PC vs console for gaming
An honest comparison of gaming PCs and consoles on cost, performance, game libraries and upkeep.
Setup & accessories
Choosing hardware, setting it up and getting the best picture and sound.
Choosing a console
PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which should you buy?
How the two consoles differ on exclusives, subscriptions, backward compatibility and long-term value.
Which PS5 should you buy?
The current PS5 models compared — Slim Digital, Slim with disc drive, and PS5 Pro — and which fits which buyer.
Is the PS5 Pro worth it?
What the PS5 Pro actually improves, who will see the difference, and who is better off with a standard PS5.
Switch 2 vs Switch OLED vs Switch Lite
The four Nintendo Switch models compared — power, screens, TV play and backward compatibility.
The best console on a budget
How to get the most console for the least money — pre-owned options, what warranty you still get, and what to avoid.
Xbox Series X vs Series S
The real differences between the two Xbox consoles, and whether the Series S is powerful enough.
Learn moreThe best console for kids
Which console suits children best, the right age for a first console, and how to keep them safe on it.
Learn moreNew vs pre-owned consoles and games
When buying pre-owned makes sense, what to check, and what warranty you actually get.
Learn moreIs the PS4 still worth it?
Whether a PS4 makes sense today, what games it still gets, and which model to choose.
Learn moreSwitch 2 vs Steam Deck and handheld PCs
How a Switch 2 differs from a handheld gaming PC, and which suits which kind of player.
Learn moreChoosing accessories
The best TV for PS5 and Xbox
What actually matters when buying a TV for a current console — HDMI 2.1, VRR, input lag, panel type and brightness.
Cheap vs expensive gaming headsets
What your money actually buys in a gaming headset, and where the diminishing returns start.
Mechanical vs membrane gaming keyboards
How the two keyboard types differ, what the switch colours mean, and which sizes to consider.
How to choose a gaming mouse
What DPI actually means, whether weight matters, and what separates a cheap mouse from an expensive one.
Gaming monitor vs TV
When a monitor beats a television for gaming, what refresh rate you need, and which panel type to choose.
Choosing a controller: DualSense, Edge and pro controllers
Whether a pro controller is worth it, what causes stick drift, and if official controllers beat third-party ones.
Adding storage to PS5, Xbox and Switch 2
The exact storage each console needs, and the compatibility rules that cause returns.
Learn moreBuilding a gaming setup on a budget
What a complete setup actually needs, the order to buy it in, and where not to spend.
Learn moreGaming chairs and desks
What actually matters in a chair and a desk, and why a gaming chair is often the wrong purchase.
Learn moreSetup & settings
Best TV settings for PS5
The TV and console settings that actually improve how a PS5 looks and responds — game mode, HDR calibration, 120Hz and VRR.
Best TV settings for Xbox Series X|S
The TV and console settings that make an Xbox look and respond its best — game mode, VRR, ALLM and HDR calibration.
Best TV settings for Nintendo Switch 2
How to get a sharp picture from a Switch 2 on a large television, and why the original Switch looks blurry.
Connecting a 5.1 or 7.1 home theatre to PS5
How to wire a PS5 to a receiver or soundbar, which connection to use, and the audio settings that matter.
Setting up 3D Audio on PS5
How to enable and calibrate PS5 3D Audio, and which headsets it works with.
Transferring your data from PS4 to PS5
Three ways to move games and saves from a PS4 to a PS5, and what carries over.
Moving from Switch to Switch 2
How to transfer your Nintendo account, saves and games to a Switch 2, and what works from your old library.
Learn moreParental controls on PS5, Xbox and Switch
How to set spending limits, age restrictions and screen time on each console — and the two settings that matter most.
Learn moreFixing online lag and NAT type
What NAT type means, how to improve it, and the changes that actually reduce online lag.
Learn morePerformance mode vs quality mode
What each graphics mode changes, which to choose for which kind of game, and whether you need a 120Hz TV.
Learn moreSurround sound on Xbox and Switch
How to get surround audio out of an Xbox or a Switch, and what each supports.
Learn moreConsoles today
The newest gaming consoles
Which gaming hardware is actually the newest right now, and what has and has not been announced.
Backward compatibility across consoles
Which consoles play older games, how far back each one goes, and what it means for your library.
Are PS5 discs going away?
What Sony has actually announced about physical PlayStation discs, and what it does and does not change.
How long will PS4 and PS5 be supported?
What support means, what Sony has announced, and what history suggests without guessing.
Display & performance
FPS (frames per second)
What FPS means, whether 60 or 120 frames matter, and what causes frame drops.
Resolution: 1080p, 1440p, 4K
What screen resolution means, the real difference between 1080p, 1440p and 4K, and whether PS5 needs a 4K TV.
Refresh rate (Hz)
What Hz means on a screen, the difference between 60Hz, 120Hz and 144Hz, and whether it matters on a console.
HDR
What HDR does to the picture, the difference between HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and whether to turn it on for games.
Ray tracing
What ray tracing does to lighting and reflections in games, and what it costs in frame rate.
VRR (variable refresh rate)
What variable refresh rate does, why it removes stutter and tearing, and which consoles support it.
Upscaling: DLSS, FSR and PSSR
How modern upscaling reconstructs a sharper image from a lower resolution, and how the three main systems differ.
Learn moreInput lag
What input lag is, what causes it, and the settings that reduce it most.
Learn moreHDMI 2.1
What HDMI 2.1 adds over older versions, and whether you need a special cable for 4K 120Hz.
Learn moreGraphics
What people actually mean by graphics in games, and the elements that decide whether a game looks good.
Learn moreHardware & platforms
Region-free and region lock
What region locking means on consoles, discs and digital codes — and where it actually still applies today.
SSD vs HDD
The difference between solid-state and mechanical drives, and why it changed console gaming.
GPU (graphics card)
What a graphics card does, why it dominates gaming performance, and what VRAM is for.
Cloud gaming
How cloud gaming works, what it needs from your connection, and its practical limits.
Digital Edition consoles
What a Digital Edition console is, what you give up, and when it is the right choice.
Joy-Con drift
What causes Joy-Con drift, what you can try at home, and when it needs repair.
RAM and VRAM
What system memory and video memory each do, and what happens when you run out.
Learn moreAudio
5.1 surround sound
What the numbers in 5.1 mean, how it works in games, and how it compares to 7.1.
7.1 surround sound
What 7.1 adds over 5.1, when the extra channels are worth it, and what it means on a headset.
3D audio
How 3D audio differs from surround sound, and how to set it up on PS5.
Dolby Atmos
What Dolby Atmos adds over traditional surround, and which consoles and games support it.
Soundbar vs home theatre
The honest trade-offs between a soundbar and a full speaker system for gaming.