1. SONY PLAYSTATION 4 SLIM
Our top pick is the PS4, combining serious gaming chops with a media powerhouse.
About the Product:
- Incredible games; Endless entertainment
- All new lighter slimmer PS4
- 1TB hard drive
- All the greatest, games, TV, music and more
It’s no secret that Sony’s PS4 has been a massive hit among almost everyone: hardcore gaming fans, casual gamers, and people who just want a great way to watch stuff in the evening. There really is something there for everyone. Sony has recently introduced the PS4 Pro, a much more powerful – and expensive – variant that can play 4K games with easy. We think the Slim version is enough for most people though, which is why we’re recommending it.
As we mentioned, hardcore gamers have a lot to like about the PS4. For starters, the sheer level of exclusive games – from Spider-Man to Uncharted to The Last of Us – makes it hard to beat. Combined with the cross-platform games, of which there are plenty, this really is an A+ gaming machine.
But what about when you just want to unwind? Sony has you covered here, too, with a fully-fledged media center built right into the console. There are apps for all the usual suspects – Netflix, Amazon Prime, NowTV – and many others you might not even have considered. Of course, this is nothing groundbreaking (Xbox has it too) but Sony has made extra care to make the experiences as seamless as possible.
T3 VERDICT
The PS4 Slim takes everything people loved about the original PlayStation 4 system and makes it better. Sony has played safe with the Slim, but that is no bad thing, as it was a top piece of hardware with an excellent games library, to begin with. As such, if you’re looking to game at 1080p and lean towards Sony’s gaming ecosystem then it is an excellent choice.
REASONS TO BUY
- +Great gaming platform
- +Good value for money
- +Controller could be best ever
- +Same amazing gaming library
REASONS TO AVOID
- -Optical audio port removed
- -Still not sure on aesthetics
2. XBOX ONE S
Smaller, stylish, and great for gaming.
About the Product:
- Incredible games; Endless entertainment
- All new lighter slimmer PS4
- 1TB hard drive
- All the greatest, games, TV, music and more
Microsoft has been in a bit of a rut with the Xbox line recently as Sony, driven by the PS4, has dominated the conversation and sales. But the Xbox One S – and its larger Xbox One X counterpart – have done a lot to shift the tide in the other direction. With a slimmer and sleeker design, paired with updated internals and quieter fans, the S has really taken the One line in the right direction.
T3 VERDICT
The Nintendo Switch delivers a truly unique gaming experience, both in terms of its play at home and on the go hardware, and in terms of its exclusive, top-tier games. Par for the course for Nintendo, then. However, its surprisingly stylish design, premium look and feel, as well as better than usual third party support, help take the Nintendo Switch to an even higher level, making the Switch an essential purchase for gamers of any age.
REASONS TO BUY
- +4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player
- +Slicker and slimmer console
REASONS TO AVOID
- -Only 1.6TB of 2TB HDD usable
While the One S can’t handle 4K gaming like the X version, it does come with an Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray player, making media content absolutely sparkles. It’s also equipped with HDR, meaning it can upscale other content to 1080p for the best viewing experience. All of this comes on top of the huge range of streaming media apps that are available.
3. NINTENDO SWITCH
The joy-filled handheld console is hard to beat.
About the Product:
- Play your way with the Nintendo Switch gaming system. Whether you’re at home or on the go, solo or with friends, the Nintendo Switch system is designed to fit your life. Dock your Nintendo Switch to enjoy HD gaming on your TV. Heading out? Just undock your console and keep playing in handheld mode
- This bundle includes the Nintendo Switch console and Nintendo Switch dock in black, with left and right Joy‑Con controllers in Neon Blue (L) and Neon Red (R). It also includes two Joy-Con strap accessories, One Joy-Con grip, an HDMI cable, and Nintendo Switch AC adapter
- Model number HAC 001
Nintendo really knocked it out of the park with this one, as evidenced by the Switch being the fastest selling console of all time. For hand-held gaming fun – and we mean proper fun – you really can’t do any better. The docking system is ingenious, letting you play on either the handheld part or on a TV, which works perfectly.
If you’re more interested in casual gaming, then the Switch is the console for you. It misses out on some of the more media-heavy uses that the PS4 and One S are perfect for, what with being connected to a TV by default, but Netflix and co. are now available.
The ultimate set up we would recommend is having both a PS4 or Xbox and a Switch, for on-the-go play or for when you’re feeling like playing something super fun that isn’t an AAA, dozens-of-hours-to-complete game.
T3 VERDICT:
The Nintendo Switch delivers a truly unique gaming experience, both in terms of its play at home and on the go hardware, and in terms of its exclusive, top-tier games. Par for the course for Nintendo, then. However, its surprisingly stylish design, premium look, and feel, as well as better than usual third party support, help take the Nintendo Switch to an even higher level, making the Switch an essential purchase for gamers of any age.
REASONS TO BUY
- +Innovative design
- +Premium look and feel
- +Attractive price point
- +Superb first-party titles
REASONS TO AVOID
- -Not as powerful as PS4 or Xbox One
- -Third-party support isn’t great
4. APPLE IPAD AIR (2019)
For really casual gaming, Apple has the answer.
About the Product:
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi + Cellular
- Size: 64GB
- 64GB
- 256GB
- Color: Space Gray
- 10.5-inch Retina Display with True Tone and wide Color
- A12 Bionic chip
- Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor and Apple Pay
- 8MP back camera, 7MP FaceTime HD Front camera
- Stereo speakers
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
As we said above, the Switch is the perfect console for casual game but what about casual casual gaming? Well, Apple has come up with the answer in the form of the recently-updated iPad Air, the mid-tier tablet that packs a similar punch to the Pro but at a fraction of the cost.
When you aren’t hammering away at a game, the iPad Air also has lots of other talents that are very useful. The App Store is packed full of productivity apps, for example, making it the perfect companion for students. Media apps are also extremely plentiful, fulfilling any content desires you may have. Social media is also heavily present. There really isn’t much the iPad Air can’t do, besides run AAA console-level titles. But, for most people, that might not be a problem.
T3 VERDICT:
The iPad Air is a fantastic tablet. The screen and power make it feel like an iPad Pro, but for a seriously good price. The perfect do-anything device for most people.
REASONS TO BUY
- +More than enough power on offer
- +10.5-inch TrueTone screen is great for portable work
- +Thin and light
- +Excellent app ecosystem
REASONS TO AVOID
- -Shame it’s last-gen Apple Pencil
- -An OLED screen would be nice
- -Speakers a bit measly
5. ACER PREDATOR HELIOS 300
For those who love PC gaming, on a budget.
About the Product:
- 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Overclockable Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
- 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC )
- Classic 2019 versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- One-time purchase for 1 device, PC or Mac
- System Requirements: Windows 10 or Mac OS X
Completely the list is the Acer Predator Helios 300, a top-end gaming laptop that doesn’t break the bank – or, at least, in comparison to some of its peers. The Helios 300 is an absolute beast of a machine, packing a 15.6-inch Full HD display alongside Intel’s Core i7 CPU and hybrid 128GB SSD-1TB HDD set up, offering peak gaming performance without adding too much bulk.
The sheer level of top-top-top-tier games available for PC right now is incredible, far outmatching the console equivalents in so many ways. If the thought of owning a console is making you miss Steam already, then this really is the rig for you.
REASONS TO BUY
- All of the charms of PC gaming
- Reasonably priced for the specs
Source : T3
