I enjoy the clack of a gaming keyboard just as much as anyone else, but I’ll be the first to admit how comfortable it is to game on a console. At my comfiest, I noticed a handful of genres really stood out to me and ended up becoming my favorites to play on a console over a PC.
1Sports
Sports fans—where do you like to watch the big game? On your couch and on the big screen. Maybe you’ll catch the highlights on your phone. Naturally, the best way to play sports games is on the big screen too, where it’ll heighten the experience.
And if you have a competitive streak, you’ll be part of a notably larger player base, making it much easier to get into matches. Cross-play between PC and console isn’t always a surefire thing, even though it’s far more common these days.
2Party Games
Whenever you can get a couple of friends or family together, breaking out the party games turns a good time into a great time. I’m always down for Mario Kart and Super Mario Party. In fact, we recommend that everyone should try party games at least once. They aren’t super serious, so there’s no need to get competitive and huffy if you lose.
You don’t have to stop at traditional party games, either. It’s a wide enough net that I’d argue any game with multiplayer, especially couch co-op, would fall under party games. To me, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is just as much a party game as Super Mario Party.
3Action-Adventure
The types of action-adventure games I lean into often put story first, and that particular inclination is what gives it a movie-like quality. And when I watch movies, it’s always from the couch. The visual, mechanical, and musical treat that is God of War begs for a great pair of speakers and a big screen.
Personally, action-adventure games are palate cleaners. When I’m burned out on say, Elden Ring; action-adventure is what I escape to. There’s just enough of a challenge to keep me engaged, but I can still relax. I never had a hard time tweaking my experience, if I wanted something that leaned more into adventure than the latter and vice versa.
4Platformers
Out of all the genres in gaming, platformers are practically made for console gaming. Even if you’re someone who plays them on PC, I bet you’re using a controller. Who wouldn’t? It’s a genre that’s frustrating on mouse and keyboard. It feels like I have to put more effort into muscle memory.
I also noticed platformers are perfect for sharing an experience. Challenges are plentiful, so it’s easy to hand off the controller to another person to try if and when you die. I did this with my kids when we played Spyro and Crash Bandicoot and had an absolute blast!
5Horror
The horror genre benefits from consoles in many of the same ways as action-adventure, such as emphasizing the cinematic experience. More importantly, any horror fan will tell you that audio is one of the pillars of the genre. Using a pair of decent headphones can really heighten the tension, given your increased sense of spatial awareness.
What’s particularly unique to the consoles is the haptic feedback, even if it’s just a bit of rumble. The DualSense’s adaptive triggers and haptics are especially great in a horror setting. I’ve played the Dead Space remake and the feedback I got is what makes it genuinely difficult to go back to the original.
When I take a step back, it’s clear I associate consoles with relaxation. In a way, my favorite genres on consoles share DNA with my favorite genres of all time. At the end of the day, I want to be immersed and entertained. It’s all there, in a tiny, rectangular box.
