It’s award season here at Twinfinite! Let’s look back the best new gaming hardware from 2017. Voted on by our editors, these consoles impressed us the most through their vision and innovation. Let’s start with our top vote-getting runner-ups, and finally, of course, our overall winner!
Second Runner-Up:Â Super NES Classic Edition
The Best New Gaming Hardware of 2017
Not to be outdone by its older brother, the Nintendo Super NES Classic Edition released this year to its own fanfare, causing a similar craze that still exists to this day. Loaded with 30 classic Super NES games, the miniature retro console came out of the gates hot, and proved that the demand for retro console re-releases is high.
There’s just something about playing games the way they were intended that’s appealing. Sure, you can download a lot of these games and more through digital e-shops or through other, more nefarious means, but there’s something missing in that experience. You want the weight of the proper controller in your hand and the actual console staring back at you from your entertainment system. As superficial as it is, there’s something to it, which is likely why the Nintendo classic consoles have such a hard time staying on store shelves.
We fully expect this trend to continue in 2018, and to have another classic retro console (by Nintendo or perhaps someone else like Sony or SEGA) on this list next year.
First Runner-Up: Xbox One X
The Best New Gaming Hardware of 2017
The Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console, impressed us when we reviewed it not that long ago in November. It still has some ways to go before it fully realizes its potential, but the groundwork is there to finish out the generation strong with a console that has the horsepower to do laps around the competition, IF developers decide to take advantage.
Even putting aside visuals for a second, it’s an improvement over the older models in every way. It’s smaller, quieter, faster and brought with it an improved UI experience. All in all, the Xbox One family consoles, now led by the Xbox One X, has everything it needs to succeed, except one key component: a stable of exclusives that can match the quantity and quality of Nintendo and Sony. If Microsoft can figure that out somehow before it’s too late, we might look back at the launch of the Xbox One X as a turning point for this generation.
Winner: Nintendo Switch
The Best New Gaming Hardware of 2017
If you’ve been paying attention to our coverage recently, the Nintendo Switch winning our best hardware of 2017 award shouldn’t come as a surprise. We love the Switch. The fact that it can play (most) AAA games on the go is absolutely magical. You can’t fully appreciate it until you have one yourself. I will admit, until I finally caved in and picked up a Switch, I kind of downplayed the idea. The first time I fired up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on a flight to LA I felt like I could jump from the plane and my Switch would parachute me down to safety. I felt that cool. It’s an absolute game changer and I would be shocked if Sony and Microsoft don’t try to emulate it in some way in their future consoles. All things being equal, in a situation where graphics didn’t matter that much to the experience, from now on I’d much prefer to get the Switch version of any game as a person who owns all three major home consoles.
Plus, let’s not also forget the incredible year the Switch had software-wise. I’m almost 30, and I can’t recall a stronger launch year in terms of first-party exclusives. It was an absolute bonanza of fantastic games. The only drawback is that it’s going to be incredibly hard for Nintendo to maintain this momentum next year, even with Pokemon, Yoshi and Metroid on the horizon.
Still, for 2017, there’s no doubt that the Nintendo Switch was the best new gaming hardware to release.
Published: Dec 15, 2017 01:30 pm