The Sony PlayStation 4 moves to the front of the line for those who are most serious about playing games. The hardware lineup is impressive — competitive with gaming PCs — and that shows up in game play. Other pluses include a sleek, compact design and a good — though not class-leading — array of media features. Most judge it to be the best value among high-end video gaming consoles.

The Microsoft Xbox One trails the Sony PS4 in terms of gaming chops, but just barely. Graphics performance is nearly as terrific, though it’s beaten by the PS4 in certain games. Where the Xbox One excels is in its multimedia performance: There’s a Blu-ray Disc player (finally), and it can integrate the content from its bevy of streaming apps with live TV, making entertainment easier to find.

While the Nintendo Wii U isn’t the best choice for serious gamers, it’s still a solid video game console in its own right. The innovative GamePad controller introduces a second-screen experience, though it can be a little clumsy to use at times. The Wii U is backward-compatible and can play games for the original Wii; games and game play are more squarely aimed at a family audience, however. There’s a limited number of streaming apps, but the Wii U can’t play DVDs, Blu-ray Discs or audio CDs.