Console Generations Ranked

[bikingjahuty]

This isn't so much what definitely are the best Console Generations, but rather how you'd rank them personally. Just a reminder of what each console generation contained.


First Generation: Pong Consoles
Second Generation: Atari 2600 and 5200, Intellivision, Odyssey 2, Colecovision, Vecrex, Fairchild Channel F
Third Generation: NES, Master System, Atari 7800
Fourth Generation: SNES, Genesis, TG16, Neo Geo AES, CDi
Fifth Generation: PS1, N64, Saturn, 3DO, Jaguar, Genesis Add Ons
Sixth Generation: PS2, XBOX, Gamecube, Dreamcast
Seventh Generation: PS3, Wii, 360
Eighth Generation: Wii U, Switch, PS4, XBONE


Here is how I would rank them


1. Gen 6: Two of my top three game consoles of all time are part of this generation (Dreamcast and PS2). On top of that, the amount of insanely great games from this generation seem uncountable. I also would argue that gen 6 gave birth to modern video game culture which continues to this day.


2. Gen 5: This was the generation that got me really into gaming, and my absolute most cherished memories of video games come from this time period. On top of that some of the best games I've ever played are from this generation, along with one of my favorite consoles, the N64.


3. Gen 8: Our current gen, I haven't had as much fun as I've had this generation in years (since gen 6). Some of the best games I've played came from this generation, and also the amount of hype and excitement I've had for various games throughout this generation might be unmatched.


4. Gen 4: This was my entry point into gaming and I still have many find memories of gaming during this period of time even though I was very young. Some of this generation is hard for me to get into these days, but quite a few games still hold up. I still enjoy revisiting games and consoles from this generation regularly.


5. Gen 7: I really enjoyed Gen 7, although for whatever reason it just doesn't have that same impact of specialness that any of the generations above have. It had a lot of good games, but few of them felt truly amazing like all the previous generations I mentioned. As time goes by it becomes harder for me to appreciate this generation, but despite that I still really enjoyed it and still enjoy it.


6. Gen 3: Gen 3 was just before my time, even though I was born during the midst of it. I never owned a gen 3 console until many years after it was over, but did play NES at various points when I was a kid. I definitely don't undermine the significance of this generation as it's the one that gave video games new life after the gen before it, but on a personal level it just doesn't do a lot for me.


7. Gen 2: I literally have no memory of this generation and have never owned a console from this generation. I have played some 2600, but the games are so primitive that it's nearly impossible for me to get into any of them.


8. Gen 1: Pretty much the same as Gen 2, except this generation is pretty much just pong consoles which makes it even less appealing. Not that pong is a bad game, but the lack of variety and also given how simplistic it is makes this my lest favorite, least appealing generation of video games.

[98dgreen]

6>7>4>5>8>3>2>1

[aliensstudios]

[kamikazekeeg]

Going purely on the systems in each gen and how much I liked them rather than just the games or individual consoles.  If this was just about consoles, this would be a different list.

1. Gen 8 - This is an interesting gen where PS4 made up for issues they had with the PS3, Nintendo had two cool consoles, even if only one worked out for them, and while the Xbone didn't do well, it managed to turn things around for itself with backwards compatibility and game pass that people really like.  It's a very well rounded era and I think makes for a good reason to put it at the top.

2. Gen 6 - This was the beginning of the internet era for consoles, and with Xbox killing it with their debut and games like Halo, PS2 just having all the games, and Gamecube having some real solid stuff even if I didn't own it, it's another pretty well rounded era.  Dreamcast failed of course, but I know people look back fondly on it.

3. Gen 5 - This one is here purely for that of the PS1 and N64, I loved both, real fond memories playing FF7 with a buddy, or that some of my favorite games of all time are on the N64.  Never the other systems, but as the step into the 3D era, I think this is a good time.

4. Gen 4 - Hell of an era with Sega vs Nintendo here, and with both consoles having something good about them.  Again, never played the other systems, but SNES and Genesis are enough.

5. Gen 7 - I didn't own a Wii for long, and I didn't won a PS3 till the end of its life practically, but I did have a 360 and really liked it, but ignoring the Wii, this era was about HDTV and while it was kinda rough at times with problems like the 360 having Dead Rising text problems, and the PS3 being very pricey at the time, both are good consoles...I'm not a Wii fan lol

6. Gen 3 - The NES is a wonderful console, some great games and the start of gaming going big, but I find these days it doesn't always hold up the best in terms of high quality games, but it still has good stuff for sure.  Never played the other systems.

7. Gen 1/2 - I can respect the consoles for being the predecessors, the originators, but that's about all I got for them.

[oldgamerz]

If we are considering raw hardware vs later console emulation mine goes as follows

1: 7th generation basically when backwards compatibility was at it's hype, every console in this generation was backwards compatible to some degree even the Nintendo Wii! Also the Xbox 360 and all PlayStation 3's also played music and the 7th generation was the first generation to have Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon video, and much much more free downloadable apps besides just enjoying the video games, Games were no as big so a 500 Gig PS3 can probably fit a save file for everything in the PS3 and PS1 Library

2: 6th Generation mainly the PlayStation 2, that console has a ton of arcade port compilations including games from the 2nd 3rd and some even games are even 4th and 5th generation type of games, that emulate on the PlayStation 2's hardware

3: 5th Generation because of nostalgia for me, I always wanted a Nintendo 64 growing up but I never got one until my mid teens, I did have access to a PlayStation 1 at my dads place, but vary few games to play. in the 5th console generation all consoles were ahead of most PC's back then a $1000 USD PC had lower specs then Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation 1

4: the 3rd Generation there is something amazing about the NES controllers, although somewhat uncomfortable depending of the size of your own hands but the games were too hard and too frustrating

5: 4th Generation the graphics were the highlight of that generation, but I can't say I like the games as much as the others

6: 2nd Generation but I never owned the actually hardware or none so but if you talking emulation then 2nd or 3rd  or 4th place for me

7: 8th generation I never owned a generation 8 console but I know they are a hell of a lot better then I am giving credit for,

8: 1st generation console the Magnavox Odyssey obviously last place because the games didn't even have graphics or sound the plastic over lays and two white squares were all this thing had to offer. it was more like a board game console then an actually video game console

I am not a Magnavox Odyssey fan at all

[Warmsignal]

BAHAHAHAHA.... oh man.... I'm the same way....

But seriously.

1 - N64/Saturn/PS1 gen - I reached my peak of excitment for gaming during this gen. So many classics, so many fond memories. I love the N64.

2 - SNES/Genesis gen - This is basically where I started with gaming. Lots of great memories, and the games have held up so well over time.

3 - NES/Master System gen - I have a lot of nostalgia for this gen, and I played much of it at young age. I really like the cheesy 80s-ness of the games and themes with gaming then.

4 - Wii/Xbox360/PS3 gen - So many cool and interesting multi-plat games, and I am very fond of the Wii and DS handheld.

5 - Switch gen - I think of Switch as belonging to the undeveloped generation we're coming into, and I'm already very impressed with the machine.

6 - WiiU/PS4/XBO gen - A little on the weak side for consoles overall, but the indie titles are somewhat intriguing, and the handhelds were impressive.

7 - PS2/Xbox/GC gen - I was intrigued during this period, but my fondness towards this gen has dwindled a bit over time. Some good stuff, but never quite my go-to anymore.

8 - 2700/Coleco/Odyssey2 gen - It's okay to collect, for the novelty. Rarely ever feel like going to this to actually play something. It's too primitive for my liking.

9 - Odyssey/Pong gen - Way too primitive. Doesn't really interest me at all.

[stealthrush]

1. Gen 4 - The definite gaming generation for quality software across the spectrum of genres.

2. Gen 3 - The generation that got me into gaming, developers pushed the envelope of hardware limitations.

3. Gen 5 - The new era of 3D polygon gaming, ambitious software including timeless classics.

4. Gen 6 - The expanding generation of 3D gaming making way for larger realms.

5. Gen 2 - The pure example of simplistic gaming.

6. Gen 7 - The internet age of gaming-online and money making schemes.

7. Gen 8 - The expanding digital gaming experience.

8. Gen 1 - The beginning of gaming.

[ferraroso]

It ended up being easier than I initially thought it would be:

3rd
4th
5th
6th
2nd
7th
1st
8th

[wartoy]

1.Gen 6 had 3 of my favorite systems X-Box,PS2 and Dreamcast and although not my favorite the GameCube was cool also.
2. Gen 4 had Snes and Genesis two more favorites of mine and the TG16 again not a favorite but a good system.
3. Gen 5 had PS1 another favorite of mine and the Best system of this generation. Also I loved the Sega CD With the N64 and Saturn close behind.
4.Gen 7 has the mighty X-Box 360 it's definitely in my all time top 5 systems. Then the Wii is the only other system of this generation I liked.
5.Gen 3 has the Nes this system cemented my love for video games forver. Only recently hav I discovered the Master System but I can see why people love it.
6.Gen 8 lives here I like all this generations systems especially the Switch then the X-Box One X and I injoyed the PS4 the least mostly due to it's controller.
7.Gen 2 had Atari 2600 I did love this system back then (Adventure is amazing) lots of realy fun games. Also Colleco Vision and Intellivison are worth mentioning.
8.Gen 1 Pong helped pass alot of boring nights away.

[kashell]

1. Gen 6
2. Gen 5
3. Gen 4

The rest just kind of fall wherever.

[courtlyhades296]

1. Gen 4
2. Gen 3
3. Gen 5
4. Gen 2
5. Gen 6
6. Gen 7
7. Gen 8
8. Gen 1

[wolfen]

1. Gen 8: I feel like this generation is the culmination of everything good from all previous gens put into each console as well as the gen making the biggest strides in technical and quality of life improvements. I also feel like this generation really has a focus on quality over quantity, both in gameplay and story, which is nice after all the shit and shovelware in Gen 7. All time great games, ease of access for all people, mobility, availability of old and new games, quality remakes of outdated games, boundary breaking and limit pushing stories and gameplay, changing the way in which we play games, etc. This gen has it all and it's not even close.


2. Gen 6: This is a personal favorite mostly for the Gamecube. It was a perfect storm that caused its demise. It was still the time of console wars, edgy culture and everything being gritty. This edgy atmosphere lead a lot of people to not want a "kiddie" Nintendo console even though it had the best versions of multiplatform games and still some of their best first party releases ever. Along with that the juggernaut that is the PS2 could play games AND DVD's, which was huge at the time, so it had no chance. Then we have the beginning of Microsoft and it's Xbox empire. Just a very historic and prolific time in gaming.


3. Gen 7: The Casual Generation. The era when every company threw any and every game they could onto their consoles regardless of quality and when they catered to people who would never usually play games. We saw a lot of fantastic games from each console, but also a metric fuck ton of shovelware, shit games, and cash grabs along with DLC and online content becoming prominent in this gen. It was also the era when gaming became TRULY mainstream with tons of online content, awards shows, pre-order craze, reviews and ratings, and even television primarily focused on gaming. A very odd time in gaming to be sure.


4. Gen 2: My only experience with these games is through virtual console or collections so I'm a bit limited. It's the only classic generation that I can really get into because a lot of the games are still fun to play and very well made even for their era. We saw the rise of one of my personal favorite franchises and a true rival to Mario(at least at the time): Sonic the Hedgehog, and the beginning of console wars.

I don't have enough experience with any other generations to rank them so this will have to be it for me.

[dharmajones93]

5th: This gen was the hight of hype. I was the perfect age to have tons of time and enough skill to actually play the games well. I was getting into more mature games but still loved Nintendo staples. I don't think I'll ever be able to divorce myself from the late night sleep overs and Mario Kart 64 sessions.

3rd: My very first gaming experiences were here. I inhereted my uncles NES when he graduate to the Genesis (circa 1989). I just loved these games and the memories playing them. I would include my gameboy here as well. One of my most played consoles that carried me well into the Pokemon days. This era had so many excellent licensed games as well like Batman and TMNT. Not to mention the first three Super Mario games. 

4th: My first truely my own console. So many hours into this console with some of them still being my favorite games. I weirdly never played some of the best games of the era though; literally no final fantasys, no Super Metroid, no Link to the Past. I also think I was a bit young to really cement it into memory.

6th: The Gamecube and Xbox were really the last consoles I played before I drifted away from gaming (and into college). There were great games, some of which I still consider favorites (I play Metroid Prime annually). I think that the turn towards shooters and multiplayer kind of killed my interest. Like, I don't think I actually liked many of the games, they were just what my friends were playing.

8th: The Switch in my opinion makes this generation. It single handedly brought me back into gaming. I've said this eslewhere but it was the first console I waited in line for on opening day since the N64. I've not been excited really about any other console this generation, though there have been some great games (ala Monster Hunter World, DOOM 16), but honestly the Switch is where it's at. Give the Switch a few more years and this gen could move up a notch for me.

2nd: I love the arcade era but I don't have much nostalgia or experience with this era other than just a general love for the late 70s and early 80s culture and fashion/art. BUT, the games are great. I eat up Atari and Activision, Namco, Williams collections, etc. I spend way too much time playing Centipede and Asteroids, Space Invaders, all that stuff.

7th: I completely missed this scene. Not only to very few games from this generation actually interest me, most downright repulse me. I'm slowly getting interseted in some of these because of the Xbox One's backwards compatibility and Switch ports. The 360 and PS3 aren't even in my collection.

1st: I have literally no experience with these, other than Pong ports for the Atari 2600.

[soera]

Alright, here is mine :

8 - First Generation: Pong Consoles
7 - Second Generation: Atari 2600 and 5200, Intellivision, Odyssey 2, Colecovision, Vecrex, Fairchild Channel F
6 - Third Generation: NES, Master System, Atari 7800
5 - Fourth Generation: SNES, Genesis, TG16, Neo Geo AES, CDi
3 - Fifth Generation: PS1, N64, Saturn, 3DO, Jaguar, Genesis Add Ons
4 - Sixth Generation: PS2, XBOX, Gamecube, Dreamcast
2 - Seventh Generation: PS3, Wii, 360
1 - Eighth Generation: Wii U, Switch, PS4, XBONE

Its almost straight backwards from now to then other than I love PS1 RPGs.

[pzeke]

Gen. 6
Gen. 4
Gen. 5
Gen. 3
Gen. 7

That is pretty much for me, the rest can fall anywhere. Growing up I experienced Gen. 2, but I don’t really care that much for it. I’ve yet to own any of the consoles in Gen. 8, so I’ll reserve my judgment until then.