What consoles are in each generation?

Video Game Consoles by Generation

1st Generation (Early 1970s)

  • Magnavox Odyssey (1972)

  • Pong home consoles (various manufacturers)

2nd Generation (Late 1970s – Early 1980s)

  • Atari 2600 (1977)

  • Intellivision (1980)

  • ColecoVision (1982)

3rd Generation (Mid 1980s)

  • Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) (1983)

  • Sega Master System (1985)

4th Generation (Late 1980s – Early 1990s)

  • Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) (1990)

  • Sega Genesis / Mega Drive (1988)

5th Generation (Mid 1990s)

  • Sony PlayStation (PS1) (1994)

  • Nintendo 64 (1996)

  • Sega Saturn (1994)

6th Generation (Early 2000s)

  • Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) (2000)

  • Microsoft Xbox (2001)

  • Nintendo GameCube (2001)

  • Sega Dreamcast (1999)

7th Generation (Mid-Late 2000s)

  • Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) (2006)

  • Xbox 360 (2005)

  • Nintendo Wii (2006)

8th Generation (2010s)

  • Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4) (2013)

  • Xbox One (2013)

  • Nintendo Switch (2017)

9th Generation (2020s)

  • Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) (2020)

  • Xbox Series X|S (2020)

  • Nintendo Switch OLED (2021)

  • 1st Generation: Magnavox Odyssey, Pong consoles — The very beginnings of home gaming.

  • 2nd Generation: Atari 2600 — Popularized cartridge-based games.

  • 3rd Generation: Nintendo NES — Revived the gaming industry with iconic games.

  • 4th Generation: SNES and Sega Genesis — The 16-bit era rivalry with classics and innovation.

  • 5th Generation: PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 — The leap to 3D graphics.

  • 6th Generation: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube — The DVD era and online gaming start.

  • 7th Generation: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii — HD graphics, motion controls, and new gaming trends.

  • 8th Generation: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch — 4K gaming, digital stores, hybrid play.

  • 9th Generation: PS5, Xbox Series X|S — Cutting-edge graphics, ultra-fast SSDs, ray tracing.