History of video game consoles (eighth generation)

The eighth generation of video game consoles began in 2012. The eighth generation began with the release of Wii U. The PlayStation 4 was announced on February 20, 2013.PS4 release date specs confirmed It was released worldwide on November 15, 2013.  Microsoft announced the Xbox One on May 21, 2013. It had its first regional release on November 22, 2013. For handheld game consoles, the generation began in February 2011. The first handheld was the Nintendo 3DS. The PlayStation Vita was released in December 2011 in Japan. It was available for the Western countries in February 2012.

It is believed by the video game media that the eighth generation home consoles compete with the smartphone, tablet, and Smart TV gaming markets. Because of this, some analysts incorrectly believed the eight generation would be the last generation of home consoles. Other microconsoles such as the NVIDIA Shield, Steam Box, Ouya and GameStick are attempting to compete in this market. Nintendo officially discontinued the Wii U on January 31, 2017 in anticipation of the March 3, 2017 worldwide release of the Nintendo Switch. The Switch is a "hybrid" console that acts as both a home console and handheld device, and it is the beginning of a ninth generation of home consoles.

 Systems 
Comparison
 Name Wii U PlayStation 4 Xbox One Nintendo SwitchLogo 220px 220pxframeless|304x304px304x304pxManufacturer Nintendo Sony Microsoft NintendoConsole 300pxcenter|frameless|289x289px frameless300pxRelease dates November 18, 2012 November 15, 2013 NA: November 22, 2013
EU: November 22, 2013 (some countries, September 2, 2014, for others)

AU: November 22, 2013

BR: November 22, 2013

JP: September 4, 2014

CN: September 29, 2014 March 3, 2017Launch pricesBasic Model
 US$299.99
 £/€, set by individual retailers
 A$348.00
 ¥26,250
Deluxe/Premium Model
 US$349.99
 £/€, set by individual retailers
 A$428.00
 ¥31,500 US$399.99, €399.99, £349.99 US$499/€499/£429/JP¥49,980/CN¥3,699 US$299.99, ¥29,980, €329.99, GB£279.99, A$469.95Units shippedWorldwide: 13.56 million (as of 16 December 2016)Worldwide: 113.5 million (as of 30 September 2020)Worldwide: 58+ millionWorldwide: 153.10 million (as of 2025)Best-selling gameMario Kart 8,  8.26 million units (as of 31 December 2016)   Media Wii U Optical Disc @ 22.5MB/s 25 GB (single layer) Blu-ray, DVD Blu-ray, DVD Nintendo Switch game card, DownloadCPU Tri-Core IBM PowerPC "Espresso" Octa-Core AMD "Jaguar" Octa-Core AMDQuad-core ARM Cortex-A57[d] @ 1.02 GHz[e]GPUAMD Radeon "Latte" GPGPU @ 550 MHz Custom AMD Radeon, architecture and performance similar to a Radeon 7870 @ 800 MHz Custom AMD Radeon, architecture and performance similar to a Radeon 7790 @ 800 MHz256 Maxwell-based CUDA coresMemory2 GB DDR3 RAM
(1 GB available for games / 1 GB available for system)8 GB GDDR5 RAM
(7 GB available for games / 1 GB available for system)8 GB DDR3 RAM
(5 GB available for games / 3 GB available for system)4 GB LPDDR4 RAMStorage8 GB (Basic), 32 GB (Deluxe/Premium) internal flash memorySupports up to 32 GB SDHC memory cards (for Wii mode) Up to 2 TB USB hard disk drive for e-Shop games & save storage HDD with unconfirmed capacity 500 GB HDD32 GB eMMC (Original/Lite), 64 GB eMMC <small>(OLED)</smallVideo 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 576i, 480i; standard 4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic widescreen†
 Analog AV port supporting:
 Composite video
 S-Video (NTSC consoles only)
 RGB SCART (PAL consoles only)
 YPBPR
 D-Terminal (Japan only)
 Component video
 HDMI
† Resolutions other than 576i and 480i available via HDMI and YPBPR only. 4K, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 576i, 480i; standard 4:3 and 16:9 anamorphic widescreen†
 Analog AV port supporting:
 Composite video
 S-Video (NTSC consoles only)
 RGB SCART (PAL consoles only)
 Component video
 HDMI
† Resolutions other than 576i and 480i available via HDMI only. 4K, 1080p, 1080i and 720p
 HDMI in / HDMI outOriginal: 6.2-in, IPS (237 ppi), 720p
Lite: 5.5-in, IPS (267 ppi), 720p
OLED: 7-in, OLED (210 ppi), 720p
Docked: 480p/720p/1080p via HDMIIntegrated 3DTV supportYesYesYesYesSecond screen Off-TV Play Remote Play SmartGlass Audio Analog stereo via the Analog AV port.
 Six-channel PCM linear output via HDMI  TBAUndocked: Linear PCM 2.0 ch stereo speakers (with pseudo-surround)
Docked: Linear PCM 5.1 chPeripheral abilities SD memory card slot (supports SDHC cards)
 4 USB 2.0 ports (2 at front of console, 2 at rear)
 Bluetooth
 Sensor Bar power port
 "AV Multi Out" port
 HDMI out port Bluetooth
 HDMI out port
 USB 3.0 ports (number yet unrevealed) Bluetooth
 HDMI 1 in port and 1 out port
 3 USB 3.0 portsBluetooth 4.1
HDMI (1 out port on dock)
1 USB 3.0 port (on dock)
2 USB 2.0 ports (on dock)
1 USB-C port (on Console)
Near Field Communication (NFC)Controller Wii U GamePad (up to 2)
 Wii U Pro Controller (up to 4, but special games are possible up 7)
 Wii Remote/Plus (up to 4, but special games are possible up 7)
 Nunchuk attachment
 Classic Controller attachment
 NES Classic Edition game-pad (Virtual Console compatible)
 Wii Balance Board
 GameCube Controller via Adapter for Wii U (up to 8, two sets of four) DualShock 4
 PlayStation Move
 PlayStation Vita Wireless controller
 Kinect
 Voice commandOnline servicesNintendo NetworkAccounts
 Nintendo Network ID (up to 12 per system)
 User Account Profile (up to 12 per system)
 Personal Mii (one linked per account)
 Friend List (up to 100 friends)
 Origin support (EA-published titles only)
 Uplay support (Ubisoft-published titles only)
Social network
 Miiverse
Games
 Online multiplayer (upwards of 8-12 players)
 Online leaderboards
 Accomplishments System
 Voice/video chat (requires at least one Wii U GamePad)
Cloud storage
TBD
Communication
 Wii U Chat (video calls/voice chat)
 Friend List (up to 100 friends)
 Block List
 Player History (online players met)
 Notifications
 SpotPass
 Cross Platform with Nintendo 3DS
Online Shop
 Nintendo eShop
Entertainment
 Nintendo TVii (discontinued August 11, 2015)
 YNN! (Japan only)
 Nico Nico Douga (Japan only)
 YouTube
Internet Navigation
 NetFront based Internet Browser (w/ HTML5 video and audio support)
 Integrated Google/Yahoo search engine
Loyalty Programs
 Club Nintendo (discontinued - 2015)
 Nintendo Network Premium
 My Nintendo ( launched 31 March, 2016)
Other Utilities
 Parental controls
 eManuals
 Nintendo Customer Service (video game console warranty and help/repair support)
 Nintendo Online Store (physical products only)
System Update
Wii U System Update
 Personal Profile (up to 400 characters)
 Communities:
 Game/App communities
 News communities
 Developer's Room communities
 Private communities
 Share:
 Comments & Drawings
 Activity Feed (most recent post of any followed users)
 Accomplishments
 Tags (records/challenges)
 In-game screenshots
 YouTube videos
 News Feed
 Friend List (up to 100 friends)
 Follow (Profile can follow up to 1000 users)
 Instant messaging
 Notifications
 Nintendo eShopGames/Apps
 Downloadable content
 Demos (playable up to 30 times)
 Game screenshots/videos/
 Software rantings (1 to 5 stars; various categories)
 Software updates/patches
 Virtual Console
Entertainment
 Nintendo eShop News
 Nintendo Direct
  Netflix
 Hulu Plus (US/Japan only)
 Amazon Instant Video (US only)
 LoveFilm (Europe only)
 TiVo PlayStation Network Xbox LiveRegional lockout Yes  Games can be shared/resold without a fee Yes Yes YesRequires an Internet connection No No NoList of gamesList of Wii U gamesList of PlayStation 4 gamesList of Xbox One gamesBackward compatibilityNintendo optical discs
 Wii
Downloadable only
 WiiWare
 Virtual Console in Wii Mode Optical disc/download

Not compatible with PlayStation 3 titles due to hardware incompatibility; other systems unannounced

Gaikai cloud streaming (not at launch)
 PlayStation
 PlayStation 2
 PlayStation 3Compatible with some Xbox 360 and Xbox titles

 Handheld consoles 
Handheld comparison
 Name Nintendo 3DS / 3DS XL PlayStation VitaLogo300px 230px Manufacturer Nintendo SonyConsole x160px x120pxRelease datesNintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS XLAll versionsLaunch pricesNintendo 3DS
 ¥25,000
 US$249.99
 £/€, set by individual retailers$250 3DS launching March 27 GameSpot
 A$349.95
Nintendo 3DS XL
 ¥18,900
 US$199.99
 £/€, set by individual retailers
 A$249.9Wi-Fi
 ¥24,980
 $249
 €249
 £229.99
Wi-Fi+3G
 ¥29,980
 $299
 €299
 £279.992013 pricesNintendo 3DS
 $169.99
 €169.99
 ¥15,000
 A$249.99 (as of 12 August 2011)
Nintendo 3DS XL
Same as launch pricesWi-Fi
 ¥19,980
Same as launch prices
Wi-Fi+3G
 ¥19,980
Same as launch pricesUnits shippedWorldwide: 31.09 million (as of 31 March 2013)Worldwide: 2.2 million (as of 30 June 2012)Best-selling gameSuper Mario 3D Land, 8.29 million units (as of 31 March 2013) DisplayTop:
Autostereoscopic (3D) LCD  
  (Nintendo 3DS)
  (Nintendo 3DS XL)
Bottom:
2D LCD Touchscreen 
  (Nintendo 3DS)
  (Nintendo 3DS XL) OLED 3D enabled  YesNoCPUDual-core ARM11 MPCoreQuad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCoreGPUDigital Media Professionals PICA200PowerVR SGX543MP4+Memory128 MB FCRAM, 6 MB VRAM512 MB RAM, 128 MB VRAM CameraOne front-facing and a set of two rear-facing 3D 0.3 MP (VGA) camera sensorsFront and rear 0.3 MP (VGA) camera sensorsStorage2 GB (1.5 GB usable)  NAND flash internal storage
Supports up to 128GB SDXC cards, and up to 32GB SDHC cards
 2 GB SD card included (Nintendo 3DS)
 4 GB SDHC card included (Nintendo 3DS XL)No internal storage4 GB to 32 GB of proprietary removable memory sticksMediaNintendo 3DS Game Card (1–8 GB)Nintendo DS Game Card (8–512 MB)PlayStation Vita Game Card (2–4 GB)User interface Circle Pad (2× with add-on)
 D-pad
 Autostereoscopic 15:9(5:3) screen with 3D depth slider (top screen)
 Resistive 4:3 touchscreen (bottom screen)
 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope
 Volume slider
 3D depth slider
 Wireless communications switch
 Front 2D camera and rear 3D camera set
 Microphone
 12 × buttons(X, Y, A, B, L, R (ZL and ZR with add-on), START, SELECT, HOME, POWER) 2 × analog sticks
 D-pad
 Capacitive OLED 16:9 touchscreen
 Rear touchpad
 Sixaxis motion sensing
 Three-axis electronic compass
 Front & rear 2D cameras
 Microphone
 12 × buttons(11px|Triangle, 11px|Circle, 11px|Cross, 11px|Square, L, R, Start, Select, Home, Volume ±, Power)BatteryNintendo 3DS
1300 mAh lithium-ion battery
 3DS Mode: 3–5 hours
 DS Mode: 5–8 hours
Nintendo 3DS XL
1750 mAh lithium-ion battery
 3DS Mode: 3.5–6.5 hours
 DS Mode: 6–10 hours
(determined by screen brightness, Wi-Fi, sound volume, and 3D effect)All versions
2200 mAh lithium-ion battery
 Gameplay: 3–5 hours
 Video playback: 5 hours
 Music: 9 hours
(determined by screen brightness, Wi-Fi, sound volume, and whether 3G is active)Connectivity Integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
 IR port Integrated 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
 3G (optional)
 Bluetooth 2.1+EDRStylusNintendo 3DS
Extendable up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long
Nintendo 3DS XL
96 mm (3.8 in) long WeightNintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS XLWi-Fi model

Wi-Fi+3G modelDimensionsNintendo 3DS
  W
  D
  H
Nintendo 3DS XL
  W
  D
 All versions
  W
  D
  H Online servicesNintendo NetworkAccounts
 Universal Friend Code System (Friend Card)
 Personal Mii (one linked per account)
 Friend List (up to 100 friends)
Social network
Miiverse
Games
 Online multiplayer (up to 7 local players)
 Online leaderboards
 Accomplishments System
Communication
 Swapnote (Nintendo Letter Box in PAL region)
 Friend List (up to 100 friends)
 StreetPass Mii Plaza (local & online players met)
 3DS Download Play
 Notifications
 StreetPass & SpotPass
 Cross Platform with Wii U
Online Shop
Nintendo eShop
Entertainment
 Nintendo Video
 Netflix (North America only)
 Hulu Plus (United States only)
 Recochoku (Japan only)
 e-Reader
Internet Navigation
 NetFront based Internet Browser
 Integrated Google/Yahoo search engine
Loyalty Programs
 Club Nintendo
 Nintendo Network Premium
Other Utilities
 Parental controls
 eManuals
 Nintendo Customer Service (video game console warranty and help/repair support)
 Nintendo Online Store (physical products only)
System Update
Nintendo 3DS System Update
  Personal Profile
 Comunities:
 Game/App communities
 News communities
 Developer's Room communities
 Private communities (online matchmaking)
 Share:
 Comments
 Drawings
 Accomplishments
 Tags (records/challenges)
 In-game screenshots
 YouTube videos
 News Feed
 Friend List (up to 100 friends)
 Instant messaging
 Notifications
 Nintendo eShopGames/Apps
 Downloadable content
 Demos (playable up to 30 times)
 Game screenshots/videos/
 Software rantings (1 to 5 stars; various categories)
 Software updates/patches
 Virtual Console
Entertainment
 Nintendo TV (Official Nintendo Magazine)
 Short Films
 Nintendo eShop News
 Nintendo DirectSony Entertainment Network PlayStation Network
 PlayStation Store
 Video Unlimited
 Music Unlimited
 Netflix
 Flickr
 Foursquare
 Google Maps
 Facebook
 Twitter (via the LiveTweet application)
 Skype
 YouTube
 PlayStation Mobile Preloaded applications Health & Safety Information
 Nintendo 3DS / DS Game Card
 Nintendo 3DS Camera (Photo + Video Recording and Editing)
 Nintendo 3DS SoundNintendo Shares Updated 3DS Specs  andriasang.com
 Nintendo eShop
 Mii Maker
 StreetPass Mii Plaza
 AR Games
 Face Raiders
 Activity LogNintendo 3DS features Game Coins system  aussie-nintendo
 Nintendo Zone
 Nintendo Video
 Swapnote (Nintendo Letter Box in PAL region)
 Eurosport (PAL region only)
 Netflix (w/ paid subscription)
 Hulu Plus (w/ paid subscription)
 DS Download PlayDS games on 3DS – a few more details  GoNintendo
 3DS Download Play
 System Settings
 Game Notes
 Friend List
 Notifications
 Internet Browser Trophies
 PlayStation Store
 Friends
 Party
 Group Messaging
 Notifications
 Music
 Videos
 Photos
 Internet Browser
 Email
 Maps
 Settings
 Content Manager
 Remote Play
 Cross-Controller
 Welcome Park
 near Regional lockoutYesNoList of gamesList of Nintendo 3DS gamesList of PlayStation Vita gamesBackward compatibilityNintendo Game Cards
 Nintendo DS/DSi
Downloadable only
 DSiWare
 Virtual ConsoleDownloadable only
 PlayStation
 PlayStation Portable
 PlayStation minis

 References 

Category:History of video game consoles