Video Game Console Library

The definitive encyclopedia of video game console hardware — from the 1970s to today

Consoles 38+
Decades 5
Manufacturers 15+
Since 2008

1970s

View all 4 consoles →
1972-Sep-01

Magnavox Odyssey

Sanders Associates / Magnavox
1976-Nov-01

Fairchild Channel F

Fairchild Semiconductor
1977-Sep-11

Atari 2600 (VCS)

Atari
1979-Dec-03

Mattel Intellivision

Mattel Electronics

1980s

View all 8 consoles →
1982-Nov-01

Atari 5200 SuperSystem

Atari
1982-Nov-01

GCE Vectrex

Western Technologies / Smith Engineering
1983-Jul-15

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Nintendo
1985-Oct-20

Sega Master System

Sega
1986-May-01

Atari 7800 ProSystem

General Computer Corporation / Atari
1987-Oct-30

NEC TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine

Hudson Soft / NEC
1988-Oct-29

Sega Genesis / Mega Drive

Sega
1989-Apr-21

Nintendo Game Boy

Nintendo

1990s

View all 11 consoles →
1990-Apr-26

SNK Neo Geo AES

SNK Corporation
1990-Nov-21

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

Nintendo
1993-Nov-23

Atari Jaguar

Atari Corporation
1993-Oct-04

Panasonic 3DO Interactive Multiplayer

The 3DO Company
Capcom CPS Changer
1994

Capcom CPS Changer

Capcom
1994-Dec-03

Sony PlayStation (PS1)

Sony Computer Entertainment
1994-Nov-21

Sega 32X

Sega
1994-Nov-22

Sega Saturn

Sega

2000s

View all 8 consoles →
2000-Mar-04

Sony PlayStation 2

Sony Computer Entertainment
2001-Nov-15

Microsoft Xbox

Microsoft
2001-Sep-14

Nintendo GameCube

Nintendo
2004-Dec-12

Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Sony Computer Entertainment
2005-Nov-22

Microsoft Xbox 360

Microsoft
2006-Nov-11

Sony PlayStation 3

Sony Computer Entertainment
2006-Nov-19

Nintendo Wii

Nintendo
Infinium Labs Phantom
Never released

Infinium Labs Phantom

Infinium Labs

2010s

View all 4 consoles →
2012-Nov-18

Nintendo Wii U

Nintendo
2013-Nov-15

Sony PlayStation 4

Sony Computer Entertainment
2013-Nov-22

Microsoft Xbox One

Microsoft
2017-Mar-03

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo

2020s

View all 3 consoles →
2020-Nov-10

Microsoft Xbox Series X|S

Microsoft
2020-Nov-12

Sony PlayStation 5

Sony Interactive Entertainment
2022-Feb-25

Valve Steam Deck

Valve Corporation

Decade Guides

In-depth guides covering every console from each era of gaming history

2020s Video Game Consoles: Next-Gen Power, SSD Revolution & the Game Pass Era

The 2020s opened with a pandemic, a chip shortage, and two new consoles nobody could buy. The PlayStation 5 and…

2010s Video Game Consoles: The Streaming Era, Hybrid Gaming & the Rise of Indies

The 2010s were a decade of transformation and fragmentation in console gaming. The generation began with Nintendo’s Wii U stumbling…

1990s Video Game Consoles: Console Wars, 3D Revolution & the Rise of Sony

The 1990s were gaming’s most transformative decade. The industry entered the decade as a two-player contest between Nintendo and Sega…

1980s Video Game Consoles: From Crash to Renaissance

The 1980s were the most turbulent decade in video game history. The industry soared to unprecedented heights, crashed so hard…

1970s Video Game Consoles: The Dawn of Home Gaming

The 1970s gave birth to home video gaming. What began with a crude brown box displaying white dots on a…

2000s Video Game Consoles: PS2 Dominance, Xbox Arrives & the Wii Revolution

The 2000s were the decade gaming went mainstream. The industry entered the millennium as entertainment for enthusiasts and exited as…

Articles & Guides

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History of Handheld Game Consoles: From Game Boy to Steam Deck

Handheld gaming consoles have always lived in the shadow of their home console siblings, but their impact on the industry…

From Cartridges to Digital: The History of Game Media

The way games are delivered to players has changed as dramatically as the games themselves. From fragile ROM cartridges to…

The Evolution of Game Controllers: From Paddles to Haptic Feedback

The video game controller is the bridge between player and game — the physical interface that translates human intention into…

Console Launch Prices Compared: Every System Adjusted for Inflation

How much did your favorite console really cost? A $199 console in 1977 and a $499 console in 2020 aren’t…

Best Consoles for Retro Collecting: A Buyer’s Guide

Getting into retro game collecting can be overwhelming. Dozens of platforms, thousands of games, wildly different price ranges — where…

The Video Game Crash of 1983: How the Industry Nearly Died

In 1982, the North American video game industry generated $3.2 billion in revenue. By 1985, that figure had plummeted to…