What type of gaming system

I was wondering what is the better gaming system $200 or less.  I heard PS4 was good, but kind of pricey.  Any recommendations?

Everything depends on the kinds of games you enjoy.

Do you like RPGs? - Sony
Do you like shooters? - X-Box
Do you like family/party games? - Nintendo

Is there a particular game or property that you want to explore? Many of those are system-specific. My advice is to check out the game selection and find a few that you want to play, then buy a system to match. Hard core gamers make much of the hardware differences, but I'm not really able to distinguish between the performance of the new X-Box One and my Nintendo.

On a related note, and I think this is a good topic for it...

What's with picking on Nintendo? This seems to be a common target for hard core gamers. I get brand loyalty, but some of the comments I read from reviewers around the web seem really down on the Wii U. I really like this system, and find the game pad to be a valuable addition to the console, yet it seems to draw quite a lot of hostility. The last real "innovation" in game pad design came from Microsoft when they developed "force feedback". Is that even still in use?

The Wii U Game Pad has a touch screen that can be used for many different purposes. It speeds up text entry and adds another dimension to games that bother to employ it. A few examples I find useful:

Base Console: use of the pad to quickly speed through settings, data entry, mii creation, and app selection. It's as familiar as using my tablet.

"Default" game use: my son can put his game in the Wii U and play on the game pad while I watch tv. Not all games support this, but several do.

Pikmin 3: map functions and extended gear use without taking up screen realestate or adding selection controls

Batman Arkham: "bat computer" and gear selection, radar and more

Zombie U: "over the shoulder" view, puzzle solving, detail work, gear selection

Need For Speed: GPS mode, rearview mirror

Cabelas Dangerous Hunts 2013: GPS, gear selection, high power scope mode

I'm sure there are others. I'm not much into the RPG scene, so I have no information there. Anyone enlighten me?

Yeah not to hijack the OP, but I agree, alot of negative "press" on the Wii U. I even heard Paeter say he didn't see the point in the gamepad. Honestly, I think its a really cool idea! Sure it could be used by games better but is that Nintendos fault? I know for one that that 9 out of 10 times my son plays only on the game pad! For him its the power of a console in the form factor of a tablet. Which is honestly cool! I think one big thing is the touch interaction, which is major in games where you type or manipulate objects (scribblenauts). I think some games like the new Zelda may employ it better but it does allow for a unique interaction not previously available. We have xbox 360, Wii / wii U and xbox one, and of them all my son plays on the wii u the most!


That said, I would agree with the previous comment on you really need to decide what you want to play, with a few additions from me. Sony used to be big for me because it would play the ps1 games, but I think they dropped that on the ps3 which is a shame!

Do you like RPGs, or Gran Turismo(was always my main game on PS?? - Sony
Do you like shooters, want to hack it or use it for other purposes(media player)?? - X-Box
Do you like family/party games(more than 2 players), have kids that you dont want immersed in killing games for hours?? - Nintendo

My biggest complaint is my screen on my gamepad broke and nintendo wants $90 to fix it

Worth mentioning that, to my knowledge, none of the current consoles can be purchased for $200 or less. Is that a hard budget limitation, Ken? If so this whole train should probably change tracks for you.

If you're a casual gamer you may want to look at an Android tablet or iPad. The Nexus 7 is $229 and you can find similar Android tablets for less. A refurbished 3rd generation iPad from Apple will run you around $269.