PS5 vs Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch 2: which console for Christmas after this year's price rises

If a games console is on this year's Christmas list, it will cost more than it did last year. Which? reported on 21 October that all three big consoles have gone up in price in 2026, with rising memory costs given as the official reason. The PS5 went up by £90, the Xbox Series X by £170 and the Nintendo Switch 2 by £24.

We've compared the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X and Series S and the Nintendo Switch 2 on what you'll pay for the console, the online subscription and a game, using the makers' own websites and retailers' prices on 22 October 2026. Argos, Currys, Very and Smyths Toys blocked our automated checks, so check their prices yourself.

At a glance

• Nintendo Switch 2: £419.99 at full price, but £384.85 at ShopTo and £384.99 at Amazon when we checked. Online play from £17.99 a year.
• PS5: £569.99 for the standard console, £519.99 for the Digital Edition (no disc drive) and £789.99 for the PS5 Pro.
• Xbox Series X: £669.99, or £619.99 for the all-digital version, on the Microsoft Store.
• Xbox Series S: £429.99 for the 512GB model on the Microsoft Store, or £349.99 for a certified refurbished one.

How much prices have gone up

Sony raised its UK prices on 2 April 2026. The standard PS5 went from £479.99 to £569.99, the Digital Edition from £429.99 to £519.99 and the PS5 Pro from £699.99 to £789.99. Sony's blog put the rise down to "continued pressures in the global economic landscape".

Which? says Microsoft put Xbox prices up at the end of 2025 and then raised the Series X by another £170, to £670, in August 2026. The Microsoft Store was charging £669.99 for the Series X and £619.99 for the all-digital Series X 1TB when we checked.

Nintendo was the last to move. Which? says the Switch 2 went up by £24 to £420 in September, which makes it £419.99 at full price. It's the smallest rise of the three, and Which? says the Switch 2 is one of the few consoles still discounted regularly.

What you'll pay at the till

These are the prices we saw on 22 October 2026. Prices change often before Black Friday on 27 November.

• Switch 2: £384.85 at ShopTo and £384.99 at Amazon, both £35 below Nintendo's full price. ShopTo had a Switch 2 with Mario Kart World for £459.85 on pre-order and one with Switch Sports Resort for £449.85. Amazon had a Switch 2 with Pokémon Legends: Z-A for £426.95.
• PS5: ShopTo had the PS5 Digital Edition at £519.85, marked as low availability. Amazon had a PS5 Digital Edition bundle with two DualSense controllers for £559.99, handy if you'll need a second controller.
• Xbox: Amazon had the Series X at £669 and the 1TB Series S at £519. The Microsoft Store sells the 512GB Series S for £429.99, and certified refurbished consoles from £349.99 for a Series S.

The online subscription

Each console has a paid membership, and the cost adds up over a year. What it gets you differs.

• Nintendo Switch Online: £17.99 a year for one person, or £31.49 a year for a family membership covering up to eight Nintendo Accounts. With the Expansion Pack, which adds more classic games, it's £34.99 a year for one person or £59.99 for a family.
• PlayStation Plus: Sony says you generally need a paid membership to play online with games you've bought, and that online multiplayer comes with every tier (Essential, Extra and Premium). Most free-to-play games, including Fortnite, Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone, don't need it. Sony shows its prices once you sign in, so we couldn't confirm them.
• Xbox Game Pass: there are three console tiers. Essential includes online multiplayer and more than 50 games, Premium more than 200 games, and Ultimate more than 400 games including new releases on the day they launch. The Xbox website wasn't showing UK prices when we checked, so look at the live price before you sign up.

Games

New games are a big part of the running cost. On 22 October, Amazon had Mario Kart World for the Switch 2 at £59.95 and EA Sports FC 27 for the PS5 at £58.99. Compare any bundle with the console price plus the game.

Which suits which age?

Every game carries a PEGI age rating on the box and in the online store, so check it whichever console you choose. All three consoles have free parental controls that let you set age limits, spending limits and play time, managed from an app on your phone.

• Younger children: the Switch 2 works as a handheld and plugs into the TV, and Nintendo's own games, such as Mario Kart World, are aimed at families. It's also the cheapest of the three.
• Older children and teenagers: the PS5 and Xbox are home consoles that plug into the TV. If your child's friends all play on one of them, that may decide it. Some games let PS5 and Xbox players play together, but not all do.
• Families who want lots of games for one monthly price: Game Pass's large library can work out cheaper than buying several new games a year.

Delivery and returns

• Microsoft Store: free one to two day delivery, and extended free returns until 31 January 2027, so a console bought now for Christmas can still go back in January.
• ShopTo: free tracked next-day UK delivery on orders over £70, which every console clears.
• Everywhere online: under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you normally have 14 days from delivery to cancel most online orders. Many shops extend this over Christmas, so check the retailer's own returns policy.

Where each wins and falls short

• Nintendo Switch 2 is the cheapest console and the cheapest to keep online, it's still being discounted, and it works as a handheld. But it's less powerful than the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
• PS5 sits in the middle on price, with the Digital Edition saving £50 if you don't need a disc drive. But you'll need PlayStation Plus for most online play, and it's £90 dearer than it was before April.
• Xbox Series X has had the biggest rise and is now the dearest of the standard consoles at £669.99. Game Pass is its strength if you play a lot of different games.
• Xbox Series S is the cheapest way into Xbox at £429.99 new or £349.99 refurbished, but it's all-digital, so you can't buy second-hand discs.

Your questions answered

Should I wait for Black Friday?

For the Switch 2, a discount is possible, as Which? says it still sees regular deals, and it was already £35 below full price when we checked. For the PS5 and Xbox, Which?'s experts say a rare deal is worth taking, and that they wouldn't be surprised if prices kept rising through 2027.

Do I need a subscription to play online?

On the PS5, you generally need PlayStation Plus to play online with games you've bought, but most free-to-play games don't need it. On the Switch 2, most online play needs Nintendo Switch Online, from £17.99 a year. On Xbox, Game Pass Essential includes online multiplayer.

Is a refurbished console a good idea?

It can save money. The Microsoft Store sells certified refurbished Xbox consoles, with a Series S for £349.99 against £429.99 new. If you buy from a business, refurbished goods are covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015, so they must be of satisfactory quality, taking into account that they're not new.

Ways to save

If you're buying a PS5 or accessories direct from Sony, see our PlayStation voucher codes: PlayStation Plus members get 5% off consoles and accessories bought direct from PlayStation. Our ShopTo voucher codes page lists its special offers on PlayStation games and up to 2% off at checkout with Silver and Gold membership. Compare the Switch 2 and Xbox prices at Amazon, Smyths Toys and Very too. Blue Light Card members can get 4% off Argos Shopping Cards and up to 5.5% off Currys Shopping Cards, which can then be spent on a console.

Sources: Which?: is there still any cheap tech?, PlayStation Blog: new price changes for PS5, PlayStation Plus, Microsoft Store: Xbox consoles, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch Online, ShopTo: Switch 2 consoles, ShopTo: PS5 Digital Edition, Amazon UK, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9, Consumer Contracts Regulations

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