My gaming platforms of choice in 2026

Before my PS5, I primarily played games on PC. It’s the platform I mainly grew up on thanks to games like Roller Coaster Tycoon, MapleStory, League of Legends and Counter-Strike. Some consoles like the GBA/DS and PS2/PS3 were played but I always came back to PC. It was easier to jump around back then due to exclusives and costs dictating where you play. But in 2026, I have an abundance of choice that makes me think twice about what platform I play on.

In 2026, my primary platform is PS5, with PC being secondary and Switch third. I’m not here to talk about which platform is better, just the reasons why I play on them more than others.

PS5

I really enjoy the PS5. At the end of the day, I value the plug-and-play nature, trophies, good-enough performance and the occasional exclusive.

I enjoy the frictionless console experience with all the little things adding up. When you press play it 100% starts up without any issues, it has a reliable offline mode and a reliable sleep mode that gives me the option to suspend games at any time. Auto updates and the ability to download software without turning on the device are convenient. The controller-first input and interface work seamlessly, as does remote play via the Portal. Plus there’s the option of physical games and more.

Most people don’t care about trophies and achievements anymore but clearly I do. The PlayStation ecosystem has the best achievement system thanks to the Platinum trophy. Earning all trophies for the base game is my personal goal so the Platinum trophy is perfect for me. I rarely play DLC and requiring that for a 100% on Xbox or Steam would drive me crazy. My desire to Platinum games is not as intense as it once was. But I have a feeling I will at least try to Platinum the games I love for the foreseeable future.

Despite owning a more powerful PC, the PS5 performance is good enough. It often reaches 1440p or 1080p with 60 fps which is all I need. While I still look forward to the stable 4K/60 future. Modern video game graphics still look incredible to me. Console load times have caught up to PCs thanks to the SSD. There is also some peace of mind knowing that 99% of games released on the PS5 are extracting as much power as possible. Rather than the unoptimized ports and sometimes need to tinker on PC.

Finally the exclusives. Technically, the PS5 does not have very many true exclusives with most of its first party games releasing on PC at a later date. But as someone who rarely buys new games on release. PlayStation Studio games are the few I get excited for and I’m willing to buy day one. They are may not be the best games in the world but simply satisfy the AAA experience I sometimes desire.

PC

Playing games on PC feels like home and I strangely cannot imagine living life without one. Despite the annoyances that Windows 11 provides, Steam has evolved into one of the best digital video game platforms. I used to not mind downloading different launchers but I don’t really touch anything outside Steam. Nowadays, I basically use my PC to play older games and indie games.

A good chunk of PS4 games such as the Batman Arkham series is still stuck at 30 fps on PS5. 30 fps doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. But if I have the choice, I’ll play on PC with at least 60 fps and the other benefits like ultra graphics and 4k resolution. As an avid trophy hunter, it is also nice to not worry about trophies in the back of my mind and just play the game.

A lot of indie games release exclusively on PC. For a while I played indies on my PS5 but there are so many more interesting and unique games it becomes impossible to ignore. There’s a certain level of weirdness I adore that just doesn’t make it to consoles.

Switch

The Switch is my least played system out of three as I originally purchased it to only play party games. However, after dipping my toes into Nintendo exclusive games sometime last year. I have begun to really enjoy the Switch. I have missed out on so many Nintendo first party games, I have a lot to catch up on. Handheld mode is the only way I play and a major reason why I started playing it again. The flexibility to play wherever I want is a great asset. Additionally, certain cozy or games with lower graphical fidelity games feel right to play on the Switch.