Shop for consoles

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 40 reviews

The Bottom Line: Overall, the PlayStation Vita is the most advanced portable gaming system ever made. While the price is deceiving because of a hidden cost, gamers are getting an impressively complete package right out of the gate. A healthy launch lineup is sure to provide something for every kind of gamer, and a large selection of digital downloads is available right now. Read review

Specs: Sony PlayStation Vita - Handheld game console, PlayStation Vita card, Flash memory card, Data path width=, ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore, 960 x 544

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.5 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 195 reviews

The Bottom Line: While it's neither a must-have upgrade for existing 360 owners nor as feature-packed as the PS3, the Xbox 360 Elite's combination of top-notch gaming and digital media features make it the current game console of choice. Read review

Specs: Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite - Game console, DVD, IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 512 MB ( 512 MB ) GDDR3 SDRAM - Integrated, Black, 1920 x 1080

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 1317 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Sony PSP elevates portable gaming to the next level, but its multimedia functionality falls short of its full potential. Read review

Specs: Sony PSP - Handheld game console, UMD (Universal Media Disc), Flash memory card, 333 MHz, 32 MB - Integrated

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: For families and lovers of casual games, the even more affordable Wii still represents the best console bundle value in terms of dollars spent, but it's also the system that's first on deck to be outdated. With the announcement of the Wii U, the Wii is a declining console. Still, its sizable and often unique back library of games is still worth playing. Read review

Specs: Nintendo Wii - Game console, Flash memory card, Nintendo Wii disc, Nintendo GAMECUBE disc, IBM PowerPC, Black

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Nintendo Game Boy Color - Handheld game console, Cartridge, Sharp Z80 8 MHz, 256 KB - Integrated, Blue

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: At the end of the day, the DSi XL is exactly the same as the DSi, so unless you're desperate for more touch-screen real estate, or your vision is impaired, we can't recommend a purchase over the original DSi. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 22 reviews

The Bottom Line: The original GBA will still appeal to gamers on a budget, but its lack of illumination is a big drawback. Read review

Specs: Nintendo Game Boy Advance - Handheld game console, Cartridge, Sharp ARM7TDMI, 256 KB WRAM - Integrated, Indigo

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: For families and lovers of casual games, the even more affordable Wii still represents the best console bundle value in terms of dollars spent, but it's also the system that's first on deck to be outdated. With the announcement of the Wii U, the Wii is a declining console. Still, its sizable and often unique back library of games is still worth playing. Read review

Specs: Nintendo Wii - Game console, Flash memory card, Nintendo Wii disc, Nintendo GAMECUBE disc, IBM PowerPC, White

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Sony PlayStation Vita - Handheld game console, PlayStation Vita card, Flash memory card, ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

Specs: Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite - Game console, DVD, IBM PowerPC 3 cores 3.2 GHz, 512 MB ( 512 MB ) GDDR3 SDRAM - Integrated, Black, 1920 x 1080

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: For families and lovers of casual games, the still-affordable Wii represents the best console bundle value of the holiday season in terms of dollars spent; however, the Wii's getting long in the tooth, and other game consoles offer more entertainment options and functionality for their higher price tags. Read review

Specs: Nintendo Wii Limited Edition Red Bundle - Game console, Flash memory card, Nintendo Wii disc, Nintendo GAMECUBE disc, IBM PowerPC, Red

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Sony PlayStation 2 - Game console, DVD, Toshiba & Sony Emotion Engine 294.9 MHz, 32 MB RDRAM (RAMBUS) - Integrated, Ceramic white, 32-bit color / 1280 x 1024

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.5 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Nintendo's latest Game Boy has an interesting design but doesn't offer anything you can't find in the company's other portables. Read review

Specs: Nintendo Game Boy Micro - Handheld game console, Cartridge, 16.8 MHz, 256 KB

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Nintendo DSi XL - Handheld game console, Cartridge, Flash memory card, Rose metallic

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Sony PlayStation 2 - Game console, DVD, Toshiba & Sony Emotion Engine 294.9 MHz, 32 MB RDRAM (RAMBUS) - Integrated, Charcoal black, 32-bit color / 1280 x 1024

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Sony PSP Metal Gear Solid Entertainment Pack - Handheld game console, Handheld, UMD (Universal Media Disc), Flash memory card, 333 MHz, 64 MB - Integrated, Spirited green

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: While not all previous DS owners should upgrade, the DSi is an ambitious and solidly designed portable gaming system. Read review

Specs: Nintendo DSi - Handheld game console, Cartridge, Flash memory card, ARM9 134 MHz, Orange

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Sony PSP - Handheld game console, UMD (Universal Media Disc), Flash memory card, 333 MHz, 64 MB - Integrated, Metallic blue

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Nintendo Wii Sports Pack - Game console, Flash memory card, Nintendo Wii disc, Nintendo GAMECUBE disc, IBM PowerPC

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!