Console gaming is popular right now, and with the holidays inching closer, it’s time to make the right decisions when it comes to purchasing a new console. Two of the best gaming consoles today are the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 5. 

Both have unique features but are also equally powerful consoles in their own right. With so many consoles out in the market today, the race between Nintendo Switch vs Sony PlayStation 5 has reached a fever pitch. It’s very difficult to choose which one you should purchase.

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Find out how they differ from each other, the outstanding features that make these consoles unique, and more with the article below.

  • Don’t Let the Light Weight Fool You
  • A Beast in Its Own Right
  • Long List of Exclusive Games to Choose From
  • Pricing Difference Between the Nintendo Switch and the PS5
  • Differentiating the PS5 From the Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch vs Sony PlayStation 5: What's the Difference?
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Don’t Let the Light Weight Fool You

At first glance, the Nintendo Switch immediately differentiates itself from large chunky gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5 with its size. 

Nintendo Switch vs Sony PlayStation 5: What's the Difference?
Image Source: IGN

This handheld device is small and lightweight, but don’t let its small size fool you. It is loaded with features that would put all other gaming consoles to shame. 

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There are two ways to enjoy playing Nintendo Switch. Users can play games through the six-inch screen on the device, or you can link it to your TV and use the Nintendo Switch as a controller as you would normally do with a gaming console. 

The OLED version boasts a wider seven-inch display with an adjustable stand and 64GB storage.

Loaded With Features and Popular Games

The Nintendo Switch offers a myriad of popular kid-friendly games, including games like Super Mario and Pokémon. There are also adult-themed games and indie games that offer a non-traditional way of gaming. 

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The Nintendo Switch is a seamless handheld device that lets you play on the go. However, it also becomes a powerhouse gaming console when plugged into the dock and a television screen. The Nintendo Switch is supported by an NVIDIA-custom Tegra that is shared with both GPU and CPU. 

For a handheld device, it also features a 720p resolution which goes up to 1080p when docked. This means playing with surreal graphics that rival gaming consoles on the market today.

A Beast in Its Own Right

Some might say that it is unfair to compare the Nintendo Switch against a powerful beast like the Sony PlayStation 5

Nintendo Switch vs Sony PlayStation 5: What's the Difference?
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The PS5 is powered by an AMD Zen 2-based CPU with eight cores at 3.5GHz alongside a Radeon Navi GPU. It also has a 16 GB memory and a very large 825 GB SSD storage capacity. Clearly, the Nintendo Switch is overpowered by such a technological feat in gaming. 

The PS5’s maximum resolution will go up as high as 8K resolution, which is unlike any other gaming console you can find in the market today. 

The console also boasts a DualSense controller that has very creative features. Rather than just vibrations, the DualSense controller lets the player have a more realistic approach when their character runs on a specific terrain or moves through varying obstacles.

Settling for Performance

It’s already a given that the PS5 beats the Nintendo Switch when it comes to performance. There’s no situation in this reality that the Nintendo Switch is more powerful than the Sony PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch users know it very well. 

Because of this power, there is no contest between the two when it comes to performance, as the PS5 obviously takes the cake. The Nintendo Switch can display two resolutions, whereas the PS5 can reach lifelike resolutions

When played using its screen, the Nintendo Switch can hit 60 frames per second in most games while the PS5 hits peak performance.

Long List of Exclusive Games to Choose From

With so much power built into one device, the PS5 ensures that players will have the best experience while gaming. This is why Sony builds popular games to be played exclusively with the console. 

Nintendo Switch vs Sony PlayStation 5: What's the Difference?
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Games such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales, God of War, The Last of Us, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, to name a few, can only be played through the PS5. 

And while you might be enticed to try out these new exclusive games for the PS5, the console can also play PS4 games thanks to its backward compatibility

Now, you can finally own the gaming console without having to worry if you can play PS4 or even PS3 games on the PS5. Check out the official list of games that have backward compatibility with the PS5 on their official page.

What About Online Services

Both consoles offer online services for a fee. Nintendo Switch Online can be purchased yearly for $20. This subscription provides access to a wide variety of online multiplayer games and the ability to save and backup your game progress to cloud storage. 

The subscription also allows you to play nostalgic games through its game vault, including NES and SNES games. Meanwhile, PS5 offers the PlayStation Plus subscription at a whopping $60 annual fee, with free games being offered every month. 

Users receive a special discount when they purchase digital games while under the subscription. It all comes down to pricing and whether players will be able to afford to pay and play.

Pricing Difference Between the Nintendo Switch and the PS5

The classic Nintendo Switch is priced at $299, while the latest Nintendo Switch OLED is currently worth $349. 

Nintendo Switch vs Sony PlayStation 5: What's the Difference?
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Currently, the PS5 is priced starting at $499.99 in most outlets. The price rises if you want more features added and can reach as high as $949.99, depending on what you want. Clearly, the Nintendo Switch is the winner with its cheaper price

What many players don’t know is that the Nintendo Switch even has a lighter version of its classic handheld version called the Nintendo Switch Lite, which only costs around $199. 

However, the Nintendo Switch Lite does not have the dock feature like the classic Nintendo Switch. However, it’s a good and affordable choice for those who want to enjoy Nintendo games and those who don’t want to play games on their TV.

Closing the Gap

While it is clear that the Nintendo Switch has nowhere near the power and performance that the PS5 has, Nintendo is slowly inching its way toward being in the same category as the powerhouse gaming console through its cloud-based games

Nintendo Direct recently dipped its toes into cloud-based gaming with the release of Control: Ultimate Edition Cloud Version. The game has some of the best visual quality that is supposedly impossible to achieve using the Nintendo Switch. 

Nintendo has pushed its boundaries even further by running the game through Nintendo’s external server and then streaming it on your device. However, this will require a very stable high-speed internet connection at home for you to play without any issues. 

Differentiating the PS5 From the Nintendo Switch

When comparing the Nintendo Switch to the PS5, it is clear that the Nintendo Switch doesn’t stand up against the all-powerful PS5. 

Nintendo Switch vs Sony PlayStation 5: What's the Difference?
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The PS5’s powerful 825 GB SSD alone would allow you to load games within a few seconds compared to the Nintendo Switch, which could take a lot longer. 

However, the Sony gaming console requires powerful features to allow players to fully indulge the experience from its graphically-demanding games. 

If you’re a fan of graphic-intensive games and want to immerse yourself in the gaming experience, the PS5 should be your go-to console. The games look realistic, and you’ll spend a lot of your time playing the game with less waiting time in between.

Don’t Count the Nintendo Switch Out Yet

Power isn’t the main concern when you’re playing with the Nintendo Switch. Even graphics are not the main focus. Players who have the Nintendo Switch are all about loyalty to the brand and the popular games that the company has been releasing every year. 

Games like Pokémon, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and other games are what make the Nintendo Switch popular to its users. Time and time again, these games will always draw people to purchase the handheld console

If you want to play fun games without having to worry about lowering the graphics settings, the Nintendo Switch should be your choice. It’s a great gaming console that lets you play anytime and anywhere, which is what the PS5 will never be able to do.

Conclusion

There is no comparison between the Nintendo Switch and the Sony PlayStation 5. The performance monstrosity that is PS5 cannot be challenged right now. 

But, in the years to come, the Nintendo Switch, as small and fragile as it may be, might have what it takes to snatch the crown away from the current gaming console powerhouse.