10 Best Consoles of All Time, Ranked

While Pong is certainly not the best arcade game, it deserves a spot because it started all and revolutionized the video game industry. Released by Atari in 1971, it was a groundbreaking arcade game that hypnotized everyone worldwide with its simple but addictive gameplay, which included two paddles, a bouncing dot, and a score display. 

The title established Atari’s early success, turning it into a dominant name in the industry. The cultural impact that Pong had inspired countless similar games and paved the way for the development of more complex games along the way, leading to the explosion of arcade gaming in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

The Virtual Boy was one massive leap for the video game industry. Released by Nintendo back in 1995 it was one of the company’s most ambitious but unsuccessful ventures. It was designed by Nunpei Yokoi, responsible for the highly successful Game Boy, Virtual Boy was there to introduce virtual reality gaming to the audience long before the technology was ready for it. 

Rendered a critical and commercial disaster, it was the first of its kind with a stereoscopic 3D display, but the monochrome red-and-black visuals and lack of portable options killed all the fun. Adding to this were high price, awkward design, reported headaches, and eye strain after use, Yokoi’s innovation met its uninspiring fate quickly enough. Nevertheless, Virtual Boy remains one of the most courageous steps into VR gaming and it seems that Nintendo might be ready to step once again into VR.

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Released in 1989, the Sega Genesis, or Mega Drive outside North America, quickly turned into a worthy Nintendo opponent. Arguably Sega’s best console, the Genesis had impressive hardware for the era that made 16-bit graphics and sound accessible to gamers. 

Sega Genesis’ library featured some of the most iconic franchises like Sonic, Streets of Rage, Phantasy Star IV, and Gunstar Heroes, Mortal Kombat II, among others only added to its value, which now are often re-released on modern platforms. 

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We travel further back in time with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that was released in 1983 in Japan as the Famicom and in 1985 in North America. It was designed by Masayuki Uemura and it helped push out the gaming industry from the 1983 video game crash.

With games such as Super Mario Bros, Mega Man, and The Legend of Zelda, NES popularized iconic franchises that remain staples in gaming even today. The console set the standard for third-party licensing, and thanks to cartridge-based games and easily connected peripherals like the NES Zapper and R.O.B, it was the best console of its era. 

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), developed by Nintendo, was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, and 1992 in Europe. Made to compete with Sega Genesis and replace the NES, it brought improved graphics and sound to home consoles. 

With new games such as Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country, and Super Metroid, the SNES was the one console to go for in the early and mid-’90s. It sold close to 50 million units until 2003 when it was discontinued, becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era. It had a strong competition in Sega but outpaced it with a massive library of hit games and better hardware. 

The successor to the original PlayStation, the PS2 is widely considered the best (or at least, favorite) console ever. The PS2 introduced the Emotion Engine processor that made backward compatibility with PS1 games and controllers easier, while its ability to play DVDs only increased its popularity, serving as a home entertainment system during the rise of the DVD format. 

It eventually obliterated Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox, and other consoles of the time thanks to a vast library of more than 4,000 titles that required no online connection and no downloadable content. This resonated with gamers worldwide, as the PS2 has ultimately sold 160 million copies.

Nintendo Switch was released worldwide on March 3, 2017 and it was a hybrid from the get-go. The industry giant nailed the home console and hand-held console market with the Nintendo Switch. It is a portable tablet that can also be docked and played at home on your TV.

The Switch library is a mix of first-party and third-party titles from various developers. Although Nintendo’s latest console lacks the raw processing power of its competitors, it brought just enough triple-A third-party titles to its library, with a primary focus on Nintendo’s iconic IPs, making it a standout option for all gamers. By September 2024, the Nintendo Switch had shipped over 146 million units, becoming Nintendo’s best-selling home console and third overall, behind the PS2 and Nintendo DS. The new Switch is expected to be released sometime in 2025.

The Xbox 360 was launched in 2005 and it immediately transformed online gaming and digital media distribution. Xbox Live was one of the early multiplayer gaming options, while it also lets players download games and stream media. 

Not without hardware issues, including the infamous ‘Red Ring of Death’, this made it even more popular within the community and increased its commercial success. It sold over 80 million units, mostly thanks to such influential and beloved games of its generation as Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto V, the Mass Effect trilogy, and more. It is one of the most popular Microsoft consoles that helped popularize online gaming with its Xbox 360 Marketplace, which closed this June. 

Arguably, Nintendo Wii U is a better console, but Wii is kept closer to gamer’s hearts. Released in 2006, Wii wasn’t made to complete directly with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 – and that is why it thrived.

Instead of focusing on processing and graphical power Wii brought fun with it, and ultimately sold over 100 million units to become the fifth best-selling console in the world. Wii Remote and Nunchuck were a magnificent gimmick, while Wii Sports has become a cultural phenomenon.

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The PlayStation (PS1) was the most advanced console of its era, made to compete with N64 and Sega Saturn. Born out of a failed collaboration with Nintendo to develop a CD-based add-on for the SNES, it paved the way for 3D graphics and made game development a lot easier.

Released in 1994, it had a number of iconic franchises, paving the way for Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid among others, and in doing so became the first console to ship over 100 million units.