The Nintendo Switch is unique enough to stand apart from some consoles, but can it beat Xbox One? We compare the two consoles to find out which is truly better!
The Nintendo is considered to be a hybrid console, creating a happy medium between the Playstation and the Xbox. Although the Switch is more portable than the PS4 and Xbox, there are a few other ways the two consoles differ. Each system has its perks and downsides, but before you write off the Xbox One, here’s how these consoles compare to one another. In terms of hardware design, the Xbox One and Switch are completely different machines. The Xbox One looks and operates like a traditional gaming console. It weighs more and takes up significantly more space than the Switch — even when compared to the lighter, more compact Xbox One S. In home console play, the Switch’s 6.3-inch display slides into the included dock, taking up a sliver of space on your entertainment center. The Nintendo Switch comes in a few color schemes (aside from special editions), all of which are primarily black. The only difference from model to model is the color of the Joy-Con controllers that come with the device. The two standard Switch models come with either a pair of gray Joy-Cons or with mismatched neon red and neon blue Joy-Cons. The Xbox One, One S, and One X are sold in white and black models, respectively, with a mix of glossy and matte finishes depending on the model. There have also been limited-edition Xbox One and Switch models, which include alternative designs based on specific games. For network connectivity, the consoles both have a wide range of Wi-Fi support including 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, but the Xbox One also supports onboard Ethernet. The Nintendo Switch requires an additional accessory to plug in an Ethernet cable. You might be wondering what to expect and what you’ll need while online with these consoles. For the Xbox One, you’ll need an Xbox Live membership to play multiplayer games. It costs $60 annually but also grants you access to two free games a month with the Xbox Games with Gold program, which can be played indefinitely with an active subscription. For Nintendo Switch, you’ll need to subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service. It costs $20 for a full year, $8 for three months, and $4 for a single month, and a family membership plan can also be purchased for $35 a year so that multiple accounts can take advantage of the online subscription on the same Switch system. It’s important to note that for online gaming, Xbox Live has voice chat, party systems, and social elements to connect with friends. The Switch features a far less robust version of these services, and all in-game chat requires a dedicated mobile app. Since the Switch doubles as a portable console, battery life is of the utmost concern. The Switch lasts anywhere between 2.5 and six hours on a full charge, with demanding games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild capable of running for roughly three hours. This has been improved slightly with the newer model, which has been given a more efficient Tegra X1 chip, resulting in up to nine hours of battery life. The difference also results in a very slightly cooler system, but the change is hardly noticeable. The unit charges via USB Type-C. The Joy-Con controllers can last for 20 hours on a single charge. For comparison, Xbox One controllers can last up to 40 hours with a pair of AA batteries, or 30 hours with Microsoft’s rechargeable battery. While the Switch comes with more gadgets — the portable unit, Joy-Con controllers, Joy-Con grip and straps, and a dock — and has plenty of interesting design flourishes, it lacks many features that players have come to expect as standard in recent generations. Nearly three years after launch, the system still lacks video apps such as Netflix, despite its portability and built-in stand making it an ideal platform for watching them. Most Xbox One games use the Xbox One gamepad, a fairly traditional controller. Microsoft has made incremental changes to its gamepad since the original Xbox, and most players would tell you that the Xbox One controller works well and is comfortable to hold. A few titles — mostly backward-compatible Xbox 360 games — use the Kinect, Microsoft’s camera-based motion control device. This device and its adapter have been discontinued, however, making them much more difficult to find, and even more difficult to purchase for a reasonable price. The Switch, on the other hand, allows players to change things up, and control games in many different ways. With the Joy-Cons attached to the included Joy-Con grip and the console docked, users can play Switch games in a traditional console format.
