1980s
A handheld game console that was released in April of 1989. It has a D-Pad and two red buttons on it that help control characters on a small, pixilated screen. Popular games on this console were “Pokémon”, and “Tetris” which came bundled with the console in the US.
Gameboy
Released in 1994, these consoles were made by a popular company that is a household name today. It had a memory card, and a controller that has the signature green triangle, red circle, blue cross, and pink square.
PlayStation
Released in November 2001, this console was in competition, and arguably still is, with PlayStation as market leaders. It has a distinct green button that marks its logo and has a distinguishable controller. A well-known game on it was Gears of War.
Xbox
Released in 2011, this is the third generation of a beloved handheld gaming console series. Like the two before, games were stored on ‘cartages’ and were able to be played by inserting them into the back of the console. It was popular for the inclusion of its 3D abilities. Mario Cart 7 was its most popular game.
3DS
Released in 2025, this highly anticipated console is the second with this name. It is a portable handheld gaming system, with a large screen in the middle of the console, with two detachable joy-cons. Mario Cart World was available as a bundle at launch.
Switch 2
Released in 1982 alongside another gaming system of a similar name, this console is a microprocessor-based, with its games on swapable ROM cartridges. It was bundled with two joystick controllers, a pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge---initially Combat but later the game would change to Pac Man.
Atari 2600
A home video game console released in 1996; this console has a fork shaped console with a thumb stick at the lower center. In 1996 Times magazine, it was declared to be the ‘Machine of the Year’ given its innovative and extensive amount of addable hardware. Some of these include internet connectivity, a memory card, and had ports for up to four people to play at a time. The games that were on this console were Mario, and The Legend of Zelda.
Nintendo 64
The second console of a series, it was released in 2000. This console has a taller, sleek look with a signature triangle, square, triangle, triangle, triangle, and x buttons. Well known for playing games like Grand Theft Auto.
PlayStation 2
Released in 2012 following its highly successful predecessor, this console attempted to integrate a touchscreen to support better graphic, a D-pad, analog sticks, and action buttons from the previous console’s stationary setup. It was deemed a commercial failure. Its most popular game was Mario Cart 8.
Wii U
Released in 2020, this console is backwards compatible with the previous generation console which has made it easier to play games spanning back nearly 20 years. This console was released at the same time as the PlayStation 5. It has a classic setup of the previous consoles model, with upgraded hardware.
X-Box X
Released in October of 1985, this console has detachable controllers like its predecessor, MARK III, coming with accessories such as a light gun and 3D Glasses. Games that were popular on this console were “Out Run” and “Shooting Gallery”
Sega Master System
Released in 1998, this console introduced the world to a controller with a screen on the controller and included internet gaming as a standard feature. It was also the first console to always display full SD resolution
Dreamcast
The second console of a series, it was released in 2000. This console has a taller, sleek look with a signature triangle, square, triangle, triangle, triangle, and x buttons. Well known for playing games like Grand Theft Auto.
Leapster (Leap Frog)
Released in 2013, this home console is the third in an ongoing series of consoles. It was marketed as an ‘all-in-one entertainment system’, allowing for gaming of the consoles games; but also allowing blu-rays and DVDs to be played, as well as an add on known as the ‘Kinect 2.0’ for motion and voice activated games.
X-Box One
Released in 2020, this console was extremely popular at the time of its release, with upgraded software, backward compatibility, and Ultra HD Blu-Ray compatibility. It was released the same month as the X-Box X and competed well in the market against it. It had Astros Playroom pre-installed.
PlayStation 5
Released on October of 1989, this console plays a library of more than 800 games on ROM-based cartridges. It has a sound controller, arcade board, and a systems that support hardware sprites, scrolling, and tiles. Games that were famous, or infamous, for being played on this console were “Sonic the Hedgehog”, “Night Trap”, and “Mortal Combat”.
Sega Genesis
Released in July of 1995, this console was the first to experiment with stereoscopic 3D graphics. It is a two-piece set, that comes with a controller and headset. This console was deemed a failure for several reasons: health issues with wears that spanned side effects from dizziness to eye pain, lack of portability, and production costs. It was successfully revived and reused for another console: the 3DS.
Virtual Boy
Released in September of 2001, this console has an odd shape that matches its name. It is a Nintendo console, but it failed to compete well against Xbox and PlayStation with its lack of internet access games, and their inability to adapt to maturing audience.
GameCube
Released in 2017, this handheld console is a hybrid, having both the ability to be a tablet or docked at home for home console use. It has two joy-cons that can be taken on and off and has a unique red & blue setup. Animal Crossing and Hitman 3 were some of the most popular games on the console.
Nintendo Switch
Released in 2022, this handheld console allows the user to play all Steam available games, with a setup that is reminiscent of the switch.
Valve Steam Deck
Released in 1979 and credited to be the first handheld gaming console that used interchangeable cartridges, it had a small screen, ran on batteries, and a twelve-button keypad. Games that were often played on this console were “Mindbuster”, “Blockbuster”, and “Bowling”. There was a last-minute addition of a mainstream game “Star Trek: Phaser Strike”, which was also popular.
Mircovision
Released in 1993, this console was marketed as an Interactive Multiplayer console. It was created by the founder of Electronic Arts (Trip Hawkins) and manufactured by big names such as Samsung and Gold Star. It had popular games such as ‘Street Fighter II Turbo’, Doom’, and ‘Jurassic Park Interactive’ on it.
3DO
Released in 2003, this handheld console was an upgrade to the original console released four years prior. It was popular for the uniquely long battery life it had, as well as the library of games that it acquired: mainly anime licensed games from first-party titles, as well as support from strong third-party supporters such as Squaresoft, Namco, and Capcom. Popular games on this console were Digimon, Final Fantasy, and Tetris.
WonderSwan Color
A handheld gaming system released in 2011, it had a 5-inch screen, two joysticks, rear touchpad, a front & shoulder push-button input, and supported Bluetooth and wi-fi. The games were entirely from the PlayStation store and were backwards compatible for the digital releases of previous games. Metal Gear Solid 4, and Lost Planet were among the most popular on the console.
PlayStation Vita
Released in 2023, this virtual headset comes with two controllers and utilizes VR games. It was bundled with Batman: Arkham Shadow later as prices and demand for the console dropped.
Meta Quest 3