In the last two years, gaming has gotten exponentially more expensive. From President Trump's tariff wars to the ongoing AI-caused RAMageddon, prices have not been kind to our wallets.
We're in the tail end of the current generation of consoles when prices historically start to go down, but both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are more expensive than at launch. Then there's the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched last year with a price tag that's $200 higher than its predecessor.
With that in mind, I looked around the market today to figure out which gaming console is worth your money. I also asked my fellow Tom's Guide gamers, and while several different consoles were picked, one leapt to the top of almost everyone's list.
Read on to find out which console we think you should buy in 2026.
As mentioned, nearly every console has seen a price hike in the last two years, largely blamed on rising component costs and, in 2025, tariffs.
In 2026, the Switch 2 and PS5 both received price hikes. Nintendo Switch 2 was the most recent victim, going up $50 from $449 on September 1.
Sony's PlayStation 5 lineup prices shot up $100 or more for the PS5, PS5 Digital and PS5 Pro in March of this year. That was the second hike following an increase in August 2025.
And that's before we get to the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, which both saw price increases , the Steam Machine before it even released .
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