Video game consoles are dedicated gaming devices that are designed to connect to a TV or monitor and allow players to enjoy high-quality gaming experiences. Some of the most popular video game consoles include the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
The PlayStation is produced by Sony and offers a wide range of games and exclusive titles, as well as online gaming through its PlayStation Plus service.
The Xbox, produced by Microsoft, also offers a vast library of games and exclusive titles, as well as online gaming through its Xbox Live service.
The Nintendo Switch, produced by Nintendo, is a unique hybrid console that can be used as both a home console and a portable device, offering a variety of exclusive titles and family-friendly games.
Each console has its own strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right one largely depends on personal preferences, gaming needs, and budget. Video game consoles have revolutionized the gaming industry and continue to offer innovative features and experiences for gamers of all ages.
Here is a rundown of the many video game consoles that have been released thusfar along with the year it was released and how many consoles were sold, if known.
List of Video Game Consoles
- 3DO (1993) roughly 2 million consoles sold
- Apple Pippen (1995) 42,000 consoles sold
- Arcade (first game released in 1971)
- Atari 2600 (1977) 27.64 million consoles sold
- Atari 5200 (1982)
- Atari 7800 (1986) 1 million consoles sold
- Atari Jaguar (1993) 250,000 consoles sold
- Atari Lynx (1989) 500,000 consoles sold
- CD-i (1991) 570,000 consoles sold
- ColecoVision (1982)
- Commodore 64 (1982)
- Commodore Amiga (1985)
- Game Boy (1989) 118.69 million consoles sold – 501.11 million games sold
- Game Boy Advance (2001) 81.51 million consoles sold – 377.42 million games sold
- Google Stadia (2019)
- Intellivision (1979)
- Magnavox Odyssey (1972) 300,000 consoles sold
- Magnavox Odyssey 2 (1978) 2 million consoles sold
- Meta Quest (2019) 20 million consoles sold
- Mobile Devices (first mobile phone game released in 1994)
- N-Gage (2003) 3 million consoles sold
- Neo Geo (1990)
- Nintendo 3DS (2011) 74.45 million consoles sold – 380.72 million games sold
- Nintendo 64 (N64) (1996) 32.93 million consoles sold – 224.97 million games sold
- Nintendo DS (2004) 154.02 million consoles sold – 948.69 million games sold
- Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) / Famicom (1983) 61.91 million consoles sold – 500.01 million games sold
- Nintendo GameCube (2001) 21.74 million consoles sold – 208.57 million games sold
- Nintendo Switch (2017) 129.42 million consoles sold – 1 billion games sold
- Nintendo Virtual Boy (1995) 770,000 consoles sold
- Oculus Go (2018)
- Oculus Rift (2016)
- PC (first game released in 1976)
- PlayStation (1994) 102.4 million consoles sold
- PlayStation 2 (2000) 159 million consoles sold – 1.5 billion games sold
- PlayStation 3 (2006) 87.5 million consoles sold
- PlayStation 4 (2013) 116.641 million consoles sold – 777.9 million games sold
- PlayStation 5 (2020) 42.2 million consoles sold (August 2023)
- PlayStation Portable (PSP) (2004) 80 million consoles sold
- PlayStation Vita (2011) 16.21 million consoles sold
- Sega 32x (1994) 200,000 consoles sold
- Sega CD / Mega CD (1991) 6 million consoles sold
- Sega Dreamcast (1998) 8.2 million consoles sold
- Sega Game Gear (1990) 10.62 million consoles sold
- Sega Genesis / Mega Drive (1998) 29.54 million consoles sold
- Sega Master System (1985)
- Sega Nomad (1995) 1 million consoles sold
- Sega Pico (1993) 3.4 million consoles sold
- Sega Saturn (1994) 8.82 million consoles sold
- Sega SG-1000 (1983)
- Steam Deck (2022) 3 million consoles sold (April 2023)
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) / Super Famicom (1990) 49.10 million consoles sold – 379.06 million games sold
- TurboExpress (1990) 1.5 million consoles sold
- TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine (1987) 10 million consoles sold
- VIC-20 (1980)
- Wii (2006) 101.63 million consoles sold – 921.19 million games sold
- Wii U (2012) 13.56 million consoles sold – 102.96 million games sold
- Xbox (2001) 24.65 million consoles sold
- Xbox 360 (2005) 85 million consoles sold
- Xbox One (2013) 50.511 million consoles sold
- Xbox Series X and S (2020) 23.2 million consoles sold (August 2023)
- ZX Spectrum (1982)
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash