Video game console is a computer specialized for playing electronic games on a television. People play console games using devices called controllers. A typical controller features a number of buttons and joysticks.
The first video game console was the Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1972. It was based on a machine called the “Brown Box” developed by the German-born American inventor Ralph Baer . In 1977, Atari released the Video Computer System (VCS), later known as the Atari 2600. It played games that were stored on cartridges and helped popularize home consoles. But in the early 1980’s, the market became flooded with poorly made games. Video game companies went out of business, and video gaming seemed doomed as a passing fad.
In 1983, the Japanese company Nintendo released, in Japan, a cartridge-based console called the Family Computer (Famicom). It later released a similar system internationally, known as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Nintendo specialized in high-quality games, reviving the industry.
Since the mid-1980’s, Nintendo and its competitors have regularly released new consoles every few years, forming distinct “generations.” Each new console generation featured much more advanced graphics (visual elements) and sound than the last. In 1994, Sony Corporation entered the console market with its PlayStation . The system stored games on compact discs , which could hold much more game data than could cartridges. The PlayStation competed with the Nintendo 64, released in 1996. The Nintendo 64 featured a controller with a sensitive joystick designed for three-dimensional games. Microsoft Corporation released its first console in 2001, called the Xbox . It enabled distant gamers to easily connect and play with one another over the internet.
In 2005, Microsoft released the Xbox 360 console, which competed with Sony’s PlayStation 3, released in 2006. Both systems had much more computing power than Nintendo’s 2006 Wii console. But the Wii’s wandlike motion-sensitive controller and emphasis on social gameplay won many fans.
In 2012, Nintendo released the Wii U console. It featured a controller with a large, touch-sensitive screen. In 2013, Sony released the PlayStation 4, and Microsoft released the Xbox One. As in the preceding generation, Microsoft’s and Sony’s consoles were much more powerful than Nintendo’s.
In 2020, both Sony and Microsoft released new consoles. Sony released the PlayStation 5. Microsoft released two consoles—the larger, more powerful Xbox Series X and the smaller, less expensive Xbox Series S. All three consoles had powerful processors and allowed players to load games much more quickly.
