
ConsolesHow ESRB Video Game Ratings Actually Work
Three independent raters, a publisher questionnaire, and a label that never lets marketing decide the age rating.
Consoles compares current hardware across the market: performance, load times, thermals, fan noise, storage expansion costs, controllers, headsets and capture gear. Testing uses identical games on each machine. For buyers weighing a new system, a handheld, or an accessory promising more than it delivers.

Three independent raters, a publisher questionnaire, and a label that never lets marketing decide the age rating.