I can already hear the comment section sharpening its pitchforks, so let’s get this out of the way early: yes, I know buying an Xbox in 2026 feels like backing the underdog.
Shopping for a console right now usually comes down to two predictable habits. Most buyers are either chasing Nintendo’s Switch 2or automatically reaching for a PlayStation 5, a reflex driven by years of internet noise and Microsoft’s own occasionally muddled messaging. Even I fell for the Switch 2’s sturdier Joy-Cons and nicer screen at launch, but soon it was collecting dust.
Once you strip away the badge loyalty and look strictly at how you live with a console day to day, the Xbox Series X makes a strong case as the smartest purchase in gaming. Six years into its run, it has matured into a no-nonsense machine that I’d still pick over the PS5 and Switch 2 for everyday convenience, library value, and big-screen performance.
4 reasons why I’m still picking Xbox
True 4K power (and it won’t ruin your TV stand)
(Image: © Tom’s Guide / Kaycee Hill )
If you want sprawling RPGs and big-budget releases to look and run their best, the Series X still hits the sweet spot. Yes, I know you can dock the Switch 2 to a TV and it outputs 4Kon’t enjoy playing massive RPGs on it
I love my Switch 2 for party games with friends, yet when I want to sink 80 hours into a dense open world, a hybrid console still feels like a compromise next to the Series X’s 4K horsepower and steady frame rates.
Under the hood, the Series X also packs slightly more raw graphical muscle than the standard PS5. In plain English, its graphics processor can crunch more visual data per second (12 teraflops versus the base PS5’s 10.28). While both consoles perform very similarly in most games, that extra power on paper can give the Series X a slight edge in resolution or frame-rate stability in demanding titles without forcing you to pay extra for a PS5 Pro.
Then there’s the elephant in the room, literally. The PS5 is one of the largest home consoles ever made, and personally, I still find it an eyesore. Between the flaring white fins, awkward horizontal stand, and departure from PlayStation’s classic all-black, it’s kind of a a nightmare to blend in. The Series X, on the other hand, is a plain, matte-black tower that doesn’t demand to be the centerpiece
Unbeatable value that respects your wallet
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Even with subscription prices fluctuating, Microsoft’s ecosystem still stretches my gaming budget further than anything else. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate packs in hundreds of titles alongside day-one releases from Bethesda, Xbox’s own studios, and select Activision games, giving me massive value for what I pay.
My favorite perk, though, is Xbox Cloud Gaming. When I don’t fancy clearing hard-drive space for a massive download, streaming games instantly is like sampling ice creams before deciding which one I’m actually sticking on the cone — I’ve even had friends who don’t own an Xbox use it to test-drive games before buying them on the PlayStation Store.
Pair that with Xbox Play Anywhere, which gives you both the console and PC version of supported games under a single purchase, and it easily justifies the cost for me.
Unmatched everyday convenience
(Image: © Tom’s Guide / Kaycee Hill )
I have four generations of consoles hooked up in my games room, and nothing beats the quality of life features baked into the Series X.
Quick Resume alone makes going back to a PS5 or Switch 2 feel strangely dated. I’m replaying Red Dead Redemption 2 at the moment, and just holding down the guide button on my controller to wake the TV, clicking the tile, and being dropped straight back into the saddle in seconds completely changes how you game. You can keep three games suspended like this at once.
Add in free cloud saves (which Sony and Nintendo still lock behind paid memberships) and backward compatibility stretching across Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the original Xbox, and the value adds up fast. I can literally play a lifetime’s worth of my back catalog on one console.
Ready for the biggest releases (and built to last)
(Image: © Tom’s Guide / Kaycee Hill )
Buying an Xbox in 2026 doesn’t mean sitting out the year’s biggest moments. With GTA 6 arriving on November 19, the Series X gives you day-one access at full current-gen fidelity, something the Switch 2 isn’t getting at launch, and even lets Xbox One owners stream it while PS4 players are left behind
People love to dunk on Xbox’s missteps, and putting its games on rival boxes has blurred the old console-war lines. Yet six years in, the Series X runs quiet, its library is stacked, unlike the Switch 2, where you’re still betting on future software, and it does what it says on the tin and does it well.
The PS5 may win the popularity contest, the Switch 2 might own party nights, yet, for my money, the Series X remains the best all-rounder console in 2026.
Agree, disagree, or happily sticking with a PC? Let me know in the comments.
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