Nintendo Switch vs PS5: Which should you buy?

The Nintendo Switch has been around for almost eight years, which means the fact we’re still comparing Nintendo Switch vs PS5 is a testament to the console’s longevity.

After the misfire that was the Wii U, Nintendo bounced back with one of its best consoles ever, rolling its handheld expertise in with a great home console design to fulfill dual roles for the modern gamer.

Sony’s PS5 has been around since late 2020, but it’s still the leading light in the console space thanks to the company’s commitment to exclusives like this year’s Astro Bot, as well as a huge third-party library that makes it a great way to play EA Sports FC 25, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and more.

Whether you’re considering one of these consoles for yourself or a loved one, there’s a lot to learn about each. Here’s how they both stack up.

Nintendo Switch vs PS5: specs

Here is a full breakdown of the specs of each Nintendo Switch and PS5 model available today.

As I've covered above, the Switch has been around for some time now. That means that, while it could feasibly keep up with many of the titles launching on PS4 (and Xbox One), it’s some way behind the PS5.

Still, being on the cutting edge of graphical improvements has arguably not been Nintendo’s MO for some time, and instead, the Switch does plenty its rivals simply don’t. For one, it really is as easy as taking it out of the dock to switch it to a handheld.

Doing so drops the maximum resolution from 1080p to 720p, but it’s a small price to pay for taking a huge game like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on the go with you.

Then there are the Joy-Con controllers, with the standard and OLED versions of the console including two in the box. These take the best of the Wii Remote motion gaming tech but pair it with the ability to slide them onto the console for taking on the go. As a result, you get motion-heavy titles like Super Mario Party Jamboree for family game night, as well as the more familiar controls when you want to play something like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim instead.

The PS5 is perhaps less ambitious in that it only wants to be your home console (you’ll need a PlayStation Portal to play handheld), but it makes a very strong argument for being your only system.

That’s because it offers 4K gaming right out of the box, often with an optional switch to a lower resolution for improved frame rates, and comes with a fantastic DualSense Wireless Controller that packs such tricks as adaptive triggers and wonderfully nuanced haptic feedback too.

“You can feel the tension of a bow when playing Horizon”, Sony said ahead of launch, and while I felt sure it’d be overblown, some titles (notably Astro Bot) make fantastic use of the feature.

In fact, our only gripe with the PS5 is its base storage and disc drive (or lack thereof). However, the PS5 Slim offers 1TB (up from 825GB on the launch model), but that can fill very quickly with hefty game install sizes.

The disc drive is an optional extra now, too, which is fine if you’re only buying digital games, but could mean you need to splash out for one in future.

In terms of overall power, though, it’s no contest — the PS5 offers ray-tracing and higher resolutions, as well as higher frame rates. While the Switch’s form factor gives it convenience, it’s nowhere near as powerful as a PS5.

PlayStation Portal vs Steam Deck: price and value

Nintendo Switch vs PS5: design and dimensions

The Switch now comes in three distinct hardware options, meaning there’s an option to suit multiple budgets.

At the low-end, the Nintendo Switch Lite offers the handheld experience only. Think of it as a direct replacement to the Nintendo 3DS, with no option to hook it up to a TV and its Joy-Con essentially stuck to the screen. It also has a smaller screen at 5.5 inches.

In the middle of the spectrum, the base Nintendo Switch comes with the console, two Joy-con controllers, and a grip to use them with, as well as the deck. The Nintendo Switch OLED is the top option, but aside from adding ethernet to the dock there’s no real difference when using it as a home console. Instead, it features a much brighter OLED panel that’s inarguably the best way to play the Switch on the go, and it has twice the storage at 64GB.

On the PS5 side, things got a little more complex this year. Sony’s launch system had already seen a “Slim” revision that makes it ever so slightly sleeker at the cost of the disc drive (as mentioned above, you’ll need to buy it separately now).

You can still get a PS5 with a disc drive included, but you won’t find one included with the much more expensive PS5 Pro.

The Pro is the most powerful console around, but it’s tough to justify since it plays the same games as the base PS5 for the time being, just with some additional bells and whistles.

Sony says the intention is to offer a higher resolution and frame rate combination, removing the need to choose by using AI upscaling to sharpen the images. We’re still waiting for a lot of games to take true advantage of it, though.

In terms of value, the Switch is vastly cheaper than the PS5 at all levels, but with a new Nintendo console reveal slated for 2025, there’s every chance you may find yourself trading it in for a new model sooner than expected.

Nintendo Switch vs PS5: games

When it comes to picking a console, it’s all about the games, and thankfully both Nintendo and Sony understand this.

If you’re looking to play the next Super Mario adventure, catch Pokemon, or embark on an adventure with Link and or Zelda, the Nintendo Switch is the only place you can do this.

The system has almost 8 years' worth of phenomenal titles, and, aside from Nintendo’s own first-party exclusives has become a haven for indies ranging breakout hits such as Balatro to the likes of Stardew Valley, Hades, and Celeste.

On the other side of that coin, the console’s lack of power means many third-party franchises have left the Nintendo Switch behind. While you can play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Nier: Automata, and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim on the Switch, they look noticeably worse than the versions you’ll find on other platforms thanks to the lack of power under the hood.

For Sony, the situation couldn’t be more different. The PS4 helped win over developers by being an easier platform to develop for than the PS3, and that’s continued with the PS5. The console can run everything from the aforementioned Balatro, to this year’s biggest games like Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Sony’s exclusives target a more mature audience than Nintendo’s, with The Last of Us still a natural standout despite being released on prior hardware, Helldivers 2 being one of the best co-op games in years, and huge RPGs like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth that you won’t find on another console.

Sony continues to try new things, too, with Returnal a delightful surprise, and Astro Bot one of the best games of 2024.

Nintendo Switch vs PS5: verdict

The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console that comes with a huge library of titles from the last 8 years, but it’s likely approaching the end of its time as the Nintendo Switch 2 looms on the horizon.

Still, if that means a price crash and there are Switch games you’ve been curious about, it’s a system worth considering — and your games should run on the new console, too.

The PS5 is much more modern and while the PS5 Pro still hasn’t convinced us that developers are ready to patch their titles for it, it remains a very easy console to recommend whether you’re looking for first-party exclusives or just somewhere to play the latest multiplayer shooters with friends.