Gaming on any of the three main home console platforms these days has become a lot more complicated. Each of the three console platform makers, which include Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox, has their own subscription services to go with their platform to play online with. But alongside that, each one also has its own mobile app that can be tied to an account for the platform you play games on. If you have an Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus account, you can access the Xbox and PlayStation apps to engage with different parts of the services. The same goes for Nintendo, which can be connected to a Nintendo account that you access through your Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo eShop. All three of them have various things that get players to continuously interact with their platform in different ways.
But not all three of the apps are built the same, nor are they as useful when compared to one another. Whether you spend more time playing games on one console or the other, you might not always get the same experience or payoff when using the app from the platform of your choice. Little details about each mobile app from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo will make you question whether any of them are worth downloading to a mobile device or not. Here's why between the PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox mobile apps, this is what you should know to understand which one you might really need to have.
The PlayStation app is just alright
Changes that leave you hanging
Having a PlayStation Plus account can yield a lot of perks and rewards, especially if you stick with it over time. There are plenty of games to buy and play on the platform, as well as a large selection that is given to subscribers every month that can increase your backlog of titles. This is why, at first glance, the PlayStation app seems like a great companion to have on your mobile device. But the truth is that things have changed recently, limiting the benefits you get from actively engaging with the app. While there are tools to use that can interact with your consoles through the app, a few features that came to an end have held the PlayStation app from being the clear-cut choice for many.
As of May 2025, PlayStation began to discontinue the PlayStation Stars loyalty program by slowly cutting off support for it. This means that no new members can get access to PlayStation Stars, and the program would come to a complete shutdown in November 2026. PlayStation Stars itself was accessible through the PlayStation mobile app for anyone that had an active PS Plus subscription, allowing players to collectible digital items to display and earn points for rewards by completing tasks. Although members with a PS Plus subscription could still earn coins and digital rewards during the shutdown period, the program has stopped adding any new tasks for anyone to earn rewards. It's pretty much stagnant and awaiting the time when PlayStation turns off the lights to the program.
This significantly impacts the usefulness and value of the PlayStation app itself, since PlayStation Stars was heavily tied to the app for PlayStation gamers who used it. People are just not getting any rewards from being heavily invested in the PlayStation ecosystem through multiple devices. While PlayStation Stars was active, players could save up points by completing tasks, buying new games and subscriptions, and special offers to spend on things like gift cards, subscription renewals, and even free games. All of this is just completely gone now, so doing anything on PlayStation 5 or on PSN doesn't count towards any rewards. For those who just love playing games on PlayStation consoles, all the typical functions of the app are unchanged, so it's business like usual. But for anyone putting in the extra time to be on everything that PlayStation has to offer, it's a shallow experience right now.
Xbox app gives more back
Rewards and what can be better
Most of the Xbox mobile app is similar to that of the PlayStation app. Players can interact with their console by making purchases, downloading games from Xbox Game Pass, and so much more. In terms of functionality, the Xbox app and the PlayStation app are almost exactly the same. Or at least they were for a while when the PlayStation Stars program was still active for users. As of now, the only one of the three services that rewards players for being active with it is with Xbox. The Xbox Rewards from having an active Xbox Game Pass subscription can add up when you're spending time on both your console and the mobile app.
Just logging in daily on either device can yield rewards points that can be saved for goodies later on. This is important because the Xbox app also rewards you for interacting with some features, not just logging in quickly. A small puzzle game can be played for additional points through the app, which can add up if you do so every day. Combine this with any time one plays on their Xbox Series X/S on games they purchase or download through Game Pass, and the rewards can stack up nicely. Unlike on the PlayStation app, which doesn't reward players for interacting with it anymore. Even when PlayStation Stars was around, their app never gave continuous rewards for just being around.
There's only one major issue with how the Xbox app handles all of this: the number of points from extended use. While both Xbox Game Pass and the Xbox app yield points from successive days that you log on, the bonuses aren't always big enough to match the time put in. Even after a week of logging into the app, the amount of points one can gain may not always be impactful enough to cash in towards a big reward. Most Xbox users will have to be diligent enough to keep logging in and engaging with the app, while they play games every day on their Xbox, in order to have a significant amount of points to grab a big reward for their console. At the same time, there may not always be rewards that are good enough to spend points on, outside of extending one's own Game Pass subscription. Mileage may vary for different people, but at least the Xbox app is giving back to players in some way when they spend time with it.
The Nintendo app needs to grow more
More time to iterate better
The Nintendo Switch app for mobile devices might be one of the biggest disappointments out of the three applications. But this isn't because the Nintendo app is truly terrible in comparison to them, but rather because it doesn't take much from what those other apps do well. To say that the Nintendo mobile app is basic wouldn't be an overstatement, because it really does the bare minimum as a companion for Nintendo Switch owners. On the app, you can interact with your Friend List, see your activity or individual Friend Code, and share screenshots that were saved from a Switch or Switch 2 console. But that's about it. While there are game-specific services for titles like Splatoon 3, Animal Crossing, and even The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, they aren't really tied to the Nintendo app itself.
And there lies the big problem, because most of the interesting features that could be part of the Nintendo app actually aren't. Players who want to do more than the bare minimum need to get extra apps or be taken to somewhere else in order to get more. Things like Zelda Notes and Smash World can still be accessed from the Nintendo app home screen, but they feel completely removed from the main application that Nintendo wants Switch owners to use. This is very different from both the PlayStation and Xbox apps, where everything feels more cohesive and connected together. It doesn't feel like you're exiting the application to go find out something about your favorite game, or something you are interested in buying for your console. It's an issue that Nintendo has not seemed to have solved yet with their own mobile app.
But that's only a fraction of the issue with what Nintendo could be doing for their app. Features like Nintendo Music and Nintendo Today are their own separate applications for mobile devices. In reality, both of them should be merged into the main Nintendo app, so there's one spot to get access to everything going on with Nintendo. For some people it might be better to have different apps that keep things they might never use away, but that's not the majority of users that will be using the main app. Most people who download the Nintendo Switch app will own a Switch or a Nintendo Switch 2, so making them download multiple applications to stay invested with everything Nintendo is counterproductive and unnecessary. This is especially true when the other two mobile apps from console makers already keep things simple by making one spot for you to access content related to them.
Which app is best for you
The majority of gamers who pick up a new console are most likely going to get the mobile application that is tied to it. Others who end up buying multiple consoles for their household will probably do the same thing, downloading each application that is tied to their new consoles. But figuring out which mobile app is the right one that you need to have comes down to what kind of player you are. If you care about getting something back for spending so much time with your games or the mobile app tied to the platform, then the Xbox app is the best choice for getting daily rewards. If functionality is more important than anything else, then the PlayStation app works out great for anyone that has a PS5 or other device. Nintendo's app may need more time to develop, which can hopefully turn into something greater than it is now for Switch owners. At the end of the day, what's best for you is ultimately your own choice.
