If you're buying a new 360, get an Elite - simple as that. If you've already got one, this is pretty much a cosmetic upgrade - but you might want to look into getting the separate 120GB hard drive when it comes out...

Better value than Premium. Big hard drive. New HDMI connection. Smart paint job

Premium is getting an HDMI connection too. Doesn't include HD-DVD drive

It certainly justifies the extra £60 on the price tag. If you still haven't plumped for one side in the PS3, Xbox and Wii War, you'd be bonkers to go for a non-Elite Xbox

The faithful old PS2 isn't knocking on the door of the retirement home just yet and the new look has knocked years off, but it's the consistently brilliant games that are really keeping the biggest selling console ever from slipping six feet under.

Ace new design and super-skinny size. Network capabilities built-in. Huge catalogue of great games.

Can't compete graphically with the Xbox 360. Only two controller ports.

It must've been a pretty strenuous fitness regime, because the new model weighs less than half of the original, while the internal volume has been reduced by 75 percent

Pure fun in a box. Get some friends round and swing your Wiimote until the early hours

The most fun gaming experience ever. Motion-sensitivity better than PS3's tilt joypad. Great price. Sega classics available to download online.

Basic, standard-def graphics. No multiplayer online gaming. Not all games suit the format. No DVD playback.

For some games, such as the Wii Sports boxing, you'll need to attach the Nunchuk to the Wiimote and punch with one in each hand. For Zelda, you'll use the joystick on the Nunchuk for moving around, and the Wiimote for swinging your sword and aiming weapon...

Up against it when compared to the PSP and not the worthy substitute it should have been. Once more people crack the dual screen, though, it might be worth a second look

Integrated Wi-Fi and ten hour battery life. Super Mario is on your menu with this toy.

Lacks the accomplishment of the PSP. Not the games catalogue we'd have hoped for.

To make decent use of the touch screen for map/minigame duties, we'd recommend Super Mario 64 DS - undoubtedly the top title for DS - as an accomplished port of the exasperatingly addictive N64 classic

The cut-down PS3 costs the same as the Xbox Elite, has lost of its key features and still has that cracking Blu-ray player

Cracking Blu-ray player. Built-in Wi-Fi. Games catalogue catching up with Xbox 360

Still more games on Xbox 360. Online arena not as good as Xbox Live

And the PS3 does, finally, have some big titles to unleash. The fantastic Haze is its riposte to Halo 3, and includes a great four-player co-op mode. Elsewhere, Indiana Jones-fest Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, petrol-head favourite Gran Turismo 5, Wipeout H...

Movie and photo transfer capability, MP3 playback, bearable speakers… this is the best portable gaming machine ever

Comes with own dinky UMD movie format. Excellent 4.3in colour widescreen.

Better with buds than the bundled 'phones. Max memory a bit of a let-down. Analogue stick not that great for precision.

While you're wandering around wireless territory you can also take a quick surf and check out the increasing freebie content at www.yourpsp.com. However, the max 4GB memory (with an add-on) means - other than a bag of UMDs or memory cards - a lack of cont...

The Game Boy Micro is a slick miniature gaming gem perfect for avoiding tiresome work

Light as a feather. Stylish swappable front plates.

Could get you into trouble at work - it's unputdownable.

The 2in backlit LCD is as easy on the eye as the price is on the pocket and swappable front plates will mean you'll never get bored of its looks

A Media Center Extender, upscaling DVD player and great games console

The Xbox 360 may be the noisiest device here, but the slick interface (including the main blade-style menu) makes it a joy to use. If you have a Media Center PC and are happy to connect via a network cable, it's great value.

Video support isn't the best, but the PS3 remains a superb piece of kit

Inside is a 40GB hard disk (twice the capacity of the Xbox's and easily upgradeable) and you can use this to store game data, music, photos and videos. Format support is wider than the Xbox, with MPEG1, 2 and 4 (H.264 and AVCHD) on the menu

No sane gamer is going to head out and buy this as their new console, but we'd advise 360 and Wii owners not to forget about Dre - there's some truly superb games still coming out for PS

Dirt cheap. The last few games are awesome. Er, it's quite small?

No HD. Very last-gen. Online is rubbish

And what games. It's one of those cruel things about consoles is that the very best games always arrive just as everybody has either slung the console to the back of the store cupboard, or is selling it on Amazon Marketplace for £50