Platform
The platform or set of platforms supported by the set-top box.
A platform can be described as a basic set of software and hardware that makes games work. Such sets significantly differ in the set of characteristics and, usually, are incompatible with each other. Therefore, any "platform" game is necessarily released for a specific platform (or in several versions for different ones), and for its normal operation it is necessary that the console supports this platform.
Most modern platforms were created by large companies, and their names are directly related to the brands of set-top boxes of these companies: for example, Sony has a
PlayStation, Microsoft has an
Xbox, etc. Note that one platform can describe several types and generations of game consoles; see details below in the descriptions of the individual items.
The most popular options today:
— Play station. Developed by Sony. Includes multiple generations of PlayStation desktop consoles, as well as portable consoles (see Form Factor) such as the PS Portable and PS Vita. Later desktop models are compatible with games from previous generations (with rare exceptions), and portable consoles can also run games from early desktop PlayStations. Supports the PS Move controller, which works on the principle of motion tracking.
— Xbox. Platform created by Microsoft. Includes only desktop models, is charact
...erized by a fairly powerful hardware. One of the interesting features is the original Kinect controller, which is a camera to track the user's movements and control the game through these movements.
— Nintendo. A platform developed by the company of the same name. Within this family, three directions of consoles can be distinguished: desktop Wii, portable DS and combined Switch. One of the most striking features of this platform is that when developing new consoles, Nintendo pays attention not so much to increasing hardware power as to introducing original technical solutions. Thus, the Wii became the first set-top box on the market to use motion controllers (see "Packages"). The DS family is feature-packed, and some of these consoles are even capable of displaying a 3D image that is visible without special glasses. The Switch is the first full-fledged hybrid set-top box that natively allows for both portable and desktop use (see Form Factor for details).
— Android. Unlike all the above names, Android is not a gaming platform, but a full-fledged operating system designed for various mobile devices (primarily smartphones and tablets). Its key difference from the actual platforms is the extensive possibilities for installing additional applications, among which the actual games are just one of many categories (and far from being the main one). Most Android models are gaming tablets (see "Form Factor").
It is worth noting that technical support of one set-top box for several platforms is not excluded. In addition, this list is not exhaustive, there may be other options on the market — most often the original eight- and sixteen-bit platforms.Release year
The official release year of the game console. Usually, it is indicated by the date of official sale. This information allows you to determine the "age" of the device — and, accordingly, its functionality (to some extent), including within its own platform. So, for example, the difference between the Xbox One S and Xbox One X in terms of name is not particularly obvious; but knowing that the first was released in
2016, and the second —
in 2017, you can definitely determine which model will be newer and more advanced. Accordingly
, the novelties of 2020 and
2019 will be even better.
Gamepads included
The number of gamepads supplied with the console.
Recall that the gamepad is a game manipulator in the form of a small remote control with buttons, levers and other controls. Such devices are used as standard controllers in most desktop consoles (see "Form Factor"). And the number of gamepads corresponds to the number of players who can simultaneously use the console. Most often, there is only one controller in the kit, but many models come with
2 gamepads at once — based on multiplayer for two players, for example, football, fighting or cooperative shooting.
Please note that some models may have specific gamepad counting rules. So, for the Nintendo Switch (see "Form factor — portable / desktop"), a pair of controllers, which in desktop mode is combined into one manipulator, is still considered exactly two gamepads.
Additional
Additional connectors provided in the design of the set-top box in addition to those described above. A set of such connectors may include, in particular:
— Proprietary ports for wired gamepads and other controllers.
— IR (IR) inputs and outputs to work with various wireless accessories.
— Digital audio outputs for multi-channel audio. The most popular standard for such outputs is S / P-DIF, it has two varieties — optical and coaxial. The optical output can be separate or combined with the Mini-Jack 3.5 mm output (see "Connectors"); its advantage is the insensitivity of the cable to electrical interference, but the cable itself is quite fragile and requires delicate handling. Coaxial (electrical) connections are not as sensitive, but are more prone to interference.
— Analogue audio and video outputs (AUX, composite, component) — these connectors can be useful for connecting outdated video equipment.
CPU
The model of the processor installed in the game console.
The processor is the main computing module of the device; the capabilities of the set-top box as a whole largely depend on its characteristics. However, it is worth noting that information about its model in game consoles is usually of a general reference and promotional nature. The fact is that set-top boxes are usually designed for a specific platform, and this implies certain requirements for the power of the hardware so that the corresponding games work normally. Of course, knowing the name, you can find more detailed information — characteristics, test results, reviews, reviews, etc. — and make the most clear impression of the capabilities of the processor; however, unless you plan to use the prefix in non-standard roles, this information is unlikely to be of real practical value. The only exception is gaming tablets (see "Form Factor"): since they are very versatile and can be equipped with a variety of programs, processor data can be useful in assessing how fast an application will run.
Note that advanced desktop set-top boxes can have multiple processors.
Graphics card performance
The performance of the graphics card installed in the game console.
Performance is measured in FLOPS, the number of floating point math operations that a graphics card processor can perform in one second. Game consoles traditionally use teraflops, or trillions of operations per second.
Theoretically, higher performance means a more advanced graphics card and corresponding graphics quality. However, in fact, this parameter is often given more for promotional purposes than to describe the actual capabilities of the console. The fact is that the quality of game graphics depends not only on the capabilities of the graphics card, but also on other factors — including the general characteristics of the set-top box (processor, memory, etc.), as well as how well the games are optimized for this platform . Therefore, models similar to each other in this indicator may differ markedly in the actual video capabilities. Moreover, a relatively modest graphics card can also outperform a more performant counterpart. For example, Microsoft's Xbox One S, which has a "only" 1.4 TFLOPS video accelerator, supports 4K resolution and HDR (see "Features"), while its peer PS 4 Slim with a 1.84 TFLOPS graphics card TFLOPS does not have such capabilities. Therefore, it makes sense to compare video performance only on consoles that differ significantly in digital indicators.
RAM
The amount of RAM installed on board the console.
RAM is one of the main components of computer systems (which are all game consoles). Performance significantly depends on its volume: the more memory (ceteris paribus), the higher the speed, usually, and the better the system handles with resource-intensive tasks. On the other hand, in game consoles, RAM is installed in such a way that it is guaranteed to correspond to the claimed platform, so it makes sense to pay close attention to this parameter only in gaming tablets. This moment is described in more detail above in the “Processor” paragraph.
