This is a list of Game consoles by the era they occurred in. Eras are named based on the dominant console type of the era, though not all consoles of those eras are of the same type. Some eras are referred to based on how many bits a major console could process. Also included in this list are handheld game systems, which are usually of lower computational power than the set-top consoles of the same era. Consoles marketed and sold as general-purpose computers or that can play only a set of built-in games are not included.
First and second generation (1958–1982)[]
name | release date | manufacturer | type |
---|---|---|---|
Magnavox Odyssey | 1972 | Magnavox | console |
Coleco Telstar | 1976 | Coleco | Dedicated |
Fairchild Channel F / Video Entertainment System (VES) | 1976 | Fairchild | console |
Channel F System II | 1979 | Fairchild | console |
Philips Odyssey | 1976 | Philips | console |
Pong | 1976 | Atari Inc. | Arcade |
RCA Studio II | 1976 | RCA | console |
Atari 2600 / Atari Video Computer System (VCS) / Sears Video Arcade | 1977 | Atari Inc. | console |
Atari 2600 Jr. | 1986 | Atari Inc. | console |
Atari 2700 / Atari Remote Control VCS | canceled | Atari Inc | console |
Atari 2800 / Sears Video Arcade II (Japan Only) | 1983 | Atari, Inc | console |
Coleco Gemini (Atari 2600 hardware clone) | ~1982 | Coleco | console |
TV Boy | ~1990 | console | |
TV Boy 2 | console | ||
Super TV-Boy | 1995 | Akor | console |
Bally Astrocade | 1977 | Midway | console |
Color TV Game 6 (Japan Only) | 1977 | Nintendo | Dedicated |
Color TV Game 15 (Japan Only) | 1978 | Nintendo | Dedicated |
Color TV Racing 112 (Japan Only) | 1978 | Nintendo | Dedicated |
Color TV Game Block Breaker (Japan Only) | 1979 | Nintendo | Dedicated |
Computer TV Game (Japan Only) | ~1979 | ||
Interton VC 4000 | 1978 | Interton | console |
Magnavox Odyssey² | 1978 | Magnavox / Philips | console |
APF Imagination Machine | 1979 | APF | console |
Microvision | 1979 | Milton Bradley | Handheld |
Game & Watch | 1980 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Intellivision | 1980 | Mattel | console |
Intellivision II | 1983 | Mattel | console |
System Changer (Unlicensed Atari 2600 Compatibility) | |||
PlayCable | 1981 | ||
CreatiVision | 1981 | VTech | console |
Epoch Cassette Vision | 1981 | Epoch | console |
Emerson Arcadia 2001 (Leisure Vision in Canada) | 1982 | Emerson Radio | console |
Atari 5200 | 1982 | Atari Inc. | console |
Atari 5100 / Atari 5200 Jr. | canceled | Atari Inc. | |
ColecoVision | 1982 | Coleco | console |
Expansion Module #1 (Unlicensed Atari 2600 Compatibility) | |||
Commodore MAX Machine | 1982 | Commodore | console / Home computer |
Entex Adventure Vision | 1982 | Entex | console |
Vectrex | 1982 | Smith Engineering | console |
* Consoles of the early 1970s, such as Pong and Magnavox Odyssey were often inaccurately called "analog" but actually discrete logic circuits.[1]
Third generation (1983–1989)[]
name | release date | manufacturer | type |
---|---|---|---|
MSX | 1983 | Microsoft Japan | console / Home Computer |
Game Boy | 1989 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Game Boy Pocket | 1996 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Game Boy Light (Japan Only) | 1997 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Sega Game Gear | 1991 | Sega | Handheld |
PV-1000 | 1983 | Casio | console |
Super Cassette Vision | 1984 | Epoch | console |
Supergame VG 3000 | 1985 | CCE | console [1] |
Commodore 64GS | 1990 | Commodore | console |
TurboGrafx-16 | 1989 | NEC | console |
PC Engine | 1987 | NEC | console |
Atari 7800 | 1986 | Atari Corporation | console |
Sega SG-1000 | 1983 | Sega | console |
Sega SG-1000 II | 1984 | Sega | console |
Sega Master System, Sega Mark III | 1985 | Sega | console |
Sega Master System II | 1992 | Sega | console |
Sega Master System III | Sega | console | |
PlayPal | 2006 | Coleco | Handheld |
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) / Famicom | 1983 | Nintendo | console |
C1 NES TV / Sharp Nintendo Television | 1983, Japan | Sharp / Nintendo | console |
NES-101 / AV Famicom | 1993 | Nintendo | console |
Famicom Disk System (Japan Only) | 1986 | Nintendo | console add-on |
Action Max | 1987 | Worlds of Wonder | console |
Amstrad GX4000 | 1990 | Amstrad | console |
Template:Seealso
Fourth generation (1989–1993)[]
name | release date | manufacturer | type |
---|---|---|---|
Sega Mega Drive / Sega Genesis | 1989 | Sega | console |
Sega Mega Drive II | Sega | console | |
Sega Genesis II (North America Only) | 1994[2] | Sega | console |
Sega Mega Drive III (Brazil Only) | Sega | console | |
Sega Genesis 3 (Americas) | 1998 | Sega | console |
Sega CD | 1992 | Sega | console add-on |
Sega Genesis 32X / Sega Mega Drive 32X / Sega Super 32X | 1994 | Sega | console add-on |
JVC X'eye / The Wondermega | Sega / JVC | console | |
Atari Lynx | 1989 | Atari Corporation | Handheld |
Action Gamemaster | Unreleased, aprox. 1992 | Active Enterprises | Handheld |
TurboGrafx-16 | 1989 | NEC | console |
TurboGrafx-CD | NEC | console | |
TurboExpress | 1990 | NEC | Handheld |
SuperGrafx | 1989, Japan | NEC | console |
Konix Multisystem | Unreleased | Konix | console |
Neo-Geo | 1990 | SNK | console / Arcade |
Neo-Geo CD | 1994 | SNK | console |
Neo-Geo CDZ | 1994 | SNK | console |
Commodore CDTV | 1991 | Commodore | console / Personal computer |
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) / Super Famicom | 1991 | Nintendo | console |
SF-1 SNES TV (Japan Only) | 1990 | Sharp / Nintendo | console |
SNES 2 / Super Famicom Jr. | 1997 | Nintendo | console |
SNES-CD | canceled | Nintendo | console |
Satellaview (Japan Only) | 1993 | Nintendo | console add-on |
Super Game Boy | 1994, U.K. | Nintendo | console add-on |
Super Game Boy 2 | 1998 | Nintendo | console add-on |
FM Towns Marty (Japan Only) | 1991 | Fujitsu | console |
CD-i | 1991 | Philips | console / Media player |
TurboDuo / PC Engine Duo | 1992, U.S. / 1991, Japan | Turbo Technologies | console |
Supervision | 1992 | Watara | Handheld |
Mega Duck/Cougar Boy | 1993 | Creatonic / Timlex / Videojet | Handheld |
Pioneer LaserActive | 1993 | Pioneer | console |
Sega Nomad | 1995 | Sega | Handheld |
Super A'Can | 1995 | Funtech | console |
Fifth generation (1993–1998)[]
name | release date | manufacturer | type |
---|---|---|---|
Virtual Boy | 1995 | Nintendo | console |
Apple Pippin | 1995 | Bandai | console |
PC-FX | 1994 | NEC | console |
Atari Jaguar CD | 1995 | Atari Corporation | console |
Atari Jaguar II | canceled | Atari Corporation | console |
PlayStation | 1994 | Sony | console |
PocketStation | 1999 | Sony | Handheld |
Net Yaroze | 1997 | Sony | console development kit |
PS one | 2000 | Sony | console |
Sega Saturn | 1994 | Sega | console |
3DO | 1993 | Panasonic / Sanyo / GoldStar | console |
Amiga CD32 | 1993 | Commodore | console |
Casio Loopy | 1995 | Casio | console |
R-Zone | 1995 | Tiger Electronics | Handheld |
FM Towns Marty | 1991 | Fujitsu | console |
Game.com | 1997 | Tiger Electronics | Handheld |
Pioneer LaserActive | 1993 | Pioneer | console |
Playdia | 1994 | Bandai | console |
Neo Geo Pocket | 1998 | SNK | Handheld |
Game Boy Color | 1998 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Atari Jaguar | 1993 | Atari Corporation | console |
Nintendo 64 | 1996 | Nintendo | console |
Nintendo 64DD | 1999 | Nintendo | console add-on |
Sixth generation(1998–2004)[]
name | release date | manufacturer | type |
---|---|---|---|
ApeXtreme | canceled | Apex Digital | console |
Atari Flashback | 2004 | Atari | Dedicated |
Dreamcast | 1998 | Sega | console |
Game Boy Advance | 2001 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Game Boy Advance SP | 2003 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Game Boy Advance SP Mark II | 2005 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Game Boy Micro | 2005 | Nintendo | Handheld |
GP32 | 2001 | GamePark | Handheld |
GameKing | 2005 | TimeTop | Handheld |
L600 | canceled | Indrema | console |
N-Gage | 2003 | Nokia | Handheld |
N-Gage QD | 2004 | Nokia | console |
Neo Geo Pocket Color | 1999 | SNK | Handheld |
Nintendo GameCube | 2001 | Nintendo | console |
IQue Player | 2003 | Nintendo | console |
Panasonic M2 | canceled | Panasonic | console |
Panasonic Q | 2001 | Nintendo / Panasonic | console |
PlayStation 2 | 2000 | Sony | console |
PlayStation 2 Slimline | 2004 | Sony | console |
Pokemon mini | 2001 | Nintendo | Handheld |
PSX (DVR) | 2003 | Sony | console |
Q Game Boy Player | 2001 | Panasonic / Nintendo | console |
Rumble Station | Color Dreams | Handheld TV game | |
SwanCrystal | 2002 | Bandai | Handheld |
Tapwave Zodiac | 2003 | Tapwave | Handheld |
V.Smile | VTech | console | |
WonderSwan | 1999 | Bandai | Handheld |
WonderSwan Color | 2000 | Bandai | Handheld |
XaviXPort gaming console | 2004 | console | |
Xbox | 2001 | Microsoft | console |
Seventh generation (2004–2010)[]
name | release date | manufacturer | type |
---|---|---|---|
Atari Flashback 2 | 2005 | Atari Inc. | console |
C64 Direct-to-TV | 2004 | Ironstone | Handheld TV game |
Evo: Phase One | 2006 | console | |
Fantastic Four TV game | 2005 | Jakks Pacific | Handheld TV game |
FC Twin | 2006 | Yobo | console |
GameSystem | 2010 | CUBE Design | console |
Game Wave | 2005 | ZAPiT | console |
Generation NEX | 2005 | console | |
Gizmondo | 2005 | Tiger Telematics | Handheld |
GP2X | 2005 | GamePark | Handheld |
GP2X Wiz | 2009 | GamePark | Handheld |
Mattel HyperScan | 2006 | Mattel | console |
iPhone | 2007 | Apple Inc. | Handheld |
iPod Touch | 2007 | Apple Inc. | Handheld |
N-Gage (service) | 2008 | Nokia | Handheld |
Mi2 | 2009 | Planet interactive | Handheld |
Nintendo DS | 2004 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Nintendo DS Lite | 2006 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Nintendo DSi | 2008 | Nintendo | Handheld |
Nintendo DSi XL | 2009 | Nintendo | Handheld |
OnLive | 2010 | OnLive | Gaming on demand |
Pandora | 2009 | Handheld / UMPC / PDA | |
The Phantom | Phantom | console | |
PlayStation 3 | 2006 | Sony | console |
PlayStation 3 Slim | 2009 | Sony | console |
PlayStation Portable | 2004 | Sony | Handheld |
PlayStation Portable Slim | 2007 | Sony | Handheld |
PlayStation Portable "Brite" | 2008 | Sony | Handheld |
PSP Go | 2009 | Sony | Handheld |
Space Invaders | 2004 | Radica Games | Handheld TV game |
Wii | 2006 | Nintendo | console |
Xbox 360 | 2005 | Microsoft | console |
Zeebo | 2009 | Tectoy / Qualcomm | console |
Zone 40 | 2010 | console |
See also[]
- List of best-selling game consoles
- List of Game console emulators
- List of Famiclones
- List of console clones
References[]
- ↑ Andrew Bub (June 7, 2005). The Original GamerDad: Ralph Baer. http://www.gamerdad.com.+Retrieved on February 23, 2010.
- ↑ Sega Genesis II. Retrieved on 2010-03-30.