The Best Video Game Consoles of All Time

The lineage of video game consoles will forever be long and wide, stretching as far back as the 1970s and, in all likelihood, well into the future. Different companies tried out a lot of different technologies while all shooting for the same goal: to deliver the highest possible standard for gaming to as many people as possible.

While the battlefield remains littered with far more failures than successes, the ones that got it right remain why the gaming space became the popular entertainment juggernaut we know it as today.

1. Playstation 2 (2000)

As one of the best-selling consoles of all time, Sony’s PlayStation 2 casts quite a shadow over the rest of the pack. Sure, it decimated the competition with the ability to play DVDs while being backward-compatible with PS1 games, but the exquisite library really solidified the PlayStation 2’s dominance.

Dozens of shooters, tons of platformers, a cavalcade of racing games, horror games out the wazoo, and a cornucopia of experimental titles like Katamari Damacy and Mister Mosquito ensured the PS2’s library had enough for everyone. Much of this catalog remains playable to this day, which speaks to why the PS2 found itself in such a powerful position over 20 years ago.

2. Playstation 1 (1994)

Sony’s PS1 emerged from the fires of betrayal. After Nintendo and Sega both backed out of deals to work with Sony on a 32-bit console, Sony decided to go it alone. A risky decision in the tumultuous age of the 90s, indeed. This era saw lots of change and big question marks about what gamers would want from their next console. The risk paid off though, and the Sony PlayStation would end up outselling its competition all on fronts.

Sega, Nintendo, Panasonic and other video game consoles had their rumps handed to them in this generation as the PlayStation’s 3D graphics, CD-ROM format, and fresh icons like Crash Bandicoot took the world by storm. On top of that, the console would normalize portable memory cards, and dual analog sticks, and even double as a CD player for anyone looking to rock out to some Creed.

3. Atari Vcs/2600 (1977)

Similar to how Nintendo’s NES would gaming into the mainstream, The Atari 2600 brought gaming into the living room. While not the first console of its type, it did the best job of bringing a slew of arcade games, durable controllers, and simple (for the time) functionality into homes around the world.

Games like Asteroids, Missile Command, and Pitfall still rattle around in the memories of gamers today and even show some profitability with the occasional port to modern systems. Nintendo and Sega would steal the spotlight in the following decade, and Atari video games consoles would never quite get it back in the same way, but the feeling that gamers today owe a lot to Atari still lingers.

4. Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System (1983)

If the Nintendo Entertainment System had never emerged, this listicle might not exist. In fact, most of the great games we all know and love today might not have been made. None other than Nintendo’s Famicom brought gaming back from the precipice of irrelevance with its family-friendly library of exceptional titles for video game consoles.

With Mario, Zelda, and Kirby all making appearances and excellent third-party support from Konami, Irem, and Capcom, the console became unstoppable, and blew up even more after being brought to the west as the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. The NES/Famicom remained a popular device well into the 90s, and remains a top choice among retro fans to this day.

5. Nintendo Wii (2006)

By 2006, Nintendo remained well-known for taking risks, but none of their wild ideas seemed quite as far-fetched as the motion-based remote controls of the Wii.

Minimal buttons and a heavy emphasis on motion controls seemed counter to what video game consoles had been building towards. While Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 focused on complex games with massive open worlds and online functionality, Nintendo’s Wii remotes and emphasis on simple, motion-based gameplay felt like a bizarre choice. Strange or not, there’s no denying how successful and mainstream the Wii would become.

Nintendo’s ability to integrate this new type of control into their games and even play host to a wide array of other, less motion-related games kept from becoming too niche, and their roster of accessible exercise and sports-themed games brought in a whole new audience of non-gamers looking for a fun way to burn some calories. Love it or hate it, the Wii broke down barriers, brought families together, and ushered in a new trend in gaming technology.

6. Nintendo Switch (2017)

The jury remains out on just how well the Nintendo Switch will sell, but make no mistake, it has revolutionized gaming in some unexpected ways. Gone are the days when Nintendo had to split its audience, with one half focused on portable games and the other on home console games. With that, and the confusion of the Wii and WiiU also laid to rest, the Switch marks a new, more straightforward era for Nintendo.

Taking Mario Odyssey on the bus or playing it at home on a big TV can be done with the same device with the included dock. Outstanding games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pikmin 4, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder provides a mere taste of the wealth of timeless games the Switch offers, and the flexibility of the joycons even maintains some of the magic of the Wii with a more well-rounded controller making every type of game playable.

7. Super Famicom/Super NES (1990)

With NEC’s PC Engine and Sega’s Megadrive video game consoles breathing down Nintendo’s neck in the late 80s, the Japanese monolith would face its biggest challenge yet. As such, after a short delay, Nintendo would hit back at its competitors with the Super Nintendo/Famicom in 1990.

Fancy controllers with extra buttons, high-quality sound, portable saves, and a slew of other bells and whistles made the SNES a real stunner for its time. As always, though, Nintendo’s library of games would seal the deal. New entries from tried-and-true franchises as well as some new ones like Mario Kart and Star Fox would take advantage of the SNES in ways that the competition could only dream of with simulated 3D environments and an enormous color palette.

8. Sega Megadrive/Genesis (1989)

Perhaps Nintendo’s greatest foe, the Sega Megadrive/Genesis would come within inches of taking the western market from Nintendo thanks to its edgy marketing, exciting arcade-quality games, and its ability to appeal to older kids, teens, and adults.

Nintendo’s NES looked downright anemic compared to the 16-bit Genesis, and fresh faces like Sonic the Hedgehog would elevate the console into the halls of excellence by 1991. While the console would struggle in Japan under the Megadrive name, North American and European markets couldn’t get enough of its chunky sound chip and mature library that would feature more violent and experimental games than anything one could find on Nintendo.

9. Xbox 360 (2005)

Microsoft showed what it could do with the original Xbox with advanced graphics and multimedia capability, then built upon that foundation with its successor. The Xbox 360 stumbled out of the gate with faulty consoles and HD-DVD format that ended up not catching on, but before too long, the console amassed such a stellar library that most people forgave those initial blunders.

Perfecting the Xbox controller would prove instrumental, and continuing flagship franchises like Halo and Gears of War galvanized fans of the previous system. Microsoft also did a great job courting third-party developers, an effort accelerated by Sony’s PS3 being expensive and difficult to develop. While the PS3 would overtake the 360 in a few years, Microsoft still showed they knew how to give Sony a run for their money for several years.

10. Xbox (2001)

Microsoft’s Xbox stood tall as an impressive beast in 2001 and remains so today. Launching in a competitive era for video game consoles that had Sony’s PS2, Nintendo’s Gamecube, and Sega’s Dreamcast to contend with, somehow, the Xbox carved out it’s own slice of the market and catered to them with outstanding games like Halo, Fable, and superior ports of popular third party games.

On top of that a modular operating system allowed simple storage of music files and upgradable hard drives. Introducing the asymmetrical dual analog sticks would also prove an excellent decision, as it’s a preference that persists to this day.

11. Nintendo 64 (1996)

Much like how the Super NES responded to Sega’s 16-bit Genesis, the Nintendo 64 responded to Sony’s and Sega’s 32-bit video game consoles. With 64 right in the name, Nintendo made it clear that their new system would wipe the floor with the competition, and in a lot of ways, especially on a technical level, it did.

The N64 brought aging franchises like Mario and Zelda into the 3D future and even brought some new characters into the mix like Banjo Kazooie. Despite being clunky to use, the controller even made first-person shooters like Doom 64 and Goldeneye playable in a satisfying way with a real trigger button. The N64 had its sore spots being a cartridge-based system in the CD-rom era, but for the time, the N64 showed that Nintendo would not be pushed out of the industry any time soon.

12. Playstation 3 (2006)

The PlayStation 3 can be characterized in several ways. Expensive, hard to develop for, confusing, and slow to justify itself with a satisfactory library.

That’s all true. Sony’s third mainline console could also be called a technological marvel, consumer-friendly with free multiplayer services, backward compatible with thousands of games, and boasting an excellent library with timeless classics like Uncharted 2, Resistance: Fall of Man, Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, The Last of Us, and more.

On top of that, the PS3 served as a great Blu-ray player while being cheaper than most standalone Blu-ray players. Despite a slow start, an underwhelming controller, and a stuffy UI, the PS3 did a wonderful job of ushering in the HD era and solidifying Sony’s first-party studios as the most respected developers in the industry.

13. Sega Dreamcast (1998)

Many argue that Sega pulled the plug on the Dreamcast too soon, and it’s difficult to disagree after taking a look at its admirable library. Despite focusing on arcade games at a time when more cutting-edge experiences like Devil May Cry and God of War felt like all the rage, the Dreamcast still managed to establish a unique fanbase during its short life.

The nifty VMU and online capabilities remained underutilized. That said, the games, while simpler than what the competition from other video game consoles offered, still provided a lot of fun in short bursts. Had the Dreamcast been given another year or two to blossom into an arcade powerhouse, who knows where Sega would be right now?

14. PC Engine/Turbografx-16 (1987)

Considered the dark horse of 16-bit consoles in North America, the PC Engine amassed an army of fans in the Eastern market. Being the first to mount a meaningful challenge to Nintendo’s dominance also had its perks in Asia, as many gamers became hungry for something a little different in the late 80s.

NEC and Hudson Soft’s union proved a successful one at first, with excellent games like Bonk, Bomberman, Soldier Blade and Legendary Axe dazzling gamers with their advanced color palettes, scrolling layers, and outstanding music. That splash failed to transfer over when the system came to the west as the TurboGrafx-16, but it still garnered a small fanbase for the same reasons. The system impressed when compared to its 8-bit contemporaries, but when the 16-bit generation kicked off, the TurboGrafx-16 showed its age.

The TurboGrafx-16 CD attachment emerged as the first attempt of a game console to put games on discs, but by that point the 16-bit generation had already begun to decline and buzz circulated about the next generation. Despite being ill-fated in the West and underpowered compared to its true competitors, the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 introduced the world to true 16-bit gaming at home, despite only seeing the spotlight for a short while.

15. Colecovision (1982)

The Atari 2600 saw several competing video game consoles come and go, many of which had games that looked and played better. The Colecovision put up the best fight against Atari’s juggernaut console, and for a while, almost stood toe-to-toe with it.

While it failed to catch on, it still brought some excellent ports of arcade games that played better than Atari’s versions. With that, multiple expansions that broadened the console’s capabilities and a unique controller, the Colecovision mounted a valiant effort in the age of Atari.