Console sales have been in decline for a couple of years now. Xbox has suffered the most, with sales down once again in 2025 following an already historic drop off last year. Players are, quite simply, snubbing consoles they’ve known for decades and branching out to other platforms instead.
So, if you’re also looking for a non-console gaming platform to try, we’ve put together a list of some of the best ones that break the mold. And with growing numbers of players across all of them, now’s the time to give them a try.
The Best Gaming Platforms to Try
- Amazon Luna
Amazon Luna is one of the best options in the fast-growing cloud gaming market.
If you’re already an Amazon Prime Member, then it’s already a no-brainer.
What it allows you to do (just like most cloud gaming platforms) is play games on different devices without having to download or install them.
The base Luna+ subscription offers around 100 games in total, including the likes of EA Sports FC 26, Fortnite, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and even classics like Fallout: New Vegas.
All you have to do is choose your device (e.g. tablet or PC), connect to the internet, sign into your Amazon account, and you’re ready to start playing.
It’s almost like having a console in your pocket and it gets a big thumbs up from us.
- Sweepstakes Casinos
One of the biggest changes in gaming over the past half-decade has been the huge shift towards sweepstakes casino sites.
Pre-2020, absolutely no one was playing inside these casinos, but it’s now reached a point where the internet is home to 185+ (and counting) sweepstakes casinos, with millions of combined players across sites like Chumba Casino, WOW Vegas, and Stake.us.
The way sweepstakes casinos work is like this: anyone can join and all of the games are free-to-play. Then, if you collect enough of the site’s virtual “Sweeps Coins”, you can then redeem those coins for prizes like gift cards, cryptocurrencies, and merchandise.
There are also enticing new player bonuses for all the first-time players out there, allowing you to stack up on free Sweeps Coins. How you use these coins is up to you, but they’re a great way to win prizes.
- Steam
As a gamer, you’ve probably used Steam by now.
For those who haven’t, it’s the internet’s biggest game distribution platform. With over 100,000 games in its catalogue, you can purchase any of these games and play them on PC or the Steam Deck, which is Valve’s handheld console.
If you already have a PC to begin with, we recommend checking out Steam’s library of games. It has an insanely huge collection of new releases, old-school classics, and even indie games that you’ve never even heard of, many of which are available to download for free.
After trying Steam, you might find that you like it. If so, there’s the option for you to invest in a Steam Deck and play Steam games on-the-go wherever you are (to date, the Steam Deck has sold around 8 million units and is widely regarded as one of the best modern day handhelds).
- The Epic Games Store
If Steam isn’t your thing, then the Epic Game Store is an excellent alternative.
Operated by Epic Games, it lets users buy, download, and play over 4,000 titles, with a small number of them being exclusive games from Epic Games (this includes classics like Fortnite and Fall Guys).
Any games you get from the store can be played on PC and macOS. It’s also possible to play Epic Games store games on mobile if you’re in the EU, but it’s very much primarily a platform for PC users.
The best part about the Epic Games Store, and why it’s ultimately so popular, is because so many of the games from it are totally free to download. Apex Legends and Rocket League are some of the most popular free-to-play titles, but if you take a look yourself you’ll see plenty of others available for download, too.
- Discord
Discord is the 5th (and final) gaming platform we highly recommend.
Available in both site and app form, Discord is essentially a global gathering point for today’s gamers, allowing them to text, call, and interact with each other in one place.
For example, groups of friends will often create Discord servers where they voice chat together while playing a game, such as GTA V or Apex Legends.
Inside these servers, it’s also possible for people to screenshare, stream gameplay, organize events, and even enjoy built-in games like Poker Night and Chess in the Park.
It’s an awesome platform that every gamer should have, so go ahead and download Discord from your mobile app store while it’s still free.
Other Cloud Gaming Platforms You Can Try
We mentioned earlier that Amazon Luna is arguably the best new gaming platform you can try today, and it’s powered by “cloud gaming”. At the moment, cloud gaming is fast-growing in popularity and is set to be the future of gaming once traditional hardware finally goes out the door. So, if Amazon Luna doesn’t quite do it for you, Stadia, GeForce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming are also worth giving a try. What ties all of these platforms together is that they let you play all the latest games across multiple devices without having to pay a ton of cash for a new console (let’s face it, the 9th Generation of video game consoles was not cheap).
Get Started Today, Whether It’s with Discord or Sweepstakes Casinos
The latest sales data tells us that consoles are in decline.
We’re talking about the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S here, both of which failed to live up to the hype. Almost five years later, people on YouTube and Reddit are still complaining that it feels like these consoles never truly got off the ground, and that no groundbreaking games have been released on them.
As you might expect, this has led to millions of people ditching consoles to try alternative gaming platforms instead, with some of the best options being discussed here. Whether you go with Amazon Luna or sign up with a sweepstakes casino, we think you’ll get something out of the experience, especially if you’re planning to ditch your console.
