( CNN ) -- As the cold , hard reality of the holiday shopping season dawns in earnest , literally millions of shoppers will be considering video-game consoles when they hit the stores ( or stay warm shopping online ) this week . Whether on the hunt for yourself or , more likely , looking for a gift for a friend or family member , the decision is n't an easy one . Both Sony 's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft 's Xbox One hit stores in the past week or so , and both are off to huge starts . Each sold more than 1 million units in their first 24 hours . Nintendo -- the third player in console gaming 's Big Three -- has its year-old `` next generation '' console , the Wii U , to consider as well . To be sure , there are lots of factors to consider when making a choice . But if you 're trying to decide which box should end up under the tree , take a look at some thoughts what we see as a big advantage for each console . You 'll want a PlayStation 4 if ... you want a solid social gaming machine offering intricate , beautiful games that players can share easily with friends . The next generation of consoles has more power than its predecessors , so games look more robust and offer expanded environments of play and more intricate detail . In `` Knack , '' the PS4 's power is on display when hundreds of tiny relics form in a mystical creature with animation that 's near-Pixar quality . The DualShock 4 controller contains new features that work very well for some games . The touchpad offers a new way to interface with gameplay . In `` Killzone : Shadow Fall , '' a swipe across the pad activates different features for your robotic companion . A social sharing button directly on the controller allows players to let others see their accomplishments . Video clips , screenshots and direct broadcasts are available through Facebook , Twitter , Twitch and Ustream right out of the box . It also should be mentioned that at $ 399 , the PS4 is $ 100 cheaper than the rival Xbox One . When disc games are $ 60 and download games run $ 15 , the money saved could be used to get the content you want . You 'll want an Xbox One if ... you are in the market for a multimedia machine that can multitask and switch between games , movies , music and applications quickly and seamlessly . Easily the best thing about the X1 ( so far ) is how quickly the new interface switches from one application to another with just a voice command ( via an improved Kinect ) . The hands-free controller not only works for games , it changes the channels on your TV , serves up movie content or uses the Snap function to do two things at once . Snap allows for split-screen multitasking on the fly . Say you are watching the local NFL game through the X1 , but you want to know how your fantasy football team is doing . Snap brings up a Web browser in a side window to let you access your online team without missing a handoff in the game you 're watching . And it is all done with voice command through Kinect . It can recognize six voices and learns the games , shows and apps that each of those people likes . Of course , it also can create a new power struggle for the remote control as opposing viewers scream instructions to the console . The X1 , which costs $ 499 , has an amazing suite of entertainment choices with partners like Hulu Plus , Netflix , YouTube and more . Microsoft wants to offer people as many television , movie and music choices as possible , and content providers are signing up . You 'll want a Wii U if ... you want a wider selection of games to play now and at a price that wo n't blow away your entire holiday budget . Lest we forget , the Nintendo Wii U is also a next-generation gaming console . It has the advantage of having been on the market for more than a year . Developers have used that time to produce quality games for all age groups . Titles like `` Super Mario 3D World , '' `` Pikmin 3 '' and `` The Legend of Zelda : Wind Waker HD '' -- along with Wii U versions of many highly sought-after third-party titles -- make the console more attractive compared with the limited number of titles available on the new PlayStation and Xbox . And the Wii U is backward-compatible , meaning any Wii controllers or games you owned before upgrading to the next-gen box still work on the Wii U . The other next-gen consoles wo n't let you play your older games and require new controllers to use them . And this might be a big factor for some : Nintendo recently cut the price of the Wii U to $ 299 , making it $ 100 less than the PS4 and $ 200 less than the X1 . For what 's been promoted as as a family-friendly console , that price difference could be important as holiday spending gets tighter . Plus , the extra money can be used to buy games .
Console gamers have lots of choices this holiday season . The Xbox One is the best console for gaming on your TV and it has a lot to offer if you are looking for an affordable console. Xbox One is an entertainment hub with a smooth interface . Wii U is most affordable and has a year 's worth of games to choose from .