List of best-selling game consoles
Table:
Million-selling game consoles

Platform

Firm

Released[2]

Units sold

Ref.

PlayStation 2

Sony

2000

>155 million

[note 1]

Nintendo DS

Nintendo

2004

154.02 million

[17]

Game Boy, Game Boy Color

Nintendo

1989, 1998

118.69 million

[note 2]

PlayStation 4 #

Sony

2013

106 million

[32]

PlayStation

Sony

1994

102.49 million

[33]

Wii

Nintendo

2006

101.63 million

[17]

PlayStation 3

Sony

2006

>87.4 million

[note 1]

Xbox 360

Microsoft

2005

>84 million

[note 3]

Game Boy Advance

Nintendo

2001

81.51 million

[17]

PlayStation Portable

Sony

2004

80–82 million
(estimate)

[note 1]

Nintendo 3DS #

Nintendo

2011

75.71 million

[40]

Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo

1983

61.91 million

[17]

Nintendo Switch #‡

Nintendo

2017

52.48 million

[40]

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo

1990

49.1 million

[17]

Xbox One #

Microsoft

2013

46.9 million
(estimate)

[note 3]

Sega Genesis

Sega

1988

35 million

[note 4][41]

Nintendo 64

Nintendo

1996

32.93 million

[17]

Atari 2600

Atari

1977

30 million

[42]

Xbox

Microsoft

2001

24 million

[43]

GameCube

Nintendo

2001

21.74 million

[17]

From the table together with the textual context below.

Provide an answer to this question: When was the console that has sold 84 million units first revealed ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

The PlayStation 2 ( officially branded as PS2 ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It was first released in Japan on March 4 , 2000 , in North America on October 26 , 2000 , and in Europe and Australia on November 24 , 2000 , and is the successor to the original PlayStation , as well as the second installment in the PlayStation console line-up . A sixth-generation console , it competed with Sega 's Dreamcast , Nintendo 's GameCube , and Microsoft 's original Xbox . Announced in 1999 , the PS2 offered backward-compatibility for its predecessor 's DualShock controller , as well as its games . The PS2 is the best-selling video game console of all time , having sold over 155 million units worldwide , as confirmed by Sony . Over 3,800 game titles have been released for the PS2 , with over 1.5 billion copies sold . Sony later manufactured several smaller , lighter revisions of the console known as Slimline models in 2004 . Even with the release of its successor , the PlayStation 3 , the PS2 remained popular well into the seventh generation , and continued to be produced until 2013 , when Sony finally announced it had been discontinued after twelve years of production - one of the longest lifespans of a video game console . Despite the announcement , new games for the console continued to be produced until the end of 2013 , including Final Fantasy XI : Seekers of Adoulin for Japan , FIFA 13 for North America , and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 for Europe . Repair services for the system in Japan ended on September 7 , 2018 .
Sony Corporation ( ソニー株式会社 , Sonī Kabushiki Kaisha , /ˈsoʊni/ SOH-nee , commonly known as Sony and stylized as SONY ) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Kōnan , Minato , Tokyo . Its diversified business includes consumer and professional electronics , gaming , entertainment and financial services . The company owns the largest music entertainment business in the world , the largest video game console business and one of the largest video game publishing businesses , and is one of the leading manufacturers of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets , and a leading player in the film and television entertainment industry . [ better source needed ] Sony was ranked 97th on the 2018 Fortune Global 500 list . Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group ( ソニー・グループ , Sonī Gurūpu ) , which is engaged in business through its four operating components : electronics ( AV , IT & communication products , semiconductors , video games , network services and medical business ) , motion pictures ( movies and TV shows ) , music ( record labels and music publishing ) and financial services ( banking and insurance ) . These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world . The group consists of Sony Corporation , Sony Pictures , Sony Mobile , Sony Interactive Entertainment , Sony Music , Sony Financial Holdings , and others . Sony is among the semiconductor sales leaders and since 2015 , the fifth-largest television manufacturer in the world after Samsung Electronics , LG Electronics , TCL and Hisense . The company 's current slogan is Be Moved . Their former slogans were The One and Only ( 1979-1982 ) , It 's a Sony ( 1982-2005 ) , like.no.other ( 2005-2009 ) and make.believe ( 2009-2013 ) . Sony has a weak tie to the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group ( SMFG ) corporate group , the successor to the Mitsui group .
2000 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Deus Ex , Hitman : Codename 47 , Paper Mario , Mario Tennis , Perfect Dark , Shogun : Total War , SSX , TimeSplitters and The Sims .
The Nintendo DS , [ b ] or simply DS , is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and released by Nintendo . The device released globally across 2004 and 2005 . The DS , an acronym for Developers ' System or Dual Screen , introduced distinctive new features to handheld gaming : two LCD screens working in tandem ( the bottom one being a touchscreen ) , a built-in microphone , and support for wireless connectivity . Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP . The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network . Alternatively , they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service . Its main competitor was Sony 's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles . Prior to its release , the Nintendo DS was marketed as an experimental , third pillar in Nintendo 's console lineup , meant to complement the Game Boy Advance and GameCube . However , backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance titles and strong sales ultimately established it as the successor to the Game Boy series . On March 2 , 2006 , Nintendo launched the Nintendo DS Lite , a slimmer and lighter redesign of the original Nintendo DS with brighter screens . On November 1 , 2008 , Nintendo released the Nintendo DSi , another redesign with several hardware improvements and new features , although it lost backwards compatibility for Game Boy Advance titles . All Nintendo DS models combined have sold 154.02 million units , making it the best selling handheld game console to date , and the second best selling video game console of all time behind Sony 's PlayStation 2 .
Nintendo Co. , Ltd. [ a ] is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics and video game company headquartered in Kyoto . Nintendo is one of the world 's largest video game companies by market capitalization , creating some of the best-known and top-selling video game franchises of all-time , such as Mario , The Legend of Zelda , Animal Crossing , and Pokémon . Nintendo was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade hanafuda playing cards . By 1963 , the company had tried several small niche businesses , such as cab services and love hotels , without major success . Abandoning previous ventures in favor of toys in the 1960s , Nintendo developed into a video game company in the 1970s . Supplemented since the 1980s by its major divisions Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe , it ultimately became one of the most influential in the video game industry and one of Japan 's most-valuable companies with a market value of over $ 37 billion in 2018 .
2004 saw many sequels and prequels in video games . New intellectual properties included Fable , Far Cry , FlatOut , Killzone , Katamari Damacy , Monster Hunter , Ninja Gaiden , N , Red Dead Revolver , SingStar , Sacred , and World of Warcraft .
The Game Boy [ a ] is an 8-bit handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo . The first handheld in the Game Boy family , it was first released in Japan on April 21 , 1989 ( 1989-04-21 ) , then North America , three months later , and lastly in Europe , over a year later . It was designed by the same team that developed the Game & Watch and several Nintendo Entertainment System games : Satoru Okada , Gunpei Yokoi , and Nintendo Research & Development 1 . Nintendo 's second handheld game console , the Game Boy combines features from both the NES home system and Game & Watch hardware . The console features a dull green dot-matrix screen with adjustable contrast dial , five control buttons ( a directional pad , two game buttons , and start and select ) , a single speaker with adjustable volume dial , and , like its rivals , uses cartridges as physical media for games . The color scheme is made from two tones of grey with accents of black , blue , and dark magenta . All the corners of the portrait-oriented rectangular unit are softly rounded , save for the bottom right , which is curved . At launch , it was sold either as a standalone unit , or bundled with one of several games , namely Super Mario Land or Tetris . Several accessories were also developed , including a carrying pouch and printer . Despite being technologically inferior to its fourth-generation competitors ( Sega 's Game Gear , Atari 's Lynx , and NEC 's TurboExpress ) , the Game Boy received praise for its battery life and durability in its construction . It quickly outsold the competition , selling one million units in the United States within a few weeks . The Game Boy and its successor , the Game Boy Color , have sold an estimated 118 million units worldwide .
The Game Boy Color [ a ] ( commonly abbreviated as GBC ) is a handheld game console manufactured by Nintendo , which was released in Japan on October 21 , 1998 , and later released in November of the same year to international markets . It is the successor to the original Game Boy and is part of the Game Boy family . The GBC features a color screen rather than monochrome , but it is not backlit . It is slightly thicker and taller and features a slightly smaller screen than the Game Boy Pocket , its immediate predecessor in the Game Boy line . As with the original Game Boy , it has a custom 8-bit processor made by Sharp that is considered a hybrid between the Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80 . The spelling of the system 's name , Game Boy Color , remains consistent throughout the world , with its American English spelling of color . The Game Boy Color is part of the fifth generation of video game consoles . The GBC 's primary competitors in Japan were the grayscale 16-bit handhelds , Neo Geo Pocket and the WonderSwan , though the Game Boy Color outsold them by a wide margin . SNK and Bandai countered with the Neo Geo Pocket Color and the Wonderswan Color , respectively , but this did little to change Nintendo 's sales dominance . With Sega discontinuing the Game Gear in 1997 , the Game Boy Color 's only competitor in the United States was its predecessor , the Game Boy , until the short-lived Neo Geo Pocket Color was released in August 1999 . The Game Boy and the Game Boy Color combined have sold 118.69 million units worldwide making it the third-best-selling system of all time , It was discontinued on March 23 , 2003 , shortly after the release of the Game Boy Advance SP . Its best-selling game was Pokémon Gold and Silver , which shipped 23 million units worldwide .
1989 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Phantasy Star II , Golden Axe and Bonk 's Adventure , and Super Mario Land
1998 saw many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Half-Life , Metal Gear Solid , F-Zero X , The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time , Gex : Enter the Gecko , Xenogears , Banjo-Kazooie , Spyro the Dragon and MediEvil . The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best in video gaming due to the release of several critically acclaimed , commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms and genres .
The PlayStation 4 ( officially abbreviated as PS4 ) is an eighth-generation home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment . Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013 , it was launched on November 15 in North America , November 29 in Europe , South America and Australia , and on February 22 , 2014 , in Japan . It competes with Microsoft 's Xbox One and Nintendo 's Wii U and Switch . Moving away from the more complex Cell microarchitecture of its predecessor , the console features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built upon the x86-64 architecture , which can theoretically peak at 1.84 teraflops ; AMD stated that it was the most powerful APU it had developed to date . The PlayStation 4 places an increased emphasis on social interaction and integration with other devices and services , including the ability to play games off-console on PlayStation Vita and other supported devices ( Remote Play ) , the ability to stream gameplay online or to friends , with them controlling gameplay remotely ( Share Play ) . The console 's controller was also redesigned and improved over the PlayStation 3 , with improved buttons and analog sticks , and an integrated touchpad among other changes . The console also supports HDR10 High-dynamic-range video and playback of 4K resolution multimedia . The PlayStation 4 was released to critical acclaim , with critics praising Sony for acknowledging its consumers ' needs , embracing independent game development , and for not imposing the restrictive digital rights management schemes like those originally announced by Microsoft for the Xbox One . Critics and third-party studios also praised the capabilities of the PlayStation 4 in comparison to its competitors ; developers described the performance difference between the console and Xbox One as significant and obvious . Heightened demand also helped Sony top global console sales . By the end of September 2019 , over 102 million PlayStation 4 consoles had been shipped worldwide , surpassing lifetime sales of the PlayStation 3 . On September 7 , 2016 , Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4 Slim , a smaller version of the console ; and a high-end version called the PlayStation 4 Pro , which features an upgraded GPU and a higher CPU clock rate to support enhanced performance and 4K resolution in supported games .
Numerous games were released in 2013 , including new installments for well-received franchises , such as Ace Attorney , Army of Two , Assassin 's Creed , Batman : Arkham , Battlefield , BioShock , Call of Duty , Crysis , Dead Rising , Dead Space , Devil May Cry , Final Fantasy , Fire Emblem , Forza Motorsport , God of War , Gears of War , Gran Turismo , Grand Theft Auto , Killer Instinct , Killzone , Lost Planet , Luigi 's Mansion , Mario Party , Metal Gear , Metro , Need for Speed , Pokémon , Rayman , Pikmin , Saints Row , SimCity , Sly Cooper , Sonic The Hedgehog , StarCraft , Super Mario , The Legend of Zelda , Tom Clancy 's Splinter Cell , Tomb Raider , Total War and Zoo Tycoon . In addition , it saw the release of many new intellectual properties , such as Beyond : Two Souls , Papers , Please , Tearaway , The Wonderful 101 and The Last of Us . Many awards went to games such as BioShock Infinite , Grand Theft Auto V , The Last of Us and The Legend of Zelda : A Link Between Worlds . New video game consoles were also released in 2013 with the PlayStation 4 from Sony Computer Entertainment and the Xbox One from Microsoft .
The PlayStation [ a ] ( officially abbreviated as PS and commonly known as the PS1 or its codename PSX ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It was first released on 3 December 1994 in Japan , on 9 September 1995 in North America , on 29 September 1995 in Europe , and on 15 November 1995 in Australia , and was the first of the PlayStation lineup of video game consoles . As a fifth generation console , the PlayStation primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn . The PlayStation was the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units , which it had reached nine years after its initial launch . In July 2000 , a redesigned , slim version called the PS one was released , replacing the original grey console and named appropriately to avoid confusion with its successor , the PlayStation 2 . The PlayStation 2 , which is backwards compatible with the PlayStation 's DualShock controller and games , was announced in 1999 and launched in 2000 . The last PS one units were sold in late 2006 to early 2007 shortly after it was officially discontinued , for a total of 102 million units shipped since its launch eleven years earlier . Games for the PlayStation continued to sell until Sony ceased production of both the PlayStation and PlayStation games on 23 March 2006 - over eleven years after it had been released , and less than a year before the debut of the PlayStation 3 . On 19 September 2018 , Sony unveiled the PlayStation Classic to mark the 24th anniversary of the original console . The new console is a miniature recreation of the original PlayStation , preloaded with 20 titles released on the original console , and was released on 3 December 2018 , the exact date the console was released in Japan in 1994 .
1994 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Super Metroid , Donkey Kong Country and Sonic & Knuckles .
The Wii ( /wiː/ WEE ; known unofficially as the Nintendo Wii ) is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19 , 2006 . As a seventh-generation console , the Wii competed with Microsoft 's Xbox 360 and Sony 's PlayStation 3 . Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others . As of the first quarter of 2016 [ update ] , the Wii led its generation over the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in worldwide sales , with more than 101 million units sold ; in December 2009 , the console broke the sales record for a single month in the United States . The Wii introduced the Wii Remote controller , which can be used as a handheld pointing device and which detects movement in three dimensions . The console runs games supplied on Wii optical discs . It also supported the now discontinued WiiConnect24 service , which enabled Wii to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode . Like other seventh-generation consoles it supported a service , called Virtual Console , that downloaded emulated games from past Nintendo consoles , support for online video streaming such as BBC iPlayer , and other services provided by Nintendo over the Internet . From June 28 , 2013 , Internet services were gradually discontinued ; since January 31 , 2019 , only re-download of games , system software update , and transfer of data between Wii and Wii U continued to be available , to be withdrawn at an unspecified future date . Wii Points could no longer be purchased after March 2018 , and could not be used and were permanently lost from January 31 , 2019 . The Wii succeeded the GameCube ; early models are fully backward-compatible with all GameCube games and most accessories . Nintendo first spoke of the console at the E3 2004 press conference and later unveiled it at E3 2005 .
2006 saw the release of several sequels and prequels in video games , prominently including New Super Mario Bros , alongside many prominent new releases including Bully , Company of Heroes , Dead Rising , Gears of War , Just Cause , Lost Planet : Extreme Condition , Prey , Resistance : Fall of Man , Saints Row and Thrillville .
The PlayStation 3 ( officially abbreviated as PS3 ) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It is the successor to PlayStation 2 , and is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles . It was first released on November 11 , 2006 in Japan , November 17 , 2006 in North America , and March 23 , 2007 in Europe and Australia . The PlayStation 3 competed primarily against Microsoft 's Xbox 360 and Nintendo 's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles . The console was first officially announced at E3 2005 , and was released at the end of 2006 . It was the first console to use Blu-ray Disc as its primary storage medium . The console was the first PlayStation to integrate social gaming services , including the PlayStation Network , as well as the first to be controllable from a handheld console , through its remote connectivity with PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita . In September 2009 , the Slim model of the PlayStation 3 was released . It no longer provided the hardware ability to run PS2 games . It was lighter and thinner than the original version , and featured a redesigned logo and marketing design , as well as a minor start-up change in software . A Super Slim variation was then released in late 2012 , further refining and redesigning the console . During its early years , the system was negatively received , due to its high price ( $ 599 for a 60 gigabyte model , $ 499 for a 20 GB model ) , a complex processor architecture , and lack of quality games but was praised for its Blu-ray capabilities and untapped potential .
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft . As the successor to the original Xbox , it is the second console in the Xbox series . It competed with Sony 's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo 's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles . It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12 , 2005 , with detailed launch and game information announced later that month at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo . The Xbox 360 features an online service , Xbox Live , which was expanded from its previous iteration on the original Xbox and received regular updates during the console 's lifetime . Available in free and subscription-based varieties , Xbox Live allows users to : play games online ; download games ( through Xbox Live Arcade ) and game demos ; purchase and stream music , television programs , and films through the Xbox Music and Xbox Video portals ; and access third-party content services through media streaming applications . In addition to online multimedia features , it allows users to stream media from local PCs . Several peripherals have been released , including wireless controllers , expanded hard drive storage , and the Kinect motion sensing camera . The release of these additional services and peripherals helped the Xbox brand grow from gaming-only to encompassing all multimedia , turning it into a hub for living-room computing entertainment . Launched worldwide across 2005-2006 , the Xbox 360 was initially in short supply in many regions , including North America and Europe . The earliest versions of the console suffered from a high failure rate , indicated by the so-called Red Ring of Death , necessitating an extension of the device 's warranty period . Microsoft released two redesigned models of the console : the Xbox 360 S in 2010 , and the Xbox 360 E in 2013 .
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond , Washington . It develops , manufactures , licenses , supports , and sells computer software , consumer electronics , personal computers , and related services . Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems , the Microsoft Office suite , and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers . Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers . In 2016 , it was the world 's largest software maker by revenue ( currently Alphabet/Google has more revenue ) . The word Microsoft is a portmanteau of microcomputer and software . Microsoft is ranked No . 30 in the 2018 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4 , 1975 , to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800 . It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s , followed by Microsoft Windows . The company 's 1986 initial public offering ( IPO ) , and subsequent rise in its share price , created three billionaires and an estimated 12,000 millionaires among Microsoft employees . Since the 1990s , it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions , their largest being the acquisition of LinkedIn for $ 26.2 billion in December 2016 , followed by their acquisition of Skype Technologies for $ 8.5 billion in May 2011 .
2005 saw the release of many sequels and prequels in video games , such as Brothers in Arms : Road to Hill 30 , Mario Kart DS , Mario & Luigi : Partners in Time and Need for Speed : Most Wanted , alongside several prominent new releases including F.E.A.R. , Forza Motorsport , God of War , Guitar Hero , Shadow of the Colossus , and Sniper Elite .
The Game Boy Advance [ a ] ( commonly abbreviated as GBA ) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed , manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color . It was released in Japan on March 21 , 2001 , in North America on June 11 , 2001 , in Australia and Europe on June 22 , 2001 , and in mainland China on June 8 , 2004 as iQue Game Boy Advance . The GBA is part of the sixth generation of video game consoles . The original model did not have an illuminated screen ; Nintendo addressed that with the release of a redesigned model with a frontlit screen , the Game Boy Advance SP , in 2003 . A newer revision of the aforementioned redesign was released in 2005 , which included a backlit screen . The final redesign , the Game Boy Micro , was released in 2005 . As of June 30 , 2010 , the Game Boy Advance series has sold 81.51 million units worldwide . Its successor , the Nintendo DS , was released in November 2004 and is also compatible with Game Boy Advance software .
2001 saw many sequels and prequels in video games . New intellectual properties include Animal Crossing , Burnout , Devil May Cry , Oni , Halo : Combat Evolved , Jak and Daxter : The Precursor Legacy , Max Payne , Operation Flashpoint : Cold War Crisis , Pikmin , Red Faction , Serious Sam , Tom Clancy 's Ghost Recon and Tropico
The PlayStation Portable [ a ] ( PSP ) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It was first released in Japan on December 12 , 2004 , in North America on March 24 , 2005 , and in PAL regions on September 1 , 2005 , and is the first handheld installment in the PlayStation line of consoles . As a seventh generation console , the PSP primarily competed with the Nintendo DS . Development of the PSP was announced during E3 2003 , and the console was unveiled at a Sony press conference on May 11 , 2004 . The system was the most powerful portable console when it was introduced , and was the first real competitor of Nintendo 's handheld consoles after many challengers , such as SNK 's Neo Geo Pocket and Nokia 's N-Gage , had failed . The PSP 's advanced graphics capabilities made it a popular mobile entertainment device , which could connect to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 consoles , computers running Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh software , other PSP systems , and the Internet . The PSP is the only handheld console to use an optical disc format - Universal Media Disc ( UMD ) - as its primary storage medium . The PSP was received positively by critics , and sold over 80 million units during its ten-year lifetime . Several models of the console were released , before the PSP line was succeeded by the PlayStation Vita , released in Japan in 2011 and worldwide a year later . The Vita has backward compatibility with PSP games that were released on the PlayStation Network through the PlayStation Store , which became the main method of purchasing PSP games after Sony shut down access to the store from the PSP on March 31 , 2016 . Hardware shipments of the PSP ended worldwide in 2014 ; production of UMDs ended when the last Japanese factory producing them closed in late 2016 .
The Nintendo 3DS [ a ] is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo . It is capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or additional accessories . Nintendo announced the console in March 2010 and officially unveiled it at E3 2010 on June 15 . The console succeeds the Nintendo DS , featuring backward compatibility with older Nintendo DS video games . Its primary competitor was Sony 's PlayStation Vita . The handheld offers new features such as the StreetPass and SpotPass tag modes , powered by Nintendo Network ; augmented reality , using its 3D cameras ; and Virtual Console , which allows owners to download and play games originally released on older video game systems . It is also pre-loaded with various applications including an online distribution store called Nintendo eShop ; a social networking service called Miiverse ( shut down in 2017 ) ; an Internet Browser ; the Netflix , Hulu Plus and YouTube streaming video services ; Nintendo Video ; a messaging application called Swapnote ( known as Nintendo Letter Box in Europe and Australia ) ; and Mii Maker . The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on February 26 , 2011 , and worldwide beginning in March 2011 . Less than six months later on July 28 , 2011 , Nintendo announced a significant price reduction from US $ 249 to US $ 169 amid disappointing launch sales . The company offered ten free Nintendo Entertainment System games and ten free Game Boy Advance games from the Nintendo eShop to consumers who bought the system at the original launch price . This strategy was considered a major success , and the console went on to become one of Nintendo 's most successful handheld consoles in the first two years of its release . As of December 31 , 2019 [ update ] , the Nintendo 3DS family of systems combined have sold 75.71 million units .
The year 2011 saw many new video games , as well the release of numerous sequels to critically acclaimed games , such as Ace Combat , Assassin 's Creed , Batman : Arkham , Battlefield , Call of Duty , Call of Juarez , Cities XL , Crysis , Dead Space , Deus Ex , Dragon Age , Driver , Duke Nukem , Dynasty Warriors , F.E.A.R , Forza Motorsport , Gears of War , Infamous , Killzone , LittleBigPlanet , Mario Kart , Modern Combat , Mortal Kombat , MX vs. ATV , Need for Speed , Operation Flashpoint , Pokémon , Portal , Rayman , Red Faction , Red Orchestra , Resistance , Saints Row , Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic , The Elder Scrolls , The Legend of Zelda , The Witcher 2 : Assassins of Kings , Total War , Tropico and Uncharted . In addition , it saw the release of many new intellectual properties , such as Bastion , Dark Souls , Dead Island , Homefront , L.A. Noire , Minecraft and Rage . Many awards went to games such as Batman : Arkham City , Portal 2 , The Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim , The Legend of Zelda : Skyward Sword and Uncharted 3 : Drake 's Deception . 2011 also marked the worldwide release of the Nintendo 3DS .
The Nintendo Entertainment System ( NES ) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced , released , and marketed by Nintendo . It is a remodelled export version of the company 's Family Computer [ a ] ( FC ) platform in Japan , commonly known as the Famicom [ b ] , which was launched on July 15 , 1983 . The NES was launched in a test market of New York City on October 18 , 1985 , followed by Los Angeles as a second test market in February 1986 , followed by Chicago and San Francisco , then other top 12 American markets , followed by a full launch across North America and some countries in Europe in September 1986 , followed by Australia and other countries in Europe in 1987 . Brazil saw only unlicensed clones until the official local release in 1993 . The console 's South Korean release was packaged as the Hyundai Comboy [ c ] and distributed by Hyundai Electronics ( now SK Hynix ) . As one of the best-selling gaming consoles of its time , the NES helped revitalize the US video game industry following the video game crash of 1983 . With the NES , Nintendo introduced a now-standard business model of licensing third-party developers , authorizing them to produce and distribute games for Nintendo 's platform . It had been preceded by Nintendo 's first home video game console , the Color TV-Game , and was succeeded by the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) .
1983 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Mario Bros. , Pole Position II and Spy Hunter .
The Nintendo Switch [ b ] is a video game console developed by Nintendo , released worldwide in most regions on March 3 , 2017 . [ c ] It is a hybrid console that can be used as a home console and portable device . Its wireless Joy-Con controllers , with standard buttons and directional analog sticks for user input , motion sensing , and tactile feedback , can attach to both sides of the console to support handheld-style play . They can also connect to a Grip accessory to provide a traditional home console gamepad form , or be used individually in the hand like the Wii Remote and Nunchuk , supporting local multiplayer modes . The Nintendo Switch 's software supports online gaming through Internet connectivity , as well as local wireless ad hoc connectivity with other consoles . Nintendo Switch games and software are available on both physical flash-based ROM cartridges and digital distribution via Nintendo eShop ; the system has no region lockout . A handheld-focused revision of the system called the Nintendo Switch Lite , was released on September 20 , 2019 . The Nintendo Switch was unveiled in October 2016 . Known in development by its codename NX , the concept of the Switch came about as Nintendo 's reaction to several quarters of financial losses into 2014 , attributed to poor sales of its previous console , the Wii U , and market competition from mobile gaming . Nintendo 's then-president Satoru Iwata pushed the company towards mobile gaming and novel hardware . The Nintendo Switch 's design is aimed at a wide demographic of video game players through the multiple modes of use . Nintendo opted to use more standard electronic components , such as a chipset based on Nvidia 's Tegra line , to make development for the console easier for programmers and more compatible with existing game engines .
2017 saw the release of numerous video games as well as other developments in the video game industry . The Nintendo Switch console was released in 2017 , which sold more than 14 million units by the end of 2017 , exceeding the underperforming Wii U lifetime sales , and helped to revitalize Nintendo , alongside the retro Super NES Classic Edition console , the refreshed New Nintendo 2DS XL handheld , and a strategy for mobile gaming . Microsoft also released the higher-powered Xbox One X targeted for 4K resolutions and virtual reality support . Top-rated games in 2017 included The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild , Super Mario Odyssey , Persona 5 , Divinity : Original Sin II , and Horizon Zero Dawn . One of the most influential games of 2017 was PlayerUnknown 's Battlegrounds , which was released in early access for personal computers in March 2017 and by the end of the year had sold 30 million units , breaking several concurrent player count records and established the battle royale genre . The highest-grossing game of the year was the mobile game Honor of Kings , known as Arena of Valor internationally . Considerable debate was held over the use of loot boxes in video games and whether they constituted gambling , coming to a head with the release of Star Wars Battlefront II .
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) , [ b ] also known as the Super NES [ c ] or Super Nintendo , [ d ] is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea , [ citation needed ] 1991 in North America , 1992 in Europe and Australasia ( Oceania ) , and 1993 in South America . In Japan , the system is called the Super Famicom ( SFC ) . [ e ] In South Korea , it is known as the Super Comboy [ f ] and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics . The system was released in Brazil on August 30 , 1993 , by Playtronic . Although each version is essentially the same , several forms of regional lockout prevent the different cartridges from being compatible with one another . The SNES is Nintendo 's second programmable home console , following the Nintendo Entertainment System ( NES ) . The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other systems at the time . The system was designed to accommodate the ongoing development of a variety of enhancement chips integrated in game cartridges to be competitive into the next generation . The SNES was a global success , becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era after launching relatively late and facing intense competition from Sega 's Genesis console in North America and Europe . Overlapping the NES 's 61.9 million unit sales , the SNES remained popular well into the 32-bit era , with 49.1 million units sold worldwide by the time it was discontinued in 2003 . It continues to be popular among collectors and retro gamers , with new homebrew games and Nintendo 's emulated rereleases , such as on the Virtual Console , the Super NES Classic Edition , and Nintendo Switch Online .
1990 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Metal Gear 2 : Solid Snake , Fire Emblem : Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light , Dr. Mario , and Super Mario World .
The Xbox One is an eighth-generation home video game console developed by Microsoft . Announced in May 2013 , it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox series of video game consoles . It was first released in North America , parts of Europe , Australia , and South America in November 2013 , and in Japan , China , and other European countries in September 2014 . It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China , specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone . Microsoft marketed the device as an all-in-one entertainment system , hence the name 'Xbox One ' . The Xbox One mainly competes against Sony 's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 's Wii U and Switch . Moving away from its predecessor 's PowerPC-based architecture , the Xbox One marks a shift back to the x86 architecture used in the original Xbox ; it features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built around the x86-64 instruction set . Xbox One 's controller was redesigned over the Xbox 360 's , with a redesigned body , D-pad , and triggers capable of delivering directional haptic feedback . The console places an increased emphasis on cloud computing , as well as social networking features , and the ability to record and share video clips or screenshots from gameplay , or live-stream directly to streaming services such as Mixer and Twitch . Games can also be played off-console via a local area network on supported Windows 10 devices . The console can play Blu-ray Disc , and overlay live television programming from an existing set-top box or a digital tuner for digital terrestrial television with an enhanced program guide . The console optionally included a redesigned Kinect sensor , marketed as the Kinect 2.0 , providing improved motion tracking and voice recognition .
The Sega Genesis , known as the Mega Drive [ b ] outside North America , is a 16-bit home video game console developed and sold by Sega . The Genesis is Sega 's third console and the successor to the Master System . Sega released it as the Mega Drive in Japan in 1988 , and later as the Genesis in North America in 1989 . In 1990 , it was distributed as the Mega Drive by Virgin Mastertronic in Europe , Ozisoft in Australasia , and Tec Toy in Brazil . In South Korea , it was distributed by Samsung as the Super Gam*Boy and later the Super Aladdin Boy . [ c ] Designed by an R & D team supervised by Hideki Sato and Masami Ishikawa , the Genesis was adapted from Sega 's System 16 arcade board , centered on a Motorola 68000 processor as the CPU , a Zilog Z80 as a sound controller , and a video system supporting hardware sprites , tiles , and scrolling . It plays a library of more than 900 games created by Sega and a wide array of third-party publishers delivered on ROM-based cartridges . Several add-ons were released , including a Power Base Converter to play Master System games . It was released in several different versions , some created by third parties . Sega created two network services to support the Genesis : Sega Meganet and Sega Channel . In Japan , the Mega Drive fared poorly against its two main competitors , Nintendo 's Super Famicom and NEC 's PC Engine ( aka TurboGrafx-⁠16 ) , but it achieved considerable success in North America , Brazil , and Europe . Contributing to its success were its library of arcade game ports , the popularity of Sega 's Sonic the Hedgehog series , several popular sports franchises , and aggressive youth marketing that positioned the system as the cool console for adolescents .
Sega Games Co. , Ltd. [ a ] is a Japanese multinational video game developer and publisher headquartered in Shinagawa , Tokyo . Its international branches , Sega of America and Sega Europe , are respectively headquartered in Irvine , California , and London . Sega 's arcade division , once part of Sega Corporation , has existed as Sega Interactive Co. , Ltd. since 2015 . Both companies are subsidiaries of Sega Holdings Co. , Ltd. , which is in turn a part of Sega Sammy Holdings . From 1983 until 2001 , Sega also developed and sold video game consoles . Sega was founded by Martin Bromley and Richard Stewart as Nihon Goraku Bussan [ b ] on June 3 , 1960 . The company became known as Sega Enterprises , Ltd. after acquiring Rosen Enterprises , an importer of coin-operated games . Sega developed its first coin-operated game with Periscope in the late 1960s . In an effort to become a publicly traded company , Sega was sold to Gulf and Western Industries in 1969 . Following a downturn in the arcade business in the early 1980s , Sega began to develop video game consoles , starting with the SG-1000 and Master System , but struggled against competitors such as the Nintendo Entertainment System . In 1984 , Sega executives David Rosen and Hayao Nakayama led a management buyout of the company with backing from CSK Corporation . Sega released its next console , the Sega Genesis ( known as the Mega Drive outside North America ) , in 1988 .
1988 saw many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Super Contra , Super Mario Bros 2 , Assault , Altered Beast , Mega Man 2 , Double Dragon II : The Revenge , and Super Mario Bros 3
The Nintendo 64 [ a ] ( officially abbreviated as N64 , hardware model number pre-term : NUS , stylized as NINTENDO64 ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo . Named for its 64-bit central processing unit , it was released in June 1996 in Japan , September 1996 in North America , and March 1997 in Europe and Australia . It was the last major home console to use the cartridge as its primary storage format until the Nintendo Switch in 2017 . The Nintendo 64 was discontinued in mid 2002 following the launch of its successor , the GameCube , in 2001 . Codenamed Project Reality , the Nintendo 64 design was mostly complete by mid-1995 , but its launch was delayed until 1996 , when Time named it Machine of the Year . It was launched with three games : Super Mario 64 , Pilotwings 64 ( worldwide ) and Saikyō Habu Shōgi ( exclusive to Japan ) . As part of the fifth generation of gaming , the system competed primarily with the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn . The suggested retail price at its United States launch was US $ 199.99 , and 32.93 million units were sold worldwide . In 2015 , IGN named it the ninth-greatest video game console of all time .
1996 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games and several new titles such as Blazing Heroes , Super Mario 64 , NiGHTS into Dreams. , Crash Bandicoot , Resident Evil , Dead or Alive , Duke Nukem 3D and Tomb Raider .
The Atari 2600 , originally branded as the Atari Video Computer System or Atari VCS for short until November 1982 , is a home video game console from Atari , Inc . Released on September 11 , 1977 , it is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on ROM cartridges ( a format first used with the Fairchild Channel F in 1976 ) instead of dedicated hardware with games physically built into the unit . The 2600 was bundled with two joystick controllers , a conjoined pair of paddle controllers , and a game cartridge : initially Combat , and later Pac-Man . The Atari VCS launched with nine simple , low-resolution games in 2 KiB cartridges . The system found its killer app with its version of Taito 's Space Invaders in 1980 and became widely successful , leading to the creation of Activision and other third-party game developers as well as competition from home console manufacturers Mattel and Coleco . By the end of its primary lifecycle in 1983-84 , games for the 2600 were using more than four times the ROM of the launch titles with significantly more advanced visuals and gameplay than the system was designed for , such as Pitfall ! and its scrolling sequel Pitfall II : Lost Caverns . Atari invested heavily in two games for the 2600 , Pac-Man and E.T . the Extra-Terrestrial , that became commercial failures and contributed to the video game crash of 1983 which ended the market relevance of the 2600 . Warner sold off the home console division of Atari to Commodore CEO Jack Tramiel . In 1986 , the new Atari Corporation under Tramiel released a lower-cost version of the 2600 and the backwards-compatible Atari 7800 , but these were not enough to turn things around , and ultimately it was Nintendo that led the recovery of the industry . Atari finally ended production of the Atari 2600 on January 1 , 1992 .
Atari ( /əˈtɑːri/ ) is a brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972 , currently by Atari Interactive , a subsidiary of the French publisher Atari , SA . The original Atari , Inc. , founded in Sunnyvale , California in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney , was a pioneer in arcade games , home video game consoles , and home computers . The company 's products , such as Pong and the Atari 2600 , helped define the electronic entertainment industry from the 1970s to the mid-1980s . In 1984 , as a result of the video game crash of 1983 , the original Atari Inc. was split , and the arcade division was turned into Atari Games Inc. Atari Games received the rights to use the logo and brand name with appended text Games on arcade games , as well as rights to the original 1972-1984 arcade hardware properties . The Atari Consumer Electronics Division properties were in turn sold to Jack Tramiel 's Tramel Technology Ltd. , which then renamed itself to Atari Corporation . In 1996 , Atari Corporation reverse-merged with disk-drive manufacturer JT Storage ( JTS ) , becoming a division within the company . In 1998 , Hasbro Interactive acquired all Atari Corporation related properties from JTS , creating a new subsidiary , Atari Interactive . Infogrames Entertainment ( IESA ) bought Hasbro Interactive in 2001 and renamed it Infogrames Interactive , which intermittently published Atari branded titles . In 2003 , it renamed the division Atari Interactive . Another IESA division , Infogrames Inc. ( formerly GT Interactive ) , changed its name to Atari Inc. the same year , licensing the Atari name and logo from its fellow subsidiary . In 2008 , IESA completed its acquisition of Atari , Inc. 's outstanding stock , making it a wholly owned subsidiary . IESA renamed itself Atari , SA in 2009 .
1977 has several new titles such as Space Wars .
The Xbox is a home video game console and the first installment in the Xbox series of video game consoles manufactured by Microsoft . It was released as Microsoft 's first foray into the gaming console market on November 15 , 2001 , in North America , followed by Australia , Europe and Japan in 2002 . It is classified as a sixth generation console , competing with Sony 's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo 's GameCube . It was also the first major console produced by an American company since the Atari Jaguar ceased production in 1996 . Announced in 2000 , the Xbox was graphically powerful compared to its rivals , featuring a 733 MHz Intel Pentium III processor , a processor that could be found on a standard PC . It was also noted for its PC-like size and weight , and was the first console to feature a built-in hard disk . In November 2002 , Microsoft launched Xbox Live , a fee-based online gaming service that enabled subscribers to download new content and connect with other players through a broadband connection . Unlike online services from Sega and Sony , Xbox Live had support in the original console design through an integrated Ethernet port . The service gave Microsoft an early foothold in online gaming and would help the Xbox become a competitor in the sixth-generation of consoles . The popularity of blockbuster titles such as Bungie 's Halo 2 contributed to the popularity of online console gaming , and in particular first-person shooters . The Xbox had a record-breaking launch in North America , selling 1.5 million units before the end of 2001 , aided by the popularity of one of the system 's launch titles , Halo : Combat Evolved , which sold a million units by April 2002 . The system went on to sell a worldwide total of 24 million units , including 16 million in North America ; however , Microsoft was unable to make a steady profit off of the console , which had a manufacturing price far more expensive than its retail price , despite its popularity , losing over $ 4 billion during its market life .
The Nintendo GameCube [ b ] [ c ] ( commonly abbreviated as GameCube ) is a home video game console released by Nintendo in Japan and North America in 2001 and in the PAL territories in 2002 . The sixth-generation console is the successor to the Nintendo 64 . It competed with Sony 's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft 's original Xbox . The GameCube is the first Nintendo console to use optical discs as its primary storage medium . The discs are in the miniDVD format and the system was not designed to play full-sized DVDs or audio CDs , unlike its competitors , and focused on gaming instead . The console supports limited online gaming for a small number of games via a GameCube broadband or modem adapter and can connect to a Game Boy Advance with a link cable , which allows players to access exclusive in-game features using the handheld as a second screen and controller . The GameCube uses composite video cables to display games on the television ; however , there are differences in the two GameCube models . The models produced before May 2004 also have the ability to use digital component AV cables and progressive scan and a second serial port . The nameplate on the top of the console with the words Nintendo GameCube can be removed . This model is known as DOL-001 . The previously mentioned features were removed in GameCube consoles produced between 2004-2007 ; the later model was known as DOL-101 . The newer model has updated firmware that disables Action Replay cheats and cheat codes ( a newer version was developed to circumvent this ) and the disc-reading laser was improved in many ways , though it is not as durable .