One More Go

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been asked a few of times “How do I get into video games?” If you returning to games after a little while or are entirely new to the medium, it can be a little daunting to work out where you should start, and while you’ll probably get a different answer from every person you ask, I thought I would put together a little guide of things to consider, and hopefully set you on a path that makes the most sense for you.

The first thing you should absolutely consider is what’s driving you to give games a go. Have you watched the first series of The Last Of Us, and now want to play through the game for yourself? Do you have friends that play online and you want a slice of the fun? Or are you simply looking for new interactive experiences? Whatever the reason, I’ve tried to come up with some suggestions that will hopefully start you on your journey with video games.

If you’re interested in a specific game – If there’s a particular game that you’re curious about, then the suggestion is pretty straightforward. Research it. Find out which platforms it can be played on, or even better, if it’s included as part of a subscription service. Most games are available on most platforms, though anything created by a first party developer, that is anything created by Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo, are almost certainly going to be locked to their respective consoles. There are exceptions, for example, Minecraft is available everywhere, and some of Sony’s games (God Of War, Spiderman) are now available on PC, a trend which is likely to continue, but probably won’t be the norm for quite some time. If playing the latest Mario games are what you’re interested in, then you’ll need to get a Switch, though be aware that Nintendo have been threatening to unveil a new iteration of their flagship hardware for what feels like years, so maybe hold out until we have pricing information and a timeline for that.

If you want to play online with friends – While it’s becoming more and more common for games to feature cross platform play (e.g. Xbox players playing alongside PC players), you’ll probably want to match platforms with your friends for the best experience. Cross-play is a fantastic new trend, but can lead to some wonky matchmaking or awkward match ups. Console players will likely come off second best to PC players, just because of how much more responsive a keyboard and mouse is versus someone wielding a controller and analogue sticks. That being said, if you’re not playing something competitive, and you’re using online play as an excuse to chat and catch up with your friends, matching platforms isn’t as important, opening the door to more cost friendly ways of playing.

If you want to try something new – This is the fun answer, because there are loads of different ways of getting into video games, and if you’re totally new to the medium, or returning from some time out in the wilderness, there’s going to be loads of older (and cheaper) games for you to get started with. Given the rise in subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass and Playstation Plus, you’ll find plenty of classic games to sink your teeth into, but before you dive in and buy a console, consider what devices you already own and what might be playable on them.

I wrote about it last year, but Netflix has a pretty robust catalogue of games available to download on phones and tablets. There’s a pretty wide selection, ranging from Grand Theft Auto to Football Manager, with highly acclaimed games such as Spiritfarer and Oxenfree sitting somewhere in between. If you already have a Netflix subscription and a mobile device, then this is probably the easiest and cheapest way of dipping your toe into the world of video games.

The next most affordable way is probably a subscription to Xbox Game Pass. Game Pass is another subscription service that includes a much larger roster of games, including day one availability of all the Microsoft first party games (Halo, Forza, etc.). While Game Pass works best if you have either a PC or an Xbox where you can download and play games locally, Game Pass also offers a large catalogue of games available to stream, without the need for a console at all. For the cost of a controller, and a subscription you can stream to a number of devices you probably own already (including some Samsung TVs). Cloud gaming is great for single player games, especially those that are slower paced. If, however, you want to play competitive online games, or something that requires precision timing, then you’ll probably want to avoid any input lag or latency issues by investing in a PC or a Console.

This brings us back to our earlier considerations of what genres and games are you interested in, and where can you play them? That should be your main guide in terms of what console you buy, but if you’ve got absolutely no preference, here’s a little primer on each.

• Xbox Series S – The Series S is probably the most affordable entry point for a gaming console. A little weaker in terms of its graphical prowess, but if you want a hard drive to play Game Pass games from, this is an ideal entry point.
• Xbox Series X – The Series X is more expensive, but pretty much at parity with the PS5 in terms of visual fidelity and performance. It has a disk drive (missing from the Series S) and is backwards compatible with most previous Xbox titles, so if you have a stack of older Xbox games in the attic you’ll find extra value here.
• PlayStation 5 – Playstation is the home of blockbuster single player experiences such as The Ghost of Tsushima and The Last Of Us, so if access to those games are a priority then the PS5 is your answer. It is backwards compatible with PS4 games, and also has a subscription service (Playstation Plus) which includes a robust library of games. It’s a little more pricey, but a cheaper variant excluding a disk drive is available.
• Nintendo Switch – The Switch is the only place that you can play any first party Nintendo Games (Mario Kart, Metroid, Zelda, etc.), so it’s your only choice if those are the games that appeal to you. It has the added novelty of being both a home and handheld console, but as mentioned, a new iteration is likely to be announced soon, so proceed with caution.
• Gaming PC or Laptop – Probably the largest upfront investment in terms of cost, but games are often largely discounted on services such as Steam, so you may see savings in the long run. PC is also the place to play niche genres such as grand strategy games (Sid Meier’s Civilization, Crusader Kings) or city building games (Cities Skylines).

There’s no single answer that suits everyone, but whichever route you end up taking, there will be plenty of quality games to dig into. For a quick view of the best games per platform, take a look at the lists on Polygon and Kotaku, they are periodically refreshed to capture the latest and greatest. If you’re more likely to pick up some suggestions from a podcast, then there are loads of those to choose from too. My current favourites are The Back Page, refreshing for not being solely focussed on the industry’s new releases, and My Perfect Console, where guests select five games to create their ideal gaming machine. There are plenty of other places to pick up suggestions from magazines to blogs, so try not to be too daunted, just hop in and have fun.