Deciding which video game console to buy has always been difficult and that continues to be the case today. Granted, when it comes to the actual hardware, there’s very little to choose between the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series machines, and while the Switch is quite a bit weaker, it also costs less than half the price and allows for gaming on the go. As a result, most tend to make their choices based not on the consoles themselves, but instead the games that can be played on them.
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When it comes to the best console for open-world games, there are plenty of things that need to be considered, such as the potential lifespan of the console and the caliber of games that will be releasing for it in the months and years to come. For many, though, it’s the here and now that matters most, which can make it a little easier to decide which is the best console for open-world games.
Nintendo Switch
The Switch may be a little weaker than the competition when it comes to raw computing power, but that’s not to say that it can’t still hold its own when it comes to open-world games. In fact, inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, Nintendo’s hybrid console boasts two ofthe best open-world games ever made, and these are far from the only great open-world games on the Switch.
Switch players can also enjoy games likeThe Witcher 3,No Man’s Sky, andSkyrim, albeit at lower resolutions than their PS5 and Xbox series-owning peers. Sadly, there are some pretty big gaps in the Switch’s library when it comes to multiplatform open-world games, and withrumors suggesting that the Switch’s successor could be announced imminently, some may well see the console as a risky investment.
Xbox Series
Bethesda is responsible for some of the best and biggest open-world franchises of all time, which bodes well for those who are already invested in the Xbox ecosystem.Starfieldwill presumably be the first of many big Bethesda-developed Xbox-exclusive open-world games, with many expecting the next mainlineFalloutandElder Scrollsgames to follow suit when they finally arrive.
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Thanks to the power of the system, Xbox Series owners can also enjoy all of the best multi-platform open-world franchises, includingFar Cry,Grand Theft Auto, andRed Dead Redemption. BesidesStarfield, though,the Xbox Series doesn’t really have too many big exclusives to call its own at the time of writing, arguably making this one for the future rather than one for the here and now.
PlayStation 5
Many ofthe best PlayStation-exclusive titlesare open-world games, making the PS5 an excellent choice for fans of the genre. Games likeMarvel’s Spiderman Remastered,Ghost of Tsushima, andHorizon Forbidden Westare well worth playing and have sequels that are either confirmed or strongly rumored to be in development, which bodes extremely well for the console’s future.
One of the main concerns for prospective PS5 owners isMicrosoft’s 2021 acquisition of Bethesda, which will almost certainly see some or maybe even all of the studio’s future open-world games becoming Xbox exclusives. As such, those who are big onTheElder ScrollsandFalloutmay want to think twice about buying a PlayStation 5, though as neitherFallout 5norThe Elder Scrolls 6is likely to come out any time soon, this may well prove to be a problem for the next console generation.
Verdict - The PlayStation 5 is the Best Console for Open-World Gaming in 2023
Starfieldaside, the Xbox Series has very little to offer in the way of Xbox-exclusive open-world games, and while that may well change in the future, there’s no telling when exactly that change might come. It could be in two years, but it could just as easily be in five or six, at which point the console generation will be all but over. On the other hand, the PlayStation 5 already has plenty of top-tier open-world games, with many morebig PS5 releases scheduled for the coming months and years.
For those operating on a smaller budget, the Switch is well worth considering, although there are a few rather large caveats that will need to be taken into account. For one thing,the limited power of the system can lead to noticeable performance issues in some open-world Switch games, while many of the more graphically demanding multiplatform open-world games skip the system entirely. The Switch could also become obsolete in the next few years, depending on when Nintendo decides to release its next console.
It’s worth noting that pretty much all Xbox exclusives are available on PC at launch these days, withPlayStation exclusives typically making their way over to PC a few years after coming to console. Of course, the cost of a high-end gaming PC is significantly more than a PS5 or an Xbox Series, and console ports often outperform PC ports due to the former being much easier to optimize. As such, although buying a PC may be a great option for some open-world video game fans, it might not be ideal for everybody.
