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Johnny Minkley is a games expert for BBC Radio 1, editor of Eurogamer TV and former editor of the industry trade weekly MCV. He's played games for more than 20 years and has been writing about them for more than seven. Here he picks the top games consoles. Click to view Top 5 Video Game Consoles.
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Buyers Guide and Overview |
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 Whether you’re young or old, male or female, single player or fun-seeking family, there's now a video games console to suit practically every need, taste and budget. So what are you waiting for? |
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The range and diversity of gaming systems, never mind the games themselves, is bewildering, and a daunting prospect to the uninitiated. Hopefully, our guide to the top five consoles will answer all your questions, and arm you with the information you need to make your digital entertainment purchase in confidence.
The raison d’etre of any games console is, fundamentally, gaming. But today’s systems also offer a wealth of additional functionality catering to the needs of a rapidly expanding, increasingly diverse audience. Forget the old, lazy cliché: gaming has moved well beyond the curtains-drawn dungeon of the lone geek; these days everyone from granddaughter to granny is at it.
So, are you interested in online play? Is a huge range of kids’ games a priority? Want to take full advantage of that 50-inch HDTV beast you bought for the World Cup? How about a home entertainment powerhouse that handles music, photos and movie playback? Or are you just looking for hassle- and wire-free fun with friends and family? Our top five has been put together to help you answer these questions and more.
But once you’ve made your decision, where next? Here are our tips to help you buy your games console in complete confidence:
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Beware the bundle |
 In addition to standalone consoles, most retailers will offer bundle deals whereby a number of games is thrown in for less than it would cost to buy them separately. While the savings here on RRP can be substantial and tantalising, be wary of the games on offer and the retailer’s motives.
Are they simply trying to offload some games that have been gathering dust on the shelves? Are the games the type that you or your family will enjoy? There are absolutely some great bundle deals out there; but if you’re not careful you could end up spending more than you intended on games you didn’t want.
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Hidden costs |
 Don’t assume everything you need to enjoy the full features of your shiny new machine comes in the box. Extras include additional controllers for multiplayer games, subscriptions for online play, and special leads to enjoy the best audio-visual quality. And unless you buy a bundle, most consoles (with the exception of the Nintendo Wii) do not come with a game as standard.
So, once you've bought your gaming mean machine, you’ll need to stock up on software. Our tips: |
Shop around |
| UK retail is the most competitive market in the world for video games software. Relentless promotional activity means game prices can vary wildly from shop to shop, week to week, so doing research in advance and checking prices online or over the phone can save you money. If you’re not desperate to own the latest blockbuster on day of release, popular software is reissued on cut-price budget labels later on. |
Ask for advice |
 Specialist games store staff are more likely to have expert knowledge than, say, their equivalents at a supermarket or an electronics retailer. But if the supermarket’s cheaper, don’t be afraid to take advice from one place and buy in another if it saves you cash. |
Check the critics |
Don’t know your Halos from your Half-Lifes? Productsifter's computer games top fives (Best Games, Best First-Person Shooters) are a great starting point you can trust if you know which genre you're interested in. Additionally, Gamerankings.com and Metacritic.com collate review scores from a wide range of online and print publications, and are useful for gauging the general critical reaction to games.
But a word of caution: at the risk of stating the obvious, don’t automatically assume that you’ll like a game, even if it’s won a hundred awards and changed journalists’ lives in the process – if you hate driving games, a great one isn’t likely to turn you into Jeremy Clarkson. |
Try before you buy |
| Most specialist games shops have in-store demo units, so don’t hesitate to ask staff if you can take a game for a test run. You can also rent games just as you would DVDs from chains like Blockbusters, or online clubs like Swapgame.com. |
Understand age ratings |
 Many parents are rightly concerned about the risk of their children being exposed to inappropriate content. Every video game released in the UK receives a PEGI rating – the Pan-European Game Information standard - which isn’t legally binding, but offers a clear-headed guide to the content and its target audience.
Any title featuring mature or realistic content is automatically rated by the British Board of Film Classification, the body which also rates cinematic and DVD releases. BBFC ‘15’ and ‘18’ certificates are mandatory - any retailer which sells one to a minor is breaking the law.
Everything you need to know about age ratings can be found at AskAboutGames.com – a great site set up by the UK games industry specifically to reassure parents and help consumers through this regulatory minefield.
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