Table of Contents
Table of Contents
First technology: 1972 – 1983
Second technology: 1976 – 1985
Third technology: 1983 – 1990
Fourth technology: 1987 – 1996
Fifth technology: 1993 – 2002
Sixth technology: 1998 – 2005
Seventh technology: 2005 – 2013
Eighth technology: 2012 – 2020
Ninth technology: 2020 – current
Video video games are nonetheless a younger medium within the grand scheme of issues, however have been round for effectively over 50 years now. After the arcade increase within the 70s, dwelling consoles slowly took over the gaming panorama with Nintendo’s NES main the cost. The NES is without doubt one of the finest online game consoles of all time, but it surely was removed from the primary console and positively not the final with the likes of the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2 at present combating for market dominance. Currently, we’re within the ninth technology of consoles however how precisely did we get right here, and what consoles have been within the eight prior generations? Let’s rewind time and take a look at what outlined each console technology from the primary as much as at this time.
If you need to look even additional forward, we are able to additionally let you know about each upcoming online game console and upcoming online game.
Note that generations weren’t as clearly outlined for the primary a number of a long time so the precise years some generations begin or finish is up for debate and lots of generations will overlap. We may also solely listing well-documented consoles launched in every technology to keep away from bloating the listing with one-off programs nobody bought.
First technology: 1972 – 1983
Magnavox
Going all the best way again to the origins of dwelling consoles, we’re at a degree the place most video games don’t even resemble the experiences we’ve got at this time. The most recognizable recreation on this period was probably the greatest video games of all-time, Pong. In this technology, consoles have been primarily smaller arcade machines within the sense that the majority may solely play one or two video games. The most important exception, and most well-known console from this technology, was the Magnavox Odyssey. This console included numerous plastic overlays you might put in your display to play totally different video games with as you moved blocks of sunshine across the display.
Notable consoles within the first technology:
Magnavox Odyssey
Ping-O-Tronic
Home Pong collection
TV Tennis Electrotennis
Coleco Telstar
Color TV-Game
Second technology: 1976 – 1985
Giovanni Colantonio / Digital Trends
The second console technology is the place we begin to see some names that also exist at this time. The Atari 2600 and 5200 each arrived this technology within the late ’70s and early ’80s, setting the usual for cartridge-based consoles. However, it wasn’t the primary to pioneer this expertise. The Fairchild Channel F is extensively accepted as the primary extensively accessible dwelling console to completely permit for consoles to learn ROM cartridges and course of new code. This, together with a extra user-friendly joystick controller, paved the best way for the likes of Atari to dominate the technology and turn into the chief in dwelling consoles over Magnavox, Coleco, and Intellivision. This period was additionally when Activision first entered the sport house and have become the first-ever third-party developer of video games. This is the technology we received a few of the first really nice dwelling console video games like Space Invaders, Combat, Super Breakout, Missile Command, and Pitfall!
Notable consoles within the second technology:
Fairchild Channel F
Atari 2600
Magnavox Odyssey 2
Intellivision
ColecoImaginative and prescient
Atari 5200
Third technology: 1983 – 1990
Nintendo
For most individuals, dwelling consoles actually began with the third technology when Nintendo entered the American market with the Nintendo Entertainment System and pulled all the gaming business again from collapse. Games advanced into the 8-bit period, which is a method many creators nonetheless emulate at this time, particularly with a few of the finest indie video games. Atari was nonetheless within the recreation with the 7800, however was a distant third behind the facility of Nintendo and newcomer Sega with its Master System. While rudimentary by at this time’s requirements, recreation manufacturing on this technology was in contrast to something earlier than it. There have been extra colours, sounds, and even fundamental storytelling.
It wasn’t simply the house console market Nintendo upended, however handhelds as effectively. The Game Boy was essentially the most refined handheld ever launched. It was the primary to not solely benefit from cartridges but additionally supply console-like high quality experiences on the go. This is the period the place main gaming icons first appeared on consoles, like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Kirby.
Notable consoles within the third technology:
NES
Master System
Atari 7800
Atari XEGS
Game Boy
Fourth technology: 1987 – 1996
Digital Trends
The fourth technology is the place the “console wars” formally started. Sega was out for blood with the 16-bit Genesis, which simply outclassed the NES for a number of years earlier than the SNES arrived. Sega additionally tried to push extra {hardware} out quicker than the competitors with add-ons to the Genesis, such because the Sega CD, to benefit from the brand new CD expertise that allowed for extra cupboard space and use of full-motion video. Neo Geo, an arcade powerhouse, additionally dipped its toes into the house console house however failed to search out a lot footing as a result of charing way over the competitors.
The 16-bit period is without doubt one of the most fondly remembered due to some superb video games which can be nonetheless performed at this time. Games like Super Mario World, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Super Metroid are thought of all-time classics.
Notable consoles within the fourth technology:
Sega Genesis
Neo Geo
SNES
Sega CD
CD-i
Fifth technology: 1993 – 2002
Sony
The soar from 16-bit graphics to completely 3D video games is arguably the most important generational leap ever seen in console gaming. After being burned as a companion with Nintendo, Sony entered the console enterprise as a brand new participant with its PlayStation. It was removed from the primary CD-based console, but it surely managed to fully dominate the technology with a mixture of incredible PS1 video games like Metal Gear Solid, Twisted Metal, and Crash Bandicoot, plus the sensible advertising transfer of permitting the console to additionally play CDs. This is a tactic PlayStation would quickly use to even better impact. While it lagged behind when it comes to gross sales, the N64 proved that Nintendo understood 3D recreation design much better than the competitors. Sega particularly struggled to translate its franchises into this new dimension, plus was additionally shedding its clients’ religion with how shortly it was releasing new {hardware}. This would additionally mark the final main console from Atari.
On the hand held facet, Nintendo was nonetheless primarily unchallenged. It launched the upgraded Game Boy Color to boost its video games with greater than two-tone display, however much more highly effective competitors just like the Nomad or Neo Geo Pocket couldn’t overtake Nintendo’s stranglehold on the house.
Notable consoles within the fifth technology:
Atari Jaguar
3DO
Sega Saturn
Sega 32X
PlayStation
Nintendo 64
Game Boy Color
Neo Geo Pocket
Genesis Nomad
Sixth technology: 1998 – 2005
Sega
At this level within the timeline, the variety of gamers within the dwelling console house was shrinking to some powerhouses. This was Sega’s final gasp with the Dreamcast earlier than it could throw within the towel on {hardware} and give attention to publishing, however not for an absence of nice Dreamcast video games. Nintendo was nonetheless feeling the stress from each Sony and Microsoft with its first console, the Xbox. Despite nice video games like Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikmin, and Animal Crossing, it couldn’t match the success of both rival. Xbox had a really robust begin not solely due to a robust lineup of video games, most notably Halo: Combat Evolved, however technical improvements like a streamlined on-line console multiplayer expertise by way of Xbox Live. Despite that, it was now the one actual competitors on the town for handheld video games and eventually launched a real Game Boy successor with the Game Boy Advance.
It goes with out saying that the PS2 crushed this technology to the purpose the place it stays the best-selling console ever made. Games performed a giant half in that, however what made it such a phenomenon and attain the widest potential viewers was the truth that it was the one console that doubled as a DVD participant.
Notable consoles within the sixth technology:
Seventh technology: 2005 – 2013
Microsoft
Also often called the HD-era, the seventh technology firmly established the three-way console battle between Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox. Home consoles have been now fully mainstream and video games have been breaking media information left and proper. Xbox and PlayStation’s newest programs have been making an attempt to transition into extra than simply online game machines, however full leisure containers with extra app integration and on-line providers. Xbox Live actually got here into its personal for on-line multiplayer, which PlayStation additionally tailored to with a competing on-line and PlayStation Plus service. Console exclusives have been the primary variations between programs now, with Xbox constructing a repute on video games like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza whereas PlayStation established franchises like Uncharted, Infamous, and The Last of Us.
Nintendo made its first main gamble with a console and determined in opposition to competing straight with Xbox and PlayStation and as an alternative caught to SD graphics however as an alternative centered on a system absolutely constructed on movement controls. The Wii, regardless of its lack of energy, was such a cultural second that it lastly introduced Nintendo again to the highest of the gross sales charts on the again of video games like Wii Sports, Mario Galaxy, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
PlayStation additionally made its first try and get a reduce of the hand held market with the PSP competing in opposition to Nintendo’s new DS line.
Notable consoles within the seventh technology:
Eighth technology: 2012 – 2020
PlayStation
Even when the PS2 was the clear dominant drive of its technology, Xbox and Nintendo have been nonetheless each wholesome opponents. The eighth technology was one in every of huge missteps for everybody besides PlayStation, letting its PS4 run away with the lead proper up till the very finish. The Xbox One received off to a horrible begin with poor messaging that centered on media over video games, DRM restrictions, and requiring the movement sensor Kinect that elevated the value by $100 over the PS4. On the opposite hand, Nintendo tried to recreate the identical success with the Wii U, and even launched it two years earlier than the PS4 and Xbox One, but additionally failed in its communication resulting in the worst-performing system within the firm’s historical past. Thankfully the brand new 3DS handheld was doing effectively, however Nintendo made the decision to chop its technology quick and launched the Switch in 2017. Merging its dwelling console and hybrid programs collectively ended up being a superb transfer that fully turned the corporate’s outlook.
PlayStation took one final shot on the handheld market with the Vita, but it surely ended up falling in need of what the PSP managed to do by a big margin.
Notable consoles within the eighth technology:
Ninth technology: 2020 – current
Future Publishing/Getty Images
That brings us to the ninth and present console technology. Despite its finest efforts Xbox continues to battle with its Xbox Series X and S programs in contrast the the PS5, though each programs had a rocky begin as a result of provide constraints. Xbox made a few of the largest acquisitions in business historical past this technology with the likes of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard however can be transferring away from console-exclusive video games. It stays to be seen if it should proceed to put money into {hardware} or pivot to a third-party writer like Sega earlier than it.
Nintendo continued to benefit from the recognition of the Switch even after Xbox and PlayStation launched {hardware} that dwarfed its technical energy. At lengthy final, it’s releasing the Switch 2 to reduce the hole, although probably not fully erase it.
This technology additionally noticed the rise of handheld PCs that blur the road between PC gaming and consoles. The Steam Deck was the primary to interrupt into this house in a giant method with a system that made it straightforward to play the very best Steam video games on a handheld, with many others following swimsuit.
There are nonetheless a number of years left to go on this technology however we do have an concept of what upcoming consoles would possibly seem like that can outline the tenth technology.
Notable consoles within the ninth technology:
PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X/S
Steam Deck
Switch 2