The 13 Best Video Game Consoles of All Time, Ranked
Every three-to-five years, video game fans are treated to a new generation of consoles. In this way, gaming is different than any other artform—it’s as if someone invented a new way to experience music or movies every few years. Sure, technology advances over the decades in all mediums. But gaming is founded upon these so-called console generations.
At any given time, there are usually three massive companies duking it out for players' attention: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. In past years, we’ve seen huge systems from Sega, Atari, Intellivision, and others, but today, the big three absolutely dominate the console market. And, as the companies vie for dominance, the success of each studio ebbs and flows. Sega and Nintendo competed back in the '90s. The online capabilities of Microsoft’s Xbox changed the game in the early 2000s. Now, the battle is on between the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, both of which are fighting to etch their names in the gaming pantheon. (The Nintendo Switch, of course, has already earned its keep.)
But it’s not just specs and sales that make a console great. Games, of course, are everything. A system is only as good as the applications that support it. The quality (and quantity) of original and third-party titles can make or break a console. And while we’ve had some technologically powerful consoles over the years, only a select few have been propelled by a sizable catalog of exceptional video games.
Taking all of this into account, we ran back through decades of gaming to attempt to sort out the best—and most influential—consoles we've ever seen. Here are the best consoles in the history of gaming, ranked.
NINTENDO
Wii U
Released in 2012
Poor, poor Wii U. Lost somewhere between its predecessor, the Wii, and its successor, the Nintendo Switch. Never got a fair shot. The console, which featured a touchpad controller with a display, launched with a mildly disappointing slate of titles. (Anyone up for a game of Transformers Prime?) Then, no one… really bought the Wii U. The Switch has already surpassed the amount of consoles the Wii U ever sold, if you need some context. Though, the Wii U did pave the way for an all-timer in the Switch, so the efforts of Nintendo’s 21st-century middle child weren’t all for naught. —B.L.
MICROSOFT
Xbox Series X
Released in 2020
To be fair, the Xbox Series X only slightly falls behind the PlayStation 5, which debuted at just around the same time. And it could very well rocket up the ranks in the next few years. This early on, the Xbox Series X has a lot going for it. It’s the champion of backwards compatibility, to start. Xbox Game Pass and its 400-game-deep catalog still rules. But in the two years since launch, the PlayStation 5 has had far-and-away better platform exclusive games. And at this point, that's really all that separates them. —B.L.
SONY
Playstation 5
Released in 2020
Again: PlayStation's current-gen console could easily creep its way up this list in the coming years. It’s just that it’s in its infancy. Sure, it's loaded with all the oh-shit graphics and tech specs you’d ever want. It has pretty consistently beat the current-gen Xbox on exclusive titles with the likes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, God of War Ragnarok, and Ghost of Tsushima. But the story of the PS5, thus far, has been scarcity. This past holiday season was the first time they were widely available at retail price, and now that the holiday stock is cleared... it's back to scouring the internet for one. Sony also officially broke 25 million units sold. If this indicates any sort of trend, the PS5 might become fan favorite in the next few years and leave its Microsoft counterpart in the dust. —B.L.
NINTENDO
Wii
Released in 2006
It’s no secret that I'm the president of all Wii Sports fan accounts and clubs. And honestly, Wii deserves to be on this list just for Wii Sports. The Wii was a remarkable turning point for the gaming industry—not because of gimmicks and motion controls, but because it renormalized gaming. Everyone, and I mean kids, teens, parents, and grandparents, knew what it was and how to pick it up and play. It was the hottest thing on the market, with its family-friendly, “let's bond over gaming” attitude. The Wii helped make gaming accessible for everyone. It also had a killer library, with some of the best Mario titles (Smash, Mario Kart) and many other remakes and new IPs, making it a near perfect console for its time. —C.S.
SEGA
Genesis
Released in 1989
Sega entered the game in 1989 in an effort to be the cooler, hipper alternative to Nintendo’s more kid-friendly programming. And while that may seem like an arbitrary choice now, for a good chunk of years, it really worked for Sega. Titles like Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, and Earthworm Jim really broadened the canvas of the industry. These games captured the spirit of the '90s, and while the Genesis or its predecessor, the Master System, aren’t exactly as well-remembered as Nintendo’s landmark consoles, they did leave an impression. Heck, the Genesis sold 35 million units; that’s more than even the Nintendo 64. —D.N.
MICROSOFT
Xbox
Released in 2001
It was a close call between the OG Xbox and the 360, but we felt that the freshness of the original just edges out the later model. The original Xbox console started Microsoft's now-massive gaming empire, and it brought the vastly popular Halo franchise to the gaming world. Above all else, the first Xbox revolutionized the way we now play online with Xbox Live. It was a monumental gaming achievement that made such a splash that its online practices are an industry standard today. —C.S.
SONY
Playstation
Released in 1995
Contrary to what you may remember, the Sony PS1 actually came out before the N64. While Nintendo’s 1996 console is regularly regarded as the system that launched the industry into the third dimension, it was actually the PS1 that pushed everything forward in 1995. Sony’s console took gamers into the 3D space with titles like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII. It offered a more serious, adult take on the industry, while still providing zany kid games like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. The PS1 was a landmark console. But in the end, it was overshadowed by its vastly superior successor, the PlayStation 2. —D.N.
NINTENDO
Super Nintendo (SNES)
Released in 1991
For many, the SNES is still the gold standard for video game consoles. Pushing the industry into the 16-bit space, it boasted forward-thinking graphics and was even capable of some primitive 3D, too. But what was most impressive about the SNES was its seemingly bottomless library of groundbreaking games. Super Mario World rewrote the book on platformers. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past practically created an entire genre. And then there’s Donkey Kong Country, Super Metroid, Star Fox, Super Mario Kart—the list goes on. With the SNES catalog getting added to the Nintendo Switch’s online service, people are rediscovering the glory of the Super Nintendo. I envy those who are just now getting the chance to play it for the first time. —D.N.
SONY
Playstation 4
Released in 2013
Prior to the PS5, the PS4 led the console wars last round after PlayStation 3 staggered behind Xbox 360, and it's easy to see why. Just look at its huge catalog of exclusives, from God of War to Spider-Man, to games like the Final Fantasy VII remake, Death Stranding, and The Last of Us 2. The exclusives just kept coming throughout its life. In addition, it was the first console with a “true” VR headset—sorry, Labo—that worked pretty well for a much more affordable price than the likes of Vive. The PlayStation 4 had versatility and a phenomenal library to boot. —C.S.
NINTENDO
Switch
$299 AT AMAZON
$295 AT WALMART
$300 AT DELL.COM
Released in 2017
After years of irrelevance with the poorly selling Wii U, Nintendo seemed like it was going the way of Sega: no longer producing consoles and just distributing its games to the superior systems of the day. But then Nintendo shocked everyone with the release of the Switch. Upon its first reveal in October 2016, not everyone seemed sold on the idea of a console that could somehow double as its own portable handheld. But with huge titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (and upcoming sequel Tears of the Kingdom), Super Mario Odyssey, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for fans of gaming it seemed impossible not to opt into Nintendo’s weird new idea. And opt into it gamers did. The Switch continues to sell like hot cakes, and with Microsoft and Sony's recent attempts to deliver their console experiences on portable screens, the enduring influence of the Switch can be plainly seen already. —D.N.
NINTENDO
NES
Released in 1985
The NES console completely reinvigorated at-home gaming after the Atari nearly collapsed the market. This was a jumping-off point for many of gaming’s most successful franchises, with some of the biggest faces in video games—like Zelda, Kirby, and of course, Mario—getting their humble start on the grey brick. There’s a reason these games keep getting re-released: Many of them are still extremely fun and addictive. The NES console itself had a huge library and little competition (until Sega jumped in), along with some cutting-edge tech, like the in-home light gun for Duck Hunt. Almost everything about this 35-year-old console still holds up today. —C.S.
SONY
Playstation 2
Released in 2000
This console had games. So many games. Every type of game. Any game you wanted. Great shooters, fantastic licensed games, the only really good Bond games outside of GoldenEye, amazing RPGs, racers, open worlds, GTAs, Kingdom Hearts, TimeSplitters...all of it. Everything in gaming at the time was here, save for Halo. The graphics felt amazing, and the new DualShocks and quality-of-life improvements from the PS1 made it remarkable. The PS2 system was also notoriously easy to develop for, allowing for a mound of titles yet unseen on a console up to this point. Many of my favorite games today lived on this console, as they did for many others, easily earning it a top slot on this list. And to top it all off, the PS2's ad campaigns are just so perfectly of their era. —C.S.
NINTENDO
N64
Released in 1996
For folks who were lucky enough to grow up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the Nintendo 64 defined our childhoods. Though Sony’s PS1 helped bring gaming into 3D, it was the N64 that really showed the breadth of experience that 3D games could deliver to players. Mario 64 made 3D platforming an artform unto itself. And The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was arguably gaming’s first masterpiece. Though the N64’s controller was clunky, the cartridges were awkward, and the console could sometimes barely run its more demanding titles, the imaginative and forward-thinking N64 still remains a pinnacle for the industry. And no, you can’t beat me in GoldenEye. —D.N.
From: Esquire US
