal, or had some console-exclusive franchises they loved from the PS2 era. But this time around, both the PS4 and Xbox One are on everyone’s radar, and there is a good reason for that. Both consoles boast multi-media functionality, able to play Blu-Ray movies, connect to popular media apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Instant Video, and browse the web. Similarly, both offer free games and discounts every month for those who purchase online memberships (PS+ for PS4, Xbox Live Gold for Xbox One).
What currently sets the PS4 apart is that is has an edge over the Xbox One in terms of graphics and processing power. The PS4 was architected to run like a PC, which means developers have an easier time designing and optimizing games for it as compared to the Xbox One. I know that might be a little too techy, but it’s important to know because it means games that are available on both Xbox One and PS4 almost always look and play better on PS4. But at the end of the day, it comes down to preference.
Must-have Games for your PS4 Library –
- Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III
- Fallout 4
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- The Witcher 3
- Estimated Retail Price: $350-$450, depending on bundle and hard drive size (500GB vs. 1TB).
Microsoft Xbox One
Since we already covered how last generation’s Xbox 360 stole the spotlight and wound up in most living rooms, it makes sense that many gamers are looking to upgrade this year with the latest version of the Xbox, called the Xbox One. (Don’t ask me why they called it the “Xbox One” despite it being the third Xbox console to release… they’ll try to tell you something about it being an “all in one” experience, but let’s be honest, it’s a dumb name. Not Wii U dumb, but it’s close.) Anyway, the Xbox One has tons of apps and media services, like a dedicated Twitch channel so gamers can watch their favorite live streams, and is usually able to snag early access to exclusive content for some of the most popular multiplatform games.
For instance, this holiday season the only place to play Rise of the Tomb Raider is Xbox One. The PC and PS4 versions won’t be out until 2016. Microsoft is also working closely with their recently-acquired studio Mojang to deliver the best Minecraft experience on Xbox One. This will be one of the first games that heavily integrates with Microsoft’s augmented reality technology, the Hololens, but I can see you mousing over to close this page and google what that is, so I’ll stay on topic. The bottom line is, PS4 vs. Xbox One is a debate that largely depends on the games a person plays, and which console their friends have.
Must-have Games for your Xbox One Library –
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Sunset Overdrive
- Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
- Fallout 4
- Minecraft
- Estimated Retail Price: $300-$400, depending on bundle and hard drive size (500GB vs. 1TB).
Stay tuned next week for the final installment of Best of NJ‘s Holiday Tech Gift Guide!
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