My nephew, who is about ten, came over the other weekend. I watched him effortlessly swipe through games on his tablet, completely absorbed. For fun, I decided to show him a picture of my old Sega Genesis. He stared at the chunky black box and the controller with its tangle of wires and asked, “What is that? Why doesn’t it have a screen?” It was a funny moment, but it also got me thinking. For his generation, gaming has always been on a phone, a tablet, or a sleek, wireless device like the Nintendo Switch. This sparked a huge question in my mind: just how many gaming consoles are there when you count them all up?
It turns out that trying to put a single number on it is a real rabbit hole. Do you count the ones that only came out in Japan? What about the dozens of Pong clones from the 70s? The answer isn’t simple, but the journey to find it is a fascinating tour through the history of entertainment itself. This article is my attempt to create that definitive list, taking a walk through each “generation” of hardware to see how we got from simple paddles to the stunning virtual worlds of today.
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First, What Exactly Is a “Console Generation”?
Before we start rattling off names, we need a map. The history of video games is neatly organized into “generations.” Think of a generation as a specific era in technology, usually lasting about five or six years, where a group of consoles with similar power levels compete for your attention and allowance money. A new generation kicks off when a major technological leap happens—like the jump from 2D pixel art to 3D models. It’s the cleanest way to track the incredible evolution of gaming.
The First Generation (1972-1977): The Big Bang of Gaming
This is the primordial ooze. The consoles from this era were incredibly basic. In most cases, the games were physically built into the machine’s circuits. You couldn’t swap them out. You bought a box that played one thing, and you were happy to have it.
- Magnavox Odyssey (1972): This is the one that started it all. The Odyssey was a humble analog machine that didn’t even have a processor. It came with plastic overlays you’d tape to your television screen to create the game board for things like tennis, hockey, and submarine hunting. It was primitive, but it proved people wanted to interact with their TVs.
- Atari Home Pong (1975): While the Odyssey lit the spark, Atari’s Pong machine was the explosion. It was simple, elegant, and insanely addictive. It brought the arcade experience home and made video games a household name.
The Second Generation (1976-1984): The Cartridge Changes Everything
The defining innovation of this era was the microprocessor-based console with interchangeable ROM cartridges. Suddenly, a console wasn’t a single-game device; it was a platform. This was a revolutionary idea that laid the groundwork for the entire industry.
- Atari 2600 (1977): The undisputed champion of its time. The Atari 2600, with its iconic joystick and woodgrain finish, had a massive library of games, from arcade hits like Space Invaders to original adventures like Pitfall!.
- Intellivision (1979): Made by the toy company Mattel, the Intellivision was marketed as the more “intelligent” choice, with slightly better graphics and more complex controllers that featured a 12-button keypad.
- ColecoVision (1982): This console’s big selling point was delivering near-perfect arcade ports. Its version of Donkey Kong was a massive system-seller and showed how close home gaming could get to the real arcade experience.
This vibrant era came to a screeching halt with the North American video game crash of 1983. A glut of terrible games and too many competing systems caused the market to collapse, and many experts declared video games a dead fad.
The Third Generation (1983-1992): The 8-Bit Renaissance
Just when it seemed like home consoles were finished, a Japanese playing card company swooped in and not only saved the industry but rebuilt it in its own image. This generation was all about bright, colorful 8-bit worlds and brutally difficult (but fair) gameplay.
- Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (1985): The NES was a phenomenon. Nintendo avoided the mistakes of the past with its “Seal of Quality,” ensuring a certain level of polish. I can still hear the music from the first level of Super Mario Bros. in my head. Games like The Legend of Zelda offered huge worlds that felt impossible at the time. The NES wasn’t just a toy; it was a cultural landmark.
- Sega Master System (1986): While it lived in the NES’s shadow in the US, the Master System was a very capable machine with its own classics like Phantasy Star and Alex Kidd. It found much greater success in Europe and Brazil.
The Fourth Generation (1987-1996): The Legendary 16-Bit Console Wars
This is the generation that defined a childhood for many of us. It was a no-holds-barred schoolyard war fought between two titans, with arguments over “Blast Processing” and which mascot was cooler. The leap to 16-bit hardware meant more colors, more complex sprites, and incredible soundtracks.
- Sega Genesis (1989): Sega got a head start and leaned into an aggressive, “cool” marketing identity. The Genesis was the edgy, fast console, and its mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, was the embodiment of 90s attitude.
- Super Nintendo (SNES) (1991): Nintendo’s follow-up was a beast in its own right, with advanced graphics and sound chips that allowed for effects like scaling and rotation (known as “Mode 7”). This resulted in timeless masterpieces like Super Metroid and A Link to the Past.
- TurboGrafx-16 (1989): The third wheel in the 16-bit race. The TurboGrafx was an interesting system that was technically an 8-bit console with a 16-bit graphics processor. It had some fantastic shoot-’em-up games but couldn’t break the grip of Sega and Nintendo.
The Fifth Generation (1993-2005): The Third Dimension Arrives
This was the great paradigm shift. The move from 2D sprites to 3D polygonal graphics changed game design forever. It also saw the fall of one giant and the shocking rise of a new one.
- Sony PlayStation (1995): The undisputed game-changer. Sony, an electronics giant, entered the fray and championed the CD-ROM format. This meant massive games with stunning pre-rendered backgrounds and full-motion video cutscenes. It captured an older, more mature audience with cinematic experiences like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII.
- Nintendo 64 (1996): Nintendo stuck to cartridges, which meant no loading times but much less storage space. However, it completely revolutionized 3D gameplay with the N64’s analog stick and four-player local multiplayer. Couch co-op games of GoldenEye 007 and Mario Kart 64 are legendary for a reason.
- Sega Saturn (1995): Sega’s 32-bit entry was a powerful but overly complex machine that was difficult for developers to work with. It had some amazing arcade conversions but ultimately couldn’t compete with the marketing and third-party support of the PlayStation.
The Sixth Generation (1998-2013): The Giants of the Modern Age
Often hailed as a golden age, this generation saw four major consoles competing, each with a distinct identity. It also marked the mainstream adoption of online console gaming.
- Sega Dreamcast (1999): The first of its generation and, sadly, the last home console from Sega. The Dreamcast was a brilliant, forward-thinking machine with a built-in modem, online play, and truly creative games like Shenmue and Jet Set Radio. It was gone too soon.
- PlayStation 2 (2000): The monolith. The PS2 is the best-selling home console of all time for a reason. It had an impossibly vast library of games for every taste, plus it played DVDs, making it a Trojan horse for the living room.
- Nintendo GameCube (2001): Nintendo’s quirky, compact console doubled down on what it does best: creating polished, incredibly fun games. It gave us masterpieces like Metroid Prime and The Wind Waker.
- Microsoft Xbox (2001): The software giant from Redmond, Washington, crashed the party with a massive console that was essentially a powerful, streamlined PC. It launched with the system-selling Halo: Combat Evolved and introduced Xbox Live, setting the standard for online gaming services.
The Seventh Generation (2005-2017): HD and New Ways to Play
This generation brought gaming into high-definition, saw online services become essential, and featured one console that completely changed the definition of who a “gamer” is.
- Xbox 360 (2005): Microsoft refined its formula and, with a year’s head start, established a dominant online ecosystem with Xbox Live. It had a fantastic library of both first-party and third-party hits.
- Nintendo Wii (2006): While Sony and Microsoft chased raw power, Nintendo zigged. The Wii’s intuitive motion controls made it a cultural phenomenon, bringing video games to grandparents and families in a way no console had before.
- PlayStation 3 (2006): After a difficult and expensive launch, the PS3 found its stride. Its powerful Cell processor and Blu-ray player made it a media powerhouse, and it finished its life cycle with some of the most critically acclaimed exclusive games ever made, like The Last of Us.
The Eighth Generation (2012-2020): Hybrids and Services
This recent era was defined by deep social integration, the rise of game streaming, powerful mid-generation hardware upgrades, and another masterstroke of design from Nintendo.
- PlayStation 4 (2013): Sony learned from its PS3 mistakes and delivered a powerful, developer-friendly machine that dominated the generation, focusing on blockbuster, single-player narrative games.
- Xbox One (2013): Microsoft had a rocky start but pivoted brilliantly to a services-focused model, culminating in Xbox Game Pass, which has been called “the best deal in gaming.”
- Nintendo Switch (2017): Nintendo did it again. The Switch’s hybrid design—a home console you can instantly take on the go—was a revolutionary concept that has been a runaway success.
The Ninth Generation (2020-Present): The Current Landscape
This brings us to today. The current generation is less about graphical leaps and more about the quality of the experience: eliminating loading times with ultra-fast SSDs, enhancing immersion with advanced haptics, and making vast game libraries instantly accessible through subscription services.
- PlayStation 5 (2020): Known for its groundbreaking DualSense controller and blazing-fast load speeds that fundamentally change how games can be designed.
- Xbox Series X/S (2020): Microsoft’s dual-console strategy offers a high-end powerhouse (Series X) and a budget-friendly, digital-only entry point (Series S) that pairs perfectly with Game Pass.
So, What’s the Real Answer to ‘How Many Gaming Consoles Are There?’
If we stick to the major home consoles from the main competitors in each of the nine generations listed above, we get a solid count of 27 systems. But that’s just the start.
How many gaming consoles are there if we include handhelds?
We absolutely cannot ignore the incredible history of portable gaming. For decades, this market had its own epic wars and iconic devices.
- Nintendo’s Handheld Empire: Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS
- Sony’s Powerful Portables: PlayStation Portable (PSP), PlayStation Vita
- The Early Pioneers: Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx
Adding these 9 major handheld lines brings our running total up to 36 major consoles.
What is the final, all-encompassing number?
This is where the simple answer dissolves. Beyond the giants, there’s a graveyard of fascinating failures (the 3DO, Atari Jaguar), a wave of Android-based microconsoles (the Ouya), and countless regional variations and special editions. The Computer History Museum has an incredible exhibit that showcases the sheer breadth of devices released over the decades. If you tried to count every single piece of distinct video game hardware, the number would easily soar past 100.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many major gaming consoles are there if we include handheld devices?
Including major handheld consoles such as Nintendo’s Game Boy, Nintendo DS, PS Portable, and Sony’s PlayStation Vita, the total number of prominent gaming devices rises to approximately 36.
What marked the start of the third generation of video game consoles?
The third generation began around 1983, marked by the success of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). This era revived the industry with bright 8-bit graphics and challenging gameplay, helping to restore consumer confidence after the 1983 market crash.
How did the second generation of consoles differ from the first?
The second generation, from 1976 to 1984, introduced microprocessor-based consoles with interchangeable ROM cartridges. This allowed consoles to host multiple games, transforming them into platforms rather than single-game devices, with key examples like the Atari 2600.
Which consoles are recognized as the first generation of gaming consoles?
The first generation of gaming consoles includes devices such as the Magnavox Odyssey from 1972 and Atari’s Home Pong from 1975. These were primitive machines, often built with games physically embedded and incapable of swapping games.
What is meant by a ‘console generation’ in the history of video gaming?
A console generation refers to a specific era in the development of gaming technology, usually lasting about five or six years, characterized by consoles with similar capabilities competing within that period. It marks technological leaps, like moving from 2D to 3D graphics, that define different stages in gaming evolution.
