2024 has been an exciting year for video games, and I've spent a lot of my time attending international game conventions, testing new hardware, and playing as many games as I could get my hands on. Whether you're a hardcore gamer or more casual, there's a game console for everyone here.

Here are CNET's top choices you can buy right now. The best gaming console on the market right now is also the most expensive: the PlayStation 5 Pro. Before the introduction of this console, gamers had to make a trade-off when deciding how they wanted their games to look and

feel. If they wanted the best graphics at a 4K resolution, it meant capping the frame rate down to around 30 frames per second. And if they wanted the game to run smoothly at a nice 60, it meant lowering the resolution to around 1080p.

The PS5 Pro achieves both of these goals at the same time, meaning your graphics will look incredible, game environments will be dense, and movement will feel just as good. In fact, in certain situations, it can even go well beyond. Games like EA Sports F1 24 can now reach

120 frames per second or 8K visuals, depending on the mode you select. This power doesn't come cheap. The Pro is $700, which is the most expensive console on the market. It also doesn't come with a disc drive, meaning if you want it to

read physical media, you need to purchase the $80 external drive. However, with this increased power and storage, the Pro makes a great case for this price, and the visuals and game performance are stunning. This easily makes it the top gaming console of 2024 and will please

Any gamers looking for the best of the best, you can't just play games at home, and even with all the power in the world, portability is still an important factor for a lot of gamers. The best handheld gaming console as of 2024 is the Steam Deck OLED. The original handheld launched in early 2022, and this update came a little over a year later. It doesn't have any increased power, so games don't run better, but it has a number of other very welcomed improvements, first being the OLED display giving the visuals a much

brighter and richer look to them. Deeper blacks and the screen measures about half an inch larger. It's also lighter, thinner, and has better battery life than the original LCD model. The Steam Deck OLED retails for $550 for the 512 GB

storage model and $650 for 1 TB. It allows you to take your Steam library with you on the go, and if you're like me and travel often, this is a big deal. I quickly want to include the Nintendo Switch on this list, and the OLED model

from 2021 is the best version. The Switch is a great platform that I still frequently use, but mainly just for Nintendo exclusives. While at one point it was a haven for indie games for myself, a lot of that focus has shifted back to the Steam Deck. And while

Nintendo still keeps supporting the platform with first-party exclusives like this year's Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the console is showing its 8-year-old age. We are expected to get the successor to the Switch console next year, and I'm extremely hopeful it'll end

up on that year's best list the best gaming console for those on a budget is the Xbox Series S. This tiny device retails for around $300 for the 512 GB version, but I've seen it go as low as about $150 for a refurbished model if you

want to double your storage, there's also a 1 TB model for $50 more. It's the least powerful of the current gen consoles, but it gives you access to the most modern game library at the cheapest price. Best of all, if you're an Xbox Game Pass

subscriber, you get access to hundreds of games immediately for download. In addition, Game Pass Ultimate members can access cloud streaming games. You don't even need to download the game to your console to play them. Instead, you're connecting to a Microsoft server somewhere that is running the more

powerful Xbox Series X hardware, so you'll be getting better visuals and performance than what the console itself could provide. From gaming on the go to enjoying the most power possible, those are the best gaming consoles on the market. But I want to hear from you. Do

you agree with these choices? Let me know in the comments and thanks for watching.

Best Gaming Consoles of 2024

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PlayStation 5 Pro: Most expensive but offers best graphics (4K resolution) and high frame rates (up to 120fps or 8K visuals depending on the mode).

PS5 Pro costs $700 and requires a separate $80 external drive for disc reading.

PS5 Pro offers stunning visuals and game performance, making it the top console of 2024.

Steam Deck OLED: Improved version with OLED display, better battery life, lighter and thinner design.

Steam Deck OLED costs $550 (512GB) or $650 (1TB), offering portability for Steam library.

Nintendo Switch OLED (2021): Still a good option, especially for Nintendo exclusives, but showing its age.

Xbox Series S: Affordable option at around $300 (512GB) or less for refurbished models.

Offers access to modern game library and Xbox Game Pass, including cloud streaming.

Cloud streaming provides better visuals and performance than the console itself.