Which console make up the list of game consoles? A new generation of gaming consoles is released every three to five years.
Video games are unique among artistic mediums because they constantly evolve to accommodate fresh player input.
This article will look at the list of video game consoles and their release date. It’s true that, as time passes, technology improves across the board.
However, the foundation of gaming rests on the shoulders of this era of console development.
Three major corporations often compete for gamers’ attention: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.
Sega and Atari have all released massive systems in the past, but now, only three companies can claim to be industry leaders in the console space.
As studios compete, each one’s fortunes rise and fall. Back in the 1990s, Sega and Nintendo were rivals.
Early in the 2000s, Microsoft’s Xbox completely rewrote the rules with its online play.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are at odds, each hoping to cement its place in gaming history. Naturally, the Nintendo Switch has paid for itself.
Keeping this in mind, we went back over the history of gaming consoles and attempted to rank them from best to worst and most influential to least.
See below for the list of video game consoles.
1. Nintendo Wii
- Released In 2012
Awful, terrible Wii U. In limbo between the Wii and the Nintendo Switch, neither loved nor hated.
They were never given a chance. The console’s debut lineup was only somewhat encouraging, despite including a touchpad controller with a screen.
(Want to play some Transformers Prime with me?) The Wii U failed to attract buyers at the time.
If you need any background, Switch sales have already eclipsed Wii U lifetime totals. This is the first on our list of video game consoles.
Despite its mixed reception, Nintendo’s 21st-century middle child, the Wii U, paved the path for an all-timer in the Switch.
This is the first on the list of video game consoles.
2. Microsoft Xbox Series X
- Released in 2020
The PlayStation 5 indeed was released around the same time as the Xbox Series X, but the Xbox’s performance is just marginally worse.
And its rise to prominence is likely to accelerate in the coming years. For such an early release, the Xbox Series X has a lot going for it.
To begin, it’s the best at being compatible with older systems. Even after 400 additions, Xbox Game Pass remains the best way to play games.
However, the PlayStation 5 has received far stronger first-party titles following its release in the two years following its release. Indeed, it is now all that stands between them.
3. Sony Playstation 5
- Released in 2020
Next on our list of video game consoles is PlayStation 5. It’s worth repeating that PlayStation’s current-gen system has a good shot at raising this list in the future. It’s still in its infant stages at this point. Sure, it has all the necessary oh-shit visuals and tech specifications.
With games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, God of War: Ragnarok, and Ghost of Tsushima, it has routinely outperformed the current-gen Xbox in exclusives. On the other hand, the PS5 has been a tale of scarcity thus far.
The first time they were readily accessible at retail pricing was around the holidays, but now that the holiday supply has been depleted, it’s time to start looking online again. Sony also achieved an official sales milestone of 25 million devices.
If this indicates future performance, the PS5 can overtake the Xbox One as the preferred gaming console in the coming years.
4. Nintendo Wii
- Released In 2006
It’s good knowlegoodthat I supervise all official Wii Sports fan accounts and groups. Also, Wii should be here, if only to include Wii Sports.
The Wii was a revolutionary breakthrough in gaming not because of novelty features or motion controls but because it made video games more accessible to a wider audience.
Anyone of any age could take it up and play it easily, from preteens to grandmas and grandpas. The market went crazy for it because of the inclusive “let’s connect over gaming” vibe it radiated.
The Wii contributed to the democratization of video gaming. As if that weren’t enough, its library was also excellent, with some of the finest Mario games (Smash, Mario Kart), many more remakes, and new intellectual properties that made it a nearly perfect platform for its time.
5. Sega Genesis
- Released In 1989
Regarding video games, Sega wanted to be the cool, trendy alternative to Nintendo’s family-friendly offerings, so it stepped into the market in 1989. Even though it is an arbitrary decision today, it served Sega well for a considerable time.
Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, and Earthworm Jim were among the games that helped expand the video game market. This is a great addition to our list of video game consoles.
Although the Genesis and its precursor, the Master System, aren’t as well-remembered as Nintendo’s historical systems, they left an effect, and these games caught the essence of the ’90s well. The Genesis outsold the Nintendo 64 by a wide margin, selling 35 million copies.
6. Microsoft Xbox
- Released In 2001
It was a tough choice between the original Xbox and the Xbox 360, but we ultimately favored the former due to its greater sense of novelty.
It was the first Xbox system that launched Microsoft into the gaming industry and was responsible for introducing the world to the wildly successful Halo series.
Most notably, the first Xbox introduced a brand-new online online online method to play video games, known today as Xbox Live. It was a huge step forward in gaming, and its internet innovations have become de facto standards.
7. Sony Playstation
- Released In 1995.
The PlayStation 1 was released before the Nintendo 64, despite popular belief to the contrary. Although Nintendo’s 1996 console is often credited with kicking off the 3D gaming era, the PS1 led the way in 1995.
Sony’s platform introduced 3D gaming to fans with games like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII. While still producing goofy titles like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, it took a more mature approach to the gaming business.
Among video game consoles, the PS1 stands out. Yet the PlayStation 2 came along and completely eclipsed it. This is one of the best consoles on our list of video game consoles.
8. Super Nintendo (Snes)
- Released In 1991
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) is often considered the best console. Its cutting-edge visuals and rudimentary 3D capabilities helped propel the industry into the 16-bit era.
The SNES’s most remarkable feature was its endless supply of innovative games. Super Mario World forever changed the genre of platformers. A whole subgenre of video games owes its existence to The Legend of Zelda:
A Link to the Past. Donkey Kong Country, Super Metroid, Star Fox, Super Mario Kart, etc. People are rediscovering the brilliance of the Super Nintendo as the system’s library has been added to the Nintendo Switch’s online service. I’m envious of those just now getting to try it out.
9. Sony Playstation 4
- Released In 2013
When PlayStation 3 lagged behind Xbox 360 in the previous system generation, Sony’s PS4 stepped up to the plate and led the pack until the release of the PS5. This is one of the best on our list of video game consoles.
Look at all its exclusive titles, from God of War and Spider-Man to the remaster of Final Fantasy VII, Death Stranding, and The Last of Us 2. Throughout its run, it consistently added exclusive content.
As a bonus, it was the first console to have a “real” VR headset that performed rather well for a considerably more reasonable price than Vive. In addition to its many strengths, the PlayStation 4’s games games games catalog was remarkable.
10. Nintendo Switch
- Released In 2017
Nintendo followed Sega’s path to irrelevance after the dismal sales of the Wii U for many years; the company stopped making consoles and instead focused on distributing its games to more popular platforms.
To everyone’s surprise, Nintendo then released the Switch. In October 2016, when it was originally shown off, only some were convinced that the console could also function as a handheld.
With games like Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and the forthcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom), gamers couldn’t help but get on board with Nintendo’s strange new concept.
The gaming community opted in. The Switch’s lasting effect is already readily seen with the latest efforts of Microsoft and Sony to provide their console experiences on portable displays.
11. Nintendo NES
- Released In 1985
After Atari almost wiped off the home console business, the NES came along and revitalized the industry. Some of gaming’s most recognizable characters, like Link, Kirby, and Mario, got their start on the trusty old gray block.
The fact that many of these games are still really enjoyable and addicting means that they keep being re-released. This is another great addition to our list of video game consoles.
As a gaming system, the NES was ahead of its time thanks to features like the in-home light gun for Duck Hunt and a vast library of games (at least until Sega entered the market). This system, which is 35 years old, looks, sounds, and plays just as well as it did when it was first released.
12. Sony PlayStation 2
- Released In 2000
You could play games on this system. That’s a lot of playtime options. To play any games. You may play any game you choose.
Fantastic first-person shooters, excellent licensed games, the best Bond games since GoldenEye, incredible role-playing games, racing games, open worlds, Grand Theft Auto, Kingdom Hearts, TimeSplitters, and more.
You could play every popular game at the time of this writing here—everything except Halo. The new DualShock controllers and plethora of quality-of-life enhancements over the PS1 made the experience extraordinary, and the visuals did not disappoint.
AAA’s plethora of games had never been seen on a platform since the PS2 was so simple to program for. This system is special in my heart since it was the original home to many games that would later become some of my favorites.
The PS2’s marketing efforts, the icing on the cake, are quintessential throwbacks to the period in which they were created.
13. Nintendo N64
- Released In 1996
Lucky enough to have been born in the 1980s or 1990s, we had our formative years shaped by the Nintendo 64. Sony’s PS1 was instrumental in introducing 3D gaming, but Nintendo’s N64 demonstrated the medium’s medium’s medium’s full potential.
Gameplay in Mario 64’s 3D platformers revolutionized the genre. And Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda, was the first true masterpiece in video games.
The N64 was a groundbreaking platform because of its innovative design and ideas, despite drawbacks such as a clumsy controller, cumbersome cartridges, and the device’s inability to handle its most demanding games.
