Personally i would go with the series x because of the things u have already mention, plus theres a way to play retro games on it as well, i do own one myself and to be exact my old xbox one s was my 4k bluray player and now the series x is as well for another room etc

you can go to https://www.xbox.com/es-ES/xbox-game-pass/games and check all the games included on gamepass

I’m very similar to yourself. Not an avid gamer. I find an hour here or there. I bought the Xbox series X and have been incredibly happy with it. Get the game pass which is £10 a month and you can just chill on any game that takes your fancy that day.

Playing an hour here or there I now have 110 hours in Elden Ring. While I recommend this game I also don’t. Forever tarnished.

Series X is a lot of money to address the concerns you've got to be honest.

There are plenty of controllers for the Switch that are similar to an Xbox controller. I personally love the Switch Pro controller.

Also the Series X isn't the only console that will play blurays etc. as well. The PS5 will do that too as well as last gen consoles but honestly you'd pick up a BluRay player to do that for dirt cheap these days as well.

Just my thoughts but if you're unsure about an expensive purchase like this I'd just not get it.

How long ago was your last console and what was it? I have a young family and can only play in spurts. But if cost isn’t an issue, when you see forza horizon in hd for the first time it will take your breath away. Halo and cod multiplayer, although not on your list, are as addictive as crack. Completely mindless shooting games that you can play in 20-30 min bursts and put down. I still have a switch, and Mario kart and odyssey scratched an itch for a long time, but like I said, when I loaded forza horizon for the first time, I felt like it was real life. I haven’t played my switch ever again.

Oh and I totally forgot, not sure how old you are, but goldeneye 64 is on game pass now.

I would recommend the Series X as you can also fiddle with emulators if you wish, aswell as being able to play old Xbox and Xbox 360 games, as well as game pass. The series X is also incredible and it is a beast.

You can get an earlier model for cheaper and paired with cloud gaming on the game pass, you won't ever suffer from fps issues or slow games provided your internet is decent

I'd suggest X as the industry is ever moving upwards so you'd probably end up buying one a few years down the line anyways

First of all, I hate the term "serious gamer." It is, in my opinion, a gatekeeping term used by touchebag, wannabe twitch streamers that mostly play warzone and fortnite.

If you game, you're a gamer, end of story.

Secondly, I personally think the Xbox is pointless. If you're going down the microsoft route, get a PC.

If you just want a console, I would go PS5. It has better exclusives.

If your TV has a proper gaming mode with VRR, then the xbox will definitely take advantage of it.
I only have xbox One, but I still use the crap out of it on my 4k tv, which has all the gaming options I could ever want.
I may not play 4K xbox on it, but I do play many of my computer games in 4k... so I can appreciate a 4K tv.

Vizion ftw.

Fellow Switch user, but I'm just curious as to why you don't like the Switch controllers. If you're talking about the Joycons I can fully understand you, but the Switch Pro controller is really good in my opinion. Though it's not as good as my PS5 controller, I think it's just as comfortable to be honest. If you've never tried the Switch Pro controller give that a shot, saves you buying a console you might not even really use since you say you prefer Nintendo games.

That doesn't match what OP is looking for so it sounds like you answered your belief more than what they asked. They want to enjoy short simple games with family and friends so not a PC, nor the single player deep story driven PS5 exclusives. I think series S makes a lot of sense for just fun multiplayer games, not playing too often or heavily and not wanting the top performance. But if you want the disc drive you need Series X or PS5.

The best way to decide is by looking at the games each one offers. The current gen top consoles are honestly overkill for basic Nintendo-like games but if money isn't an object go for it.

If you don't like playing for extended periods which it seems you don't the series x does have quick resume where you can pause a game even ones without save points and leave them in that state for age's which is useful if you play on and off.

If nothing else,series x grants you access to emulation all the way to the fucking 7th generation with the exception of playstation 3 games.So with series X you literally have every game available all the way to the current gen with the exception of wiiu,switch,ps3,ps4,ps5 exclusives.

I'd recommend Xbox over PC, you get the ease of use and all round less hassle of a console, having the option of buying physical games, no hackers ruining games, split screen/local co-op, quick resume features, better portability and 4k blu-ray.

Oh, I never saw the Switch Pro controller. I guess my friend only had joycons; I found those tough to use.

You can get emulators on the series X ?!?!?!

The last console I owned was an N64 :-) though I've played on friends' devices over the years since then.

Is it possible to play Mario Kart on Xbox Series X? I saw some links online that suggest it's possible with an emulator, but not clear to me how straightforward it is to set up...

Yeah, I'm definitely not getting a PC for gaming. Want something for the family room, not too expensive ($500 for Xbox is a lot more affordable than double that or more for a gaming PC), and I'm just looking to play games like Mario Kart, Sonic the Hedgehog, Madden football, NBA 2k, etc. Simple games that you can play in 10 minutes to an hour. I'd be happy to try out Xbox exclusives if there are any along these lines. The kinds of games I've tended to see advertised lately look like they have incredible graphics but might be more involved than I have bandwidth for at the moment (I dunno, things like Call of Duty, Final Fantasy, God of War, etc.). I haven't actually played these, so I could be mistaken, but they look like a steep learning curve.

Awesome, thanks for the advice & glad it's working well for you. Any other suggestions of simple, fun games that you can play with friends or family? I remember back in the day, we used to have a blast racing in Mario Kart (sorry to keep harping on this one; I'm a dinosaur and it was a big part of my youth), taking turns, etc. Doesn't have to be racing games, but have you found similarly lighthearted, fun games for Xbox (I see your Elden Ring suggestion ... any other recs?)?

True, PS5 plays blurays but my understanding is it doesn't play music CDs. Is that right?

So, my understanding is that Switch won't play bluray or music cd; PS5 will play bluray but not music cd; Xbox will play both.(?)

Ok so apparently PS5 doesn't play CDs. Didn't know that.

Again though for the price of a Series X you'd get a Switch, a pro controller, a BluRay player and a CD player.

My point isn't that you shouldn't buy a Series X it's just that I wouldn't really see the non gaming features as being much of a selling point since you can get devices to do those tasks for a lot cheaper.

I'd pick a console you want for the gaming features it offers. It's the part you're paying the most for.

And Series S

You could still get a Switch just buy a Nintendo Pro controller / blatant copy of an Xbox one

How?

I'd recommend looking up some YouTube videos on it. Modern Vintage Gamer has a couple of good tutorials.

No worries, I’ll have a nosey 👍🏻

True, these are good points, although there's also limited real estate in the living room, so if 1 device can serve multiple roles that's a win. But I definitely appreciate your perspective, that's what I came here for!

I guess one thing I'm wondering about is if you think I'll find the kind of lighthearted games I enjoy on Xbox? Like, clearly, specific Nintendo titles won't be available (at least not without an emulator), but are there simple/quick/family-style games available for the Xbox? Or is that really a market that Nintendo has cornered and I shouldn't look at other consoles?

Xbox is backwards compatible, but if the only reason you don't want a switch is the controller just get a pro controller... The switch is amazing, and if you're a Nintendo person this is the move, don't sleep on the switch it's an absolutely amazing console & it's portable!

Yes get the series x, switch is particular for the single select games, series x is a daily machine. I have the series x, series s, switch and steam deck. Honestly could sell the steam deck and switch all the same.

Xbox series make no sense. Pc does exactly the same. Better buy a ps5 then in my honest opinion.

I think the Xbox Series X can play music CDs and the PS5 cannot, is this mistaken?

What is the advantage of PS5 relative to Xbox?

Not sure about which console plays cd's. Dvd, bluray and games they both do though. I technically only use Spotify now for my music.

Ps5:

More exclusives which are really really good and it takes forever for them to port to pc

Xbox: exclusives come to pc instantly

Ps5: controller feels next gen, great controller. battery life sucks though

Xbox series: controller is great and has a great battery life. But does nothing refreshing. Still a solid controller.

Ps5 subscription (ps+) not as strong as Xbox subscription

Xbox Game Pass: amazing for a decent price per month.

In the end theyre both good. But my pc can do whatever a series x could do and more. And im not into gamepass.

Gamepass gives me choice paralysis, so its not for me.

Its all up to you, theyre both great. But i already got a great pc at work.

You will get those kinds of games on other platforms too but, in my opinion anyway, Nintendo does them best.

You're also getting a handheld with a Switch which, is a great feature if you've got kids or are sharing the space with someone else. Being able to just pop the console out and continue playing definitely makes it less of a living room hog.